well, according to the calendar, it's spring! however the weather didn't get the memo.... it's still snowing! but it's been warm...which to us means 40's!! so the snow is slowly, but surely, melting. and the hope of sun and new grass is evident. Faith: the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. being sure of what we hope for, being certain of what we do not see. hmmm. well, i've lived here long enough to know that spring WILL come. the winter has been long, but the snow WILL melt. i've known Jesus long enough to know that what he has planned WILL be accomplished. i don't know the details of his plans, but i trust him implicitly. he's never failed me before. my hopes have never been dashed where HE is concerned. i know HE knows!
we are all in this economic crisis together. it's tough. it's troublesome. it's scary. but we have hope for tomorrow. i received a fantastic and encouraging letter this past week from the desk of John Eldrege (author of Sacred Romance, Journey of Desire, Waking the Dead) and i was inspired by what he wrote. here is an excerpt from his letter: (stuff in parenthesis is mine)
" 'pray that you will not fall into temptation' (Luke 22:40). what temptation does Jesus know comes in a time like this? (speaking of what the disciples were dealing with at that moment in the garden) well, what are you tempted to fall to when times turn dark, when crisis hits, when God seems to have failed to come through? isn't it temptation to fall into despair? or distress? to start thinking terrible thoughts? to give way to fear and doubt and unbelief? (to lose hope?) have you ever even put those things in the category of temptation? as in, 'Do not yield to this SIN'? God Caught my attention with the seeming randomness of this verse, which got me wondering what in the world it was doing there, which led me to thinking what the temptation might be. then i realized i was on the brink of it myself. distress. inner turmoil. fear. up until that moment i hadn't even thought of it as temptation, as sin. but now i see it for what it is: unbelief. i see the damage that my unbelief does- to my own heart, my perspective, to my relationship with God. 'Do not give way to this', Jesus says. watch and pray. guard yourselves against this."
that helped me. i hope it helps you too. when you find yourself hopeless, afraid, doubting. know that he knows. know that weeping may endure for the night...but know that FOR SURE, joy comes in the morning!
we are all in this economic crisis together. it's tough. it's troublesome. it's scary. but we have hope for tomorrow. i received a fantastic and encouraging letter this past week from the desk of John Eldrege (author of Sacred Romance, Journey of Desire, Waking the Dead) and i was inspired by what he wrote. here is an excerpt from his letter: (stuff in parenthesis is mine)
" 'pray that you will not fall into temptation' (Luke 22:40). what temptation does Jesus know comes in a time like this? (speaking of what the disciples were dealing with at that moment in the garden) well, what are you tempted to fall to when times turn dark, when crisis hits, when God seems to have failed to come through? isn't it temptation to fall into despair? or distress? to start thinking terrible thoughts? to give way to fear and doubt and unbelief? (to lose hope?) have you ever even put those things in the category of temptation? as in, 'Do not yield to this SIN'? God Caught my attention with the seeming randomness of this verse, which got me wondering what in the world it was doing there, which led me to thinking what the temptation might be. then i realized i was on the brink of it myself. distress. inner turmoil. fear. up until that moment i hadn't even thought of it as temptation, as sin. but now i see it for what it is: unbelief. i see the damage that my unbelief does- to my own heart, my perspective, to my relationship with God. 'Do not give way to this', Jesus says. watch and pray. guard yourselves against this."
that helped me. i hope it helps you too. when you find yourself hopeless, afraid, doubting. know that he knows. know that weeping may endure for the night...but know that FOR SURE, joy comes in the morning!
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