Tag: Hope For The Hopeless

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. ⁶ In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. ~ Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Easier said than done. When things go wrong, the first thing we do is to look at our circumstances, and then our understanding of what we see automatically kicks in. But God said, “Do not lean on your own understanding.” Far too often we evaluate our coming and going by what we see.

Today, I took my car in to have it serviced for a factory recall, and they will have to keep it overnight. They gave me a shuttle ride home and said that they would come back tomorrow to pick me up so that I could get my car. We only have one car. When I got home, my wife reminded me that our daughter had to get her packages to the Post Office before 5 pm today. I had totally forgotten that it was absolutely vital that the packages be sent out today before the Post Office closes at 5:30 pm.

We had no way of getting them there unless we took an Uber or something. Then the LORD—it would have to be the LORD—put it in my spirit to get everything ready and ask the postperson to please take it for us since we had a label, and the packages were all packed and ready to go. The problem was that one had to go to FedEx as well, something that never usually happens.

But as the LORD’s fate would have it, a FedEx van drove by at the very same time and stopped two doors down. I ran out and asked the driver if he would please take it since it was packaged with a label and ready to go. He said, “No problem at all.” We gave him the package, along with some water, some chips, and a frozen fruit bar to show our gratitude. Now for the Post Office. We didn’t know whether or not they had come and gone as yet.

About ten minutes later, the postperson drove by, and I asked her the same thing if she would take the package, and she said, “Yes, no problem.” Long story short, everyone was super stressed out because both packages had to be out today, and according to our understanding, there was no way they would be able to go. But the LORD provided what seemed impossible, and within 20 minutes, everything was done. The stress was gone. The joy of the LORD was back, and everyone was happy again.

And to top it all off, about 3 hours later, the service department called and somehow, they worked it out that not only did they start working on my car right away but told me it would be ready in about another two hours. Way enough time for them to come, pick me up, and take me back for me to pick up my car and still have plenty of time to make it to the Post Office if the need was still there.

What am I saying? God not only solved our impossible problem, but He gave us not one but two ways of getting the impossible done. Lean not on your own understanding, but rather, trust the LORD and acknowledge Him and everything you give Him, He will work it out for you.

Father, thank You that You are a good, good Father. Thank You that we can trust You and know with full confidence that You will work the impossible out for us. Teach us how not to be shaken by what we see or to be stressed by what we understand our circumstances to be. For You are a God that does the impossible, deals with the difficult, and brings hope to the hopeless. Thank You, Father, in Jesus’ mighty name, amen.

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² Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. ~ 3 John 2

God’s desire is that you be prosperous and healthy not only spiritually but physically as well. Have you ever heard someone praying for the sick and in their prayer, they say, “LORD, if it is Your will, heal this person;” that always troubled me. Think about it. Why would Jesus pay such a heavy price for our healing but then say, “Just kidding, it really isn’t My will to heal you.” That does not make much sense. If you think about it, that is not a prayer at all, that is really a disclaimer. It is like saying, I’m going to pray for you, but if you don’t get healed, it’s obviously not God’s will for you.

I don’t believe that is the way God operates. He doesn’t dangle a carrot before us. He doesn’t give us false hope. If it doesn’t work, the fault is not with Him; it is with us. All of His promises are yea and amen towards us, His blood-bought, the redeemed. He says what He means, and He means what He says. Peter, quoting the prophet Isaiah, said,

²⁴ He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed.

1 Peter 2:24

Peter said it is already done. We have been healed.

If you are experiencing any kind of illness, place your hand on the place and believe as we pray.

Heavenly Father, I believe You sent Your Son Jesus to not only die for my transgressions, but the chastisement that brought me peace was placed on Him, and with His stripes, I am healed. Help me with my unbelief. Teach me to receive all that You have for me. Please help me to receive my healing right now. Thank You, Father, in Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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²⁹ What is left of the oil in the priest’s palm he is to put on the head of the one to be cleansed to make atonement for him before the Lord. ³⁰ He is to then sacrifice one type of what he can afford, either the turtledoves or young pigeons, ³¹ one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, sacrificing what he can afford together with the grain offering. In this way the priest will make atonement before the Lord for the one to be cleansed. ³² This is the law for someone who has a skin disease and cannot afford the cost of his cleansing.  ~ Leviticus 14:29-32^CSB

Imagine sin is a spiritual skin disease. It causes you to be unclean, to be separate from those who are clean, and to only be around those who are unclean. See, not everyone could pay the price to be cleansed from their skin disease under The Law, but God didn’t leave them hopeless. He created a way for them as well. This is the same with sin.

God knew none of us could pay our debt, so He sent His Son, Jesus, born of a virgin without any sin, within Him in order to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. He gives us salvation free of charge. Our debt has been canceled, and our future secured; all we have to do is follow Jesus. There’s never a time that God doesn’t give us an opportunity to receive salvation. Today is the day of salvation; tomorrow is promised to no one.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Accept Your Cleansing.

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⁵ Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. ⁶ I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth— ⁷ everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” ~ Isaiah 43:5-7^NIV

²⁴ Can plunder be taken from warriors, or captives be rescued from the fierce? ²⁵ But this is what the LORD says: “Yes, captives will be taken from warriors, and plunder retrieved from the fierce; I will contend with those who contend with you, and your children I will save. ~ Isaiah 49:24-25^NIV

Wow! What a promise. This is a Last Days prophecy to Israel, but take a look at verse 7. God extended it to:

Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.

Isaiah 43:7

Are you called by God’s Name? Then this promise includes you and your children. We are living in the last days right now. The days just before the great day of Jesus’ return to get His Bride. We don’t have a whole lot of time left to be playing around with salvation. The clock is ticking, and the door will soon slam shut. We need to get our loved ones in, and God has given us a great and mighty promise. He said that no matter where our children have gone if we will only pray and believe and witness to our children and plant those seeds, the Holy Spirit will water, and God will give the increase.

It may seem like the fierce has captured your children, and the dreaded warriors have taken them as plunder, but God said that the captives will be taken from the warriors, and the plunder from the fierce. What has your loved ones held captive? Is it the pursuit of fame? Or the great desire for wealth? Is it apathy? Maybe some sexual deviant immorality has them bound. The captives will be taken from the warriors, and the plunder will be retrieved from the fierce. So do not fear, but believe God, for His promises will never fail.

Are you believing for the salvation of a wayward son? Are you believing for the restoration of a daughter? It doesn’t matter how far they’ve gone, the promise says “To the ends of the earth.” They can’t go that far as to get away from the love of God. They can’t have done as much as to be beyond saving. This is your promise today. So, get a hold of it, claim it, believe it, keep on praying and trusting, the promise is yours.

(As you pray the prayer, insert the name of your loved one).

Father, please bring Your strong conviction on _____ wherever they may be at this moment. Let _____ feel Your love and our love around them. Open _____ spiritual eyes. Let a strong burning desire to reach out right now overtake them. Let a feeling that cannot be ignored or pushed aside overwhelm them. I believe it is Your will that ______ be saved. Let the Blood of Jesus not be poured out for no reason for _____, but let Your light and salvation shine in the heart of _____ right now. Thank You, Father, for saving ____. Thank You, Holy Spirit, for convicting _____. I believe that the same power that raised Jesus from the grave will also raise _____ to spiritual life. In Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.

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⁸ “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways.” This is the Lord’s declaration. ~ Isaiah 55:8^CSB

I remember a little while back; I was having a conversation with someone about the current state of the US. He saw no hope for our country. My response was that so many people have woken up in the last 3 or 4 years that probably would’ve never woken up if it had never happened. His response was, “So?” I could hardly believe it. I was in shock. This wasn’t a nonbeliever. This was a Church-going man trying to lead his family in the way of the LORD. Sadly, this is the temperature of the Church.

Many of us want a revolution. We want the Messiah to break that eastern sky and bring justice to the earth. We want the justice system fixed and evil put in its place, but we really don’t wanna pray for it. We don’t really wanna fast to see it happen. And if we don’t see it happen the way that we want it to go, then we refuse to rejoice in the hope that God gives us. If we’re not careful, we’ll find ourselves in the same boat as the men and women of Jesus’ day and age.

They had the Messiah there with them. God in flesh and bone walked and talked with them, teaching and healing them, but because He didn’t come the way they wanted or bring the kind of deliverance they wanted, they turned their backs on Him. They even went as far as to order His execution at the hands of the Romans.

If we want change and a move of God in our lives and in our nation, we have to pray and fast for a move. Then we have to trust and believe God that the move He makes is for our good and not our evil. That no matter how He sees best to intervene, we will accept it in faith because His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. He knows the beginning and the end. He alone can dictate what is best for His people. So, when you look out into the world and see the evil, fast and pray, then stand in faith on promises of God, always rejoicing in each eye opened and every heart changed.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Never Quench Hope.

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⁸ And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. ¹⁰ And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. ¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. ~ Luke 2:8-12 (KJV 1900)

The birth announcement of the LORD Jesus was to shepherds who were keeping watch over their flock by night. No doubt, these men were watching, waiting, and looking for the promised Messiah. But they did not expect it to happen that night when all of a sudden, an angel appeared saying, “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy.” They were told that the Savior of the whole world was born in Bethlehem that very night.

Understand that when you’ve been diligently waiting on the LORD, He will show up at any moment, especially when you least expect it. There was no word from God for 400 years, but God had not forgotten His promise to Israel or to the world.

So, in the fullness of time, Jesus, being the Word of God, became flesh and dwelt among us. He lived and died, and rose again, and ascended into heaven, and one day, He’s coming back for us. Just like He fulfilled the promise of His first coming, He will fulfill the promise of His second coming. Therefore, I urge you to be ready, watch, and pray.

The Shepherds were taken by surprise at His first coming and still got to go see baby Jesus, but those who are taken by surprise at His second coming will be left behind. Therefore, I warn you, stay awake, watch, and pray.

Father, thank you for Jesus. Thank you for the promise of Christmas fulfilled in the birthday of Your Son, Jesus. Help me to stay vigilant and be ready for His return. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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²⁶ In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, ²⁷ to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” ²⁹ But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. ³⁰ And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹ And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David, ³³ and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” ~ Luke 1:26-33

Christmas time is a time when we remember the Christmas story. The time when the angel Gabriel was sent to Nazareth to a virgin named Mary to let her know that she was chosen to be the mother of the Savior of the world. The very first mention of a Savior can be found in the book of Genesis while Adam and Eve were still in the Garden of Eden. Although it took some four thousand years to fulfill, God never forgot His promise of a Savior. Likewise, God will never forget His promises to you.

You can rest assured that if God has promised you, God will deliver to you the promise He has promised. God is faithful and will never forget, nor is He a man that He should lie. What He has promised that He will deliver. So, this Christmas, rest assured that God will remember His promises to you, and if He remembers them, He will fulfill them.

Heavenly Father, thank You that You do not forget, nor do you lie to us. Thank You that we can trust and depend on You to do exactly what You have promised to do. Increase our faith that we might trust You even more. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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¹⁶ And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. ¹⁵ It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” ~ Luke 1:16-17^NASB1995

The Old Testament ends with the prophecy that the New Testament starts with. In other words, the Old Testament, or the Old Covenant, ends in hope, but the New Testament, or the New Covenant, begins with hope fulfilled.

The name John means, The LORD Remembers, and it is he who ushered in the hope fulfilled. John, meaning God remembers, was the forerunner of Jesus, whose name means salvation, and was the voice crying in the desert, “Prepare the way…”

Hope has come because Christ the Savior is born. That is what Christmas is really all about. When we celebrate Christmas, we celebrate hope fulfilled because Jesus, being God, came in the flesh to save each one of us. So, God bless you this Christmas as you and your family celebrate the birth of hope.

Father, thank You for giving us Jesus, our living hope. Thank You for the free gift of life, and as I celebrate the birth of Your Son this Christmas, help me never to forget the real and true meaning of Christmas, for I pray in the name of Jesus our LORD and Savior, amen.

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⁸ Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, ⁹ according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. ¹⁰ And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. ¹¹ And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. ¹² And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. ¹³ But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. ¹⁴ And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, ¹⁵ for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. ¹⁶ And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, ¹⁷ and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” ~ Luke 1:8-17

The angel Gabriel broke 400 years of silence. God had not spoken to the rebellious Israelites since Malachi uttered his prophecy in Malachi 4:5-6, the last two verses of the Old Testament. God was dealing with the sin issue in Judah. He had already sent Israel, or the Northern Kingdom, into exile because of idolatry, as well as Judah, the Southern Kingdom. God was upset with His people, but He did not leave them without hope.

He warned them over and over about exile and punishment, and because He had no choice but to make good on His threats, He sent them into exile by the hand of King Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians, and now they had returned, but they were still a wayward people, not paying their tithes, nor giving offerings, and the sacrifices were of poor samples and not their best.

But even in all of this, God never leaves His people without hope. He said that He would send them the prophet Elijah before the LORD comes, and he will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and children to their fathers. Then, the voice of God went silent for 400 years.

Now, here, the angel Gabriel is speaking to the future father of the promised forerunner of the Messiah Himself, the LORD Jesus. God makes good on His threats, and God makes good on His promises as well.

So, you may be going through a time of silence. It seems like you are in a period of 400 years of silence, but know this, God has not forgotten you, nor has He forgotten His promises to you. In the fullness of time, the time set by God Himself to visit you and bring with Him all that He has promised.

So, this Christmas, let hope reign in your heart. Do not give up on your promises or on hope itself! Do not give in to doubt or temptation, but stand firm and always remember that God is faithful and will never leave you hopeless but will always bring you hope, and He will always deliver on His promises.

Heavenly Father, thank You for hope. Thank You for the promises that you will fulfill. Help me to hold on to Your every word and believe in Your holy word; in Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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³⁸ …Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. ~ Luke 1:38b

Mary accepted the plan of the LORD, come what may. Her only concern was to please her God, and in so doing, she became the recipient of the very first Christmas present.

Make no mistake, Mary needed a savior just like everybody else; even though she was the mother of the Savior, whose name is Immanuel, which means God with us, she still needed saving; she could not save herself. So, it is with each and every one of us that we all need a Savior.

I’m sure this was not the Christmas present Mary had envisioned, thought about, or even considered. Nonetheless, she gracefully accepted her part in God’s eternal plan.

Each and every one of us has a God-given call on our lives. None of us were created without purpose, but all of us were created to follow a plan that God has for our lives. Plans that are for our good and not for evil. But God never forces those plans on us; like Mary, we each have to accept His plan for our lives.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Accept His Good Plans.

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