I am frequently amazed at the insight of writers. Like, Wow, I wish I had said that. This ability to give such clear insight can either encourage me to share my words with confidence or scare me into silence. Being a voracious reader, I am very grateful for their words. I am inspired, challenged and encouraged by words. Words matter. Especially words like: God is Hope and Joy and Everything that I need.
Romans 12:12 (NIV) “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
Many mornings, I meditate on this verse from Romans that hangs upon my living room wall. It is expected that one would experience joy when things are rolling along smoothly in our lives. But, how can we be joyful when life on this planet is So. Very. Hard? Where is the joy when you learn of a young mother’s fight against Hodgkin’s Lymphoma? Hope seems far away when your job has been eliminated and you are two years from retirement. Joy seems impossible when you have loved ones who are estranged and unrecognizable to you. Yet, I have learned that I can (we can)…be Joyful in Hope.
THIS I KNOW…
Hope is not a feeling, it is a Person. God is our Hope. And He is more than just Hope.
He is LIFE eternal,
He is LOVE unconditional,
He is LIGHT in the darkest days,
He is MERCY to see us through any difficulty,
He is GRACE poured out on us when we do not deserve it,
He is STRENGTH to put one foot in front of the other,
He is POWER over the temptation to doubt and sin.
When you look at it that way, doesn’t it make you want to shout?! God, You are Everything!
He is Everything we need, He is in Everything, He is the maker of Everything. He is watching over Everything. He gives us Everything we need!
At Ouachita Baptist University, we have an event each Spring semester called Tiger Tracks. Back in the day, we had ‘trike race’ competition between teams of girls. Yes, you read that correctly…they were large trikes. It was very competitive and involved prizes for the winners. For two years, I was on the team called “His Kids”. To say that we wanted to win (while also being a Christ-like example, of course!) was an understatement. In order to keep our minds focused on what was really important, (shout out to Judy, our unofficial team Chaplain) our team ended every practice and started every race by saying this verse from Colossians.
Colossians 1:17 (NASB) “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”
We made good memories and the trike races were so much fun (like my middle child likes to remind me, “Winning is fun!) But mostly, I am so grateful that our team committed that verse to memory all those years ago. Having it imprinted on my mind and heart has encouraged me to look to His Sovereignty and His Plans. He is before EVERYTHING…and in Him EVERYTHING holds together. Isn’t that all we should want? Isn’t that all we need?
Remind us dear Abba, that we can be Joyful in Hope because you are our Everything!
Below are some lyrics from two songs called, “Everything”. Please listen to them if you can!
“I see You in everything, all day, And every beat of my heart keeps reminding me. I see You in every little thing, all day, No matter where I go I know Your love is finding me. I see You in eveything, You’re all up in everything. My soul’s awaken, I’m taken by all the beauty You bring… Love watching You do Your thing. There’s no mistaking Your style, No mistaking Your touch…” Lyrics from: Everything, performed by TobyMac
“Even the sparrow has a place to lay its head, so why would I let worries steal my breath? Even the roses, You have glowed them brilliant red, still I’m the one You love more than this. You give me everything, You give me everything, You give me everything I need. You tell the seasons when it’s time for them to turn,so I will trust You even when it hurts. When I can’t see, You lead me. When I can’t hear, You show me. When I can’t stand, You carry me. When I am lost, You will find me. When I’m weak, You are mighty. You are everything I need…” Lyrics from: Everything, performed by Lauren Daigle
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