HOPE that steadies us & HOPE that walks us through
“The LORD is the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
(The Psalms 16: 5-6 & 11 NASB)
You support my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.”
. . .
“You will make known to me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.”
We need to believe our beliefs. &
We need to doubt our doubts.
We need to believe what God says. &
We need to act in faith, not according to the way we feel.
We need to surrender the entirety of this life for the next. &
We need to praise God continually for His indwelling presence.
We shall be saved daily as we journey. &
We have received a sure HOPE, one that steadies us throughout life.
In a few days, Christmas will come, and as we prepare for this all-important day, we:
- Purchase gifts that seem perfect for the ones we will gift.
- Shop for food that will satisfy appetites and palates.
- Plan for where we share Christmas and with whom we will gather.
Awe, the joy found in Christmastime. Everyone seems to enjoy the lights, the packages under the tree, the festivities, and the buffet tables; however, everyone alive does not offer praise for the One for whom we celebrate Christmas.
We are on a life-journey, one with a particular destination. There are only two; the Bible says so. Everything that occurs this side of eternity prepares us for the journey; thus, our time here on earth must be lived in careful preparation. This is the HOPE the Word of God speaks of, that which the apostles wrote about, and the absolute TRUTH.
With 100% authority, we can believe what God’s Word speaks. Therefore, only when our destination comes into view can we see rightly & with clarity.
- We can make such a mess of our lives. Thank goodness God offers us His Grace.
- We can traverse through this life so selfishly. Thank You, God, for changing us by Your Grace.
We can obediently walk with the LORD and be shaped by His defining Grace, making us different from the inside—out, and we can once be afraid to die but now be ready to fly into His Glory.
- Believing what we believe is so important. God’s Holy Spirit makes this possible!
- Believing what God says and does is crucial for our life here and for our life to come.
- Standing firm in our faith is necessary, for us and for those who surround us in their own unbelief.
For, it is absolute truth: There is a HOPE that steadies us & a HOPE that walks us through.
“But the free gift is not like the transgression.
(The Letter of Paul to the Romans 5: 15-17 NASB)
For if by the transgression of the one the many died,
much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ,
abound to the many.
The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned;
for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification.
For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one,
much more those who receive the abundance of grace
and of the gift of righteousness
will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”