My honest thoughts today!

Lord I sit here at home this morning burdened greatly by all that's going on around me. I run to you. Thank you for the hope I just read in Isaiah 59. V.9 says, "we hope for light and behold darkness, and for brightness, but we walk in gloom." I'm feeling that today. "We grope for the wall like the blind; we grope like those who have no eyes." God I can't see what's ahead. I worry and sit in fear. I confess that. V.15 is so full of hope. "The Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. He saw that there was no man and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him. He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak." This is the Lord's covenant "My Spirit will come upon you." Lord I praise you for putting on zeal in such an extravagant way that hope might be brought to my life TODAY. I rest in this covenant! Praise you God!!!

A Pitiful Hope

Recently I've been consumed with weighty conversations and news that's left me extremely burdened.

1. A girl crushed after her boyfriend broke up with her, inspite of the promise ring he gave her.
2. A 14 yr old and his family who continue to grieve losing their teenage brother/son/friend 10 months ago.
3. A precious saint who was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and given 2 weeks to 3 months to live.
4. A couple who found out their unborn baby has a 50/50 chance of being born with a disease.
5. A couple who lost their co-joined, unborn twins.
6. My mother (who is in remission from cancer) has been undergoing tests for pain and hearing loss.
7. A friend who just went through a divorce.
8. I just had my car broken into and MacBook Pro stolen

All of these situations mentioned are being experienced by brothers and sisters in Christ.  With the weightiness of them all, I'm remined of the following scripture:

1 Corinthians 15:19 (ESV)
¹⁹If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

Where is your hope?  If you are banking on this life...it's guaranteed to go bad (read the above situations again)!  Don't pursue a pitiful hope...look to our eternal God who had given us an eternal inheritance that will not fade away!