Tag Archive | hope

Hope And Justice

Dec29

So there is no justice among us,
    and we know nothing about right living.
We look for light but find only darkness.
    We look for bright skies but walk in gloom.
We grope like the blind along a wall,
    feeling our way like people without eyes.
Even at brightest noontime,
    we stumble as though it were dark.
Among the living,
    we are like the dead.
We growl like hungry bears;
    we moan like mournful doves.
We look for justice, but it never comes.
    We look for rescue, but it is far away from us.
For our sins are piled up before God
    and testify against us.
    Yes, we know what sinners we are.
We know we have rebelled and have denied the Lord.
    We have turned our backs on our God.
We know how unfair and oppressive we have been,
    carefully planning our deceitful lies.
14 Our courts oppose the righteous,
    and justice is nowhere to be found.
Truth stumbles in the streets,
    and honesty has been outlawed.
15 Yes, truth is gone,
    and anyone who renounces evil is attacked.

The Lord looked and was displeased
    to find there was no justice.
He was amazed to see that no one intervened
    to help the oppressed.
So he himself stepped in to save them with his strong arm,
    and his justice sustained him.
He put on righteousness as his body armor
    and placed the helmet of salvation on his head.
He clothed himself with a robe of vengeance
    and wrapped himself in a cloak of divine passion.
18 He will repay his enemies for their evil deeds.
    His fury will fall on his foes.
    He will pay them back even to the ends of the earth.
In the west, people will respect the name of the Lord;
    in the east, they will glorify him.
For he will come like a raging flood tide
    driven by the breath of the Lord.

“The Redeemer will come to Jerusalem
    to buy back those in Israel
who have turned from their sins,”
    says the Lord. — Isaiah 59:9-20 NLT

Things really have not changed since this was written in the book of Isaiah. God sent His Son. Seek Him and repent (confess and turn from your sin). Our only hope is Jesus Christ.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

New Year Resolutions, Part 2

Dec28

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; — Hebrews 10:23

Yesterday’s post offered a resolution for 2015. Today we see why we can keep that resolution. Because He, Jesus, is faithful.

So hold fast to the hope of Christ. He will be faithful to lead you, teach you, and guide you as you read His Word, draw near to Him and confess Him. The fruit of your hope in Christ is that you will find confessing Him before others becomes easy because your heart is so full of Jesus it can’t help but overflow, out of your mouth, for others to hear.

May God bless your New Year by His faithfulness.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

New Year’s Resolution

Dec27

The fear of the Lord prolongs life,
But the years of the wicked will be shortened.
The hope of the righteous is gladness,
But the expectation of the wicked perishes.
The way of the Lord is a stronghold to the upright,
But ruin to the workers of iniquity. — Proverbs 10:27-29

Time to make those New Year resolutions.

Don’t we go into a new year with expectations of how things will be different from the year we are finishing? What happened to last year’s resolutions? How long did they last?

Well here is a resolution that will change your new year forever. Fear the Lord and hope in Him. As New Year expectations crumble for some, your hope will turn to gladness. Choosing the way of the Lord will be your stronghold so your New Year’s resolution will be one that, at this time next year, as you look back over the past year you will see the handiwork of God all over it.

Let your New Year’s resolution be to choose Jesus and follow Him. Dust off your Bible and read it. Talk to God everyday. I truly believe a heart that resolves to seek God will not be disappointed.

Jesus is a hopeful resolution.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

 

Mary Christmas

Dec24

Hope you have a Mary Christmas — no that is not a typo. It is easy to see how you can have a Merry Christmas with all the joyous music and holiday parties. But even with all that so many find this time to be a downer.  Why? Because they are not having a Mary Christmas.

In Luke 10:38 – 42 Mary sat at the feet of Jesus focusing on Him (the reason for the season) while Martha was hustling and bustling about. So my hope is that you will have a Mary Christmas which will bring to you peace for the season.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” — Luke 10:38-42

The Christmas Gift

Dec12

Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses. — Acts 13:38-39

Free. What a wonderful word for this season. Amazing that Christmas time is so filled with”hustle and bustle”, stress, over indulging, lack of sleep, “bah humbug” and the like. Could it be we have turned Christmas into something it isn’t?

Christmas. What a wonderful word. Christ fulfilled. Salvation. Forgiveness. Hope. Love. Joy. Peace. Freedom. Good News!

Come let us adore Him!!! Celebrate the real Christmas. Christ Himself.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Time of Refreshment

Nov13

Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, — Acts 3:19

Are you in need of refreshment? Here is the solution. The burdens we carry everyday causing us frustration, fatigue, discouragement . . . and the list goes on, making life a drudgery with no hope or lack there of. We can get so caught up in life that we don’t turn to God for refreshment. We continue to carry the sins of our life from one day to another without spending time with Jesus confessing and turning from those sins back to God. The only one who can wipe away our sins? Jesus. Spend time in His presence and receive a time of refreshment.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Listen to These Words

Nov6

“Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power. For David says of Him,

‘I saw the Lord always in my presence;
For He is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken.
‘Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue exulted;
Moreover my flesh also will live in hope; Because You will not abandon my soul to Hades, Nor allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. ‘You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of gladness with Your presence.’ — Acts 2:22-28

Are you listening? Words of hope. Words of gladness. Words of victory.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Devoted to Prayer

Nov4

These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. — Acts 1:14

Jesus had just ascended to heaven. The disciples and women who followed Jesus met together to pray. Not just a quick prayer meeting but they devoted themselves to prayer. Devote: to concentrate, to dedicate. Their Master, their Hope had left them after He changed their lives.

Have you been there? Feeling hopeless as if Jesus was no longer in your life? You don’t see His hand at work or feel His presence? Every life endeavor seems more than you can handle? The joy and hope has been sucked from you, leaving you dry? When was the last time you had a heart to heart with Jesus? The last time you bowed down before Him and worshiped Him with no inhibitions, no agenda, just genuine, devoted prayer with the God of the universe?

The participants in this verse devoted themselves to prayer as a group. How often do you attend corporate prayer meetings? “These all with one mind” focused on Jesus brought them together to pray. I believe a church, family, group that prays together will be of like mind. There is only one Holy Spirit and prayer unites those who pray together. If more congregations devoted themselves to prayer there would be less disgruntled people in church. They would be of like mind.

Not only does prayer bring unity but it brings power to accomplish God’s plan for the church, the family, the individual, the group that gathers for God’s purpose. Without prayer our endeavors are weak and many times wasted. We need to go back to the basics of humble prayer and see the power that is there as Jesus answers those prayers.

Are you or will you become devoted?

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Dry Bones

Oct10

The hand of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones. He caused me to pass among them round about, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and lo, they were very dry. He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, You know.” Again He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.’ Thus says the Lord God to these bones, ‘Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life. I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the Lord.’” — Ezekiel 37:1-6

Have you been there? The dry bone state? It’s as if there is no life left in you. No purpose, no hope, no future plans. I admire the prophets faith when he answered God’s question, “can these bones live?” He simply stated, “O Lord God, You know.”

‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.’ Let the Word of God revive you. Let His breathe of life give you new life, new focus, new hope. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Just like these dry bones you can be revived and enjoy new life in Christ Jesus. Continue to seek Him so you may know Him. He is the Lord.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Psalm 84

Oct6

Psalm Chapter 84 is a marvelous piece of scripture. It has so much hope, insight, peace, comfort, etc. If you haven’t tasted of it before I encourage you to spend some time there at your leisure. This chapter closes with:

O Lord of hosts, How blessed is the man who trusts in You! — Psalm 84:12

Have you been there? Are you there? That is where I am camping this week. Resting in the blessedness of trusting in my Lord. What a great place to be. No matter what the circumstances, no matter what the outcome, I will trust in the Lord. Try it. You will be blessed. Bible says so.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon