Back in 2015, my brother Bill, gave me permission to publish some of his “Minute Meditations” he had written following the Challenger disaster. I would like to re-blog them for the next few weeks. They are as appropriate today as they were when he wrote them, and I submitted them in 2015.
I would like to do something a little different for a few weeks. Hope you like my musings.
As I have mentioned before – and he has posted – my brother worked in the space industry all of his career. He has shared so many interesting stories of his work. Recently, one that has impressed me the most is that, whenever one of our space shuttles docked with the International Space Station, it would “nudge” the ISS back into its orbit.
Credit: wallpaper.com
If that didn’t happen, then eventually the ISS would fall into the earth’s atmosphere and burn up. Did you know that? I didn’t. And it seems like such a waste to have spent all that time and money to make the ISS, and then stop the space program. Oh well.
In any case, if you are old enough to remember the Challenger disaster,
Credit newsweek.com
Credit mansfieldnewsjournal
Bill wrote a “Minute Meditation” about it, and I would like to quote it here:
So, even in tragedy, as Bill stated, we can know that God is there, is in control, and we can trust Him in all our ways. That is such a hopeful and reassuring thought for me. For you, as well, I pray.
Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .
Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.
After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.
FORGIVENESS…what a word…what a concept. And such a difficult thing to wrap our minds around, let alone our actions.
Do you have a difficult time forgiving someone? Something someone does? I think it comes with human nature – and after all, we have our pride, right?
One of my very favorite books is called Cafenova, written by S. Jane Scheyder.
It is the first book in the Clairmont Series. If you are a reader and haven’t yet read any of Ms. Scheyder’s books, I encourage you to do so. Wonderful Christian author and book series. In it, Ms. Scheyder has an older gentleman (Otis – 80 years old), giving his neighbor (Maddy – 29 year old B&B owner) his excellent definition of forgiveness. I have Ms. Scheyder’s and her publishers permission (Andres&Blanton) to quote from Cafenova here. And you’ll just have to find the book to read “the rest of the story.” It’s well-worth your time.
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“I don’t know,” she said as they finished their sandwiches. “It sounds easy, the way you talk about it, but it’s really…hard,” she finished, for lack of a better argument.
“Forgiveness came at quite a price. I figure God has the right to tell us how to do it.”
“I can’t argue with that,” Maddy said softly. She hadn’t forgotten everything she’d learned in Sunday School. “But what if you feel like part of your issue is with God? I mean,” she hesitated, struggling to express herself. “Sometimes I feel angry with Him for letting this whole thing happen.”
She knew she wasn’t alone. Many of her friends were disillusioned, and had abandoned any religious practices that they’d grown up with, and God along with them. Some of them, if they were honest, didn’t actually reject the concept of God, they were angry with Him.
“The trouble is,” Otis replied slowly, “people have this idea that God owes them something, as though creating them, redeeming them and promising them a perfect eternity weren’t enough.” He shook his head. “Jesus never said that life on this Earth would be easy. In fact, He assured us that it would be hard. Most of us have it so good that we can’t comprehend suffering, and when it happens, we’re shocked and angry with God.” He stopped and looked out over the water.
“Somehow we’ve come to believe in this image of God as a sort of genie figure who grants our wishes when we pray. That’s fine, as long as everything goes our way. But as soon as something goes wrong we get angry, because that doesn’t fit our image of how we think God should behave.
“People don’t take the time to get to know God the way He chose to reveal Himself, and that’s through this,” Otis put his hand gently on his Bible. “The truth is all in here, and everything we need for sorting it out when life hurts,” Otis sighed. “I guess people don’t want to work that hard.”
“….He [Otis] turned earnestly to Maddy. “I know that you feel like something was taken away from you. I don’t know what you went through with that boy in Seattle. What was his name?”
“Phil.”
“I don’t know what that Phil put you through, but it must have been pretty bad…..”
“But as long as we’re talking about God giving and taking, did it ever occur to you that God took you away from Phil, and for good reason?”
“….Again, I don’t know the fellow,” Otis pressed, “but knowing what you know about him now, can’t you at least acknowledge that maybe God did you a favor by taking him out of your life? Maybe it didn’t happen in a very nice way, I don’t know, but did you ever think that God allowed that, so when you finally healed up inside you would never second-guess whether that boy, that Phil, was really the right man for you?”
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God wants us to forgive any and all wrongs done to us. It’s not to help the one who did the wrong – it is to free US from that weight of grief and sorrow. After all…look what Jesus did to forgive us – He hung on that cross and died, and asked God the Father to forgive them – and that means you and me!
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times
Matthew 18:21
Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .
Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.
After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.
DiVoran has been writing for most of her life. Her first attempt at a story was when she was seven years old and her mother got a new typewriter. DiVoran got to use it and when her dad saw her writing he asked what she was writing about. DiVoran answered that she was writing the story of her life. Her dad’s only comment was, “Well, it’s going to be a very short story.” After most of a lifetime of writing and helping other writers, DiVoran finally launched her own dream which was to write a novel of her own. She now has her Florida Springs trilogy and her novel, a Christian Western Romance, Go West available on Amazon. When speaking about her road to publication, she gives thanks to the Lord for all the people who helped her grow and learn. She says, “I could never have done it by myself, but when I got going everything fell beautifully into place, and I was glad I had started on my dream.”
I really love Christmas! All the brisk weather (in the colder climes), the Christmas trees and wreaths. The decorations. But especially the music. It’s so much fun to hear and sing – both sacred and secular. It’s such a special time of year.
But for me – and all of Christianity – Easter is the very, VERY best! Of course, Christmas had to come first – to bring the Christ Child into this world. But Easter brings us eternal life…and that beats the socks off a fun, cute song any day!
The songs associated with Easter are so exciting – and uplifting – and inspiring – and so full of hope and promise (and by-the-way – hope in scripture means absolute assurance!). They tell of Christ’s death, yes, but also of that glorious moment when HE AROSE! Can you imagine it? God’s power is so tremendously great that He actually raised Jesus from death back into life! Amazing!! It’s so easy to just say…He arose. But just think of it – He actually rose FROM THE DEAD BACK TO LIFE! That never happened to anyone else, that didn’t physically die again. Our Savior lives again and still, and forever.
There’s a lot of anti-Christian stuff going on right now, that borders on persecution. Yes, I know – I really haven’t a clue what true persecution is like. But this is the most anti-Christian attitude in this country that I’ve ever felt. And it doesn’t feel good.
Seems like every Easter there is something that happens to a church here or there that actually backfires on the perpetrators. For instance, when we lived in Panama City, Florida back in the 1970’s, there was a Lutheran church who put up a “tomb/cave” on their front lawn every Easter. They would have a “stone” rolled across the front, that on Easter morning was “rolled away” to reveal the open/empty tomb. One year, the whole thing disappeared! Turns out, some teenagers, on a dare, took it away. So, instead of harming the message – the newspaper got a hold of the story – took pictures and all – and it made the front page news! Backfire, see? And God’s Word was spread throughout the city from all the news reports!
Photo credit – Judy Wills
And then when we lived in a small town in Virginia, our church had put up some sort of display on our front lawn – and some of the “soldiers” disappeared. Same thing – the city newspaper (and possibly the TV stations in town) got wind of the disappearance, and interviewed the Pastor about it. Again, it made the headlines and news stories. The culprits were found and the soldiers returned. Another backfire. And again, God’s Word was spread far and wide!
All that to say that I am convinced that there is still a remnant of believers in this country, and that God will honor those who still trust Him. What is done in the dark will be brought to light – and God’s name will be glorified.
HE IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN, INDEED!
Happy Easter!
Credit ChurchArt
Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .
Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.
After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.
Yesterday we celebrated Palm Sunday, and today is the start of Holy Week. Only a few days passed before the same people who sang “Hosanna in the highest!” changed their cries to “Crucify Him!” What a difference! Yet, if we look at Jesus himself, He didn’t stop loving those around Him. He didn’t stop teaching and healing. With His disciples, He spoke plainly of His impending death and resurrection, yet even then they didn’t understand.
One notable difference, though, came in His response to the vendors and money changers in the Temple. They’d been there every other time Jesus had visited, but this time he turned over their tables and called them out for the conniving robbers they were. This wasn’t the first time Jesus had seen these vendors in the Temple courts, yet this time He rebuked them. Mark 11:18 says, “The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at His teaching.”
As I thought about this post, pondering why this visit to the Temple was different, I realized this act of condemning those profiting off the tradition of blood sacrifice, the same tradition God Himself first began by slaying animals to provide coverings for Adam and Eve after they first sinned, foreshadowed the events to come.
The religious leaders, up to this point, have been skeptical. They’ve attempted to trip Jesus up in His teaching, and I’m sure there were some looking for ways to get rid of Him long before this event in the Temple. Despite the parables Jesus spoke in, I have a feeling they recognized when Jesus was referring to them negatively. Some may have felt shame and conviction, but most felt their power threatened.
Finally, on the first day of Passover, Jesus dined alone with His disciples. The meal had already started and yet Jesus stood up, wrapped a towel around His waist, and began to wash the feet of the disciples. This was an act performed whenever someone entered a home. If the owner was wealthy, a servant would perform this task. As you can imagine, feet got pretty dirty walking along dusty roads, dodging piles of animal droppings.
Jesus doing this for His disciples is a beautiful picture of love. One that particularly resonates with me because, as a child, I loved washing my grandmother’s feet, cutting her toenails, and bandaging her corns. I didn’t recognize the symbolism of it then, but as I’ve grown deeper in my relationship with Christ, I can imagine the compassion He felt for those men who had followed Him for three years. He had forged deep relationships with them and loved them deeply. He had created them, yet He humbled himself to serve them in a personal way. He even washed the feet of Judas, knowing this man would betray Him within hours.
Jesus chose to be born of humble parents, in the lowest circumstances, the polar opposite of what He deserved as the Almighty King. Through his three years of ministry, those closest to Him were of the working class and looked down upon by many. He walked from place to place rather than riding in an expensive carriage or on the shoulders of slaves. Despite all this, thousands flocked to listen to Him, to understand His message, and to receive His healing.
It was this humbleness, though, that kept many from believing, including the religious leaders who should have known the prophecies about the coming Messiah. With their knowledge of the Torah, they either failed to see or failed to accept that Jesus fulfilled every one of those prophecies.
If you aren’t a follower of Christ, spend time this week considering your life. Are you willing to accept this is the best you will have? When you die, you will not cease to exist, but spend an eternity in darkness and fire. All it takes to change that outcome is a change of heart, a shift in perspective that allows you to see Jesus for the conqueror He was. He entered the Earth humbly, but He lived blameless, the only perfect life. Yet He gave up His life willingly as a sacrifice for the sins of all humanity. Not only did He die for us, He rose again in victory. Come back next week for more of that story.
Don’t forget to check out the resources page I am developing with content I have found encouraging, has taken me deeper in my walk with God, and generally builds my hope.
Sometimes I feel I am the only person I know who reads books on a device. Of course, I know that isn’t true.
When the Kindle and Nook readers first came out, almost everyone around me were buying them. I didn’t join the party.
As time moved on, my friends, first excited about the devices, put them on the shelf and went back to reading hard copy books.
So of course, me being me, I decided it was now time for me to join the e-inreader party. However, in my defense, I claim extenuating circumstances.
The first circumstance was my poor eye sight. The second, wholding a hard copy book was at times, too much of an effort. So, I downloaded the Kindle app to my iPad and instantly fell in love. Once I put the app on my phone as well I was delighted to always have access to a book to read.
I confess to having some instant gratification issues. When I finish a book, I want to start a new one almost instantly. With the library Libby app I can do that! When I borrow a library book through Libby, I get the option to read the book on my Kindle. I always say, “yes please”
There is a downside to getting books through the library Libby app. Just like checking out a hard copy book there is a due date. Then one has two choices, return the book unfinished or renew. The big difference is that an overdue digital copy is magically zapped from my app. The first time this happened to me I was aghast. How could they steal the book from me? Of course it wasn’t stealing and I did have an opportunity to renew the loan if no one was waiting for it. Now I don’t ignore the warning texts that a book is due soon.
For the most part, I also read the Bible digitally, either in an app or from a website. Several months ago, a popular Bible site changed the wording in some scriptures. It wasn’t a faith shattering change but it disturbed me. I remembered how my library book had been zapped from my device. With all the anti-christian animosity on social media I can’t help but wonder if it will become socially acceptable to change or even remove Bibles from our devices.
I have a fascination with vintage Bibles. The writing is so small in some of them. I wonder if it was to keep the printing cost down. I collect the vintage ones, finding them in thrift stores and yard sales. Most have been inscribed with a message to the owner. Sometimes it is a gift for a birthday or Christmas.
I wanted to include pictures of my collection but as I am writing this we aren’t home yet.
When I was a small child growing up in Florida of the 50s and 60s, the children were encouraged to memorize scripture with the admonition that one day it might not be possible to own a Bible. I couldn’t imagine such a thing.
I would encourage everyone to have a physical copy of the Bible as well as any book you cherish. And, if you come across a Bible while thrifting consider buying it for yourself or to share.
I also collect old hymnals, but that is a story for another time.
After my retirement, I decided to re-learn the canning and preserving skills I learned from my mother but hadn’t practiced for twenty years. I titled the blog Old Things R New to chronicle my experience. Since then I have been blessed to have six other bloggers join me, DiVoran Lites, Bill Lites, Judy Wills, Louise Gibson, Janet Perez Eckles and Melody Hendrix
In addition to blogging, I’m a general “mom Friday” for my author daughter, Rebekah Lyn. I also manage her website, Rebekah Lyn Books
My 2023 goal is continue to use my love of photographs and words to be an encourager on social media.
I will advise you along the way and lead you forth with my eyes as your guide.
So don’t make it difficult, don’t be stubborn
When I take you where you’ve not been before.
Don’t make me tug you and pull you along.
Just come with me!
Photo Credit:Pixabay
DiVoran has been writing for most of her life. Her first attempt at a story was when she was seven years old and her mother got a new typewriter. DiVoran got to use it and when her dad saw her writing he asked what she was writing about. DiVoran answered that she was writing the story of her life. Her dad’s only comment was, “Well, it’s going to be a very short story.” After most of a lifetime of writing and helping other writers, DiVoran finally launched her own dream which was to write a novel of her own. She now has her Florida Springs trilogy and her novel, a Christian Western Romance, Go West available on Amazon. When speaking about her road to publication, she gives thanks to the Lord for all the people who helped her grow and learn. She says, “I could never have done it by myself, but when I got going everything fell beautifully into place, and I was glad I had started on my dream.”
Today is Palm Sunday 2024…the beginning of what most Christians call “Holy Week.”
Credit ChurchArt
This is the week that led up to the death and burial of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. There is something nearly every day this week that symbolizes what our Lord went through during the last week of His earthly life.
It all culminates on Friday, when Jesus hung, nailed to a cross for hours until He gave up His life – for you and me. And be aware…He GAVE UP his life – it was not taken from Him. And it was my sins – and yours – that nailed Him to that cross. The entire plan of God’s salvation for mankind was completed when Jesus said “It is finished,” breathed His last, and gave up His spirit. Thank You, Lord, for loving me so much that you would do that for me.
In testimony in previous years, I have made the statement that, I firmly believe that if I were the only person to ever have lived on this planet, that Jesus would still have died in my place! There would still be sin and Satan, and I’m sure that I would have dived in with both feet into that sin! God made a way for me – and all mankind – to escape His terrible wrath of unbelief, and share in Heaven with Him for all eternity. Thank You Lord!
But all that took a sacrifice. God directed the ancient Jewish nation in blood sacrifices to ask God’s forgiveness for their sins, and bless them. Jesus became that sacrifice for us – once and for all. He didn’t have to die again and again, each time we sinned. He took care of it on that cross.
There is a cartoon by Johnny Hart called B. C. that I have enjoyed through the years. But one of the ones I enjoy the most is about Good Friday. What do you think?
Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .
Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.
After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.
High school reunions can be so much fun. A friend hugged me. “Wow, you haven’t changed a bit,” she said.
I smiled, not knowing whether to believe her or not. How can one not change during decades?
Of course we changed. But we say the politically correct thing. After all, we’re reuniting with friends from our teens. Those friends that joined us in the silly antics. The ones who shared the insecurities we tried so hard to hide. They’re the ones who made us envious of how they looked, what they accomplished, and the confidence we wished we had.
Although high school reunions highlight how silly we were in our thinking, our values and worries, there’s another reunion that defines our purpose. It’s the reunion that holds the glorious life after we take our last breath. The reunion that opens the door to the place where no more tears are shed. No more pain is felt. No more sorrow or fear are experienced.
Expecting that reunion with Jesus is what makes life on earth bearable, doable, and even enjoyable.
Will you miss the reunion?
But recently I met a friend who might miss that reunion. She said, “There are many ways to heaven. I’m a good person, I never hurt anyone intentionally and I do my best to live right.”
We’re living in perilous days, with ugly events that point to the end times. Can we afford the luxury of trying our own way to heaven? If my friend believes that being good will give her entrance to heaven, then how good is good enough?
Did you ever ask that question? What is the level of goodness in a person that opens the door to heaven for eternity?
Here’s the answer.
God longs to reunite with us. That’s a fact. But one day, He shook His head as He observed our feeble attempts to get it “right.” (My personal paraphrase.)
As you can guess, He saw that, on our own, we never could obtain that good enough level to gain entry to heaven. So, He did the most amazing thing. He said again that He loves us so much that He sent a Savior to save us from eternal death. He said His name would be Jesus (John 3:16).
So, there you have Him. Jesus, the Savior, the one in whom we put out hope for life eternal. For a future secure after we close our eyes for the last time. The one who resurrected and is alive.
And the One, the only One who promised that when we open our eyes again, we’ll be by His side, walking on the streets of gold. Forever whole and complete, overflowing with joy.
What do you think?
Is it time to celebrate? Resurrection Sunday holds that promise: death has no power over us. Gloom has no significance. And fear has no grip.
Let’s hold on to this truth because the expectation of that reunion with Jesus should keep us dancing in celebration.
That’s precisely God’s will. And when we do His will, we find comfort in this admonishment: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” Matthew 7:21-22).
I pray that you, friend, haven’t gotten lost in the busy life. And that distracted, you’ve been lured by other stuff that you forgot about that day.
And instead, you chose to open your heart to Jesus, invite Him in. And then you can be certain that as you go through life on earth, you’ll be secure that in the next life, the sweet reunion with Jesus happens.
Until that day, store this promise in your heart: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:1-3).
The guest list to enter that House has many names …is yours included?
Let’s pray.
Father, I don’t know the number of my days, but You do. Thank You for granting the entrance to heaven through Your Son Jesus. The comfort of that reunion with You filles me with hope, with expectation and deep joy. Amen!
Have you invited Jesus as your personal Savior and your passport to heaven?
Celebrate with me! My new release, Now I See: How God’s Amazing Grace Transforms the Deepest Pain to Shining Joy won the 2023 Memoir of the Year Golden Scroll Award.
You and I are only a click away. You can use this CONTACT FORMto leave your prayer request, make a comment, ask a question, or invite me to speak to your group. Or simply reply to this email.
I also invite you to visit my WEBSITE. You’ll find more inspirational blogs along with my story, books, and videos. You’ll also learn the passion and mission of JC Empowerment ministries.
Some say she should be the last person to be dancing. Her life is summarized in this 3-minute video: http://bit.ly/1a8wGJR
Janet Perez Eckles’ story of triumph is marked by her work as an international speaker, #1 best-selling author, radio host, personal success coach and master interpreter. Although blind since 31, her passion is to help you see the best of life.
The word anchor has many definitions, most obviously an item used in boating to secure the vessel, but also, according to Webster’s online dictionary: “a reliable or principal support; something that serves to hold an object firmly; a broadcaster (as on a news program) who introduces reports by other broadcasters and usually reads the news; the member of a team (such as a relay team) that competes last; a large business that attracts customers to a shopping center or mall.”
Most of these definitions are positive. When you go out on a snorkeling excursion, you want your boat to be anchored, so it doesn’t float away and leave you behind. In planning a shopping center, you want to secure big-name stores to anchor the property and generate business. During a hurricane, homeowners may use heavy weights to prevent outdoor furniture from blowing away. Vendors at craft fairs often use anchors to prevent their tents from flying away.
However, there can be negative sides to anchors. If a storm comes up and drags the anchor while you’re snorkeling, you can get tangled in the rope, trapped underwater until you drown. Or an anchor can be something invisible: guilt over past mistakes, unforgiveness, career, worry. These can weigh you down, taint the way you look at the world, and enslave you until you feel just as overwhelmed as the swimmer tangled in the anchor rope.
There is another anchor, though, one that a storm can’t dislodge, one that only has positive outcomes. That is the hope that believers have in Jesus Christ. He is steadfast, unchanging, unshakeable. His character is the same from the beginning of time to the end. Throughout the Bible, we are told we can call on God in any circumstances. Before Jesus returned to Heaven, He promised His disciples that He would send them a helper, the Holy Spirit, to live inside them. He followed through on that promise on the day of Pentecost and he continues to follow through as new believers join the faith each day.
We experience the Holy Spirit’s presence in different ways during our walk of faith. When we first believe and accept the gift of grace God offers us, we are excited and feel completely alive in the Spirit. But as time wears on, if we don’t nurture that relationship and seek time in God’s presence, we feel more distant from the Spirit. However, we are the ones who moved away, not the Spirit, not God, not Jesus. They are right where we left them, steadfastly waiting for us.
In this week leading up to Palm Sunday, consider where you’re at in your walk. Are you communicating with God, reading His word, listening for His direction? Or are you distracted by colorful adventures and sights that have led you astray? Are you ready to sincerely proclaim: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!”? Jesus is our living hope. As I’ve mentioned before, the world’s hope is uncertain, built upon sand, but the living hope of Christ is solid and steadfast, able to overcome all difficulties. Isn’t that something to shout about?
Don’t forget to check out the resources page I am developing with content I have found encouraging, has taken me deeper in my walk with God, and generally builds my hope.
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Old Things R New 