enter Jesus: our eternal hope. the real thing. disappointment's true enemy and our hero! because of His death and resurrection my hope is restored! my joy renewed! my disappointment disintegrated!
sometimes our trials and sufferings can feel so heavy that the weight of them keeps us from looking up. this happens to me too often than i'd care to admit. even though i know there is far greater suffering happening in this world than my (or your) daily disappointments. i've got friends staring into the face of death, dealing with the reality of cancer and Alzheimer's, divorce, drugs, even prison. i'm not trying to in any way make light of depression or the decisions we all face in everyday life. but what i am seeing, right now, in the lives of those around me... this reality helps shift my perspective.
in light of this, the passage of scripture i've chosen to meditate on (and attempt to memorize) this month is Romans 5:3-5. the amplified version really brings it home for me:
Moreover [let us also be full of JOY now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance. And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character (approved faith and tried integrity). And character [of this sort] produces [the habit of] joyful and confident HOPE of eternal salvation. Such HOPE never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Romans 5:3-5 AMP)
it's completely safe to put our hope in Christ!!! to get our hopes up where Jesus is concerned! in HIM we will never be disappointed...
it's not too late to join in and begin to choose a verse or verses to memorize and/or meditate on each month. the Word of God is the STANDard under which we live. choose a verse and post it in the comment section!
2 comments:
“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4, 5).
"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." Matthew 6:30-34 (MSG)
It's a long one, but I know He wants me to have this deep in me--it's part of His story for me to tell--so I'm committing to this for April ... and beyond. Thank you for encouraging us to STAND on the Word of God with you, Crystal.
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