A Hope-filled Life

A Hope-filled Life

by | Feb 10, 2023 | Faith, Hope, Trust

A hard winter freeze destroyed many plants and shrubs in my yard. They look pathetic, really.

I have four sweet olive trees, once evergreen, now leafless and sparse. I wondered if I would ever delight in their sweet scent again.

Upon further inspection, a green layer hides underneath that dry, gray bark. It speaks of beauty to come. Beauty from devastation. A speck of hope that, once touched by the sun of Spring, will find new life.

While a storm robbed it of its leaves and color, I look forward to the day I get to see its beauty once again, inhale its sweet fragrance and rest in its shade.

Does your life sometimes mirror that sweet olive tree? I know mine has at times.

Cold. Hard. Uninviting. Withdrawn and without hope.

But beneath our exterior, we hope for better things to come.

Beauty from devastation

Jesus Christ offers us that hope. He is the lifeblood within us. He brings beauty from our devastation. And he will give us new strength that allows us to grow and flourish.

Be encouraged, my friend. This season of sadness or emptiness will one day blossom into life again. Life that comes from the life-giver Himself.

If you know Him, you know He is faithful. Cling to Him in the good days as well as the not-so-good days.

If you do not have a relationship with God and don’t know the love of Christ, would you trust Him today? Jesus sees great value in you and tenderly calls your name. Receive His gift of salvation by putting your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Receiving His salvation means recognizing that you are a sinner, repenting of your sin, confessing with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believing in your heart that God raised Him from the dead.

All who receive His salvation are changed by the Holy Spirit and are born again, becoming children of God and receiving eternal life with God.

That sweet olive tree appears dead. But it will look alive again one day. Thank God He can do the same with us. He can take a life that’s broken and without hope and transform it into a vibrant and full life.

Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9 (ESV)

But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. Isaiah 40:31 (NLT)

Taking Down Walls

Taking Down Walls

by | Feb 3, 2023 | Faith, Fear, Praise

One of the hardest things I have ever done was tell my three boys their daddy had gone to be with Jesus in Heaven. The task seemed insurmountable. I was already numb from the news myself; how could I ever speak it to them?

It seemed a wall loomed ahead, threatening our way of life. Somehow, I had to make it to the other side and begin an unwanted and unfamiliar future.

Walls can be daunting. However, I believe there are two essentials to tackling the walls that stand in our way.

  • Our faith
  • God’s power

A promise fulfilled

As described in Joshua 6, a wall stood between the Israelites and the place God had promised them. That wall surrounded the city of Jericho and God had a plan for Joshua to defeat the city.

(Jericho was the first city conquered by Israel after crossing the Jordan River and occupying the Promised Land. Joshua 5:13-6:23)

I feel certain the plan to circle the walls of Jericho seemed bizarre to the people. But Joshua listened to God, then executed the plan exactly as God had laid it out for him. And the people followed Joshua’s instruction.

When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city. Joshua 6:20 (NIV)

The power of praise

The walls of Jericho fell – not because of human strength or skill – but because of the faith and shouts of praise of the people. That, my friend, is the power of praise.

Because of their faith, they saw the power of God in action. And with their faith, they accomplished the task as God intended.

Oh, that we would approach our walls – or mountains – before us with that same faith accompanied by praise. When we say “I can’t do this” or “I won’t do that,” we limit God.

Joshua was a man of great faith. And he saw the limitless power of the Lord. Verse 27 closes out Chapter 6 with this about him.

So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land. Joshua 6:27 (NIV)

I have witnessed the power of the Holy Spirit in my life. It was only through faith in Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit that got my family to the other side of that wall during those dark days.

Do you have a wall standing in your way? Or a mountain before you? Sometimes fear can be that barrier that holds us captive. Or grief could keep us bound and not able to move forward.

Let’s cling to our faith to move those mountains, tear down those walls and see the power of the Holy Spirit in our everyday lives, working on our behalf.

Eyes Wide Open

by | Jan 28, 2023 | God, Grace, Mercy

 

In the middle of Job’s heartache and despair, he speaks something profound.

What is man, that you make so much of him, and that you set your heart on him. Job 7:17 (ESV)

Let that sink in. God loves us. So much that in His mercy, we don’t get what we deserve — an eternity separated from Him in a place of constant torment. Yet, in His grace, we get so much that we don’t deserve.

  • We can have a relationship with Almighty God through His Son Jesus Christ and spend eternity with Him in paradise.
  • We can have meaningful relationships with people here on earth.
  • We can enjoy the beauty around us.
  • We can enjoy food that not only sustains us but tastes good.
  • And we can listen to music that brings joy to our souls.

God sets His heart on us.

There are many places in the Bible that tell us to set our hearts on God. But in this verse in Job, we find that God also sets his heart on us. We can rest in that fact. We can find love, experience care and receive blessings.

I recently listened to a song by Jeremy Camp – Keep Me in the Moment. This song encourages us to live with our eyes open so we don’t miss what God has for us. It goes on to say that nothing is wasted when everything is placed in His hands.

I had to think on that. I waste time when I don’t place things in his hand — specifically the time worrying about something that may or may not happen.

The cool part is that when I was writing this post, the scripture at the bottom of that day’s page in my journal spoke directly to this same thing.

Give your burdens to the LORD, and He will take care of you. Psalm 55:22 (NCV) 

I have worried about a decision I needed to make — unable to get it off my mind. But when I placed the burden of that decision in God’s hands, I could focus and spend my time on what God DOES have for me. And I could be confident that He is not withholding blessings from me.

He blesses us when we hand our worries and fears to Him.

And not only that, but our sweet surrender of every moment to God brings peace and joy. While Jesus said He would go to prepare a place for us so that we could be with Him one day, He also said that we could have joy in THIS life.

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. John 15:11 (NIV)

God is sovereign. He is in control. Yet He sets his heart on you and me. Let’s live with our eyes wide open and look for joy in the moment.

Stand Tall

Stand Tall

by | Jan 20, 2023 | God, Redeemed, Victory

Last weekend we celebrated a late Christmas with the Cameron family. It was the first time we could all get together. I had every intention of taking down the Christmas decorations before then, but the closer it got to our getting together, I just decided to leave it all up.

Now . . . the tree had been dead long before Christmas, so it was really dead at this point. As soon as everyone left, we hauled the boxes from the attic and took down the tree and decorations. Then, my 17-year-old son headed to the tree recycling pile in the city.

Once back home, he told me how that dried-up tree took flight and soared out the back of the truck, landing in the middle of the road and stopping traffic several cars deep. In case he had missed the spectacle, someone stood in the road waving his hands to let him know.

He said the worst part was he knew about four people who yelled out their windows, teasing him. He picked up the tree and re-loaded it into the truck. 

I’m sure it was quite a sight . . . and was probably on social the next day.

We laughed until we were in tears. 

Stand tall through the winds of change

Sometimes our lives can be like that dried-up Christmas tree. When that tree, once carrying the pleasant scent of pine and Christmas, gets cut off from its source of life, it becomes dry and empty.

Like that tree, we can become dried up and no longer of any use, at risk of being tossed by the challenges of the day.

But with Jesus, our lives can be full and bear much fruit, able to stand tall through the winds of change.

Let’s stand tall, my friend, and stay connected to our source of life — Jesus Christ — and point others to Him and the salvation He offers.

Now this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. John 17:3

 

Presented with Great Joy

Presented with Great Joy

by | Jan 13, 2023 | Humility, Joy, Redeemed

I have good news!

As I was reading Jude, a few words from verse 24 struck me and I can’t get them out of my head.

Many of you know that my book Grief Unwrapped: Discovering Joy in a Season of Sorrow talks about having joy even in our sorrow or difficult circumstances. And Jesus is the source of that joy.

I admit I don’t typically think about Jesus having joy over me. Yes, I think He is pleased when we follow His will and His work for as long as we’re here on earth. But Jude takes it a step further. Read this.

To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy —  to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.  Jude 24-25 (NIV)

Did you get that? For those who know Jesus — those who claim Him as their Savior — He will present us to his glorious presence, the Almighty God. He will present us without fault and with great joy.

Blameless before the Father

I have been taught all my life that Jesus is our advocate, that He redeems us and that because of our relationship with Him, we will be blameless before the Father. But to present us with great joy?

The ballroom dancing world offers a similar picture. For the guy, it is a presentation. It’s not about him. His sole purpose is to present his partner on the dance floor. Every turn. Every step. Every dip and twirl is to show her to others.

That’s what Jesus will do for us one day. With pride, He will present us to the Father.

This means that not only can we live a life of joy through a relationship with Jesus Christ, but He will also have joy because of us.

I am unworthy of God’s grace, yet I am presented with joy. Wow.

Friend, that just made my day. I hope it makes yours too.

“Blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.” Jeremiah 17:7 (NLT)

Additional verses for reference and reflection 

Colossians 1:22, John 10:28-30, Philippians 1:6

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