I Have a HOPE!

 

Last week I was working on a hymn study for the hymn "I Have a Hope." It was written in the late 1800s. I found a few videos with that name on YouTube, but different words. The author was Charles Wesley Naylor. Here's a little sample of what I wrote:

I chose this hymn to study for the title alone. I write many words about HOPE. It's what fills me with the strength and courage to face each new day. One of my favorite Scripture verses is Psalm 71:14: “But as for me, I will always have HOPE; I will praise you more and more.”

I liked the words Paul David Tripp wrote in his book, "New Morning Mercies": “Reliable HOPE is Jesus! In His life, death, and resurrection, your life is infused with HOPE . . . The One who is HOPE has infused my life with HOPE . . . To find HOPE, find Him.”

Naylor experienced long and intense suffering during his life, being an invalid for nearly 41 years. He learned to trust God for the supply of his temporal needs because there was no other to trust. He learned to commune with God by being deprived of the opportunity of mingling much with his fellow men.

Yet he did not lose the joy out of life. He built up the kingdom of God with his words of good cheer. He demonstrated the efficacy of God's grace to sustain one and give joy in the very discouraging circumstances of life. 

Perhaps the words to this hymn is just what you need today. The words have certainly enriched my soul as I wrote the study!

“I have a hope, serene and sure, That anchors past the veil;
In all the storms it holds secure, Nor will it ever fail.”

 “I have a hope that looks away, From present woes and tears;

To heaven’s bright eternal day, Till sorrow disappears.”

“I have a hope that doth not fear, The silent grave to view;
Nay, doth not shrink though death appear, For I shall live anew.”

Refrain:
My hope is born of God’s own word, And nourished by His grace;
His promise true my soul hath heard, And hope beholds His face.”

Joyful HOPE! Glorious HOPE! Forever HOPE! We have a reason to celebrate! I have a HOPE!

By His Grace . . .

Tomorrow

This post is a devotion by Charles Spurgeon, Beside Still Waters, that I enjoyed reading. Gave me some food for thought. Maybe you'll look at "tomorrow" a little different after reading it

"A Christian can look forward to tomorrow with joy. Tomorrow is a happy thing. It is one stage nearer to glory, one step nearer to heaven, one more mile sailed across life’s dangerous sea, one mile closer to home.

"Tomorrow is a fresh lamp of the fulfilled promise that God has placed in His firmament. Use it as a guiding star or as a light to cheer your path. Tomorrow the Christian may rejoice. You may say that today is black, but I say that tomorrow is coming. You will mount on its wings and flee. You will leave sorrow behind.

"Look forward to tomorrow with ecstasy, because our Lord may come. Tomorrow, Christ may be on this earth. 'Therefore, you also be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.' Matt. 24:44

"Tomorrow, we may all be in heaven. Tomorrow we may lean on Christ’s breast.

"Tomorrow, or perhaps before then, this head will wear the crown. This arm will wave the palm. This lip will sing the song. This foot will walk the golden streets. Tomorrow, this heart will be full of immortal, everlasting, eternal bliss. Be of good cheer, fellow Christians, tomorrow can have nothing negative for you.

"Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth, rather, comfort yourself with tomorrow. You have a right to do that. You cannot have a bad tomorrow. It may be the best day of your life, for it may be your last day on earth."

By His Grace . . . 

What's Your Choice

"Though the fig tree does not bud, and there are no grapes on the vines.

Though the olive crop fails, and the fields produce no food.
Though there are no sheep in the pen, and no cattle in the stalls,

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior."

Habakkuk 3:17-18

In Wanda Brunstetter's delightful book, "A Prayer Jar Devotional," I liked the devotion titled "Choose." Here are her words:

"It's easy to be happy when everything is going well--when your pay is good, your tasks are rewarding, your love life more than satisfying, your dwelling secure, your church prospering, your kids on the right track, and your body in tip-top shape. The challenge comes when something (or everything) is going off the rails--when your pay is lousy, your assignment mundane, your mate unhappy, your house flooded, your church on the brink of closing, your kids hanging out with the wrong people and your body aching.

But God wants us to choose to rejoice in Him no matter what's happening, no matter what earthly ills have befallen us. He wants us to trust in Him, not our circumstances, and to find our joy complete in Himself. For in Him alone lie all our strength, hope, and joy."

I think most of us will relate to the second group she mentions. Challenges. They seem to be a constant fix in our everyday lives. But we can choose joy because our God is bigger than anything that happens to us. 

I like these words by David Guzik on Enduringword.com on Habakkuk 3:17-18:

"In what was almost a vision, Habakuk saw the Judean countryside desolate, perhaps from the invading Babylonian army or perhaps from natural calamity. In the midst of this almost complete loss, Habakkuk could still rejoice in the Lord. He knew that this God of majesty and power is not diminished because man faces difficult trials. [He knew God was] strong and mighty . . .  and would rejoice in the Lord because He is unchanging.

" Benhamin Franklin . . . who had great respect for the Bible, used Habakkuk 3:17-18 to confound a group of sophisticated, cultured despisers of the Bible. When he was in Paris, he heard this group mocking the Bible, and mocking Franklin for his admiration of it. One evening he came among them and said that he had a manuscript containing an ancient poem, that he was quite impressed by, and he wanted to read it to them. When he read Habakkuk 3:17-18, his listeners received it with praise and admiration. 'What a magnificent poem!' they said, and wanted to know where they could get copies. Franklin told them to just look in Habakkuk Chapter 3." (Boice)

How can you always choose joy? By staying in God's Word and singing hymns. Dancing in your living room or just swaying to the music. Listening to a message online or making your own video! Do what focuses your mind on God's daily presence to keep your perspective on Him and not what is happening.

Make sure you have deep-settled confidence in your faith. It keeps your heart calm and your mind free of negative thoughts. You can't help but turn to God when you have confidence in Him. I choose to rejoice in the Lord and choose joy. It's the best choice we can make.

By His Grace . . . 

Double Good

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I was listening to Anthony George from First Baptist Church in Atlanta recently. His message was titled “Is There a Standard.” One of his illustrations included the numbers 3:16. We all know what verse he was speaking about. John 3:16, "For God so loved he world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Actually, though, he was talking about another 3:16 that is just as important to our understanding and learning of Scripture: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." 2 Timothy 3:16

This was one of George’s points in proclaiming that there is a standard and it’s the Bible: all Scripture is God-breathed. The Greek word is “theopneustos.” God-breathed. Scripture just isn’t inspired by God, it is God-breathed.  God exhaling the ideas and truths into those who wrote the words. He integrated His divine revelation into their human limitations.

Jon Gleason at mindrenewers.com wrote: “The concept of the breath of God has important connotations in Scripture, referring to God’s creative and life-giving power.  The Bible clearly says the Word of God is living, life-giving, and life-changing, and the connotations of theopneustos match those characteristics.

“Those who translated theopneustos for hundreds of years using the words 'inspired' or 'inspiration' weren’t just making stuff up. There was a very real basis in the connotations of the breath of God for the translational choice they made. “God breathed the Scriptures into existence, and God breathed life and vitality into the Scriptures.”

This Greek word, theopneustos only occurs once in Scripture, but what a meaning it has.

2 Timothy 3:16 is a Scripture verse that tell us all of the Bible will help us through life, guiding and directing us, so that we can live with assurance and truth. I hope whenever you read or hear someone mention John 3:16 that your mind will remember there’s another 3:16 that teaches us the words in the Bible come directly from our God as He breathes the information to the writers and the readers.

I've always liked the words my pastor says when praying after reading God's Word: "May the Lord add His blessing to the reading of His divine, inspired, inerrant and infallible Word." Indeed!

Is there a standard? Most definitely. Three sixteen. 3:16. Double good.

By His Grace . . . 

Fellowshipping

 
Katie and Molly, Special Friends, Lang, 1997

“If you are getting dull in your spiritual life, you need to be in proximity to others who are on fire so their fire can ignite you . . . Fellowship is designed to keep the fire burning . . .  The best of us sometimes falls flat . . . Fellowship is a place where we can help each other to grow and hold each other accountable to spiritual growth as well.” Tony Evans, Life Under God

Most of us are well aware of the fact that being in touch with other Christians is a necessary need to encourage and cheer us and share the joy of Jesus. We toss and turn in life, but knowing we have a bouquet of believers to share it with and help turn our eyes towards Jesus with His Everlasting Arms is essential in our walk with God.

I had the joy of meeting with three ladies I worked with at the Baptist Convention in Maryland last week. These ladies schooled me each day in my Christian walk as we worked together and spent great amounts of time in the duties we shared.

I witnessed mature and confident Christian ladies as they worked with others, and I learned how to interact and accomplish my job in a right frame of mind.

I’m so thankful God saw fit to place me in that work environment and provide me with examples of Christ-like people. I never had Christian role models growing up or in my early working years. Lest you think they are idols, let me reassure you that is not the case. They are not perfect. Even in a Christian establishment, we are all sinners. Their faith is what I am thankful for and how they used it each day in a world of imperfect people.

Choose your bouquet of Christian friends wisely for they will be the ones to ignite your fire when the flame gets low. And it will get low. But the aroma of Christian friends will guide you to your Savior and help you flame your fire.

Fellowshipping. Be thankful for those friends who have walked with Jesus and share His love with others.

"One of the things Paul tells us is that Christians can only experience the spiritual growth they need as they are linked with other believers." Tony Evans

Don't get dull in your spiritual life. Keep your fire going. Talk to God. Read God's Word. Sing hymns and praise songs. Fellowship with Christian friends.

I'm sure thankful for the bouquet of Christian friends God has given to me since I first believed. I hope you have a bouquet of Christian friends. And never forget, Jesus is your very BEST FRIEND!

By His Grace . . .

GIANT Faith

Goldenrod bringing beauty to a field on Fisher Road.

Most of us have heard or read this expression before: "The size of my faith doesn't matter. I'm confident in the size of my God."

It is true. We are told if we only have faith the size of a mustard seed, we can move mountains. He is BIG. He is ABLE. He can MOVE mountains! He tells us this is Matthew 17:20:

"Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Jesus' disciples couldn't heal a young boy who was having seizures and suffering greatly. Bridgeway Bible Commentary said:  "They [the disciples] needed a faith that relied completely upon the unlimited capacity of the all-powerful God and that expressed itself through sincere prayer."

I want my faith to be that big. To be huge. To be a giant in my life. To completely captivate me. That I always know the all-powerful God is able and willing to move mountains [my most difficult undertakings].

How do we get a deep settled confidence in God that gives us this giant faith? Jeremy Myers on RedeemingGod.com said: "There are truths in Scripture, life, and theology that are hard to believe, but people with great faith believe them. Such ideas often take great thought, insight, understanding, research, investigation, or deep spiritual experiences in order to believe them. When people come to believe these things, they believe something that few others believe, and can therefore be described as having great faith."

Giant faith prays and prevails. Giant faith believes all of the Bible, even those parts that we can't understand. We take God at His Word, and in turn, we know He is capable of any and all sizes of need.

I am confident in the size of my God. And I have a deep settled confidence in His ability. It gives me giant faith. How big is your faith? Make it GIANT! 

By His Grace . . .

Talking to Yourself

Admit it. You talk to yourself. I do. We all talk to ourselves. In "The Prayer Jar Devotional" by Wanda E. Brunstetter, she wrote: "Some people have said that they have the most intelligent conversations when they are talking to themselves. And, as it turns out, they might be right. Studies have shown that talking to yourself indicates a higher level of intelligence!"

I'm not sure if I agree with it indicating a higher level of intelligence. Brunstetter 's devotion was on words in Psalm 42, verse 5: "Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God."  The psalmist talks to himself to encourage him and direct his thoughts to our hope in God.

I've turned to this psalm many times in my life. I was first drawn to it because of the first verse: "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God." I love watching deer and have always wanted to get a snap of one near the water. 

The second verse say: "My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?" I liked how Brunstetter referenced these verses to encouraging us by talking to ourselves.

On Medicalnewsstoday.com it said: "Researchers say that the act of talking to yourself -- self-talk -- is a common and normal behavior at any age. It may help people find mislaid items and understand instructions, among other benefits."

Brunstetter continues: "Take a cue from this psalmist. When your soul is down, when the inner woman is wearing a frown, due to fear, hopelessness, restlessness, and anxiety, have a talk with her. Remind her that she can put her hope in God. He will come through in His time. He will turn things around. and she will be praising Him with all joy!"

I can certainly agree with that! I will do all the self-talk I can to put myself in the mindset of the hope we have in God and His great love!

How about you? Let's hear those words to encourage ourselves to always meet with God as we go through each day.

By His Grace . . .