Tag Archive | hope

Testimony of Trust

Sep22

Blessed be the Lord, Because He has heard the voice of my supplication. The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him.
Psalms 28:6‭-‬7 NASB

Who do you turn to when life becomes overwhelming? In whom do you trust with all the pieces of your life – the good, the bad, the ugly, the disappointments, the struggles, the highs, the lows? Has He heard the voice of your supplication because you cried out to Him? If you do, He will help you. Your heart will exult your God and you can’t help but to thank Him.

But You, O Lord, are a shield about me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head.
Psalms 3:3 NASB

🌹He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear And will trust in the Lord.
Psalms 40:3 NASB

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

Enduring and Everlasting Kingdom

Sep17

There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.
Isaiah 9:7 NASB

In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.
Daniel 2:44 NASB

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”
Luke 1:32‭-‬33 NASB

Looking at the world today there is much turmoil, anguish, uncertainty that instills fear in so many. But for the believer and follower of Jesus Christ there is hope. There is an everlasting Kingdom for the Christian whose King is the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Son of the Most High and His kingdom had no end.

🌹Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. In that is peace and hope.

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

All Day Long

Jul14

My mouth is filled with Your praise And with Your glory all day long.
Psalms 71:8‭ NASB

But as for me, I will hope continually, And will praise You yet more and more. My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness And of Your salvation all day long For I do not know the sum of them.
Psalms 71:14‭-‬15‭ NASB

My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to You; And my soul, which You have redeemed. My tongue also will utter Your righteousness all day long; For they are ashamed, for they are humiliated who seek my hurt.
Psalms 71:23‭-‬24 NASB

The psalmist here writes:

My heart is filled with Your praise and glory ALL DAY LONG.
I will hope CONTINUALLY and praise You yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness And of Your salvation ALL DAY LONG;
My lips and my soul which you have redeemed will shout for joy when I sing praises to you. My tongue also will utter Your righteousness ALL DAY LONG.

How often during your day is God on your mind? Do you notice His handiwork in your day? Are your thoughts ever focused on Him? Does your heart sing praises to His name? How much is God a part of your day?

🌹Jesus gave you His life. How much of your life do you give Him?

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

O God My Salvation

Jul9

My soul waits in silence for God only; From Him is my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken.
My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be shaken.
On God my salvation and my glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah.
Psalms 62:1‭-‬2‭, ‬5‭-‬8 NASB

Do you know God as your rock? Your stronghold? Your hope? Your strength? Your refuge? Your trust?

Troubles? Burdens? Feel lost?

🌹Wait in silence for God only. Pour out your heart before Him; God is our refuge.

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

Continually Before Me

Dec29

I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely.     Psalms 16:8‭-‬9 NASB

I will not be shaken. My heart is glad and my glory rejoices. Why? Because I have set the Lord continually before me. My hope is found in the Holy One, Jesus, who did not undergo decay but was raised from the grave that could not hold Him and He opened the way for mankind to experience the same.

For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. Psalms 16:10 NASB

You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.  Psalms 16:11 NASB

🌹 When Jesus is at our right hand there are pleasures forever. Peace, gladness, joy, hope. Available when we set the Lord continually before us.

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

Eagerly Waiting?

Dec18

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,   Titus 2:11‭ NASB

instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age,     Titus 2:12 NASB

looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,    Titus 2:13 NASB

so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him. Hebrews 9:28 NASB

🌹 Are you eagerly waiting for the great God and Savior, Jesus Christ?

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

Obedient Hope in Jesus

Dec17

Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. Hebrews 5:8 NASB

Suffering, trials, tribulation is part of living in this world of sin. But God, the Father, sent His perfect Son as an example and hope for us. Did Christ suffer? Did not Satan tempt Him? Was He not ridiculed and treated horrendously? Yet, He did not sin. He was our example of obedience to the Father.

And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,     Hebrews 5:9 NASB

Jesus, the perfect obedient Son, is the hope of eternal salvation to those who are obedient to Him.

Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Philippians 2:8 NASB

Jesus was obedient to the death. How far are you willing to go for eternal salvation?

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.    James 1:2‭, ‬12 NASB

🌹 Will you look at suffering in your life as opportunity to grow in Christ to a faithful, obedient child of God? Or grumble, complain and be disobedient?

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

Written Instruction

Nov27

For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Romans 15:4‭ NASB

Are you discouraged, weak, fearful, without hope? Encouragement, strength, perseverance, hope are found in the Holy Bible. God knew we would need His instruction so He gave us His word. What an awesome, loving God.

Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Romans 15:5-‬6 NASB  

All for His glory is our instruction. Our instruction is for the unity of the body. Unity of the body is for His glory. The benefit for us is encouragement and hope.

🌹 Read the word.

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

No Fear, Only Hope

Nov9

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.             John 14:27 NASB

Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy.  Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.      John 16:20‭, ‬22 NASB

Even though this word was written at a time when Jesus was talking to His disciples about His leaving to return to the Father, it is still pertinent today. God’s word transcends time to speak to all generations.

We may be facing a time in our lives of personal weeping and lamenting. We also may  be facing a time in history when we will be weeping and lamenting the times we have had freedom from ridicule and persecution as a Christian.

But GOD!!! Hallelujah, but God. . .

He has given us peace that the world cannot comprehend. We have the promise that Jesus “will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.”

So as the world rejoices while we weep and lament over the depravity in the world, let us hold fast to the promises of God and be at peace.

🌹 No fear, no troubled heart. Only hope.

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

Disciple

Sep14

And they spent a long time with the disciples. Acts 14:28 NASB

From the moment we are born we begin to learn. Learn to eat, walk, talk, etc.

Disciple: A student, learner.

Within 2 years of a child’s life, he learns all the basics that over time are fine tuned. Christians are the same way. For years we have prayed, hoped, and got excited about people coming to know the Lord Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. Many have come to that decision and yet our churches are dwindling in numbers. Why?

Could it be that we have left these Christian babies to fend for themselves? We introduce them to the Savior and then expect them to survive in a hostile world with satan who seeks to devour them. They need instruction. They need to be mentored by a mature Christian who can show them the ropes.

Discipling someone is taking the time (long time) to mentor them in how to seek the Lord, teaching them the spiritual disciplines, encouraging them in their walk, listening, answering their questions, being their friend. It costs to disciple. It cost Jesus His life so that we may be discipled by the Holy Spirit. He discipled 12 who could carry on.

🌹Can we disciple one? Is there someone in your life you could disciple? Would you pray for someone that you could disciple? The answer may not come right away, but God has someone for you to disciple or He would not have commanded us to, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations”.

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon