Word Filled Wednesday

Word Filled Wednesday - God of Hope

This is one of my favorite Bible verses. It is a beautiful message of blessing and hope, but it came alive to me in the midst of a crisis.

Several years ago, a loved one was in a bad spot. With life choices that were cascading in a downward spiral, every resource had been used up with no help in sight. I sat in a chair with the Bible open in my lap and found this verse. A desperate situation needs hope to begin the steps toward healing. Hope is a spark of light in a dark space, it is a tiny flutter that begins and builds into confidence. An idea that jumps in the heart and compels you to action. As vital as hope is in life, this verse tells us that God not only offers hope, but that He is the God of HOPE! It is not something that He does, it is truly who He is.

His presence and promise of hope in any situation builds faith and secures our trust in Him. A promise like this calms our fears and gives us strength to carry on But this promise doesn't stop with HOPE - it is a prayer that God would fill us with all joy and peace. So much so that we may abound or overflow with hope!

I love the word picture of overflow...especially from the heart. Think of it, putting our hope in God with the benefits of joy and peace in such abundance that they run over! Overflow occurs when the container is so full, the contents have no where else to go but over. May the God of HOPE bless you like that - may joy and peace be yours in abundance so that they run over and flow into the lives of all you see.

Comments

Sometimes We Score, Sometimes We Block

Our family is in the midst of little league soccer season. My youngest son is playing and his enthusiasm is contagious. He is pretty good at the sport, but what makes it so great is that he loves it! He counts the days until the next game or practice. He loves his coach and teammates. He has moved up an age level this year and the players are working more like team, passing to each other and watching out for each other during play. During the last game, my son scored two goals, they were the only goals of the game. In today's game the team scored eight goals. My son came up afterwards to me and said, "I didn't score today, but I blocked". What a powerful truth those words can hold. In life, sometimes we score, sometimes we block. Sometimes we do great things, we excel, we achieve, we meet our goal - we score! There are also times we see the needs of others, sometimes they are sad or hurting, we block their hits. We look out for them so they can score. We

Relationships and Redemption

In every friendship or relationship, there is a common hope that they will grow and flourish. There is something inside of us that longs for a 'happy every after' story. We dream about it and work to make that happen. But in reality, relationships are a challenge. The bridging of values, lifestyles, interests and sacrificing for another are simply hard things to do! No matter how much we dream of the perfect fit, some relationships will not endure the stress. When differences appear and tensions arise, prayer can change situations, attitudes and ourselves. For the Christian, we know God can transform, change, heal. We cannot change others, but prayer opens us the door for God to step in and answer. God desires transformation, but does not demand it. The gift of free will allows us to choose to say Yes or No to Him. Romans 12:18 says, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” Take notice of the first two words: “If possible …” This implies that some

A Blank Page - A Great Way to Fill It

A blank page - that is the first view of a new blog post. It has been a while since I have faced the blank page of my little blog! A blank page can bring a variety of emotions - emptiness, anxiety, pressure to perform or emotions such as inspiration, encouragement or simply bursting to share something. But there is always something fresh and exciting about the blank page of a New Year. Happy 2023! This is always a time in my life where inspiration and plans are formed and ready to be implemented for greater change. Aspirations may start strong, but alone do not make a difference. It takes consistency to create change. The changing or adding small habits is a key to great changes. A habit that has been beneficial in my life for many years is rising early. It began when the children were small and was the only pocket of time I had to myself. Through the years, mornings have become my favorite time of the day. Now that my husband and I are empty nesters, we go to bed early and rise early.

Joyfull Living

Search This Blog