When Hope Seems Far Away

Hope is one thing we cannot live without, but often hope seems fleeting, or we have placed it in the wrong places/people. I am 100% sure that everyone reading this right now either has great need of hope, has needed it or will need it in the future.

I'm writing this on the Saturday of Easter weekend and on this day in history the followers of Jesus struggled the most. The 11 remaining Disciples had invested the last 3 years of their lives with Jesus and what they hoped for was a new era for Jews everywhere and that there place in it would be huge! Now it was replaced with a deep sense of hopelessness, a "what are we going to do now?" period.

Are you there? Does it feel like the clock is at 11:59:59 in a specific area of your life - job/career, finance, marriage, relationships, health or something else?

"May the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace, as you trust in Him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13.

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick/ache, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." Proverbs 13:12

Reading the promise God has in Romans 15:13 is not false hope, God promises that you will be overflowing with joy, peace and hope AS YOU TRUST IN HIM. The Holy Spirit will make you overflow with those three things, your part is to trust in Him. The more you let go and trust in Him, the more you will experience Joy, Peace and Hope. I am not sure what the followers of Jesus felt like on that Saturday, but no one seemed ready to take on the world, or was anticipating the resurrection of Jesus even though He promised it. Instead they were hiding out in a room hoping not to be arrested and trying to figure out next steps. JESUS CAME THROUGH THEN AND HE WILL NOW. He is trustworthy! Put your hope and trust in Him fully and watch what happens next!

Are You Missing Out?

If you are like most Christ followers you can't wait to get with others to passionately worship God and express what's on your heart for Him through singing. Corporate worship is fairly easy - we go to church where skilled singers, players and production people lead us in giving God praise, thanks and express His worth. But that's only for so many minutes once or twice a week at best. If you are like me - that's just not enough! There is something we can do, but many people miss this. Are you ready? Personal worship! No, I do not mean worshiping yourself - I mean worshiping God on your own throughout the week. Regardless if you play an instrument or sing. Here are some ideas.

- Write God a love note. Sounds corny but that's really what praise/thanksgiving/songs are anyway.
- Listen to praise/worship cd's/create Pandora/Spotify Stations or burn your own cd/playlist, then get alone and listen or sing with these. Your heart will fill up with more love to express to God.
- I start my daily time with God by reading a few pages of a book called "10,000 Reasons to Praise God For" very creative!
- Be still and listen in silence - God can reveal Himself during this time. During my silence I begin to think of all the reasons I love God, His character and all that He has done for me and is to me. See Psalm 46:10.
- Take a walk in nature but really take the time to discover. Don't make this an exercise walk, make this about the creativity of God. How leaves are shaped, how many varieties of trees and plants, birds, and animals there are. But don't worship creation, worship the creator while you enjoy His creation.

We were meant to worship God all of the time, worship should be something you just can't do enough of. And of course, our lives, the way we conduct them is worship (see Romans 12:1-2). Don't wait - start today!