A Hopeful Heart

HOPE

Job 6:8 – “Oh, that I might have my request, that God would grant what I hope for…”

Joyce Meyer reminded me this morning of the importance of maintaining a hopeful heart. So many areas of my life are amazing right now, but there is one aspect that has been like the proverbial thorn in my side. For YEARS now, I’ve been asking God to move in this area, while also seeking guidance and wisdom if God is actually waiting on me to grow in a certain way first. While I do actually see God working in the situation, the wait for His full move has definitely been challenging on a number of levels; and to be honest, I’ve begun to numb myself to the disappointment of the delay. But Joyce called me out this morning—cautioning against the danger of losing hope or becoming emotionally numb during the waiting period. She reminded me that God’s timing is always perfect, and that if He deems that I should wait, then I should do so with a hopeful heart, believing in God’s promise and provision and waiting expectantly for Him to move.

I’m grateful for this reminder, and have determined to start each day with new hope in my heart for the resolution of this ongoing dilemma.

Are you waiting for God to move in a certain area of your life? I know it gets hard sometimes (believe me, I know), but don’t go numb; don’t lose hope. Let’s vow together to face the day with hearts full of hope; with faith that God is always moving and working in the background in ways that we can’t yet see;  and with the certainty that in the end, He will work everything our for our good and His glory.

Have
Only
Positive
Expectations

Shine your light!

See Also:

Jeremiah 29:11  – “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Romans 12:12 – “Let your hope keep you joyful, be patient in your troubles, and pray at all times.”

Lamentations 3:24 – “The Lord is all I have, and so in him I put my hope.”

Thoughts, reactions, or testimonies? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

Tied up in Knots

SURRENDER (Part 3)

I just read a devotional from Joyce Meyer in “Promises for Your Everyday Life” that equated the problems in our lives to a series of knots in numerous shoestrings. She pointed out that just as it took a length of time for us to get all tangled up in our knotted mess, it will take time to get to a place where we unravel those knots and are free from the tangle. Thankfully, God is hard at work helping us to break free, and he unravels each knot with his infinite patience…never giving up, never making the situation worse…in His perfect timing, He slowly works to make us whole again.

I thought of a similar analogy involving my bi-weekly massages and these incessant knots that my therapist always finds in my shoulders (that’s where I hold my stress). They’ve been there for years, and many a therapist have gone about trying to break them up and relieve my pain…but I always refuse to let them! Why? Because it HURTS! I have spent YEARS growing those knots through my stress and worry and poor self-care, and they do NOT want to go away easily. They’ve become a part of me, and I’ve grown accustomed to them. Besides, it’s easier to deal with the occasional discomfort and limitations of the knots than the painful process of working them out.

It’s the same way with God, when he tries to relieve us of our “knots.” The process can sometimes be long and painful…and those knots might even feel like a part of us now, because we’re so used to them. But if we can endure the painful process and get to the other side…allowing God to do His work in us, then we are so much better off for it! In the end, we are freer, able to bend and stretch and grow in so many more directions…stronger because now our (spiritual) muscles can bear more, and we are better prepared (without those incessant knots restricting us) to go about the business of fulfilling the calling that God has placed upon our lives.

Is God trying to loose a few knots in your life? Are you resisting the process or opening yourself up to endure the discomfort so that God can take you to a better place in Him? Don’t stay tied up in knots! Surrender to the process, and let God do the work in you to set you free from the tangled mess!

Philippians 1:6 – “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

2 Corinthians 2:8 – “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

Jeremiah 18:3-4 – “Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something at the wheel. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make.”

Psalm 66:10 – “For You, O God, have proved us; You have tried us as silver is tried, refined, and purified.”

Song: Potter’s House by Vashawn Mitchell

Song: Refine Me by Ayiesha Woods

Thoughts, reactions, or testimonies? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

Shine Your Light!

Wonderful images taken from

1. http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=48861
2. http://www.robertcorneliusphotography.com/blog/but-i-didnt-push-the-button