Psalm 136:3, “Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His faithful love endures forever.”
There’s no hurt or pain that’s too great for Our Lord Jesus. He lovingly carries every burden we have, if we will only give our burdens to Him. We can tell Him anything, and He still loves us. Over and over again, He still chooses to love us. Nothing can stop His love for us, not even our darkest sins.
His faithful love endures forever…
He knows all there is to know about us, because He knows us so intimately. In His presence we can completely be ourselves. He meets us where we are and patiently waits. He waits while we grow and learn. He waits while we learn to love Him. His love never ceases to amaze me.
His faithful love endures forever…
I’m so thankful for His love today and everyday. His love and grace remain the same. People may change. The world will change. But Jesus Christ, He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever more (Hebrews 13:8). No one or nothing compares to Him.
John 8:12 NIV, “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
The Light of Jesus will always shine no matter how dark the world becomes. As long as we follow Him, we will never be overcome by the darkness because He will always be the Light that gives us Life. Even when we ourselves are going through a dark time, we can trust in Jesus to shine the light of His love and truth into our situation. He will empower us to persevere through the obstacles that we face.
When we feel like giving up, we must remind ourselves that if we do give up, we’ll never get to do the things God has called us to do. We’ll never get to help the people He wants us to help. We’ll never become the people He wants us to be. During a time when I was feeling discouraged, God spoke to my heart and said, “I need you to be strong and you can be strong because I am your strength.”
God needs us to be strong, so we must rely on Him to be our strength (Philippians 4:13). Don’t give up. Keep shining for Jesus. You are a reflection of His Light in this dark world. There are people out there who need what God has called YOU to give them. Stay focused on the truth of Jesus, The Light of the World.
Proverbs 13:12 ESV, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.”
Every time I read this verse, it makes me realize just how important it is for us to have hope. The Bible says that without hope, our hearts will become sick. Having hope is easiest when we feel things are progressing in our favor. But when things are bleak, maintaining a hopeful outlook can be a real challenge. I know for me, I sometimes wonder why God is taking so long. But I know I must remember that His ways are far beyond my understanding (Isaiah 55:8-9).
It always feels good when what we are hoping for manifest. But what about when we’re hoping and hoping and hoping and we still don’t have answers? Should we give up on hope? Based on Romans 12:12, the answer is No.
Romans 12:12 NIV, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
We should joyfully keep on persisting in hope and be patient and prayerful, even when we don’t yet see the resolution that we are waiting for. When we place our hope in Christ, He will not disappoint us. Whatever happens in our lives, will be according to His perfect will.
Romans 5:5 NASB, “and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
I love the words to this hymn, “My Hope is Built on Nothing Less”, written in 1834 by Edward Mote…
“My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
When darkness hides His lovely face
I rest on His unchanging grace
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil.”
Even on our darkest days, we still have the option to place our hope in Christ Jesus. Nothing is beyond His power. There are many stories in the Bible of those who persevered in hope to encourage us. But one of my favorites is in 1 Kings 17:8-24 about Elijah and the Widow.
Long story short, she and her son were planning to eat their last meal and die (talk about hard times). But when Elijah came along, she still mustered up enough hope and faith to follow the instructions He gave her from the Lord. This resulted in her having food for herself and her family. She never again ran out.
I pray God will strengthen you to keep hoping, keep praying, and keep believing.
I would love to hear about your experiences with maintaining hope in the comments.
Philippians 3:13-14 NLT, “No dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”
Our past can really beat us up. Constant reminders of past failures often trouble our minds. The consequences we face from wrong choices can make us feel bad.
The good news is that God’s grace is sufficient to carry us through (2 Corinthians 12:9). The race we are running for the cause of Christ, has rewards that are far greater than we can imagine, both now and in eternity. Our eternal home in heaven awaits us at the finish line.
We can of course learn valuable lessons from our past mistakes. But even more importantly, we can see the many times God has been faithful to us. He has rescued us and kept us safe, in spite of our mess ups.
It can be especially difficult to forget the past when we are still dealing with its consequences. However, we must choose to believe that God has a purpose in everything that we are going through. We are becoming stronger, more mature Christians as we overcome obstacles from past failures. God will use our past to accomplish good things in our future (Romans 8:28).
I pray God will help you as you move on from the past and press on into your future with Jesus Christ. Good things are ahead.
Psalm 56:3 (NIV), “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”
Fear can alter the way we think and act. It can cause us to take our eyes off of God, and focus on whatever it is that is causing us to be fearful. There are so many reasons to be afraid, but when fear tries to consume us, we can choose to trust in God instead.
I like this verse because the Psalmist made a decision that every time He was afraid, he would trust God. He planned ahead so that he could be victorious over fear. That inspires me to do the same. I hope it inspires you too.
Life is forever changing and that alone can evoke feelings of fear and insecurity. Even when we think we have things under control, the unexpected can happen and quickly change the course of things. We should make plans for our lives, but we must trust God for the final outcome.
I pray that you will walk in confidence knowing that God will keep you safe. Whenever fear tries to trouble your heart, I pray that He will give you peace. Keep trusting in Him and find comfort in His love. He’s working things out for you.
Hebrews 13:8 (CEV), “Jesus Christ never changes! He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
Jesus Christ is always the same. This is great comfort for us. The world around us is ever changing. People will often change, but Jesus never changes. His love and provision for us will never cease. He will never go back on His Word. He will forever remain true to His promises.
Regardless of our circumstances or how we feel, He will continue to be steadfast in who He is. When we are going through trials, it’s difficult to understand. We cannot see the end result as we are walking through our situation. However God already knows what is ahead. He will take care of us every day and give us what we need to endure.
Whatever you are facing, carry it to God in prayer. Stand on the mighty, unchanging name of Jesus! His name is above all names (Hebrews 2:9-10). Nothing is too hard for Him. He is good and will always do what is right for you.
Cling to Jesus! He is the Solid Rock that we can always depend on.
Psalm 19:1 ESV, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”
God certainly knew what He was doing when He placed the sun, moon, and stars in our view. At any given moment, we can look up and catch a glimpse of His glory. The heavens above are constant reminders of His majesty and power.
Our lives are in the hands of the God who spoke the beauty of the heavens into existence. The Creator who holds our Earth in place also holds our hand. His vivid imagination and never ending creativity are ours to enjoy.
The magnificent design of the heavens, is a reassurance to us, that He has complete control over our lives. Since the beginning of time, He has kept everything in perfect order.
It’s true that no eye has seen and no ear has heard what God has in store for those of us who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9).
Since the heavens declare His glory, how much more should we?
Drawing Closer to Christ 