Tag: Hope For The Hopeless

It amazes me that Jonah fled and disobeyed God, yet did not feel he would be punished. But instead, he wanted the people of Nineveh to perish, he wanted them to be punished but not him. He then goes on to say he is so angry that he would rather die than live because he didn’t see an entire race, an entire nation of people, perish. Then when he is uncomfortable because God took away the plant, he would rather die than live.

So, he is mad God killed the plant but mad he wouldn’t kill the entire city of people. Souls… He would rather them go out into eternity unready than to have another chance? If these are the people, God chooses it makes me feel like okay maybe I can be saved. It shows me that God is truly a God of mercy, patience, love, and forgiveness; not a God of anger, vengeance, and hate as the world tries to make Him out to be.

If God is a violent, malicious God as the world tries to say He is, why didn’t He just destroy both Nineveh and Jonah? Why give Nineveh a chance to repent? Why allow Jonah to live even though he wished to die because of silly reasons? God shows His true colors and simply brings Jonah back to reality. He doesn’t get angry and strike Jonah down for his foolishness, but calmly says,

“¹⁰You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. ¹¹And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?”

Even with the tantrum that Jonah just pulled, God says listen to me, son, listen. Don’t you see how you pity that plant, how you want that plant? Though you didn’t work for it. You didn’t make it grow. You have no connection to it, yet, you love it. Yet you want to see it grow because it means something to you. Don’t you think I want to see the men and women I created grow? The men and women I labored for. The men and women I took the time to design and form. The men and women I knew before they were even born. Don’t you think I want them to survive the way you want that plant to survive? Don’t you think I want to teach my children who don’t know their left from their right, who don’t know wrong from good, to have a second chance? Of course, I do.

And that same merciful, loving, patient God that gently handled Jonah, still gently handles us. He still takes the time to explain to us. He doesn’t get upset and angry with us. He doesn’t strike us down and condemn us to Hell. But instead He explains why He does things, we just have to listen. We have to stop throwing a fit about everyone else. Everyone who we believe are worse than us. Who we believe deserve to suffer and instead we need to look in the mirror. We need to look at who we are. Who we’ve become while we’ve been looking at the rest of the world. While we’ve been looking at everyone else, who have, we become. Have we become entitled, self-righteous, hypocrites?

But the great thing about God is that no matter how far we’ve strayed. No matter how ridiculous and hypocritical we have become, He still takes the time to wake us up. He takes the time to bring us back to reality. He takes the time to show us His love. His patience. So take the time today to listen to what God has to say. What are we whining about that God wants to explain? What are we doing wrong, that we don’t see?

Peace. Love. Go forth and Just Listen.

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“¹⁸ The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.” ~ 1 Corinthians 1:18 NLT

During chaos, pain, suffering, and fear, we cling to that Old Rugged Cross. The cross that brings us hope. The cross that changes everything. The cross that people look at with disgust, jest, judgment is our saving grace. What was meant to destroy, brought life and we will cling to that cross. No matter the pain that we are in or the fear that overwhelms us can ever take away from the promise and hope that that cross symbolizes. For once our Jesus was dead, but now He is alive forever. And because He is alive, He will one day return for us, and we will be alive forever with Him.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Cling To The Old Rugged Cross.

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²² The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;his mercies never come to an end; ²³ they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ²⁴ “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore, I will hope in him.” ~ Lamentations 3:22-25

The LORD’s love never ceases, no matter what you do, no matter how far you stray, you can’t run far enough away from His love. But don’t misunderstand, this isn’t a free pass to do whatever you want. This is hope that no matter where you go trying to get away from Him He’ll always be waiting for you to turn around and return to Him.

During times of tribulation, remember His mercies never come to an end. That’s sure easy to say when you aren’t the one going through tribulation at this time. When you aren’t the one suffering, but yet, His mercies still never come to an end. He will give you rest whether it’s today or tomorrow, but rest was promised to us.

The LORD is my portion; therefore, I will hope in Him. Because I have God, I don’t need to live hopeless. I don’t need to live every day depressed or downcast, but I can live with hope because I know who I serve. I know that I am loved. I know that I will have peace, either today or tomorrow, peace will come.

Don’t lose hope when times of tribulation come upon us. When we feel unworthy to return to Him. Or we feel we’ve gone too far and are too dirty to even call upon His name. Don’t lose hope, for He is hope. He leaves 99 for the one. His love never fails. So don’t give up.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Don’t Lose Hope.

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“¹⁹ We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, ²⁰ where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” ~ Hebrews 6:19-20

During this pandemic God hasn’t forgotten us. God hasn’t turned away. He’s still watching over us. Jesus Himself has gone before us behind the curtain on our behalf. It may feel like the world is falling apart and everyone is ready to turn on each other, but Jesus hasn’t turned on us. He’s still praying on our behalf. God is still on His throne and still in control. So don’t lose hope in a time that seems so hopeless, because Jesus is watching out for us and praying on our behalf.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Believe In Your Forerunner.

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“Remember your promise to me; it is my only hope.” ~ Psalms 119:49 NLT

In a time of chaos, panic, fear, and distress hope seems to have fled from us all. The news seems hopeless. The amount of people losing their jobs seems hopeless. But there is still hope in this current darkness. God’s promises are our hope. Our only hope.

He promised that if we humble ourselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways, He will forgive us and heal our land (2 Chronicles 7:14), so no virus can destroy our nation. He promised that by His stripes we ARE healed (1 Peter 2:24), so no virus has any power over us. He promised that He has plans to help us, make us prosperous, and not to harm us (Jeremiah 29:11), so no virus or chaos can displace us from His plan.

God promised us many things. Resurrection. Eternal Life. Peace. Love. Forgiveness. Hope in these things. Focus on these things. When the world tries to distract you with how scary times are right now, remember the promises of God and hold to them. Never lose hope. With hope anything is possible.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Hope In His Promises.

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“The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. And there came a voice to him: ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’  But Peter said, ‘By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.’ And the voice came to him again a second time, ‘What God has made clean, do not call common.’ This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to Heaven.” ~ Acts 10:9-16^ESV

Peter was a Jew who found it difficult to understand why and how Gentiles could be forgiven and receive the same kind of forgiveness the Jews could. God sent His Son, Jesus, so that He could cover and cleanse every person, not just the Jews. Not just those we deem worthy, but all people who would accept His Son.

Often times, we forget that God is the God of anyone who will accept His Son. Ex-drug addicts, ex-cons, ex-felons, ex-prostitutes, anyone society deems unworthy, God still loves. God still deems them worthy enough to receive Jesus. No matter what you’ve done, no matter what your child has done, God is still waiting for His prodigal child to come home. There is always hope. Until that final heartbeat, don’t give up hope. God hasn’t, He continues to give opportunities even when He knows we won’t take them. God still lives in hope, so should we.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Live In Hope.

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“He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.” ~ Job 8:21

Though our momentary troubles seem to last a lifetime, yet in our season, God will fill our mouth with laughter and our hearts with joy. For His love toward us is great. Don’t give up hope, cling to it in times of great troubles and distress. When we lose a loved one. When we lose a job. When we feel lost and confused, and God seems to be far away. Cling to Him. Search for Him. Call out His name. Because He hasn’t forgotten you, He’s just waiting for your invitation to come in.

Thank you Father, for the promise of hope, for Your promises never fail. You are the God of the new. So, Oh LORD God, create in us new joy. Create in us new hope that cannot be easily rattled. That cannot be easily shaken. That will be able to withstand any obstacle set before us, oh LORD. Remember Your promises, and bring laughter and joy into our lives once again. In Jesus name, amen.

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¹⁰ Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” ¹¹ And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, ¹² and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” ¹³ But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. ¹⁴ And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” ¹⁵ But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. ~ Acts 9:10-15

Saul, better known to us as Paul, was one of the greatest enemies of the early Church. Ananias was called to go to him but was afraid. He had heard stories of the evil Saul had done. He couldn’t see passed who Saul was in that moment. He couldn’t see why God would choose him. A lot of the times we’re a mixture of Saul and Ananias. We’ve done so much evil that we can’t see how God can use us. We’ve lied. We’ve murdered. We’ve lived in sexual sin. We’ve stolen. We’ve done evil in the sight of the LORD, and the Ananias in us can’t see the Saul in us becoming the Paul.

We’ve heard the stories and we’ve heard the sermons, but we still wonder, ‘Does God want me?’ Simply put, yes. No matter what you’ve done. No matter how far you’ve strayed, God still wants you. God can still use you. God used a man who murdered the Christians to be, arguably, the greatest apostle who ever lived. If God could take Saul and make him Paul, why can’t He use you? God can use anyone, there’s no one too dirty for God to use. It’s up to you to let Him in and use you.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Become Paul.

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But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. ² And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. ³ Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” ⁴ And the Lord said, “Do you do well to be angry?” ⁵ Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city.

⁶ Now the Lord God appointed a plantand made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. ⁷ But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. ⁸ When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”

⁹ But God said to Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?” And he said, “Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.” ¹⁰ And the Lord said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. ¹¹ And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?” ~ Jonah 4:1-11

This amazes me that Jonah both fled and disobeyed God, and didn’t feel he would be punished, yet he wants the people of Nineveh to perish, he wants them to be punished but not him. He then goes on to say he is so angry that he would rather die than live because he didn’t want to see an entire race or nation of people be saved from destruction.

Then when he is uncomfortable, because God took away the plant, he would rather die than live. He is mad God killed the plant, but mad he wouldn’t kill the entire city of people, the entire city of souls… He would rather them go out into eternity unready than to have another chance? If these are the people God chooses to be His prophets and representatives of Him, it makes me feel like okay maybe I can be saved. Maybe I can stand as a representative of God and not feel ashamed of all of the stuff I have done.

It shows me who God really is. That God is truly a God of mercy, patience, love, and forgiveness; not a God of anger, vengeance, and hate as the world tries to make Him out to be. Sure, He punishes His children, but every GOOD parent punishes their child when they have done something wrong. Keep this in mind, when you feel too far gone or too dirty to be clean remember that God doesn’t choose people who are clean and perfect.

God chooses people who are dirty and are in need of cleansing. People who are in need of Him. Look at who He chose to be His prophet, a man that would rather save the life a simple, soulless tree than a city of people who had strayed because he didn’t have the same love and mercy God does. Jonah wasn’t perfect, and neither are you, so let God be the perfect one in the relationship. Let God slowly wash you clean until you see yourself the way he sees you, as His.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Go Dirty.

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