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Showing posts with label hope. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hope. Show all posts

Monday, October 14, 2013

The Father's Plan for your Day

It is the plan and purpose of God this day to bring into your life people and circumstances that will make you more like Jesus.  Today you have awakened to His classroom.  He has prepared lessons for you to learn and work for you to do.

 His plans for you today are good and perfect.  You can trust His heart.  He loves you.  You can trust His Mighty power.  He is able to accomplish His lofty, and seemingly unattainable goals.  He has already seen this day.  Nothing will surprise Him.



He will bring to you today wonderful opportunities to see Him at work in your life, opportunities to join Him His beautiful work and opportunities for you to grow.  Often these opportunities come in the form of annoyances, inconveniences, unexpected interruptions, delays, pain and heartache.  They also come in the form of laughter, exciting surprises and enjoyable moments.  And yet it is also the plan of God to use the mundane, ordinary, experiences of life as well.  They, too, are a part of His perfect plan.  All of these things have been carefully chosen for you to experience  and masterfully woven into your life by our loving and perfectly wise, Supremely powerful Father so that you might experience His highest good.

 If you fully cooperate with our Heavenly Father, not fighting and resisting Him, not complaining and not trying to avoid the things you don't like, you will experience blessings in such HUGE MEASURE that you won't be able to hold it all!

Protection
Provision of every need
Power
Peace
Healing
Joy
Wisdom
Freedom
and every good gift


Or you can spend your day choosing the path that is most comfortable for you.  You can complain, whine, argue and resist our Father's PERFECT PLAN.

It's up to you.

He hasn't left you to go through life alone.  He's given all of His children a priceless,  gift--His Spirit.

I'm praying that you will choose the path that the Father has prepared for you today.

His plans for you today are perfect and good!

Have a wonderful day!

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Setting the Stage

So I'm setting the stage for my glorious God
Getting all eyes ready
Getting hearts ready
I'm not the star of this show
But the star is on the way
Are you ready?
It's going to be so good
When He shows up
You'll be amazed
Delighted
and filled with wonder
Oh His beauty will overwhelm you
The joy He brings will bubble up and overflow
You will tickle all over with laughter
Your heart will be filled
bursting with hope
Oh it will be so good
Are you ready?
I'm setting the stage for the Glorious One
He's getting ready to appear
I know you're getting antsy
Everyone stay in your seats
You don't want to miss this
He's coming soon
he's getting ready to open up the windows of Heaven
His vast treasure store
He's getting ready to rescue
To provide
To comfort
To solve unsolvable problems
To break the unbreakable
To answer the cries
of the helpless
of the hopeless
of the desperate
of the heartbroken
of the forgotten
of those held captive
You see all these challenges set the stage
Are you ready?
He's coming
Don't miss out on this
Sit on the edge of your seat
with eager expectation
He's getting ready to appear
I'm just one of His servants
preparing the way
for His coming
Get ready
Are you excited yet?
Are you like a little kid on christmas morning?
Unable to sleep because you know something good is coming?

I am.

He's coming
soon!

Friday, June 7, 2013

Transcendent God

The Holy Spirit has been speaking so powerfully to my heart lately. Though my body is weak, and tired. Though my knowledge and understanding is limited. Though my time is limited. Though I lack many abilities. HE IS ABLE to use this fragile, weak, frail and "dis-abled" person in order to accomplish His magnificent purposes.

He is a God who transcends our limitations! He's placed His transcendent, Mighty power in these fragile earthen vessels, so that we might know it's Him, and NOT us.

It is through the Spirit of the Living God that we are able to live beyond the limitations of this body.

It is through the Spirit that we experience fullness of life.
It is through the Spirit that we experience peace, though our life's circumstances may be chaotic and crazy.
It is through the Spirit that we experience freedom, though we may be behind prison walls, or imprisoned in our own body through disability, imprisoned to live in a highly dysfunctional family or trapped by some other hindrance outside of our control.
It is through the Spirit that we live as wealthy sons and daughters of the King, though we may live in poverty, debt, or other need.
It is through the Spirit that we are pure, perfect, holy, and righteous though we still struggle with sin daily.
It is through the Spirit that we experience love to the very depths of our souls, though we may not have family or friends that love us.
It is through the Spirit that we experience healing, though our bodies may be filled with cancer, chronic disease, or other illnesses.
It is through the Spirit that we are made wise, though we may be uneducated, illiterate, and dumb.
It is through the Spirit that we are full of incomparable power, though we may have no position or influence in society or we may have bodies that strain to pick up a grain of rice.
It is through the Spirit that we have hope, when there seems to be no hope.

It's a mysterious and wonderful process that cannot be completely understood or explained. We need only to believe in order that this perfectly full life, might be experienced in a world that is FAR less than perfect. We're not doomed by life's circumstances, our own abilities, or our resources. All of His gifts transcend circumstances and abilities.

So we live by faith and not by what we see.


Here are some truths to ponder as you seek to live beyond your limitations.

..The Spirit helps us in our weaknesses. Romans 8:26
For where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom 2 Corithians 3:17

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 2 Corinthians 4:7

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:8-10

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

2 peter 1:3-4 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature,having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. Phil 3:20-21


Friday, January 4, 2013

Divine Intervention

We're all in desperate need of divine intervention.  When Jesus is interjected into life's circumstances,
we are dramatically changed.
The Real Jesus,
the Jesus with all power and authority,
the Jesus whose life was given to pay the price of ALL my sin,
the Jesus whose love is lavish,
whose compassion is perfect.
The One who is able to Rescue us from our deep, dark, and tangled mess.
The Real Jesus.
Often life is like quick sand,
the more we struggle to get ourselves out,
the deeper we sink.
We need a rescuer.
We need someone to grab our hand and pull us out of the mess we're in,
placing our feet on solid ground.

Jesus is the hand God offers us.

He is the only hope for our rescue from the tangled mess of life.

Saturday, August 25, 2012

My trip to Haiti- The Hope that is Rising

We went to Haiti to support the work of Mission of Hope Haiti.  You can read more about the work that they are doing at:  www.mohhaiti.org.  I can tell you first hand, that God is doing a great work through Mission of Hope(MOH) Haiti.  Seeing how God's hand moved to provide for this ministry over and over again was amazing to hear about and see.  It was also evident as I saw how the Haitians were loved.  Children are being educated in the school.  Orphans are being cared for in the orphanage.  Men and women are being employeed at the ministry.  50,000 people a day are being fed, with the goal of doubling that number soon. Over 300 homes have been built for those who lost homes due to the earthquake.  The plan is to build a total of 650.  We were able to see this village for ourselves.  Beautiful little homes, but I felt a great sadness there.  Great poverty.  Yet there is hope.  Please pray for the people of Leveque.  Anyway, MOH has a medical clinic for the Haitians with a Haitian staff and they are in the process of building a  hospital.  There are also plans to build a large sports facility in partnership with the NFL (and possibly the NBA).  And last but not least, there's the MOH church.  A couple of thousand Haitains from the surrounding villages attend services weekly under Pastor Patrice's leadership.

MOH has the desire to see transformation in Haiti--through Jesus.

It's happening. I saw for myself. 

I saw it in the smiles of children who attended the daily VBS every morning being taught and loved on by other Haitians.  I saw it in our awesome translators who were filled with the love of Jesus.  I heard it from the lips of children who had aspirations of becoming doctors, nurses, teachers, electricians and a myriad of other professions.  They have dreams.

While I'm talking about dreams, let me tell you about this beautiful young lady that I met.  She has BIG dreams!

My Trip to Haiti-- The introduction

This summer I went to Haiti for the first time.  It had been my desire to go for quite some time.  About three years ago I went to the Dominican Republic which is on the same Island as Haiti.  While there we served primarily Haitian Immigrants--the poorest of the poor.  Before leaving on that trip, I began to learn more about the history and culture Haiti.  I didn't know that Haiti was the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.  I also didn't know it was the first Black Republic in the Western Hemisphere.  There's a lot of history there.  I've since learned that Haiti was at one time the most  prosperous colony in the New World.  That was before it was an independent republic.  It was the during the time that France claimed this Island as their colony.  France's prosperity came at the expense of many lives.  First the lives of the natives who originally inhabited the island, and then later the lives of millions of Africans who were brought over as slaves.  These slaves were treated extremely harshly.  In fact, it was the policy of this colony to literally work slaves to death.  Because slaves vastly outnumbered the white Europeans, it was important to keep the slaves too weak, tired and fearful to uprise.  The french also found it cheaper to get all that could out of a slave, then import more slaves, than to take care of their slaves so that they lived longer lives.  The blatant devaluing of human lives is unbelievable!  It's no wonder these slaves decided,"Enough is enough!"  The slaves rebelled against the French, and with the help of England, and yellow fever, the slaves freed themselves of France's oppresive rule and they became a free republic called Haiti.

But Haiti has never really been free.

For hundreds of years this country has been plagued with government corruption, discrimination towards the darker skinned people (the majority of the country) and one natural disaster after another. 

These people continue to survive, though they have to struggle up hill every step of the way.

God has a great plan for the people of Haiti.  A plan not to  harm them, but to give them a hope and a future.

And while in Haiti, I had the awesome opportunity to see the hope that is rising up.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Naked and Thirsty

I've been reading through the gospels this year and more recently the Gospel of Luke.  I've been learning so much as I've been studying about the life of Jesus.  Several weeks ago I read something Jesus said that has confounded me for years.
 
Luke 5:36 He told them this parable: "No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an old one. If he does, he will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. [37] And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. [38] No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. [39] And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, `The old is better.' "

I've heard people talk about this referring to new paradigms.  Ok.  But I really wanted to understand this parable.  So I ask my Teacher to teach me.  And Oh boy!  The Holy Spirit opened my mind to understand this scripture, and spoke to me very personally.   I'd like to share what He revealed to me.

So Jesus gives two examples, to make a point.  First He uses clothes.  When your clothes or old, what do you do?  First, consider the culture in which Jesus lived.  The common person only owned one item of clothing--maybe two..  Believe it or not, many people around the world live like this.  Anyway, when clothes became worn, one would patch the holes, until it couldn't be patched anymore or until they were able to get a new garment.  Why would a person damage a new garment, to patch an old garment?  If you have access to a new garment, you would replace the old garment with the new garment, not patch up the old.  If a person were to patch up the old garment with the new cloth, the patch would be ineffective.  The new cloth would pull away from old cloth, and end up becoming an unwearable garment.  And guess what?  The new garment is ruined too!  The result:  No wearable garments.  

We end up naked!!!!

 Jesus uses wine and wineskin to illustrate the same point.  When a person was out of wine, they would need to make more wine.  If a person was to put new wine in an old wineskin, the wine would burst through the wineskin, leaving the person with no wine.  So instead of having wine, and a wineskin, they end up with nothing.  

They end up thirsty! 

So why would anyone do such absurd things?

Jesus answers that in His last statement.  "And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, `The old is better.' "  

No one wants "the new", because...
  • The old is familiar
  • The old is safe
  • We think the good of the old will stay good

When we hold on too long to the old, being UNWILLING to change, we end up losing everything.  The good of the old is gone, and we don't experience the good of "the new" either.  We find ourselves in need of change, but instead of changing we want to patch our lives. You know, just fix the things in our lives that don't work.  

When "the new" presents itsself, take hold of the new.  Stop trying to make the new, fit into the old.

I'll be honest here.  The Holy Spirit is convicting me of this BIG TIME!  I've been praying that the Lord would change some things in my life, and I've been praying for a patch job.  God wants to give me a new garment.  Something I've never seen.  Something I'm not familiar with.  Something-- better.  Don't get me wrong.  The old garment wasn't bad.  It was good for a season, but now it's outdated and no longer provides the best for our family.  It's time to let go, before I lose all that I'm trying hold on to.  

Just as the old garment was good, I can trust that the new garment is good too.
Just as the old wine was good, the new wine will be just as good--maybe even better.

Are you in need of a big change in your life?

What are you refusing to let go of? 

 What are you asking God to patch in your life?  Are you asking Him to fix the things you don't like, so you don't have to really change?

Can you trust our Loving, and completely wise Heavenly Father to give you that which best for you?

Will you give Him permission to change anything He wants to change?  Anything.
 
He wants to replace your old and worn garments with a fresh new garment.  He wants you fully clothed, not naked.  He wants to replace your old and empty wineskins with new wineskins full of wine.  He wants you satisfied, not thirsty.

Let's encourage each other on this journey.

Let me know what big change you've been praying for, and how God surprised you (or is surprising you) with the most amazing blessings as you walked out into the unknown of "the new".  

I'll be sharing my story of change soon.  I think this post is long enough.  ;-)

Saturday, January 14, 2012

In the Storm

This morning I was reading Matthew 7:18-27.  While reading and thinking about friends who are in the midst of some difficult circumstances, I was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write these words.  I pray that you are comforted, and encouraged as you read.

Jesus got in the boat, and is disciples followed Him

Into a furious storm

How often does that happen?  We follow Jesus into the storm, and not away from it.

And Jesus slept in perfect peace. He knew he was in the perfect care of His Father.
That's how he wants us to be in a furious storm.  When our lives are falling apart.  When there is one thing, then another.  It's like a hurricane, and like the disciples, we become Frantic! 
saying...

"Lord SAVE us!"
"I think I'm going to drown!"
"Help!"
"Where are you?"
"Do you even care?" 

And He responds.

Oh you of little faith.  Why are you so afraid?  Why, my child?  Why do you not believe my promises?  Why do you not trust me?  Why?

Then He causes the storm to cease.  Everything becomes calm again.  And we are again amazed by the God who controls the very storms of lives.   
He brings us into the storm, and at His word, He brings us out.

Oh Lord, help me to trust you and to rest in you in the midst of the storm.  In the midst...  You are there beside me, in the midst of the storm.  Every wind and wave is under your complete control and I will not drown.  I trust you.  I trust your every word.  Oh God help my unbelief.  Make me lie down in your green pastures.  May your rod and staff comfort me.  As I walk through this difficult place, may your perfect peace cast out ALL FEAR and ALL ANXIETIES.  
So I lie down beside you in this boat, on the stormy sea.  As the winds and waves threaten to destroy me, I snuggle up next to you.  As people all around me scream, in a panic telling me what I ought to do, I look to you alone.  Embrace me that I might rest.  That I may know your perfect protection.  And the storms will become strangely dim as I listen to your loving voice lulling me to sleep.  Amen.  

Sunday, January 1, 2012

2012, It's Time!

Can you hear the cries?

Cries for mercy
cries for deliverance
cries for healing
cries for hope...

Can you see the hopelessness in the eyes
                                                   of Mother who can't feed her children?
                                                   of  prisoners of abuse, addiction, fear...

Can you feel the beating heart of the forgotten?
                                        Those persecuted for their belief in Jesus?
                                        Children whose parents have died of aids?
                                        Widows who've had their property taken away?
                                         Little girls in hidden places forced to do things
                                                                                  that a little girl should never know?


Can you hear their prayers for help?

What if you are the answer to their prayers?  What if you are the one who a person or a people group is waiting for in order to hear the message of freedom?  of healing? of hope?

Will you accept this mission?

What if you are the one God has chosen to heal the sick, feed the hungry, set the captives free...

What if...

All of your life you've been being prepared for this moment.  Even as you were formed in the womb.  Every incident, accident, and planned event was carefully orchestrated by Elohim to bring you to this place.


Will you forgo your own agenda for the rest of your life, laying it down at the feet of our Supreme Commander?  He has a special mission for you!

Will you say yes?

Don't worry, He has thoroughly equipped you for EVERY good work and He promises to empower you and be near you every step of the way.  As you work along side of the King of the Universe, you will be satisfied with His precious presence and be allowed to know Him intimately.  How generous our God is to give us the honor and privilege of joining Him in His most sacred and beautiful work--rescuing and redeeming all mankind.

So what are you waiting for?

YOUR HEART LONGS FOR MORE. 

YOU WERE MADE FOR  MORE.

It's 2012!  It's time!

May your year be full of the presence of Yahweh and may you live your life for His perfect purposes.




Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Enjoying a Feast in the Midst of life's Difficulties

The journey to the higher places (the  place where we enjoy greater intimacy with the Father) often leads us face-to-face with our greatest fears.  As we experience His protection in these difficult places we learn, that our shepherd doesn't need to remove our enemies (or problems)  in order for us to be secure.  We can enjoy  perfect peace, security and abundance because the Good Shepherd is near.  We can enjoy the feast prepared for us by our Great God, while our enemies look on with utter contempt.  What sweet victory that is!

I've witnessed this with my own eyes.  I've had the blessed opportunity to meet a new friend this past weekend--Linda Giebelhaus.  She's experienced several devastating blows in her life:  losing her wealth, colon cancer (and overcoming it) and now terminal cancer.  According to the doctor, she has about 30 days to live, but you'd never know it if you're around her.  You'd think they've given her 30 years!  She is enjoying the magnificent feast that the Good Shepherd has prepared before her, relishing every choice morsel of her life.  She speaks of the love of the Shepherd and how He daily satisfies her and provides abundantly for her needs.  She is such a delight to be around!  I just love her!  She is one who dances before the Lord.  She truly LOVES the Shepherd.

Please join me in praying that our Heavenly Father would completely heal her and give her many more years to proclaim His goodness here on earth.  If you'd like to follow her journey, see:

 
May each of us proclaim along with the Psalmist and  Linda:

PS 46:1 God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.

  PS 46:2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

  PS 46:3 though its waters roar and foam
    and the mountains quake with their surging.
        Selah

Monday, August 15, 2011

My Song



There's a song that begins to stir in my heart,
that begins to surface as I think on the goodness of God.
As I meditate on His goodness,
His grace,
His love,
His Holiness,
His purity...
A poetic prose begins to rise from my soul
It's been hidden there waiting to be found
It's composed by the Holy Spirit and uniquely song by me.
It is a song that's being song in the heavenlies
by the angels
and by saints throughout the ages
This song is a song our hearts have been waiting to sing
Like a woman with child who eagerly awaits the moment of giving birth
She eagerly anticipates the joy of holding her sweet baby in her arms
But there is discomfort,
there is pain to endure
MUCH PAIN
But in the end, it's worth it
for in her arms is a baby
Oh the joy to hold that precious baby!
This song is our baby
Our heart anticipates giving birth to this melody
As we experience life this song grows within us
developing, gaining understanding, maturing
And often there is much pain that must be endured in order to give birth to this song
But Oh the joy that is felt
Oh the relief that the song has finally been freed.
for this song was meant to be song
An unsung song is a travesty.
We must sing our song.
I must sing my song.

Heavenly Father, enable us by your Spirit to sing beautifully, powerfully, truthfully, pouring ourselves out, holding nothing back, singing in this life until all that we know by faith becomes clearly known.

Friday, July 29, 2011

Blessings on Your Life


All these blessings will be upon you and be your constant companion IF YOU OBEY Yahweh (the unchanging, ever-present, self-existing one; the one who reveals Himself to His people) :

You will be blessed wherever you are, whether in the city or in the country.
You will be blessed to bear many children.
And all of your work will produce MUCH  fruit.  Your business will flourish, and your ministry will be effective.
You will always have plenty of food to eat.  Every need will be met with abundance.
It matters not if you are coming or going, blessing will always be near.
Those who rise up against you in order to harm you will be defeated before your very eyes.  Yes, they will come to you in confidence and strength, but they will run from you like roaches scattering when the light turns on!
Your investment and savings will be blessed.  Every venture, and business idea will be successful.
The Lord will set you apart from others as special.  You have a special purpose—a holy calling.  But you must:

Obey ALL of the Lord’s commands.  You must walk in His ways.  His ways are not the ways of man.

Then all people on the earth will see that you are a child of the Most Holy.  They will be afraid to do you harm.  YET you will find favor with them because they think so highly of you. 
You will have ABUNDANT PROSPERITY!  You will overflow with every good thing.  The Lord will open the gates of Heaven and pour out so much blessing that you don’t have the capacity to hold it all.  Everyone you encounter will benefit from your overflow.   You will be a channel of blessing to your extended family, your community, the nation and even the world!
He will send EVERY needed resource in order for your work to prosper.  He will provide the right environment for you to succeed.  All of your efforts will be productive and effective.  (The curse of sin has no power over your work.  Hallelujah!)
You will have so much that you can give freely to many who are in need, and never have need yourself to borrow from others.  You will provided exactly what you need AT THE RIGHT TIME! No Loans!  No Credit cards!  No Debt!  Ever!
You will be a leader, not a follower.  You will set the trend for others to follow.

But you must focus your thoughts on giving your full and complete devotion to none other than God—carefully listening to His voice and following all His instructions exactly.  (Don’t worry about whether it makes sense.)  

If you do, You will always be at the top and never at the bottom!
Pay attention.  Focus.  Don’t get off track.  Don’t be distracted by the world’s promises of pleasure, immediate gratification, or its promise of popularity or quick success.  Don’t follow any of their methods of using debt, deception, using people for their own selfish gain, devaluing the work of others in order to make the largest profit margin, or abusing the environment.  Don’t use their marketing schemes that appeal to man’s sinful cravings, stirring up desires in people in order to get more sales.  Don’t do it!  Resist greed, wastefulness, and overspending.  

Pursue God.  Not the blessings.  For God, Himself is the blessing, the treasure, the inheritance.  In Him we have ALL that we desire and need.
WAIT ON HIS BLESSINGS, for His blessings always come without regret. They always come at the proper time. His blessings, truly satisfy.

A modern day paraphrase of Deut 28: 1-14 (with a few other scriptures added)

Monday, July 18, 2011

An Oasis in the Desert

 Isaiah 58:11 The LORD will guide you always;
    he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
    and will strengthen your frame.
  You will be like a well-watered garden,
    like a spring whose waters never fail.
With the recent drought in Texas, I've found myself blessed to enjoy more flowers this year than I ever have.  God has given me an "Oasis in the Desert".  Don't get me wrong, all my grass is brown, and my poor little veggie garden has struggled to survive, but my flowers are flourishing.  I thought you might enjoy some of my photographic art featuring my flowers.

I pray that God Himself will satisfy your needs in this recession, and drought.  May He make you an Oasis in the desert-- a place where many will be refreshed, and healed.


Wednesday, May 4, 2011

It's too late! There's no hope for me.

Waiting is hard.

I know God is taking me to a new place, but right now I'm waiting.  And it seems to be God's way to keep us in the waiting room until it seems all hope is gone.  The Holy Spirit took me to Lazarus's death this morning.  Jesus waited until Lazarus had been dead 4 days before he arrived.  Lazarus, Mary and Martha were his good friends.  Why didn't he come right away when the messengers told him that Lazarus was sick?  Mary and Martha expressed their disappointment to Jesus.  "Lord, if you had been here, my brother wouldn't have died"  Even bystanders made the same observation.  "Couldn't this man who opened the eyes of the blind have kept Lazarus from dying?"

Do we not often feel the same way?  Lord, why didn't you answer me when I ask for .....?  Lord, why did you let ________ happen?  Lord, why did you delay in coming to my aid?  Where are you God?  Why are you taking so long?  We're not alone in feeling this way.  David expressed the same frustrations. 

PS 13:1 How long, O LORD? 
Will you forget me forever?  
How long will you hide your face from me? 

So did Jeremiah.

LA 5:20 Why do you always forget us?   
Why do you forsake us so long?

So, you understand how Mary and Martha felt.  When Jesus commanded the stone to be removed from Lazarus' tomb, Martha expressed her hopelessness.  It was too late now.  His body was already decaying.  There was nothing Jesus could do.  At least, that's what she thought.

But then Jesus says, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"

And if you know the story, you know that Lazarus was brought back to life.  It wasn't too late!

Do you find yourself in that place today?  Is it too late for hope?  Do you feel disappointed or abandoned by God?  Is your situation too far gone to be turned around? Do you see NO LIGHT at the end of the tunnel?

Jesus says to you today, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"  God still has amazing plans for your life.  He hasn't forgotten you. 

Expect Him to do something unexpected in your life.  Expect Him to astound you.  Expect Him to do the impossible.  That's His specialty!  In the meantime, keep your eyes on the Hope-giver.  Keep seeking Him.  Keep obeying Him.  Keep yourself open to you, that you might receive His lavish blessings.  They will come when you least expect it, and in ways that are beyond your imagination.

It's not too late.  There is hope.