My Hope Remains in Jesus

Last night, or should I say this morning, I woke up at 2:30 EST and I could NOT go back to sleep. I started flipping thru the news channels, and ended up watching a replay of the days inauguration events. I had been swamped all day, so I hadn't seen even five minutes of it.

I ended up being enthralled by it. By all the pomp and circumstance. It was neat to see all of the former presidents being introduced, and the media, as well as the country, seemingly honoring them, and paying them respect instead of tearing them down. I'm glad we have freedom of speech, but I wish it was done more respectfully. I, just like the next person, don't agree with every move of every politician, but all the bashing of our political leaders by the media has gotten a little out of hand. (in my opinion) (thinking primarily of the total disrespect shown to President Bush in his final days in office)

I watched as they scanned the crowd of 2 million people, and showed many in tears. I watched as they showed the many responses from people literally around the world, who also were in tears. I watched and listened as one commentator said of our new President, "He is not just the President of the United States, in many ways he is the World's President". Wow.

Please hear my heart as I say, if people are in tears because he's the first African American President, and they're moved by that, I understand that, and I'm moved too. If people are in tears because they're moved by all of the pomp and circumstance of it, I understand that, and I'm moved too. If people are in tears because they like him, and they're excited for he and his family, and the the new life that he brings to Washington, I understand that, I believe that he's a very likeable guy. If he has brought a renewed hope to some, I understand that...BUT if people are in tears because they have put their hope in him...that bothers me. I don't think it's fair to him. I don't feel like our hope should be in a man, for our sake, for the man's sake, and for Christ's sake.


It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.
-Psalm 118:8-9

1 Timothy 6:17Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

Support and pray for our President, but put your hope in God.

If You Only Knew...

Every once in a while God will take a familiar verse and make it completely new to me again. He did that for me this week.

“Jesus replied, If you only knew the gift God has for you…” John 4:10

If you only knew…if you only knew…if you only knew…Oh Can't you hear God's heart cry in that? If you only knew how much I love you. If you only knew how much I desire to bless you. If you only knew, my beloved, you would come to me, you would ask me, and I would give you life. Real life. Abundant life. All the Spiritual blessings of God. All of Me. Living Water. (my paraphrase)

As I read John 4:10, I was reminded of the prophet Jeremiah. Here are some things that I have come to understand about Jeremiah.

· He spoke, but no one listened.
· Even though the people did not listen, Jeremiah remained faithful and obedient to God.
· Jeremiah felt firsthand God’s love for his people and the people’s rejection of that love.
· They called him the “weeping prophet”

He wept because the people had rejected their God. The God who had made them, loved them, and sought repeatedly to bless them. His heart was broken with the things that break God’s heart. Oh...If they only knew…

“My wayward children,” says the Lord, “come back to me, and I will heal your wayward hearts. “ Jeremiah 3:22

“Plow up the hard ground of you hearts!” “surrender your pride and power. Change your hearts before the Lord.” Jeremiah 4:3,4

“My heart, my heart – I writhe in pain! My heart pounds within me! I cannot be still.” Jeremiah 4:19

Jeremiah wept because He knew the love that God had for his people, and he knew how God desired to bless his people, and yet the people continually rejected that love. Why?

Why did they? Why do we? If you know someone loves you, and desires to bless you why would you run from that?

Why do we sleep in instead of getting up and spending time with Him?

Why do we gorge ourselves with food, instead of fasting and saying, “today Lord, I’m giving up food because I hunger and thirst for you. I want you more than food.”

Jesus replied, “if you only knew the gift God has for you (pause)and who you are speaking to (when we pray we are speaking to Jesus) you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”

Dear Jesus, help us to grasp that. Help us to grasp You. Help us to know and understand how much you love us. How much you desire us. I pray for myself and those who read this, that we will have an unquenchable desire to know you more, to be with you, to spend time in Your presence.

Psalm 119...Waiting...

In my ongoing commitment to post all of Psalm 119 on my blog, here's verses 81-88.

81-88 I'm homesick—longing for your salvation; I'm waiting for your word of hope. My eyes grow heavy watching for some sign of your promise; how long must I wait for your comfort? There's smoke in my eyes—they burn and water, but I keep a steady gaze on the instructions you post. How long do I have to put up with all this? How long till you haul my tormentors into court? The arrogant godless try to throw me off track, ignorant as they are of God and his ways. Everything you command is a sure thing, but they harass me with lies. Help! They've pushed and pushed—they never let up— but I haven't relaxed my grip on your counsel. In your great love revive me so I can alertly obey your every word.

This is from The Message. However, The NLT says verse 81 this way "I am worn out waiting for your rescue, but I have put my hope in your word."

Have you ever been worn out waiting on God? Waiting on a prayer to be answered? A situation to be changed? A word to be given? Then you can relate to the Psalmist. And like the Psalmist, you're invited to talk to God openly about that. And like the Psalmist, you can resolve to keep a steady gaze on the instructions that God posts. In His great love, you can be revived...even in the waiting. Here's a song that I saw on Robin's blog the other day. It's from the movie Fire Proof. Awesome...




I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Takeing every step in obedience

While I'm waiting
I will serve You While I'm waiting
I will worship While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy But faithfully, I will wait

Oh That Boy

Here's Joshua's latest funny question: (asked very seriously)

"Mom, was your Mom alive when the dinosaurs were here?"

picture me laughing hysterically... :-)

(sorry Mom)

Reminders from 1 Chronicles

Here are some random thoughts I’ve had while reading through 1 Chronicles. The first thought I’ve had is. YAWN. This is boring. So and so is the son of so and so, who was the son of so and so. Yawn again.

I’m thankful that this geneology is in the Bible because I think it’s HUGELY important to be able to trace back the various family lines, but to read through it is excruciatingly painful. :-)

That’s why in chapter 8, verse 40 stuck out to me. “the sons of Ulam were all skilled warriors and expert archers.” In the midst of all the genealogical information, Ezra stops to say that.

Since all scripture is God breathed, it stood as a reminder to me that God notices, the jobs that we do, and how well we do them. Do we serve Him with skill and excellence? He notices. Do we “wing” it? Or do we make a conscious decision to keep our head in the game, and make every effort to do our best.

The other verse that has stuck out to me is Chapter 10:13 “so Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord. He failed to obey the Lord’s command, and he even consulted a medium instead of asking the Lord for guidance.”

This verse just reminded me once again of how deeply God desires to have a personal relationship with us, with me, with you. He doesn’t want us to go get our palms read to try to find out about our life. He doesn’t want us to become dependant on reading our horoscope to predict what’s going to happen for the day. He wants us to come to Him. To be dependant on Him. To trust Him. He told us in Jeremiah 33:3, “call to me, and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things that you do not know."

If you were to demand that I pick a favorite verse out of the Bible, I think that one would be it for me, for I have seen God be faithful to that verse time and time and time again.

Wonder what’s going on in your life? Curious about what God has in store? Ask Him.