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A Planting of Faith Seeds for the Glory of the LORD
Whosoever follows Jesus has Hope!
For nearly six years my hope was things would get better, but instead hope wasn’t working that somewhere along the way hope had become lost. The only thing (I believe) worse than lost hope is no hope. People who have no hope are like a ship lost and directionless in terrifying storm at sea and have lost all power and maneuvering capability. While people who have lost hope contend with the same storm yet they have a destination along with the power and maneuvering capability to seek the safety of their destination.
Having brought up the idea of lost hope I’ve struggled with the question so we really lose hope or do we suddenly realize the hope we are experiencing isn’t working? Do we continue to search for something we think we’ve lost or do we search for the true meaning of hope?
While not writing specifically about hope Mike Erre shed light on the true meaning of hope, “I used to think that the reward for following Jesus was peace, joy, blessing, answered prayer, security, meaning, etc., but have come to realize that the reward for following Jesus is Jesus … and nothing else… I realized that sometimes God hides from us in order to wean us off receiving God the way we want and to begin to receive Him on His own terms.” (Mike Erre, Astonished: Recapturing the Wonder, Awe, and Mystery of Life with God (p. 47). David C. Cook. Kindle Edition)
Basically what life was trying to teach me and what Mike Erre was saying was that God is Hope and Hope is God therefore those who have God have Hope! Hope not in what they want or think they need but Hope in a God who does what needs to be done when it need to be done. Hope (God) may not change our immediate circumstances instead God (Hope) through his indisputable presence strengthens us until our storms pass.
There is one more lesson life has taught me about Hope (God) and that is to truly believe in and live with God (Hope) one MUST have patience. Jeremiah in the Book of Lamentations ties hope, God, and patience together this way, “Because of the LORD’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness! I say: The LORD is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in Him. The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him. It is good to wait quietly for deliverance from the LORD.” (Lamentations 3:22–26, HCSB)
Believe it! Experience it!
Grace and PEACE!
Gary
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“Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day.” (2 Corinthians 4:16, HCSB)
“Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day.” (2 Corinthians 4:16, HCSB)
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Scripture quotations marked HCSB are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.
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