Hope, It's a Faith Thing

Can you look at tomorrow with confidence? With expectancy?

'Hope,' it's such a beautiful thing. It stirs up expectancy within our hearts. It gives our hearts courage to push through today until the light of tomorrow dawns.

In American Sign Language the sign for hope is as if you are 'taking a thought and looking for it in the future.'  

So what happens when the future becomes cloudy? The Apostle Peter puts it like this:

Blessed be the G-D and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead...so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory (1 Pe 1:3,6-8 italics mine).

Beth Moore sums it up like this:

"A heart pumping love for G-D--that's what compels us to endure when a time of testing nearly kills us. That's what makes us get back up. That's what keeps us in it when we want to quit." (Audacious, 2015)

Perception (inner knowing) is the means of faith, which is the path to the Kingdom of Heaven being made visible on the earth. Our hearts have to know G-D and His ways--to have faith in Him. Clear inner vision is required to see the path of faith into the Kingdom.

How do we have clear vision? Spend time with G-D. Get to know Him intimately, by His Word, and by His Spirit. The Holy Bible is G-D's inspired word (2 Tim 3:16), and the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth who leads us in truth (Jn 16:13).

Ask G-D to reveal Himself to you. He will (Jn 17:25-26). He loves you (Jn 3:16), and desires to have a friendship with you (Jn 15:15). Not a casual Facebook friendship, but one that endures the test of time (Mt 28:20). A friendship built out of companionship, through good times and bad.

You are going to have to leave your opinions behind. Followers of Jesus live by faith and not by what we see or don't see happening around us (2 Co 5:7). Just exist in the moment, knowing that G-D is good (Mk 10:18), and all He does is good (Ro 8:28). Don't have faith in your expectations. Have faith in G-D. What does this mean? Have faith in who He is, not what you expect Him to do (though what He has done is evidence of who He is ).

For example:
     Your finances are in crisis. You need a miracle from G-D or else you may lose your home, or your power will be cut off, or creditors will plague you with phone calls, etc. Hope comes from knowing that G-D is our Provider (Mt 6:8, 32). He is merciful and forgiving (1Jn 1:9) towards our ignorance or neglect of finances, and He is generous (1Tim 6:17). If we place our faith in 'G-D will _____' then we will be let down, because G-D rarely works according to our imaginations. His ways are far above our ways (Is 55:8-9), and we are not able to understand them. However, G-D will work things out---and for our good (Ro 8:28). We can expect that He loves us (Ro 5:8), has a good plan for our lives (Jer 29:11), and is working on the bigger picture, not just on this one moment in time.

So rest in the knowledge of G-D's love for you. Place your hope--your expectations--in Him. He cares for you. Wait patiently for Him to move on your behalf, and trust that even when things don't go as we desire, He is still in control, and will bring about good in your life.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life (Prov 13:12).

Hold on. The answer is on its way!

Birthdays and Valentine’s

Hi! I know it’s been awhile since our paths have crossed. I’m glad to have bumped into you today. My day today is a hard day on this journey to destiny. I’m sandwiched between yet another birthday and St. Valentine’s Day, both of which are emotional for me since I’m ‘still single.’ It’s not that I think being single is a bad thing. No, there are a lot of pluses to being single. My time is my own. I am responsible only for myself. To a degree. We are all responsible to each other since we share this place called ‘life.’ But as for the daily needs, I’m on my own.

 

Well, if being single isn’t the problem, what is this heaviness I feel on my heart? I miss him. Yep, that’s right. I miss him. You see, I have been praying for that special man, whoever he may be, for over 17 years now. Yes, you may think I am crazy, but I gave the selection of my husband over to my L-RD, and I trust Him to work everything out. Oh, there have been many times I have tried to work it out myself, but that just doesn’t work! And so I keep turning the desire over to my L-RD…and wait. The waiting is the hardest, because, you see, most days I know he’s real. I know the L-RD is the One who gives us, His children,   the desires of our hearts. To me this means not only that He gives us what we want, but when submitted to Him, He places desires within our hearts. I’ve definitely given this desire over to the L-RD. Several times in fact. I’ve tried killing him (the husband) off even. More than once! But my L-RD keeps resurrecting him. The desire for him. That’s why he’s become so real to me.

And so, another birthday has come and gone. I’m 44 now, and have never been married. You do know that L-RD, right? That I’m 44, and birthing babies doesn’t come easy to women my age. That’s another desire that has been place upon my heart to have children, both natural and adopted. Therefore I wait. And pray. And follow the signs that the L-RD, in His compassion, has put upon my path, pointing me in the direction that I must follow in order to intersect with that special someone. The one my heart is drawn towards.
 

So, my love, whoever you may be, I send you this Valentine, an excerpt taken from a song by Mandisa and Chris August titled ‘Praying for You’…

 

I wonder if you think of me…like I think of you.

Do you long for my touch?

Baby, I know that you’ll be the one that’s strong,

When I am weak.

I’ll love you through the good and the bad,

For rich or for poor.

May not have much, but this I’m sure:

‘til my dream comes true,

I’ll be praying for you…

Oh, I wonder what’s in store for me,

Who you’re gonna be.

Have you ever passed me by?

But for now, I’m waiting…

Anticipating

 I’ll be praying that you will fear the L-RD.

I’ll pray we’ll be on one accord,

That G-D will bless everything we do.

I pray that He will shield your heart,

That we will not be torn apart,

And side by side in Jesus’ name we’ll stand.

But for now we’re waiting…
 

Anticipating!

 

 

Tidbits of Tidbits

On our journey to that place of joy, that place of child-like dreams and an abundance of life, grace will drop nuggets of wisdom onto our path. Here are a few I’ve picked up along the way:

1 G-d wants you to succeed even more than you want to succeed yourself. He designed you for a specific purpose. His handiwork is not faulty. You are capable. Find what it is that He created you to do and do it!

2 To wait is to be bound to that which you desire;

  To doubt is to be separated from it;

  To believe is to be fully persuaded that it will come to pass;

  Therefore, believe and wait!

3 Jesus did not just endure to the cross. He endured to the Resurrection!

4 One reason for obtaining so few of G-d’s promises? Bondage to a passive spirit. Passivity arrests our desire. We must defeat the illusion that our current condition is our permanent condition. Just as those who have gone before us and ‘who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, and obtained promises,’ we too can be more than conquerors through our Lord Jesus, Master of Legions!

5 You think that if you have enough faith then G-d will release His power, His grace. But if His power is dependent upon your faith, then it’s not grace. It becomes wages that are due to you. Cease from your ‘work of faith’ and rest in G-d’s grace. His favor is free!

Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. 

Gal 6:9

Roadmap to Desire

 

On the journey to our destination‒that place we desire‒we are given a roadmap to follow. Daddy G-D may know where we are going, but as mature drivers now, we need directions to a place we have never been. The roadmap is found within the pages of the Holy Bible. Just as we need to learn to read a regular roadmap, we need to learn how to read the roadmap found within the Bible. Daddy G-D is willing to teach us. He has recently showed me some directions to receiving His promises!

 

The first step is realizing that the desire within our hearts comes from Him. He created each of us with different likes and interests. Some desires are common, such as good health, economic well-being, and healthy relationships, but individual interests were put there by Him too. What do you desire? What do you hope to receive? Hope is the mental image within that we are looking for in the future.

 

Secondly, take this mental picture and write it down in detail. Get a clear picture of what you desire. Be specific. Maybe even collect pictures of your destination. Remember, you cannot have somebody else’s spouse, home, or stuff. Have an original image. Be creative!

 

The next step is just that‒take a step! This is the place where faith comes onto the scene. You see, you have to cross a bridge from where you are to where you are going. Faith is the underlying support columns that the road to your destiny rests upon. Faith is having confidence that since Daddy G-D directed you to this place, He will help you arrive at your destination by His grace.

 

This step forward gets you closer to your destination‒your desire‒your mental image that you are expecting to appear, but the miraculous thing about faith is that it causes acceleration! Not only are you moving closer to your desire, but your desire is also moving closer to you! Your mental image that you are expecting to see (hope), as you have confidence in the goodness of Daddy G-D (faith), runs forward calling out to your desire, “Come!” The vehicle to get you there (grace) has been provided by Daddy G-D (love). Get an image of that! We sit in grace moving forward in hope supported by faith all because Daddy G-D loves us!

 

Not only this, but Daddy G-D has sent helpers that when they hear this calling out of your destination, will provide all that is needed for you to arrive: food and lodging, road and vehicle repairs, protection. Whatever you need. ALL your needs will be met because Daddy G-D loves you and desires for you to reach your destination.

 

The final step? Be patient. This is the hardest part since, at times, the road to our desire is a long one. Your desire has a set time when you will arrive. You have an appointment. All you have to do is show up.

 

The image in your heart speaks of the end result. It is breathing, panting, longing in that direction, and will not be in vain if only you hold onto it. If you have delays on your journey, be patient. Wait for it! Be like a bulldog on a bone, never letting go, because it will come. Remember, that as you take steps of faith, your desire is also taking steps closer to you! Your vision isn’t dawdling. It isn’t lagging behind for no reason. Call to it. Breathe upon it. The two of you will meet. You will arrive at your destination by Daddy G-D’s grace!

 

The Lord replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. Hab 2:2-3