But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.2 Peter 3:13
At the top of the back wall of our church’s sanctuary is a small window. For me, one of the joys of singing in our choir was looking through that window to the sky and imagining that we were singing straight to the throne of God. It always encouraged my soul and gave new energy to my singing. Sadly, the addition of a balcony required blinds on that window. That imagery is now but a fond memory. Often it seems that the daily events of our lives and the concerns that we bear are like that blind and prevent us from contemplating and looking forward to heaven. However, it is helpful to pause every now and then to evaluate our focus. In that light, consider the following.
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The best we can hope for in this life is a knothole peek at the shining realities ahead. Yet a glimpse is enough. It’s enough to convince our hearts that whatever sufferings and sorrows currently assail us aren’t worthy of comparison to that which waits over the horizon.
Joni Eareckson Tada
Crosswalk.com
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.” Ephesians 1:18-19
We have a pair of binoculars stored in our closet that belonged to my parents. I remember looking at them as a child and learning how to use them. Employed correctly, they provide clarity; however, used improperly they distort making matters worse than if they had not been used at all. The same principal applies in our lives when we fail to look at things from God’s perspective. This is true with respect to both our circumstances and our interactions with others. It is a matter of hope and faith.
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True faith means holding nothing back. It means putting every hope in God’s fidelity to His Promises.
Francis Chan
Crosswalk.com
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23
For several years after I became seriously ill, I didn’t plan any events in my life. I had no confidence that I would be around for the long haul, therefore, planning was out of the question. The problem was a lack of hope. While I still had the hope of eternity, I had no hope that God would sustain my body or that I could endure. Eventually, that lack of hope made my soul sick. Thankfully, God sustained me and slowly began to educate me on the finer points of living well before Him. One of those lessons was that there seem to be two kinds of hope: jubilant hope and steadfast hope. While I had witnessed plenty of examples of jubilant hope e.g. the hope that comes with: salvation, marriage, or a healthy newborn child, and the like, I had no living images of steadfast hope to lean on. The culture in which I was raised didn’t deal kindly with people who openly discussed their problems and therefore, was devoid of discussions regarding God’s use of trials to mold, shape and equip them. In that light, let’s consider a few images of steadfast hope, specifically hope that is: teachable, observant, patient, resilient, faithful trusting that God is enough.
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Hope is called the anchor of the soul (Hebrews 6:19), because it gives stability to the Christian life. But hope is not simply a ‘wish’ (I wish that such-and-such would take place); rather, it is that which latches on to the certainty of the promises of the future that God has made.
R. C. Sproul
Crosswalk.com
“Evil plans are an abomination to the Lord, but pleasant words are pure.” Proverbs 15:26
I recently spent a couple of weeks with my mother-in-law. As she likes to listen to the news a lot, I heard just about every broadcast regarding the Judge Kavanaugh hearings. Our culture seems to have lost the concept that people are innocent until proven guilty. As I listened, to the newscasts, I was struck by the fact that I was listening to them in Danvers, Massachusetts. For those who are unaware or need a refresher, Danvers was originally Salem Village. In the late 1600’s the town held witch trials that resulted in the death of 25 people…19 were hung and another six died in custody. (One of the victims was Rebecca Nurse whose house is shown above. See also Britannica.com) The trials started due to the behaviors of some girls that could not be explained medically and were, therefore, assumed to be satanic. Lack of information, bad assumptions, and false accusations led to a tragic end. The words of the girls and others involved led to the abominable deaths of innocent parties. Contrary to the poem many of us learned in grade school, words have the power to harm and destroy; they also have the power to heal and encourage. That’s why our use of words is so important.
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Words which do not give the light of Christ increase the darkness.
Mother Teresa
www.christianquotes
Return to your rest, O my soul, For the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. Psalm 116:7
I’ve been traveling a lot this month. So far it has been spent with family which has been wonderful, however, it has also taken time and energy. As a result, I’ve decided that it would be best to maintain some balance in my activities and take a break this week. Lord willing, I will return to my regular schedule next week.
May God be with you and sustain you.
The greater your knowledge of the goodness and grace of God on your life, the more likely you are to praise Him in the storm.
