Category Worry

Our Only Hope

At The End of My Yarn 2 Comments

Near the beginning of the original Star Wars movie, Luke Skywalker finds a message from Princess Leia in which she states their dire situation and begs for Obi Wan Kenobi’s help. She ends it by saying, “You’re our only hope.” Ironically, it is actually Luke Skywalker who becomes the hero along with a motley crew and not Ben who saves the day. Today we face our own situations and are looking for a hero to save us. Unfortunately, we too are looking to the wrong hero.

I started a project I call 40 Days of Hope (#MyHopeNotebook) in which I searched out 40 scriptures on Hope. Each day I draw one, hand write the scriptures, journal and post a picture. I think what the world needs right now is hope; however, they keep looking for it in all the wrong places. The following are the scriptures I drew for the first 8 days:

Day 1

To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Colossians 1:27

Day 2

10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: 11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:10-11

Day 3

In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

Titus 1:2

Day 4

Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.

Psalms 16:9

Day 5

For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.

Proverbs 23:18

Day 6

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Jeremiah 29:11

Day 7

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

Hebrews 10:23

Day 8

5 I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. 6 My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning. 7 Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.

Psalms 130:5-8

If you notice, not one time did God say trust in political leaders, political parties, or vaccines although He may use them at times. He says trust in Him, hope in Him, have faith in Him. He has a plan for you that no one can change. We just have to wait for Him to work. It is often easier to say than to do, so maybe you should take a moment and write some of these verses out yourself and post them around the house or make your own notebook. Each time you feel stressed or hopeless take it out and meditate on the verses. When we shift our focus in the right direction, everything else will fall into place in His time.

In the meantime, just remember: Our hope does not come from masks or vaccines; it does not come from political leaders or political parties. Our hope comes from God and God alone.

Thankful for God’s Provision

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Thanksgiving Psalm

As Thanksgiving approaches, I am reminded of Philippians 4:19: “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” It is a verse that we often quote, but sometimes I think we don’t really rest on this promise. We are prone to worry and try to figure out a plan on our own, but God is JEHOVAH-JIREH, which means the Lord will provide. I saw Philippians 4:19 in action this week.

Early in 2019 a company I had worked for part-time closed abruptly still owing me one paycheck. I had given up hope of ever receiving the funds given that the company had gone bankrupt. In the meantime I was also putting off a dental procedure until my insurance covered it and I had the money to cover my part of the cost.

This past weekend it became obvious that I needed to go back to the dentist and take careToothache of the problem. On my way home from work, I prayed, reminding God that I still did not have sufficient funds to cover the procedure. I ran through all the possible scenarios in my head as I drove but I still couldn’t see how I was going to make it all work.

MailWhen I got home, I went out to check the mail. There was an envelope from my old employer containing the last paycheck, more than enough to cover the first part of the dental procedure. I could not have planned that or made that happen, but God could. He wanted me to know that I could rely on the truth of Philippians 4:19 and trust Him to provide. It let me know I could trust Him to provide enough to pay for the rest of the procedure as well.

I went the dentist’s office on Monday without an appointment, and he was able to work me in and give me a temporary fix until we could schedule the first of three appointments after the holidays. The delay, along with another short-term job in the meantime, made it possible to stretch out the payments for the rest of the visits. God knew what I would need and worked it out ahead of time so that my need was supplied.

He truly is Jehovah-Jireh, my provider.

Not My Battle

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Money Troubles

On more than one occasion in my life, I have come to a problem where I couldn’t see a solution. I have looked at a stack of bills and a list of income and thought that will never work. There is no way to stretch the money to cover all of that. I would worry and fret and try to think of ways to expand my income or reduce the bills, but it never worked. Eventually, I would remember to pray. Usually I had to get to the point where I honestly said, “Lord, You’re the only one who can do this because there is no human way possible. I leave it up to you.” Then the answer would come and everything would get paid and always in a way I had never imagined. It was a God thing.

These kinds of situations show up as frequently in the Bible as they do in my life. For example, Judah was about to be attacked by a vast army, and the king was afraid, so he sent for a word from God. In 2 Chronicles 20 a prophet replies, “15 And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s…17 Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.” The people stopped and worshiped God, and in the meantime, their enemies killed each other without them lifting a finger.

Notice the words “…for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” As humans, we are prone to be independent and control freaks, but God calls us to depend on Him. Sometimes, or quite often, He has to put us in situations where we realize our need for Him; otherwise, we are lulled into a false sense of security. We think, “I got this.” In reality everything we have we owe to God, including our very lives. He is the one who is in control.

Battles is the LordsThe worry will get you nowhere. Luke chapter 12:25-26 says, “ 25 And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit 26 If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?” Worry accomplishes nothing except raising your blood pressure. It doesn’t solve anything and makes your life miserable. John 10:10 says, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” The enemy wants you to be scared and to steal your joy, but Christ came so we could live the abundant life.

So, the next time you face a situation or a problem start with prayer instead of making it a last ditch effort. Relax and let the Lord fight the battle. Do your part in being obedient and then watch to see what He will do. Take a moment and listen to some advice from a man who knew about seemingly hopeless situations:

The Battle’s Not Mine by The Freemans