Recently my oncologist ask if I would add my experience to the ‘Patient Stories” on his website. I agreed, and began by looking at the stories already included there. I was amazed that out of 27 accounts only one had any mention of prayer or God or anything beyond this life. In 1 Corinthians 15:19 Paul tells believers that if our hope is only in this life we are of all people most miserable. This truth can be applied to cancer patients whether they are Christians or not. It is hard to be positive when you no you may very well lose everything you hope for. This of course is true for everyone, whether you have cancer or not. In Colossians 4:5 Paul speaks of the hope stored up for us beyond this life. Look with me at the context of this verse in Colossians 1:3-6
“We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God.
Our hope is stored in heaven for us. Our great treasure, our ultimate rewards are waiting for us in heaven. It is there that we will enjoy the embrace of our Lord, and hear him say, “Well done.”
The gospel gives our lives purpose, meaning, and hope beyond this life. and it will bear fruit in our lives and in the lives of others to the last breath that we take. If this is true, we do not need to escape our trials. God will give them meaning to the last moment we live on this earth.
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http://thinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/
http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/
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Tuesday, August 21, 2018
Thursday, August 9, 2018
FACING DEATH IN HOPE
The 4th chapter of 2 Timothy is Paul's final declaration of faith before he was executed by Nero. When he pinned these words he was in prison and fairly certain of his imminent death.
I suppose that my situation is somewhat similar to Paul's, although Paul's physical condition was much more severe than mine. But my doctors tell me I am going to die before too long.
I have communicated with several people in the last few months that had a much different perspective on life and death than I. One was a man in his 80s who was actually in amazing health for his age. I told him I was reacting against people saying if they were in critical condition they didn't want “extreme measures” to keep them alive. I said extreme measures were what I wanted. He spoke to me as if he had much more wisdom than I. “Well, when you can no longer have quality of life you would rather not linger.” But what he called quality of life was comfort and diversion. He jokingly said, “If I couldn't play golf.” Those are not my purpose in life.
In 2 Timothy 4 Paul gives us a marvelous example of integral hope in his life. Paul's life even at that difficult end was still buoyed by a higher purpose. 2 Timothy 4:1,2 reads,
“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.”
Paul challenges Timothy, and us, to preach the word. And faithful endurance of his painful situation was crucial to that encouragement. He saw his approaching death as part of his challenge and a crucial part of his worship. He encourages us in versus 6-8 by comparing his life to a drink offering.
“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”
A drink offering was a powerful expression of devotion in the desert middle east where water was life. The first drink offering mentioned in Scripture was made by Jacob as he met God at Bethel in Genesis 35. As he emptied his canteen onto the ground, he was trusting his life to the Lord who had appeared to him. Later when drink offerings were included in worship in the Tabernacle the vessels for it were to be of gold, befitting costly devotion.
Paul sees his final circumstance as the ultimate worship and witness for God. And he could endure it however long it wood last for two reasons. First, as he wrote earlier to the Philippian Church,(Philippians 1:22-24) God might allow him to continue his purpose on this Earth. Also, he knew the reward waiting for him in the presence of God was worth whatever he had to endure.
Relationships were also crucial to the hope Paul clung to. The English Standard Version of the New Testament labels the final two-thirds of this chapter as, Personal Instructions. Verses 9-13 capture this.
“Do your best to come to me soon. For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments.”
I do not believe Paul saw his purpose or even his worship as separate from the lives of other people. He was investing himself in them.
God has allowed me to live some years longer than the doctors thought I would. But I still have the cancer that they believe will take my life. Shortly after they began telling me my condition was terminal, I wrote an article for Mature Living Magazine entitled Filling The Unforgiving Minute. You can see that article on my website listed below. Of course I took my title from Rudyard Kipling's poem If. “If you can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds worth of distance run.” In the article I said I wanted to devote the remaining days of my life to writing, prayer, and relationships. In these days I see writing is my purpose and calling from God. It is an extension of my original calling to preach. And of course prayer is essential to that. I pray for God to do what only he can do in the lives of people through my writing. Prayer is also crucial to relationships. I pray for those I love and for others i meet. And relationships are in the purpose of God. Even after my condition deteriorates so that I can no longer write, I hope to be loving and pray for people around me.
http://theanchorofthesoul.blogspot.com/
httphinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/
http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/
http://writingprayerfully.blogspot.com/
Website
http://daveswatch.com/
YouTube
https://goo.gl/PyzUz7
I suppose that my situation is somewhat similar to Paul's, although Paul's physical condition was much more severe than mine. But my doctors tell me I am going to die before too long.
I have communicated with several people in the last few months that had a much different perspective on life and death than I. One was a man in his 80s who was actually in amazing health for his age. I told him I was reacting against people saying if they were in critical condition they didn't want “extreme measures” to keep them alive. I said extreme measures were what I wanted. He spoke to me as if he had much more wisdom than I. “Well, when you can no longer have quality of life you would rather not linger.” But what he called quality of life was comfort and diversion. He jokingly said, “If I couldn't play golf.” Those are not my purpose in life.
In 2 Timothy 4 Paul gives us a marvelous example of integral hope in his life. Paul's life even at that difficult end was still buoyed by a higher purpose. 2 Timothy 4:1,2 reads,
“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.”
Paul challenges Timothy, and us, to preach the word. And faithful endurance of his painful situation was crucial to that encouragement. He saw his approaching death as part of his challenge and a crucial part of his worship. He encourages us in versus 6-8 by comparing his life to a drink offering.
“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”
A drink offering was a powerful expression of devotion in the desert middle east where water was life. The first drink offering mentioned in Scripture was made by Jacob as he met God at Bethel in Genesis 35. As he emptied his canteen onto the ground, he was trusting his life to the Lord who had appeared to him. Later when drink offerings were included in worship in the Tabernacle the vessels for it were to be of gold, befitting costly devotion.
Paul sees his final circumstance as the ultimate worship and witness for God. And he could endure it however long it wood last for two reasons. First, as he wrote earlier to the Philippian Church,(Philippians 1:22-24) God might allow him to continue his purpose on this Earth. Also, he knew the reward waiting for him in the presence of God was worth whatever he had to endure.
Relationships were also crucial to the hope Paul clung to. The English Standard Version of the New Testament labels the final two-thirds of this chapter as, Personal Instructions. Verses 9-13 capture this.
“Do your best to come to me soon. For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments.”
I do not believe Paul saw his purpose or even his worship as separate from the lives of other people. He was investing himself in them.
God has allowed me to live some years longer than the doctors thought I would. But I still have the cancer that they believe will take my life. Shortly after they began telling me my condition was terminal, I wrote an article for Mature Living Magazine entitled Filling The Unforgiving Minute. You can see that article on my website listed below. Of course I took my title from Rudyard Kipling's poem If. “If you can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds worth of distance run.” In the article I said I wanted to devote the remaining days of my life to writing, prayer, and relationships. In these days I see writing is my purpose and calling from God. It is an extension of my original calling to preach. And of course prayer is essential to that. I pray for God to do what only he can do in the lives of people through my writing. Prayer is also crucial to relationships. I pray for those I love and for others i meet. And relationships are in the purpose of God. Even after my condition deteriorates so that I can no longer write, I hope to be loving and pray for people around me.
http://theanchorofthesoul.blogspot.com/
httphinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/
http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/
http://writingprayerfully.blogspot.com/
Website
http://daveswatch.com/
YouTube
https://goo.gl/PyzUz7
Sunday, June 24, 2018
THE PERSPECTIVE OF HOPE
After the cross, and especially the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the lives of the disciples were radically changed. One aspect of the change the Holy Spirit of God brought in their lives was the perspective of Hope. Who could have walked away from the crucifixion of Jesus without shaking their heads and asking, “What possible good could come of this?” But after Jesus rose again they saw their lives and in fact all of history from a different point of view. They rejoiced in the most dire circumstances, because they had seen the resurrection.
The Perspective of History
Their perspective was radically changed because of how they saw all of history. In the short time before He was to be stoned to death Stephen, the first martyr to the faith, certainly with some inkling about what he was stepping into, reminded the people of what God had done down through the ages with the Children of Israel. He was able to see and show them all these things clearly because now he saw Jesus standing above all history and eternity.
The Perspective of Jesus
When we see Jesus clearly we come to a great assurance of hope. He did not simply conquer the world in spite of the evil around Him. He conquered through evil itself. James Stewart the powerful Scottish writer and preacher of the 20th century wrote these words.
“They nailed Him to a tree, not knowing that by that very act they were bringing the world to His feet. They gave Him a cross, not guessing that He would make it a throne.
They flung Him outside the city gates to die, not knowing that in that very moment they were lifting up the gates of the universe, to let the King come in. They thought to root out His doctrines, not understanding that they were implanting imperishably in the hearts of men the very name they intended to destroy.
They thought they had God with His back to the wall, pinned helpless and defeated: they did not know that it was God Himself who had tracked them down. He did not conquer in spite of the dark mystery of evil. He conquered through it."
The Perspective of Eternity
Understanding that Jesus really rose from the dead has transformed the lives of people who followed Him all through the ages. They could minister in the midst of plagues at the risk of their lives. They gladly died to help their neighbors, and loved ones, and people that didn't even know. They were willing to stand for the Bible and the truth of the gospel even in the face of martyrdom.
We see this the death of Stephen. He could even pray for the men stoning him, “Don't hold this sin against them.” And he could pray, “Lord Jesus receive my spirit,” because he knew the Lord was there to receive him. And in fact itas not a unique testimony as he was dying, “Look, I see the throne in heaven and the son of man standing at the right hand of God.” I cannot help but wonder what they might have seen if they had looked. Stephen was certainly convinced they would see Jesus as he saw Him.
The Perspective of Prayer
My heart throbs at the simple prayer of Stephen, and so many others who have died from whatever cause, with prayer in their hearts and on their lips. When you come to know a risen Savior it radically changes the way you pray. And such prayer gives you hope in the face of life or death.
http://theanchorofthesoul.blogspot.com/
http://thinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/
http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/
http://writingprayerfully.blogspot.com/
Website
http://daveswatch.com/
YouTube
https://goo.gl/PyzUz7
The Perspective of History
Their perspective was radically changed because of how they saw all of history. In the short time before He was to be stoned to death Stephen, the first martyr to the faith, certainly with some inkling about what he was stepping into, reminded the people of what God had done down through the ages with the Children of Israel. He was able to see and show them all these things clearly because now he saw Jesus standing above all history and eternity.
The Perspective of Jesus
When we see Jesus clearly we come to a great assurance of hope. He did not simply conquer the world in spite of the evil around Him. He conquered through evil itself. James Stewart the powerful Scottish writer and preacher of the 20th century wrote these words.
“They nailed Him to a tree, not knowing that by that very act they were bringing the world to His feet. They gave Him a cross, not guessing that He would make it a throne.
They flung Him outside the city gates to die, not knowing that in that very moment they were lifting up the gates of the universe, to let the King come in. They thought to root out His doctrines, not understanding that they were implanting imperishably in the hearts of men the very name they intended to destroy.
They thought they had God with His back to the wall, pinned helpless and defeated: they did not know that it was God Himself who had tracked them down. He did not conquer in spite of the dark mystery of evil. He conquered through it."
The Perspective of Eternity
Understanding that Jesus really rose from the dead has transformed the lives of people who followed Him all through the ages. They could minister in the midst of plagues at the risk of their lives. They gladly died to help their neighbors, and loved ones, and people that didn't even know. They were willing to stand for the Bible and the truth of the gospel even in the face of martyrdom.
We see this the death of Stephen. He could even pray for the men stoning him, “Don't hold this sin against them.” And he could pray, “Lord Jesus receive my spirit,” because he knew the Lord was there to receive him. And in fact itas not a unique testimony as he was dying, “Look, I see the throne in heaven and the son of man standing at the right hand of God.” I cannot help but wonder what they might have seen if they had looked. Stephen was certainly convinced they would see Jesus as he saw Him.
The Perspective of Prayer
My heart throbs at the simple prayer of Stephen, and so many others who have died from whatever cause, with prayer in their hearts and on their lips. When you come to know a risen Savior it radically changes the way you pray. And such prayer gives you hope in the face of life or death.
http://theanchorofthesoul.blogspot.com/
http://thinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/
http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/
http://writingprayerfully.blogspot.com/
Website
http://daveswatch.com/
YouTube
https://goo.gl/PyzUz7
Monday, June 4, 2018
BRIGHT SPARKS OF HOPE
When our daughter was barely a teenager she came down with a rare life-threatening disease. That was a terrible time for us. We spent many months in and out of Children's Hospital in Seattle. We longed for a word from God that her life would be spared. But God was silent. That is not quite true. That was a very hot time of God speaking to us, showing us things in Scripture, and ministering to our lives. But we were desperate for a word of assurance about our daughter's condition. And about that, God seemed to be silent.
We were a full year into the ordeal when God gave us Scripture to cling to. My wife came home one night from a teachers’ meeting at church saying, “I have a word from God!”
The lady leading the meeting had shared Romans 12:12 with her. She opened her Bible and read it to me.
"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
We both agreed that God was speaking to us, but we were not exactly sure how it applied. We had no questions about being faithful in prayer. Even when we were discouraged we prayed. And we had many friends and family members praying with us. People we didn't even know were praying for us and for our daughter.
And we knew to be patient in the affliction. But we welcomed this reminder. It would have been much easier for us to endure our own suffering than it was for us to deal with our daughter's.
But what did it mean to be joyful in hope? Our hopes always seemed to be mixed. We would have good news one day that would be crushed the next. But we began hunting for hope. And we were committed to rejoice right away.
One of our daughter's symptoms was huge ugly ulcers on her knees and elbows. Even the doctors winced when they examined them. My wife had to dress them every day. One day a dermatologist came by her hospital room and my wife said, “I think that ulcer on her right elbow might have been a little smaller today. The doctor talked with us for a few minutes and then drew a small ruler from her pocket. Giving it to my wife she said, “Why don't you start measuring it when you replace the tegaderm?”
My wife began measuring the the ulcer every morning as she redressed the ulcers. Several days later she measured and found the diameter of the ulcer had reduced by a milometer. We celebrated! And we rejoiced one millimeter at a time until her ulcers had healed completely.
Now there is an important facet of Hope that I need to point out here. We sometimes see our hope in tiny sparks in the midst of the darkness. We could not have rejoiced in tiny hope if we did not, somewhere in the back of our minds, have a greater and deeper hope. But rejoicing in those tiny sparks sustained us, and kept our eyes on God and the ultimate hope promised to us.
http://theanchorofthesoul.blogspot.com/
http://thinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/
http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/
http://writingprayerfully.blogspot.com/
Website
http://daveswatch.com/
YouTube
https://goo.gl/PyzUz7
We were a full year into the ordeal when God gave us Scripture to cling to. My wife came home one night from a teachers’ meeting at church saying, “I have a word from God!”
The lady leading the meeting had shared Romans 12:12 with her. She opened her Bible and read it to me.
"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
We both agreed that God was speaking to us, but we were not exactly sure how it applied. We had no questions about being faithful in prayer. Even when we were discouraged we prayed. And we had many friends and family members praying with us. People we didn't even know were praying for us and for our daughter.
And we knew to be patient in the affliction. But we welcomed this reminder. It would have been much easier for us to endure our own suffering than it was for us to deal with our daughter's.
But what did it mean to be joyful in hope? Our hopes always seemed to be mixed. We would have good news one day that would be crushed the next. But we began hunting for hope. And we were committed to rejoice right away.
One of our daughter's symptoms was huge ugly ulcers on her knees and elbows. Even the doctors winced when they examined them. My wife had to dress them every day. One day a dermatologist came by her hospital room and my wife said, “I think that ulcer on her right elbow might have been a little smaller today. The doctor talked with us for a few minutes and then drew a small ruler from her pocket. Giving it to my wife she said, “Why don't you start measuring it when you replace the tegaderm?”
My wife began measuring the the ulcer every morning as she redressed the ulcers. Several days later she measured and found the diameter of the ulcer had reduced by a milometer. We celebrated! And we rejoiced one millimeter at a time until her ulcers had healed completely.
Now there is an important facet of Hope that I need to point out here. We sometimes see our hope in tiny sparks in the midst of the darkness. We could not have rejoiced in tiny hope if we did not, somewhere in the back of our minds, have a greater and deeper hope. But rejoicing in those tiny sparks sustained us, and kept our eyes on God and the ultimate hope promised to us.
http://theanchorofthesoul.blogspot.com/
http://thinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/
http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/
http://writingprayerfully.blogspot.com/
Website
http://daveswatch.com/
YouTube
https://goo.gl/PyzUz7
Wednesday, May 2, 2018
WAITING ON THE LORD
Isaiah 40:31 speaks powerfully to our hope in the Lord. It is one of the most powerful teachings on the practical application of God's hope in our lives.
“They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.”
What is the difference between waiting and hoping?
THE STRUGGLE OF WAITING
If you are waiting, you may have put yourself in the place to receive what or who is coming. If you are waiting your eyes are probably not on the horizon as much as they are on your watch. “Why is he late?” “When will they get here?”
There is tension expressed in the word wait. Hebrew words often have vivid metaphors. The word for wait here comes from the word for a string or a cord. And the picture is first of a cord being twisted or stretched.
But then the picture evolves into a cord being bound around something. So we find ourselves bound together with what we hope for when we wait. We see our lives bound tightly to what we are hoping for.
THE STRENGTH OF WAITING
Throughout the Bible our hope is presented as something that is certain. It is dependable. You can Bank on your hope in Jesus Christ. And as your grip on that hope is strengthened, it shifts to waiting as we trust in the fulfillment of the promises of God.
http://theanchorofthesoul.blogspot.com/
httphinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/
http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/
http://writingprayerfully.blogspot.com/
Website
“They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.”
What is the difference between waiting and hoping?
THE STRUGGLE OF WAITING
If you are waiting, you may have put yourself in the place to receive what or who is coming. If you are waiting your eyes are probably not on the horizon as much as they are on your watch. “Why is he late?” “When will they get here?”
There is tension expressed in the word wait. Hebrew words often have vivid metaphors. The word for wait here comes from the word for a string or a cord. And the picture is first of a cord being twisted or stretched.
But then the picture evolves into a cord being bound around something. So we find ourselves bound together with what we hope for when we wait. We see our lives bound tightly to what we are hoping for.
THE STRENGTH OF WAITING
Throughout the Bible our hope is presented as something that is certain. It is dependable. You can Bank on your hope in Jesus Christ. And as your grip on that hope is strengthened, it shifts to waiting as we trust in the fulfillment of the promises of God.
http://theanchorofthesoul.blogspot.com/
httphinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/
http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/
http://writingprayerfully.blogspot.com/
Website
http://daveswatch.com/
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
HAVING HOPE
A powerful Scripture relating to hope is Romans 15:4.
“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
All of us deal with this problem from time to time. But, as 2 Peter 1:4 says, we have very great and precious promises by which we can escape the bonds of the world and of our sinful nature. How do we apply these promises to our lives?
Romans 15:4 calls us to listen to the encouragement of Scripture. Are you listening to God? We need to hunger for what He will say to us in His word. Much of our anxiety as Christians would be overcome if we would allow things God has told us to grip our lives.
Romans 15:4 gives us a combination of applications. It is through endurance and the encouragement of scripture that we gain a firm grip, a life-changing grip on our hope. It is a fact that luxury, success, comfort, and acclaim in this life can actually diminish our hold on hope by distracting us from it. It is when we are forced to endure deprivation, failure, discomfort, and discredit that God's word can speak to us most powerfully. Are you looking to Scripture for God to encourage your heart in the trials that you are facing? In times like these you need God’s hope to have a firm grip upon you.
http://theanchorofthesoul.blogspot.com/
httphinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/
http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/
http://writingprayerfully.blogspot.com/
http://daveswatch.com/
YouTube
https://goo.gl/PyzUz7
“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
Think with me for a moment about the last two words of this verse. What does it mean to have hope? In this scripture having hope should not be interpreted as having the possibility of hope. There are places and times where having hope could be interpreted that way. When Jesus died on the cross for us He gave all of us the hope of eternal life. But until you place your faith in him you do not actually hold that hope in your hand. This verse is a stronger statement of hope. I believe having hope here means for hope to have you.
I have a close friend who would always watch the morning news on television before coming to a morning prayer meeting. He would sometimes come to the prayer meeting almost too disturbed to pray. He had trouble praising God because he was upset about problems. He wasn't able to pray for other problems because he was upset about what was on the news. I believe my friend had hope in the sense in which he belonged to the Lord Jesus Christ. But his hope did not have him. He needed to apply hope to his life and especially his prayer life. It needed to grip his life.
All of us deal with this problem from time to time. But, as 2 Peter 1:4 says, we have very great and precious promises by which we can escape the bonds of the world and of our sinful nature. How do we apply these promises to our lives?
Romans 15:4 calls us to listen to the encouragement of Scripture. Are you listening to God? We need to hunger for what He will say to us in His word. Much of our anxiety as Christians would be overcome if we would allow things God has told us to grip our lives.
Romans 15:4 gives us a combination of applications. It is through endurance and the encouragement of scripture that we gain a firm grip, a life-changing grip on our hope. It is a fact that luxury, success, comfort, and acclaim in this life can actually diminish our hold on hope by distracting us from it. It is when we are forced to endure deprivation, failure, discomfort, and discredit that God's word can speak to us most powerfully. Are you looking to Scripture for God to encourage your heart in the trials that you are facing? In times like these you need God’s hope to have a firm grip upon you.
http://theanchorofthesoul.blogspot.com/
httphinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/
http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/
http://writingprayerfully.blogspot.com/
http://daveswatch.com/
YouTube
https://goo.gl/PyzUz7
Sunday, April 8, 2018
THE SAFETY NET OF HOPE
We are told in Hebrews 6 that the anchor of our souls is firm and secure. Such hope serves as a kind safety net in our daily lives.
Hope that reaches beyond this world will be a Safety Net From Fears that assail us. A trapeze artist must put in thousands of hours of practice to be able to amaze the crowds who gather to watch. But she would never be able to practice, especially her most difficult aerobatics, without a safety net. If our future is absolutely secure in the arms of Jesus all of life becomes practice for the real main event.
Hope is a Safety Net From Failure. This kind of Hope does not make us careless. The aerialist certainly finds falling painful even in practice. But she can learn from her falls because they are not fatal. We can risk in the challenges of life because our hope is secure.
You have probably heard the cynics of our time say something like, “Everyone has a price. Everyone will cheat, everyone will be unethical, everyone will sell their highest virtues for the right price.” Christians can escape those temptations, if we keep our eyes on our hope that is out of this world. Hope is a Safety Net in the Face of Temptation. Keeping our hope in mind will strengthen us in the face of any temptation. I don't have to lie, God loves me. I don't have to cheat, my reward in Heaven is certain. I don't have to lust after that thing or that person, my Lord is near, and His return is imminent.
The perspective of a secure hope even gives us a Safety Net in the Face of Success. Our greatest temptations often come in our triumphs. Success can make us prideful and careless. Arrogance makes us disgusting to God. It can even ruin relationships with those we love. But if I can keep my eyes on hope beyond this life, I will be able to say, “This is only worldly success. It is nothing compared to what is waiting for me in Heaven.”
http://theanchorofthesoul.blogspot.com/
httphinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/
http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/
http://writingprayerfully.blogspot.com/
http://daveswatch.com/
YouTube
https://goo.gl/PyzUz7
Hope that reaches beyond this world will be a Safety Net From Fears that assail us. A trapeze artist must put in thousands of hours of practice to be able to amaze the crowds who gather to watch. But she would never be able to practice, especially her most difficult aerobatics, without a safety net. If our future is absolutely secure in the arms of Jesus all of life becomes practice for the real main event.
Hope is a Safety Net From Failure. This kind of Hope does not make us careless. The aerialist certainly finds falling painful even in practice. But she can learn from her falls because they are not fatal. We can risk in the challenges of life because our hope is secure.
You have probably heard the cynics of our time say something like, “Everyone has a price. Everyone will cheat, everyone will be unethical, everyone will sell their highest virtues for the right price.” Christians can escape those temptations, if we keep our eyes on our hope that is out of this world. Hope is a Safety Net in the Face of Temptation. Keeping our hope in mind will strengthen us in the face of any temptation. I don't have to lie, God loves me. I don't have to cheat, my reward in Heaven is certain. I don't have to lust after that thing or that person, my Lord is near, and His return is imminent.
The perspective of a secure hope even gives us a Safety Net in the Face of Success. Our greatest temptations often come in our triumphs. Success can make us prideful and careless. Arrogance makes us disgusting to God. It can even ruin relationships with those we love. But if I can keep my eyes on hope beyond this life, I will be able to say, “This is only worldly success. It is nothing compared to what is waiting for me in Heaven.”
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