Heart

Thought of the day: Fasting Hopelessness

Hope is believing Love never fails

The picture above describes to me the battle we are in..it's over our hearts. 

The hands below are of this earth. They are the hands of the enemy constantly trying to steal away our hearts. My focus then moves to the all consuming fire that surrounds the heart. Could that be Gods love consuming protecting our hearts from the thief? In this world you will 

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

Hope- He's Alive

Thought of the day: Fasting Hopelessness

Hope - He's Alive

The picture above brings a smile to my heart. 

I can almost hear the words whispered sweetly to my ear by Jesus and Jack:) 

Take heart and be filled with HOPE

He's Alive 

He's gone ahead to prepare us a place where
There is 

No more death

No more sorrow

No more crying 

No more pain

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death' or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

Revelations 21:4

A wonderful new friend of mine sent this song to me in an email yesterday.

 I thought I would share:)

Let the words of this song soak into your mind, body, soul and spirit..

This is Truth!

ALIVE!  Kim Walker-Smith

You breathe Your life into my lungs

You bring to life these dry bones

I know that You’re alive

You call me one of Your own

In my heart You’ve made Your home

I know that You’re alive

I’m coming alive!

You call me one of Your own

In my heart You made Your home

I know that You’re alive

I’m coming alive! 

We will make it known

Jesus is alive!  He’s alive!

We will shout it out

Jesus is alive!  He’s alive!

To all the dry and weary souls

Take joy, take heart, be filled with hope

I know that He’s alive

To all the ones who have no home

Get up and run we’re going home

I know that He’s alive

I’m coming alive….

It may get loud…the grave is empty now!

It may get wild…His love is like no other!

Hope is "GOOD" this Friday

Thought of the day: Fasting Hopelessness

Hope is "GOOD" this Friday

because 

Hope trusts.
10,000 reasons why and still counting

As I look at today and what it represents I find with in me a heavy heart.

 I know what it feels like to lose a son.
It's hard to imagine that I could have this experience in common with God..

 but I do:(

I often wonder what God was thinking. I also wonder what Jesus was thinking. 
At the cross we get a glimpse

 

"Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"

Matthew 27:46

 

This cry from Jesus's heart brings a stabbing pain to my own heart. I could not imagine hearing those words from my own son before he died. 

In this moment.. as we hear Jesus cry out to His Father... we must TRUST that the Father's heart is "Good" towards His son. 

 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways submit to him,

and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

This passage is telling us to acknowledge Him ,
to know Him in all our ways
because He will make the crooked places straight. 

The crooked places are places of disappointment. 

Places where we do not know how to navigate. 

They are sometimes places that we've prayed
for a different outcome than what we were given.
 

What do we do in these places?

What I have learned 

in this place
we sit at the table prepared before us by God Himself and feast on His Truth.

 

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

 he refreshes my soul.

He guides me along the right paths

for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk

through the darkest valley,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

 You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

Surely your goodness and love will follow me

all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord

forever.

Psalms 23

So many times we hear this scripture quoted at funerals. I heard it at Jack's and many others. I used to hate this scripture... but now.. finally .. I see truth in it that brings comfort to my broken heart and soul. 

I am now going to show you my true colors.. what really motivates me.. 
my hate for the enemy

This scripture say that God prepares a table for me in the midst of my enemies. 

What does this mean? 

A table is a place of communion, feasting, hospitality .. a place for an intimate gathering.

It is at this place

the table

we sit at in the midst of the crooked places
 

in the midst of the chaos of disappointment
 

Even as we walk through the valley of death

We find the table of communion

and we feast on the GOODNESS of God!
 

Let me share with you how I picture this 

God, has prepared a beautiful table.. Candles, a beautiful linen table cloth, fine china and silver. The table is loaded with all my favorite food.. 

Fried Chicken, mashed potatoes, collard greens, cornbread and some cold ice tea with lemon

Not to leave out desert and a glass of my favorite wine.

The music that is playing in the background brings such joy to my soul and spirit that I can hardly stay seated..

But I do

I lean over and grab a chicken leg and take a big bite 

and then give a small nod of acknowledgement to the one sitting on the other side of the table

The enemy himself

he's not at the table..

because the Lord Himself is at the table feasting with me

The enemy is sitting in the distance, handcuffed, watching me feast on the goodness of God 

right in the midst of what he intended for my bad

God is actually making it for my Good.

In the end it all turns out good. 

I will see Jack again

because we saw Jesus again.

The tomb is empty
I am determined to allow my life to reflect this truth on this earth until I take my last breath.

The power of God in our life is to demonstrate the
power of the Kingdom of heaven here on earth. 

The power He gave me was to still have a "yes" to Him even after loss

because I understand that in the Kingdom

Jesus overcame loss with the power of Resurrection!

So, with this truth in my heart I will lean on enduring faith so I can receive the promises of Heaven. 

31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

32 Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering.

So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.

36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

Hebrews 10:31-32;35-36

Hope is Christ in me

Thought of the day: Fasting Hopelessness

My hope is Christ in me

The comfort that we can have in this life is not who we are but who Christ is in us.

I am reminded this morning by my morning devotional, Jesus Calling, 

and by a message I heard from Perry Noble, 

that my hope is Christ in me. 

I have endured many struggles in my life and what I have learned is..

I do not need to be afraid to admit that I am struggling.

 This has been hard for me at times because the "Church" is a hard place to go and admit the struggle.

I used to think if my walk with Christ was on the right path that I would not have to struggle. I would be worry free. 

This is just NOT true!

Truth is He walks with us through our struggles 

not to always change our struggles 

But 

to change our perspectives as we walk through our struggles.

I find myself questioning through the struggle, "God are you here? Are you going to save from the heartbreak?" 

His reply is

"I am greater than what you are going through."

" I am with you"

Our problems may never change ,but our prospective can...
Only if we are willing to admit that Jesus is greater than what we are going through. 

Great example of "Christ in us" is the story about Moses hearing God speak to him through a burning bush.

God wanted to deliver the Israelite's out of slavery. 
He tells Moses to tell the Pharaoh of Egypt to let His people go. 

Moses is afraid... He begins to struggle.. 

then He questions God, "I'm not sure I can do this? Who will I say sent me?"

I'm sure Moses was thinking, 
"if I tell them a burning bush sent me they will surely think I'm crazy."

God replies, "Tell them, "I Am sent you."

Why would God say this?

Notice He did not say, I was or I used to be or I will be

He said,

I AM.

I believe that the name of God speaks to what ever struggle your going through.

His name proclaims who He is and proclaims what He is doing for us through the struggle.

This is what I Am spoke to Moses about his struggle..

& 

What He says to us about our struggle

I am the one who is with you

I am the one who will never forsake you

I am the one who called you

I am the one who called you by name and you are mine

I am the one who will strengthen you

I am the one who will sustain you

I am the one who will never walk away from you

I am the one who started something in you and I will carry it on to completion until you see my son face to face.

When you worry about whether or not your alone in your struggle

you just remember that the great 

I Am 

is 

with you

is 

in you.

The comfort that we have in this life is not who we are but who He is in us!

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 

1 John 4:4

Hope expects the best

Thought of the day: Fasting Hopelessness

Hope expects the best

&

Prepares for it!

  

I heard someone say the other day, "Hope for the best and prepare for the worst".

Is this any way to live?
Although I hate to admit it, I often see that my actions
align more with preparing for the worst that expecting the best.
Why is this?
I think it comes from the heartbreaking disappointments and
unmet expectations we crash into during life.
It would only make sense to lower your expectations.
To think good thoughts, hope for the best... but all the while prepare for the next storm already seen on the radar.
Living this way leaves no room for God to work.
When we live preparing for the worst we are motivated by fear.
Fear Controls
It makes choices to take action in the opposite direction of what we hope for. If we hope for the best yet prepare for the worst.. we take our eyes off God.
We actually step into Gods place and take over His job.

What happens when we hope for the best and prepare for it?
We fix our eyes on God and know His heart of love is for us.
When we live preparing for the best we allow love to lead the way.
Love always leads to freedom

Which reminds me of Isaiah 61
It  has to be the best way to look at how we hope for the best and prepare for it..
The Lord's Promise to us is
He will bind our broken hearts
He will set the captives free
He will comfort all who mourn
He will rebuild to ruined cities
This is our Hope- Prepare for it:)

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.
4 They shall build up the ancient ruins;
they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations.-Isaiah 61

Hope walks out of the cave

Thought of the day: Fasting Hopelessness

Hope walks out of the cave

The lyrics to this song reminded me of the hope that was whispered from God's Spirit to my broken soul as I took courage to leave the cave. 

"A philosopher is like a prisoner who is freed from the cave and can now see reality as it truly is."- Socrates 

A philosopher is a person who seeks wisdom or enlightenment.

A few years ago, I had a friend tell me it was time to leave the cave. The only reason I was still in the cave was because someone I loved dearly was "stuck" in the cave. I had tried for years to help her see that her view was distorted by darkness and lies.

I had come to a point in the relationship that the only way to help her was to leave. 

My hope in making that decision was that someday she would follow. 

The only way she would follow was to see that life for me was better outside the cave than her life inside the cave. The hard part of this decision was that I had to commit to not turning back. I had to prove once and for all that following Jesus was the only way to freedom. 

It was time to stop talking and start walking. 

"if you’re going to talk the talk, you've got to walk the walk"

I was filled with doubt, I was filled with fear.

 My biggest questions were.. 

Will she ever follow? 

Will she think we left her? 

Will her feelings  of  what she sees as abandonment aid in the death of her hope to find freedom?

I began to pray.

I asked for truth

I asked for wisdom

I sought Godly counsel 

I put her in Gods hands

&

I began to walk as I held on to His promises.

"And I will bring the blind by a way that they know not; in paths that they know not will I lead them; I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. These things will I do, and I will not forsake them."-Isaiah 42:16

God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.

Psalms 46:5

But the LORD says, "The captives of warriors will be released, and the plunder of tyrants will be retrieved. For I will fight those who fight you, and I will save your children. Isaiah 49:25

The beginning of the journey was dark. The only light seen was through the eyes of faith. 

Send me your light and your faithful care, let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell. Psalm 43:3

Seeking and following Jesus led me to finding His care that slowly changed me to become a light of hope for her. 

My hope was that she would look out from the cave that held her captive to see new life and that change was possible. 

For most of us, there is a season in the cave. 
I'm going to borrow the words of a song that perfectly put to words how I felt at the beginning  of my journey from the cave to new life.
"The Cave"
Mumford and Sons

It is a season where it's empty in the valley of your heart and you realize that the harvest of this time has left no food for you to eat. 

It is in this place that you hear God's "SPIRIT" say to your broken "Soul"..

"It's empty in the valley of your heart
The sun, it rises slowly as you walk
Away from all the fears
And all the faults you've left behind

The harvest left no food for you to eat
You cannibal, you meat-eater you see
But I have seen the same 
I know the shame in your defeat

But I will hold on hope

and I wont let you choke 

On the noose around your neck

And I'll find strength in pain

and I will change my ways 

I'll know my name as its called again

Cause I have other things to fill my time

You take what is yours and Ill take mine

Now let me at the truth
Which will refresh my broken mind

So tie me to a post and block my ears

I can see widows and orphans through my tears

I know my call despite my faults 

and despite my growing fears

But I will hold on hope

and I wont let you choke 

On the noose around your neck

And I'll find strength in pain

and I will change my ways 

I'll know my name as its called again

So come out of your cave walking on your hands

And see the world hanging upside down

You can understand dependence 

When you know the maker's land"

I especially love the ending to this song. You really feel as if your coming out walking on your hands to see the world upside down.. Everything that pertains to walking out the gospel on this side of heaven seems upside down in this world.. but you understand it when you understand the maker of this land:)

Hope is found in the wilderness

 

 

 



Thought of the day: Fasting Hopelessness

Hope is found in the wilderness

Therefore I am now going to allure her;

I will lead her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her.

Hosea 2:14 NIV

In this particular scripture we see that God is alluring Israel back to the wilderness.

Why?

 She took her eyes off Father God ..
 and He found her focused on lesser gods.

He is calling her back because she had once again forgotten her first love.

  God has a history of  leading her to the wilderness. When He first set her free from Egypt, she found herself wandering hopelessly through a desert.  He led her there so He could have her undivided attention. He spoke instruction and love to her as she journeyed to the promise land.

 She learned to trust Him in the wilderness.
 

In Hosea we see God once again leading her back to the wilderness of heartbreak valley.I find comfort in the way God is leading her there. He is alluring her, whispering to her "come away with Me so I can speak tenderly to your broken heart".

You would think that if He was doing this for the 2nd time He would be mad at her. That He might had said, "haven't you learned by now, there are to be no other idols in your life?! Shame on you for loosing focus! "

But He didn't, because love never shames.

in fact real love hung on the cross to defeat shame because He despised it.

 

Love gets our attention by speaking to the brokenness in our hearts. He understands why we loose our focus on Him because He knows the battle is fierce. That is why He leads us to a place where we can be face to face with Him. A place where heartbreak becomes a door of hope.

 

"There I will give her back her vineyards,

                             and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.

There she will respond as in the days of her youth,

as in the day she came up out of Egypt." 
Hosea 2:15NIV

 

 In that place of  hopelessness  is where we find the greatest hope of all.. His heart that leads to us to the promise land.. the place we've waited so long to see what we believed in.

Here are the lyrics to the song above.. It speaks so tenderly to the one who is in the wilderness who's waited so long to see what you believe.

Whisper my name, so only I can hear
 

                                                  Call to my heart, chase away my fear
 

Stand up in this place, fight for the one you love

Won't you come surround me, so I can rise above

Explode my soul, let these walls come down

All these prison thoughts crumble with the sound

Of my deliverance from my enemies

I stand up beside you, let's watch these giants flee

Let the silence be broken, and the winter be done

Will you come out of your hiding, kiss me sweet warm sun

Let the wind of your spirit blow the dust off my feet

I ran to you broken but now I am complete

Hello Promise Land, we've waited for so long

To see what we've believed in, to sing this Promise Land song

Explode my soul, explode with praise

What he promised is what he gave