"green hope"

Monday, August 3, 2020 (5:41 a.m.)

Blessed, Holy God,

You helped me sleep last night. How I thank You Lord.

My mind stayed active after the lights were out. Thoughts. Prayers. Concerns. Hope.

Yes Father. It was the thought of ‘green hope filling us up with joy and peace’ that finally calmed my mind. Reading Romans 15:13 in The Message allowed me to truly settle into restfulness.

Blessed God, I’m here confessing my discontent. I look around us with circumstances not to my liking. Fragile relationships, out of control fires and disease just to name a few.

You would have us look to You and Your Word. Your Truth. Your promises. I keep getting caught up in my own disappointment. Thank You that we are urged repeatedly to bring all of our concerns to You Dear Lord.

As my heart, my soul, my mind and even my strength waver in their commitment to Your goodness, Your Word stays true. It doesn’t change. How do I, Oh Lord?

Yes Dear God. How do I get to the point that I truly trust and depend and stand firm on Your promises? I say it with my mouth. I confess that “Jesus Christ is Lord.”

I even readily sing ♪He is Lord… He is risen from the dead and He is Lord! Ev’ry knee shall bow, ev’ry tongue confess That Jesus Christ is Lord♪

I believe it Lord. I really do.

So where is the hope? And the peace? And the joy?

What’s it going to take for me to truly focus on the blessings You provide? Instead of repeatedly listing all the people and things I miss.

Lord God, I AM grateful! Truly. I want my thoughts to be those representing Your love and provision. You have given us so much.

And here You are. Doing exactly what I need.

Again I sing out to You. ♪Open My Eyes That I May See Glimpses of Truth Thou hast for me; Place in my hands the wonderful key That shall unclasp and set me free♪

Right in the middle of the singing, I recognize irritation. Lord, what I am to do with the annoyances that continue coming along?

Perceived slights. Little tiny hiccups. Things that keep me from thanking You that thorns do indeed have roses!

Lord God, You are so incredibly good. I need Your presence in every one of my thoughts, words and actions.

The Scripture verse for this hymn is Psalm 119:18. Turning to it I read the comment in The Life Recovery Bible.

“119:17-24 With God’s guidance, we can learn truths from His Word that will lead us safely through the uncharted territories of life. Because God rebukes those who do not follow His teaching, we need to seek His forgiveness for those times we have strayed from His commands. We must not let our problems inhibit our study of God’s Word. Without God’s wisdom and guidance we lack the insight we need to experience a successful recovery.”

Yes Lord. I agree wholeheartedly. And again I ask, HOW?

How do I honestly, openly and willingly turn to You confessing every single problem I have with my relationships with other people?

Ah. There are the words. Other people! I keep comparing myself with what all is going on in the lives of other people. Their relationships. Their freedoms. This is NOT what You have for me. I know this.

Galatians 6:4-5 states it plainly. “Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.”

Yes! I know and believe and trust this teaching. And at the very same time Dearest God, I am still asking “HOW?”

And here is my “Hallelujah” moment! You tying together thoughts from two days ago, with hope for today.

Father God, I love You. Thank You that I get to pour my thoughts out all over the place with You.

The word “equitable” seemingly came into my mind out of nowhere on Saturday. Not even knowing what it meant, I actually saw the word equity written out minutes later.

Fair. Just. Neutral. Balance.

And now begins a time to genuinely rejoice in You! I am once more eager and excited to tell. Truly AGOG!

Returning again to Romans 15:13, I begin my reading at verse 12. “And Isaiah’s word: There’s the root of our ancestor Jesse, breaking through the earth and growing tree tall, Tall enough for everyone everywhere to see and take hope!”

Before reading on to verse 13, I turn to Isaiah. Chapter 11, verse 10. And here in the comments, “11:1-10 We may feel deep insecurities and hurt over the abuse, misunderstandings, and injustices we have suffered at the hands of others. Our hope is in God who will come again and rule the world in justice and truth. He will straighten out the inequities of the past. When God’s Kingdom is established, we will not have anything to fear: ‘Nothing will hurt and destroy in all [God’s] holy mountain’ (11:9).”

You are our God Almighty! We don’t have to know what it is You are doing in all of this chaos and turmoil. You know exactly what You are doing and what is best. Our call is to trust and obey. Yet another song!

We may not like what it is You are calling us to and that’s okay. We don’t have to like it. You have called us to Your Truth.

Ephesians 5:8-11. “For though your hearts were once full of darkness, now you are full of light from the Lord, and your behavior should show it! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, rebuke and expose them.”

Oh most Blessed Jesus. How I thank Yo for coming along to right my thinking! Thank You for reminding me that I am called to ♪Trust and Obey, For there’s no other way To be happy in Jesus, But to trust and obey♪

Yes Lord. Do all You must that I will continue ‘knowing the Truth and allowing It to set me free’ (John 8:31). You alone are that Truth. Our Liberator.

We get to confess our slavery to sin and allow You to free us from it. Truly. We are “powerless to manage our life effectively” (The Life Recovery Bible comment) and we are blessed with Your Truth.

Thank You Father for allowing me to confess my heart to You. My distorted thinking. My brokenness. You alone can make us whole. Thank You. Praise You.

And finally back to the green hope of which this all began. “Oh! May the God of green hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope!” (Romans 15:13 The Message).

And as if all this isn’t perfect enough, Illustrated Bible Handbook chimes in with more understanding of Your Truth!

“Accepting Attitude; 15:5-13. Underlying the teaching of this section is the fact that Jesus has accepted us, imperfect as we are. ‘Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you’ (15:7). If this is our attitude toward one another, unity will be achieved, and we will become a community which loves and praises God together, filled with joy and peace and hope.”

Yes Lord. Yes Lord. Yes!!! Do all You must to Your perfect end. We love You. We need You. We ask You. We seek You. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(1,315 words ~ 8:08 a.m.)