Tag: Watchcare of God

Today’s Word Is UNSHAKEN

Wed-Jul-22-2020

I hate putting my time or money into something that ends up not being worth it. A couple of years ago my wife and I were doing some painting inside the house. We ordered this great sounding device that was supposed to make trimming a cinch. Well … upon arrival of the product, we discovered that the quality of the gadget was significantly lower than the quality of the idea. In short, it was not worth using.

Suffice it to say that whatever we invest our time and money in does not always turn out to be worth it. Teaching the lesson of unreasonable expectations to the children in the family takes patience. When my sweet mother-in-law was raising my wife and her two siblings and one of them made a request for something that was “not gonna happen” … she would chuckle and say to them, “Yea, and people in jail want out!”

There is no guarantee you will get what you want. There is always a risk that some things you purchase are a waste of money. And sometimes the places you want to go or the things you want to do are not going to work out.

There is, however, something of a spiritual nature that has a trustworthy guarantee.

Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; … (Hebrews 12:28)

This “kingdom that cannot be shaken” is worth trading everything we are and all we have in order to live in it. In a world in which many people get upset at the things that don’t work like they’re supposed to, the only thing I know of that comes through 100% of the time is the grace of God poured out on us in this “kingdom that cannot be shaken.”

In all my years of adulthood, I can’t think of a single person who ever came back to me and said they were disappointed in the life of faith offered to them through Jesus Christ. This is based on those who were “all in” for the kingdom.

For those who were just trying to “fit God into their schedule,” it seemed to me that they didn’t want to be “in” this kingdom, but just visit occasionally. In that case, God is not really your king. Those folks were frequently disappointed.

I am thankful that there is a “kingdom that cannot be shaken” offered by grace to all of us, in which the warranty never runs out. I’m all in for that! And good news … living in this unshaken kingdom also means that when the events of this life try to rock my world, I can remain personally unshaken because of the unshakable foundation of this kingdom in which I dwell.

If you or someone you know is holding out looking for a sure thing to commit to, hold back no longer. And when you take the leap, you will discover that this is not just an idea, it is a Person, the Creator himself, drawing you into a deep, loving relationship that far exceeds expectations … it will produce a sense of “reverence and awe” within you.

King David was all in, saying, “I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved …” (Psalm 121:1-3a)

This seems strange to say, but I have been shaken up a few times in my life, and yet remained unshaken, because God absorbed the shaking.

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is PRESENCE

Tue-Jun-30-2020

I have a memory from age four of being leery of a tiger under my bed. Starting at the door of my bedroom, I would run and leap into bed. In coping with this, there were times that I wanted one of my parents to stay with me until I went to sleep. When I awoke, it was a relief that nothing “got me” during the night! As an adult all this seems so silly, but at the time it was real.

There are adult versions of this feeling in which strange emotions stir within us of feeling alone and helpless in a time of stress, fear, or loss. These feelings are not invited in. They just rise up from within us, and at first, we feel helpless and even empty. For instance, one of my sisters died in a car wreck when she was 17. I was 23 and away attending seminary. This shook me up. I felt helpless and empty. It was as if some part of me died with her.  Have you ever felt like that?

Seven years later, I again got shaken up emotionally by going through the pain of divorce. It rocked my world. For months I would feel queasy in my stomach just from the emotions of loss. At first it was daily, then occasionally, but still there. It lasted so long that I wondered if it would be permanent. I wanted desperately to know how to overcome it. Thanks be to God, there is a way, and this is my testimony.

Through these and other difficulties, my faith became to mean everything to me. I learned that it was only through faith and God’s grace that I could make it. This happened because thankfully I believed what I had heard and read that this is how you heal. God has helped me put my roots down into him, as I grew upward toward my dreams and destiny. I can’t identify the exact moment I became “thoroughly” secure in his love, but it would be sometime near age fifty … finally!

No longer do I have to wonder if there is something under the bed … LOL … which in adult language means I believe that nothing can overpower or overwhelm me, because there is no longer any doubt or lack of the inner experience of God’s presence. No more wondering if something could go wrong or separate me from his love.

Today’s verse says, “And when I wake up, you are still with me.” (Psalm 139:18) I hope you make this transition in life. We must move on from experiencing God’s presence in the moment, but all the time wondering if there might come a moment when we are alone. It is like being just unsure enough that we get surprised each time and say, “I was hoping God would always be with me, and thank goodness, again today, it still feels like he is. I sure hope I feel like this again tomorrow morning.”

There is a profound sense of deeper peace in which I know God is with me, and I know I will never be alone. It is a sense of warmth in the heart that never leaves. It is great to know God’s constant presence, to know that whether I am awake or asleep he is with me.

I don’t have to wait until tomorrow morning to know that “when I awake, God is still with me.” I already know it will be true for every single morning for the rest of my life, he will still be there. This is God’s gift to you and to me … not just his presence with us right now, but also the assurance of his future presence.

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

Another verse:

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)

Today’s Word Is DELIGHT

Tue-Jun-23-2020

For the Lord takes delight in his people; He crowns the humble with victory. (Psalm 149:4)

The radio talk show host of many years ago, Steve Brown, used to say, “God’s not mad at you, he’s really not!” But, oh, how many people think that he is! Instead of running toward God for life, peace, and victory, they run from God thinking they should avoid some inevitable punishment or escape from a life of God-imposed boredom and deprivation.

God is the perfect father. God is love. Ask yourself what a perfect father who is perfectly loving would do about you. If your answer is punishment, then you have not heard the true message of the Bible. Or maybe your ears have heard the true message, but your mind blocked it out, and preferred a self-condemning message that you learned from the negative experiences and the poor preaching you have heard in the past.

God is delighted for you to come to him, to rely on him, to be loved by him and to love him in return.

You come to him in humility … but … sometimes … you might be trying to be humble, but it is really self-condemnation. The difference? True humility leads to victory not condemnation. And this victory is not achieved, it is gifted to you, placed on you as if wearing a crown. It is God’s declaration of your worth to him. It doesn’t matter what you think you’re worth. It matters what God thinks you’re worth. It matters that God thinks you are worth dying for, worth blessing, worth crowning you with victory.

Are you a child of God, one of his people, have you been reborn through his Spirit? Well … God takes delight in his people … and thus in you! Do you begin your devotional time with self-condemnation, or does it occur to you that God your Perfect Father is delighted that you have sat down to talk, to share, to unload, to seek help and wisdom? I am not suggesting you skip the confessional part of your God time. But I am saying that as you confess, your words fall on the ears of the Holy One who understands and forgives … the God of second chances.

As you relate to the Father, your joy grows. Now you can do the victory dance!!

“Let them praise his name with dancing, and make music to him with timbrel and harp.” (Psalm 149:3)

Have a blessed day!

Chaplain Mark

The BEMA Podcast is a great Bible Study tool from a Messianic Jewish perspective. I highly recommend it. It is a long-term study which will increase your understanding of the Scriptures in a new and deeper way.

Today’s Word Is COURAGEOUS

Mon-Jun-22-2020

((If you haven’t already, you should watch the movie Soul Surfer.))

On October 31, 2003, Bethany Hamilton, age 13 at the time, went for a morning surf along Tunnels Beach, Kauai, Hawaii, with her best friend Alana Blanchard, Alana’s father Holt, and brother Byron, when a 14-foot-long tiger shark attacked her, severing her left arm just below the shoulder. The Blanchards helped paddle her back to shore, then Alana’s father fashioned a tourniquet out of a rash guard (protective swim clothing) and wrapped it around the stump of her arm. She was rushed to Wilcox Memorial Hospital. By the time she arrived there she had lost over 60% of her blood and was in hypovolemic shock. Her father was already at the hospital to have knee surgery that day. Instead, his surgery was cancelled, and Bethany took his place in that operating room, where her wound was closed.

Despite the trauma of the incident, Hamilton was determined to return to surfing, and one month after the attack, she returned to her board. Initially, she adopted a custom-made board that was longer and slightly thicker than standard and had a handle for her right arm, making it easier to paddle, and she learned to kick more to make up for the loss of her left arm. After teaching herself to surf with one arm, on January 10, 2004, just 10 weeks after her accident, she entered a major competition.

Since the attack, she has appeared as a guest on numerous television shows, as she was transformed from shark attack victim to inspirational role model. The television shows she has appeared on include The Biggest Loser, 20/20, Good Morning America, Inside Edition, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Today Show, The Tonight Show and Dude Perfect, as well as in magazines People, Time, and American Girl. Additionally, she was the cover story in the premier issue of niNe magazine.

In 2004, she won the ESPY Award for Best Comeback Athlete and also received the Courage Teen Choice Award. Also that year, MTV Books published Hamilton’s book, Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board, which describes her ordeal. Her story is also told in the 2007 short subject documentary film Heart of a Soul Surfer. Described as a “faith-based documentary,” the film addresses her devout Christianity and her courage and faith in Jesus Christ in the aftermath of the shark attack and follows her quest for spiritual meaning.

Thank you, Lord, for courageous, inspirational people! Give us courage as well. Help us to believe in your healing and restorative power.

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is FATHER

Fri-Jun-19-2020

A father and son story …

Many years ago, in the days of no indoor plumbing, a young farm boy and his friend from down the road got into a mischievous mood one day and decided to push over the outhouse.

The next day, the young boy’s father confronted him. “Son, do you know anything about the outhouse being turned over on its side? Tell me the truth now.”

The boy decided to call upon an incident in history in which George Washington made a confession to his father that he had cut down a cherry tree. So the young man said, “Dad, I cannot tell a lie. Yes, I pushed over the outhouse.”

His father said, “Come with me to the woodshed, and we will see about your punishment. You’re going to regret this, I’ll make sure of that!”

“But Dad,” said the son. “I thought I should tell you truth, you know, like George Washington admitting he cut down the cherry tree! And his father didn’t punish him, he was proud of him for telling the truth! So what’s the difference? Why do I get punished and he didn’t?”

“Well, son,” said the father. “Here’s the difference. George Washington’s father was not in the cherry tree at the time!”

Oops!

TODAY’S VERSE: The righteous who walks in his integrity– blessed are his children after him! [Proverbs 20:7]

This coming Sunday is Fathers’ Day. My father died 26 years ago. I can’t believe he’s been gone that long. He is the most genuine and kind man I have ever known. He was a pastor all his life.

It was 46 years ago that I became a father. My assistance for raising kids came from the Bible, the example of my own father, guidance from other wise people, and books by those with the gift of teaching. My failures were many, but I kept on trying.

FOR YOU FATHERS who are reading this … Happy Father’s Day! It is an honor and a privilege to be a father. Here are some things I have done regarding my father:

  • I have carried with me his approval. I knew he loved me.
  • I have forgiven him for his failures.
  • I have embraced his gifts and positive characteristics that ended up in me.
  • I have used some of his failures as inspiration for me to do better.
  • I retell the stories of good times and hard times, of great fun and lessons learned.

Perhaps you would like to make your own list of how you have processed the fathering you have received and in what way you can affirm your father. None of us can possibly get everything we need from an earthly father. The design is to move on as an adult from dependence on an earthly father to dependence on our Heavenly Father, who continues the fathering job for the rest of our lives.

My prayer today … Thank you, Lord, for being a perfect Father to me. Thank you for my father; he was one of the good ones. Thank you for my son and sons-in-law, and lead them to be strong fathers. Thank you, Lord, for making up the difference, for all of us, between what we “needed” and what we “got” from an earthly father. May we as a people honor our fathers this weekend, while remembering that none of us are perfect. Forgive us. We are grateful, Heavenly Father, that you are the best! AMEN.

Happy Father’s Day!

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is HIGHER

Wed-May-20-2020

Image result for isa 55 8-9

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Psalm 55:8-9)

The whole idea of electricity and how it works amazes me. The fact that water is going through turbines in a dam and causing a light bulb in my living room to glow is a wonder.

And how can an ant with a brain the size of a speck of dust, and whose home is 20 yards from my house, find a pinhead sized fragment of a candy bar located on the floor in the grandkids’ playroom inside my house made of thick walls, and then remember the way back to its mound?

The universe is amazing, and the Creator of the universe is not just amazing but is in fact the source of anything and everything that is amazing. I don’t have to know how electricity works to enjoy its benefits. And I don’t have to know how God works to enjoy him.

To an ant, I am beyond comprehension. And to me, God is beyond comprehension. The difference is that I can never communicate with an ant and explain who I am; whereas God has designed me in his likeness and chosen to reveal himself to me in a way that I can understand enough to know that he is good, loving, and trustworthy. Indeed, if I accept the invitation to relate to him, he renews my mind sufficiently to understand enough about him to receive his blessings.

If God has communicated through his Word that he knows me better than I know myself, and if he cares more for me than I care for myself, and if he has plenty enough ability and resources to supply my needs, and loves me and promises me to do so, then that is also more than I can fathom. But I choose to believe it and to receive it.

We cannot know all that God knows, but we can trust him and enjoy him. I have had plenty of ups and downs in life, but I must say that God has supplied my needs enough for me to cling to him above all else. But there is more depth of relationship beyond just “getting my needs met” in a physical sense.

Somewhere in our walk with God we should become so in love with the Lord, so bonded with him, so trusting, that getting our needs met is really secondary. The main thing is more about loving and being loved than about being comfortable. To be deeply in love with God who is deeply in love with us eventually makes comfort an irrelevant issue.

The amazing journey with God is higher than my thoughts. It happens through his ways which are higher than my ways. What an adventure! – To engage in something higher than I can understand! Hey … I’m all in for that! How about you?

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is FULFILLMENT

Thu-May-14-2020

“Making money can give you a sense of achievement but only Making a Difference will give you a sense of Fulfillment.” – RVM from India

Ron Hutchcraft, a well-known speaker and author, shared that as he was raising his children, he would send them off to school with these words: “Go MAD!” They knew that those letters stood for “Make A Difference,” and they did just that, touching the lives of other kids at school in a positive way.

One theory of personality proposes that there are three basic human needs: Acceptance, Security, and Significance. I think there are folks who feel increasingly restless, empty, or unfulfilled the further along life goes because they have been spending most of their time and energy worrying about and concentrating on acceptance and security. But as the above quote proposes, this may help with one’s sense of achievement, but it does not necessarily provide that sense of fulfillment and significance that we all need.

Instead of struggling mightily with any lack of acceptance that we feel, we should settle it by affirming the truth that God does accept us fully, and the death and resurrection of Christ is sufficient evidence for that. There is a great sense of peace in this. I remember personally embracing this earlier in my life – I am accepted. Any rejection I have experienced since then, I have been confident in dismissing it as having no power over me.

As for the second need – that of feeling safe and secure – there is plenty of evidence from God through Scripture that he is watching over me. Psalm 121 (see below) assures me that he is “keeping me” and “preserving me.” This has caused me to conclude that there is no mistake I can make that leaves me unprotected. There is only one fatal mistake in life – that of rejecting Christ as Savior. Nothing else I could possibly do would leave me vulnerable. There will be consequences from mistakes and sins, but they are all forgivable, and based on Romans 8:28, they become part of the pattern of my life that works for my good and becomes part of who I am. What’s the worst that could happen – well, I could die – but then I would go to heaven – and that’s good. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

Moving on – if I am settled that I am accepted and secure, then my other need is to be significant in some way. I want my life to mean something. This is my destiny, my purpose, the great joy of life – that I could make a difference in this world – to someone, to many, who knows how many or in what way?

Do you have it settled that you are fully accepted and secure in Christ? Then you can concentrate on the need for significance. Ask yourself, “With whom am I making a difference?” And before you answer that, remember that the Holy Spirit is our guide in how we do this. After all, sometimes the manner in which we help others is not necessarily healthy – meaning not toward a godly purpose. Sometimes we are not helping, but enabling, such as pacifying others without leading them toward the Lord. If we checked with God first and told him how we propose to help in a certain situation, he might reply, “Now why would you want to do that!!” Better to ask the Holy Spirit up front for guidance on whom to help and in what way.

This is the path to fulfillment – being guided and used of God to touch the lives of others. The call today is for action to use our lives making a difference. “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”  (Galatians 6:2) Then, when we pray, we may share our joy with the Lord over what we have done – and he would answer back, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21)

A good way to start the day – I am going to “Go M-A-D!” – Make-A-Difference!

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

Psalm 121

I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help?

My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.

He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber.

Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade at your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night.

The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul.

The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.

Today’s Word Is CONTENT

Wed-May-6-2020

I’ve spent a lot of time in my life wishing I had more money. Somewhere along the way I began to think about the people I had known who had a whole lot of it, very little of it, or were just somewhere in between. And honestly there seems to me to be little or no connection between happiness and money. There are wealthy folks who seem to be pretty miserable. And there are very poor folks who are quite content with life. I am not belittling the blessing of provision, as long as the level of resources does not create a constant sense of discontent.

Jesus once told a story of “The Rich Man and Lazarus,” in which the eternal result of their earthly lives was reversed from what his Jewish listeners would have expected. (Luke 16:19) How could a poor beggar like Lazarus be carried away to be with Abraham, while the rich man ended up being tormented in Hades? Wealth and abundance were signs of God’s blessing in the biblical culture; whereas, poverty was normally an indication that God did not want to favor you.

And our culture looks at it pretty much the same … the clear message is “you’ll be happier if you have more money” … whereas, “if you’re in poverty you’re going to be miserable” … but … Not so, says Jesus. Believe it or not, Jesus had more to say on the topics of money and possessions than any other subject matter.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)

“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink …“ (Matthew 6:25)

Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” (Matthew 19:21)

The Apostle Paul had times of abundance and times of extreme lack, through which he developed this attitude: “… for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” (Philippians 4:11-12)

One way of putting it is this … we should probably focus less on wanting what we don’t have and more on enjoying what we do have. This is contentment, the blessed state of trusting God rather than money or anything else, and being satisfied with the presence of God and the blessings of love, hope, family, and purpose, rather than riding the roller-coaster of abundance and lack.

Which “tent” do you live in? “Con-tent” or “Discon-tent”?

May the Lord help us to be content,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is DESERTS

Tue-May-5-2020

“Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Lift up a song for Him who rides through the deserts, Whose name is the LORD, and exult before Him. A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, Is God in His holy habitation.” (Psalm 68:4-5)

There is a saying that “God helps those who help themselves.” Of course, he does. He also helps those who don’t help themselves, those who can’t help themselves, those who do right, those who make mistakes, those who sin, and even those who think they don’t sin. The only reason I can think of that God wouldn’t help someone would be their defiant resistance – “Leave me alone, God!” – And even then, he would wait patiently for the opportunity.

One of God’s primary desires is to help those who cry out in need. We tend to get caught up in determining who does and doesn’t deserve help. But not so with God – he knows the whole story – we don’t. Do you remember the movie “Bruce Almighty”? When God gave Bruce the chance to “take the helm” and decide who to help, when to help, how to help – it was a disaster. No human can do that. I think Bruce discovered that God loves people, and that he helps because of this great love.

Yet, there are certain self-righteous folks who get so tired of people who keep messing up, that rather than help, they prefer to deliver a lecture. The phrase “God helps those who help themselves” is their way of saying, “I’ve had enough of you.” But it is not biblical to ascribe our impatience to God.

King David disobeyed God many times, doing foolish and selfish things. If you or I were the one he called on for help, he would probably get on our “last nerve.” But God doesn’t have a last nerve – his goodness, patience, love, and forgiveness are without limit.

The great love of God is revealed by the fact that he is a pursuing God. He is not just sitting there watching. He is on the move. He “rides through the deserts.” If you are stuck in a desert kind of place in life, God is in the desert with you. He wants you to trust him, hang onto him, receive rest from him. He wants you to know that he is good. Together with him, you will make it through the desert.

If your present situation makes you want to cry out for help, then be reminded that God is there – and he hears. The book of Deuteronomy repeatedly talks about helping “the strangers, the orphans, and the widows.” This is one of God’s great passions – those who cry out – those who have no help – those who get ignored or are told they are not worth helping.

The fatherless are those who feel like they do not belong to anyone, not only because they had no father growing up, but also because they have just failed to connect, to bond with someone, and they feel like an orphan. If that is you, then God will be your father, and validate your right to be who you are.

And the widows, in biblical days, were at a huge disadvantage. If there were no children to take up the slack, or extended family to “adopt” her, then she lived a meager life. There were laws that compelled the family of widows to take care of her. But it often took a judge to help her out, to make the family step up to the plate or to find someone who would provide for her. Still today, they are vulnerable in our world.

Let us “Sing to God, sing praises to His name.” Let us “exult before Him,” that he would “ride through deserts” for us.

And in his Name, may we help the strangers, the orphans, the widows, and all those who call upon God in their time of distress.

Blessings,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is HOPE

Tue-Mar-31-2020

We sang a song in church when I was young called “Whispering Hope.” One phrase in it said, “hope is an anchor to keep us, holding both steadfast and sure.” I always liked that analogy … hope is an anchor.

Hope looks to the future with confidence and waits patiently. The Apostle Paul said, “But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” – (Romans 8:24b-25)

Some hopes are directed at short term needs, and others will take a lifetime to fulfill. Some hopes are directed toward material things, which we know can only bring limited satisfaction and sometimes even create dissatisfaction. How so? Sometimes we discover that “this” was not as fulfilling as we thought it would be, and now we need something more to make us happy.

This cycle is somewhat like the hamster in the wheel, it is never-ending. None of us will ever get enough “stuff” if we only listen to our worldly desires. Now … I am not belittling our desires for material things, I have a few myself. But I am mindful that the marketing we are bombarded with is constantly pushing us to want, want, want. If we become consumed by this, it could diminish our trust in God and our life of faith. Let us hope in the higher things.

The Apostle Paul says: “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” (1st Timothy 6:17)

Look at it this way … Would you rather have a gallon of milk … or be friends with the person who owns the cow? After all, milk spoils. Milk here would symbolize material things which diminish with time. As friends of God, our needs are supplied day by day, including both physical needs and the inner blessings of joy, fulfillment, love, and peace from the Perfect Father. God tends to give out the milk (physical needs) by the glass, by the sip, by the gallon, whatever he chooses for you, so as to build your confidence in his provision. Thus, the material things, as we mature, become secondary. Our hope has refocused on higher things. It makes you shake your head that you ever worried so much about the material things.

If you’re just getting provision by the sip right now,  fear not, God owns it all … everything. So, our hope is rightly directed toward Him. And it is amazing what holding onto hope can do to hold you steady during the storms of life. And no matter how many of our hopes become fulfilled, one at a time, there is always something more to hope for, the greatest and final of these being the hope of heaven.

Remember this … Genuine hope and true joy increase together. On Jesus’ last evening with the disciples in the upper room, he explained as well as he could about his imminent sacrifice and the work of the Holy Spirit to follow, linking them to the joy that is ahead. He didn’t want them to be alarmed or destroyed by the terrible ordeal of his death, because it was all for a reason. “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” (John 15:11) He was planting a new hope within them, one which would bring joy.

You will know the measure of your trust in God, and you will experience his peace when your unfulfilled hopes do not prevent your joy from being complete. Unfulfilled hopes do not bring us down, they build us up by creating anticipation of God’s good future for us.

Don’t let go of hope and don’t lose your joy,

Chaplain Mark