Devotions By Jan

Category Archives: Hope


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Letting Go

Scripture for Today: Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

I am not ready to let my Dad go.  Even though he has enjoyed a long life of ninety-two years and suffers from severe dementia, I still want him around.  Regardless of the circumstances and age of a loved one, it always seems too soon to let them go.

I know I am being selfish.  Everything wonderful awaits him in Heaven.  This butterfly reminds me of the new life and new body he is enjoying.  He is now experiencing “astonished joy!”

Our verse for today promises joy and peace for the one who puts their trust in Jesus.  Instead of experiencing despair, God fills the heart with hope.  Even when anticipating death, there is hope.  It is not natural.  It is supernatural and it is the Holy Spirit who produces this hope.  It can only happen through His power.  And it can only happen as we trust in Him.  The more I can trust Him and His plan, the more I can experience the joy and peace coming from this hope.  How can anyone face suffering and death without the sure hope we have in Jesus and the eternal home He has planned?

I am sad.  But there is peace and joy as I think of where my Dad is now, and that one day we will be reunited.  It is never the end.  I thank my wonderful Heavenly Father for this living hope that sustains me.  May this same hope sustain you, the reader, in whatever you are facing today.

 


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Anchored

Scripture for Today:  Psalm 16:8  “I have set the Lord always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.”

(A re-post during a time of troubled water)

I have always loved the movement of the ocean.  In my college years I took sailing as an elective class.  The more waves there were the more I enjoyed the ride and the challenge.  Thankfully, I have never had a problem with sea-sickness, unlike some members of my family!  During those classes I always had the teacher with me and we would only go out in fair weather.  There was no need for an anchor to ride out a storm or keep us immobile.

Would that my life would be the same kind of smooth sailing!  Instead, the water is often choppy and the skies threatening.  The ride is not always so pleasant.  With disturbing news comes all kinds of movement.  Everything seems to spin out of control and one’s only thought at a time like that is to hold on tight.

The problem comes when I hold on tight to something that moves.  God does not.  My own “can do” attitude or my own positive thoughts are not stable.  My emotions are all over the place!  Support and understanding from friends can disappoint.  They are well meaning but not consistent.  There is only one true source of stability in my life; my Heavenly Father.  Our verse for today reminds me that with His presence at my right hand, I will not be moved.

He is my hope and the anchor of my soul (Hebrews 6:19).  He does not lie and He will do what He has promised to do.  My Anchor is sure and steadfast.  The water may continue to be choppy and the skies threatening, but my Anchor will hold me steady.  Lord, keep me holding on!


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Goodbyes

Tante Lily1Scripture for Today: I Thes. 4:13 “Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.”

I do not like to say goodbye.  I am sad to think that on this earth I will not see Lily again.  Ten years ago she passed on to me the leadership of her Bible study group.  As each member is roughly the same age, I am losing these dear women one by one.  Each year our numbers shrink and we must say goodbye.  Yes, I grieve but I grieve with hope.

The verse for today is beautiful as it reminds us of our hope.  Saying goodbye between believers is never forever.  The separation is painful and hard but there is a tomorrow.  Death has been swallowed up in victory!  Death is just a passage where the perishable is clothed with imperishable and the mortal with immortality! (I Cor. 15:53-54)  One day there will be an incredible reunion of laughing and singing and dancing!  The sting of death will be forever removed.  This is my sure hope.  It makes our temporary separation bearable.

“When we asunder part, it gives us inward pain; but we shall still be joined in heart and hope to meet again.”  And that hope is not just wishful thinking!  Hope in Scripture has a much stronger meaning of certainty.  My hope is built on Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for me.  It is on that cross that He insured eternal life for those who place their trust in Him.  It is this hope that changes my grief.

Thank you Lord, that grief does not crush me.  Thank you Lord, that Your hope is my comfort.

 

 


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Blind Trust

Scripture for Today: Romans 15:13  “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

These tiny newborn birds have their mouths open wide in anticipation of the next morsel of food from their mother.  These little birds are so new that their eyes have not yet opened.  They cannot see their mother but they sense she is there.  They have no choice in the menu but seem confident enough to eat and swallow without question what the mother provides.  Theirs is a blind trust.

Our verse for today describes the joy and peace that is ours when we trust the One who is totally trustworthy!  When we trust His provision we overflow with hope.  This hope comes through the power of His Holy Spirit.  It may sometimes seem like a “blind trust” as we cannot understand the work of God completely (Eccl. 11:5).  We do not see the path of the wind or how the bones are formed in the mother’s womb.  There is so much we do not understand.  Like these newborn fledglings, we trust our Heavenly Father without knowing all the details.

What is reassuring about our trust is that it is not really blind.  We know the One in whom we place our trust and that makes all the difference!  When I cannot understand what He is doing, I can still trust that He will be true to His character; loving, good, faithful and true.  I can trust that He will be true to His Word.  He is never random or capricious.  I can open my mouth wide to receive whatever it is He has in store for me.

Thank you Lord, for the joy and peace that comes from trusting You.


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Hope

Scripture for Today: Lamentations 3:25-26 “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him.  It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”

How does one picture “hope?”  The image of this barren ground calls to mind the idea of grief and despair.  It is dry, cracked and hard.  There is no expectation of growth or new life.  But somehow, hope springs up in the form of this tiny green plant.  There is a tomorrow after all.  What looks completely dead comes to life!

Today’s verse made me think of the sadness and confusion of the disciples.  They huddled together in fear and despair for three long days following Christ’s crucifixion.  They must have felt lost and abandoned.  Their hearts and spirits must have felt as dry as the ground pictured here.  Perhaps they felt their hope in Jesus as the Messiah was ill placed.  But it was not.  The Lord was good to those men crushed with grief.  However, they had to wait three days to see His salvation.

The whole concept of hope involves waiting for a promise to be fulfilled.  The word, “hope,” in Scripture denotes confident expectation of what is sure to come.  There are many promises in my life that are yet to come.  The Lord wants to shower His goodness on me when I wait quietly and with confidence.  The Lord is especially good to me as I earnestly seek His face in those hard times of waiting.  I am not sure if the disciples waited quietly and confidently during those three days.  But then again, I have trouble with waiting as well.

Lord, thank you for the sure hope I have in You!  Help me to wait patiently for Your help and salvation!