Thursday, May 19, 2011

Grieve Not

Today would have been my 21st wedding anniversary. But that was derailed last year by my divorce. I didn't ask for it. Didn't want it. Didn't know how I would survive it. But God. God has truly provided me peace and joy regardless of the circumstances I am going through. And so today, I grieve not as one without hope. For he has given me hope beyond hope. Hope that anchors my soul and lifts me up above the circumstances. I grieve not for what could have been. But look forward to what will definitely be a future with hope and promise. Thank you Lord. You are my strength.

His Faithfulness

Lamentations 3 verses 22-26
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him. The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;
it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

Waiting. One of the hardest disciplines of the Christian walk. Divine delays. Times when God chooses to ask us to trust His plan so that He may ultimately bless us more than we can ever imagine. But still when we are praying for something that is our heart's desire, we want it to happen as soon as we say Amen. We know that God is able to do anything and at anytime He chooses. Yet we wait on Him.

The scripture in Lamentations says that because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed. His compassions never fail. Through the waiting we learn to depend upon the compassions of the Lord. We learn to let Him love us and provide for us all that we need. Physically, emotionally, spiritually. As we learn to be strong and trust in Him, our faith begins to grow. He is faithful to complete the work that He has begun in us. But we must wait. And work.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Wait in Hope for the Lord

 1 Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous;
   it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
2 Praise the LORD with the harp;
   make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
3 Sing to him a new song;
   play skillfully, and shout for joy.

 4 For the word of the LORD is right and true;
   he is faithful in all he does.
5 The LORD loves righteousness and justice;
   the earth is full of his unfailing love.

 6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made,
   their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea into jars;
   he puts the deep into storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear the LORD;
   let all the people of the world revere him.
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
   he commanded, and it stood firm.

 10 The LORD foils the plans of the nations;
   he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
11 But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever,
   the purposes of his heart through all generations.

 12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
   the people he chose for his inheritance.
13 From heaven the LORD looks down
   and sees all mankind;
14 from his dwelling place he watches
   all who live on earth—
15 he who forms the hearts of all,
   who considers everything they do.

 16 No king is saved by the size of his army;
   no warrior escapes by his great strength.
17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
   despite all its great strength it cannot save.
18 But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him,
   on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
19 to deliver them from death
   and keep them alive in famine.

 20 We wait in hope for the LORD;
   he is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice,
   for we trust in his holy name.
22 May your unfailing love be with us, LORD,
   even as we put our hope in you. (Psalm 33, New International Version)v