Happy New Year, dear friends!
I pray that you continue to find HOPE with each new day this year.
I plan to resume my regular blogging here within the next week or so.
May God bless you richly today.
~Alesha
Hope in Hope
In the beginning, there was Hope.
Throughout history that Hope was kept alive by prophecies given to men and women of God.
In Bethlehem, that Hope was born to a young virgin named Mary.
In Egypt, that Hope was kept safe, though all other infants and toddlers in Jerusalem were murdered by a wicked king.
On a hill called Calvary that Hope was crucified by men who believed they were greater than all the prophets of old who had foretold of the coming of Hope.
Three days later, that Hope was resurrected, brought back to life, glorified and He walked throughout the cities of Israel as proof of His divine nature.
Then our Hope was caught up into Heaven, but He left His Spirit of Hope to comfort our hearts.
Where is your hope today?
Has it been promised, but you don't yet see the fulfillment of it?
If so, don't fail to believe it. It will come to you!
Has it been birthed in you, a tiny spark that can grow to illuminate your whole life?
If so, rejoice in it! It is time to celebrate the beginning of your hope!
Has it been threatened by evil?
If so, don't be afraid! God will protect it in the time of danger!
Has it been viciously murdered by those who don't believe in it?
If so, don't fret. It will revive!
Is your hope already in Heaven?
If so, enjoy the comfort of His spirit while you remain here on the earth!
No matter what circumstances surround you today, Hope is there! Hope is alive!
It is available to you through the person of Jesus Christ!
Please don't loose heart. Don't give up!
Cling to the Christ Who can save your soul, and give your earthly life great meaning, peace and joy!
For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
Ephesians 3:14-21
Hope in Questioning God
There are days when we have so many questions about what God has allowed in our lives.
So, go ahead and ask them!
God's big enough to allow you to question Him. He is not afraid of your doubts.
He knows that we will suffer in this life, and wants us to cry out to Him as our Father:
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.Romans 8:15-18
There is a time and place when we will know the answers to all the "whys" of this life. In that day, the glory we have gained by these sufferings will be revealed.
I know that doesn't help our pain today, but it is a truth to hold on to when nothing else makes sense.
Hope in Being Like Jesus
"There is a peace that cometh after sorrow,
Of hope surrendered, not of hope fulfilled;
A peace that looketh not upon tomorrow,
But calmly on a tempest stilled.
"A peace that lives not now in joy's excesses,
Nor in the happy life of love secure;
But in the unerring strength the heart possesses,
Of conflicts won while learning to endure.
"A peace there is, in sacrifice secluded,
A life subdued, from will and passion free;
'Tis not the peace that over Eden brooded,
But that which triumphed in Gethsemane."
(excerpt Streams in the Desert by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman)
And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,
Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
Luke 22:41-42
Find hope in the peace that comes from a life surrendered to the will of God – just like Jesus.
Hope in Laundry at Midnight
Do you long to sleep peacefully at night?
Do you toss and turn with the thoughts that spin around in your head?
Do you wake up often during the night, due to dreams and nightmares?
Sleep – especially deep, restorative sleep – is a precious commodity. It seems to elude those that need it the most:
- For those with chronic pain, deep sleep would give time for restoration of their body, yet the pain keeps them awake.
- For those with heartache and troubles, sleep would be a welcomed escape, but their tortured minds will not allow sleep to come.
Songs have been written about long nights, the promise of the dawn, the assurance of God's presence in the trials.
I find Scripture to give the most practical comments about sleep:
Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.
O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah.
But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him.
Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.
There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.
I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.
Psalm 4:1-8
If you follow the Psalmist's logic in this chapter, there is no reason for us to be anxious about sleep. God is the only one Who can give us rest.
If we are rest-less, there is a reason. I encourage you to do as a sweet friend of mine suggested to me: "make friends with the night."
When you cannot sleep, find something else to occupy your mind and heart.
- Read a book,
- read your Bible,
- work on a craft,
- pray for a person for each letter of the alphabet, (I especially love this idea, as I'm hoping you'll think to pray for me with the letter "A"!!!)
- quote Scripture that you have memorized,
- write a note or an email to someone else who needs encouragement,
- study a passage of Scripture,
- catch up on your housework or laundry,
- watch a favorite movie,
- call a friend who lives in another time zone,
- listen to an encouraging sermon online or on CD,
- start a thankfulness journal.
The list is endless, really. (I would, however, discourage you from watching the news or other television shows that are not Christ-honoring, as they will have the opposite effect of calm and peacefulness.)
There is no need to lay staring at the ceiling on those nights when sleep eludes you, and you don't have to curse the clock because it is moving so slowly.
Find hope in the fact that while others around you are sleeping, the Lord has a plan for you to do something else. Ask the Lord what He would have you do during this time.
Consider it a privilege that He wants your attention for Himself.
Hope in the Same Old Routine
It's difficult to start a new week after a holiday, isn't it? It's hard to get back into the swing of things after having a few days off to celebrate and relax.
I had every intention of putting up a post yesterday, but…well, I didn't back into my regular schedule either!
I guess that's one of the reasons it's so important to make good habits that encourage our inner man.
While it's true that our spiritual "activities" can sometimes become routine and dull and lifeless, it is also true that those spiritual habits can be the tool God uses to keep us on track.
It is not always easy to attend church. However, when we keep that habit in place, we find ourselves attending when we are not our most "spiritually minded".
There we find
- the truth that we need to hear,
- the reminders of all the Lord has done for us,
- fellowship to feed our soul and
- music to sooth our frazzled minds.
It's a good "habit".
Another important practice to keep in our schedules is to read God's Word. Things will happen to interrupt our regularly scheduled reading times; but we must be adamant in finding that time at another place in our routine.
If we miss a day in God's Word, it is not good; but if we find ourselves skipping many days without meditating on the Scriptures, we are starving ourselves spiritually.
This "habit" must be one that we work to keep in its place.
Another routine that we must cultivate is to have a thankful spirit.
- Did you spend extra time last week counting your blessings?
- Did you find that it helped your mindset?
- Were you quicker to find the positive side of things because of your attitude of gratitude?
This week have you continued that spirit of thankfulness? We need to focus on thanking God for the situations in our life every day.
It keeps us focused on the fact that God has a plan for us, and is in control of our lives on a daily basis. I don't know about you, but that helps me even in the hardest times.
Thankfulness is a "habit" to practice all year round.
As we get back into the routine of our lives, especially as we look forward to a season of busyness as we prepare for Christmas, be sure to make time for the "habits" that will keep you balanced, sane and a pleasure to be around.
- Read the Bible daily.
- Attend church whenever physically possible.
- Practice an attitude of thankfulness every day.
These "habits" will ground our lives spiritually, and that gives us a solid foundation for the mundane as well.
Find hope today in the same old routine! Just be sure it includes these important "habits".
Hope in the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving
If you make a list of all the things you are thankful for this Thanksgiving, check your list with a critical eye.
Are all of the things on your list good things? Are the blessings you're counting all positive, happy circumstances?
If so, consider the following:
Can we thank God for the bad things, the hurtful circumstances, the painful past, the less-than-perfect surroundings?
Have you stopped to thank God for
- the car that sometimes won't start,
- the child that is breaking your heart with their disobedience, or
- the job that fills you daily with despair?
This is the real test of our thankful spirit.
Very often, in the Scripture, God calls our thanksgiving a sacrifice.
And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.
Psalm 107:22
I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.
Psalm 116:17
And when ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the LORD, offer it at your own will.
Leviticus 22:29
It may sometimes cause you pain to be thankful to the Lord; but your gratefulness shows your submission to the Lord.
Let's face it. God doesn't need to hear your thanksgiving to know if your heart is humbled to His will. He knows what is in our hearts already, quite often before we even recognize it ourselves.
We offer our thanksgiving to God, even in the midst of pain, so that others can see how great we believe our God is. They need to know that even in crisis, we can trust our God to do what is best for us.
The world wants to know if our Christianity still works when our life seems to be crumbling around us; because if it works then, it really works!
Let me encourage you, then, to take one small step toward sincere Thanksgiving this holiday.
Choose one thing in your life that make you unhappy, one situation that causes you true pain, and give God praise for it.
I believe you will be amazed at how your heart will find peacefulness and satisfaction in the midst of the trial when you are filled with praise for the goodness of your God!
(I would love to hear your testimony of how this truth worked in your life. Please share a comment with us about your sacrifice of thanksgiving.)
Obtaining Mercy 