again I begin...

 Thursday, March 21, 2024 (7:38 a.m.)

Again, I begin…

This time tearfully. Broken. Hopeful. Hurting. Wanting. Needing. Trusting. You.

Yes Father, I believe. I trust. I want You to take ALL the concerns of my heart and use them for my good and to Your glory (Romans 8:28-30).

There are big changes coming Lord. Big. Huge! You know Your best. And I trust You to lead and guide us through it all.

Thank You that we can come before You with our hurts. And our hopes. 

(7:48 a.m.)

Blessed, Loving, Holy God, thank You that in coming back before You my heart is practically exploding with hope. This is brand new territory for me Lord.

I grew up believing it’s safer never to get my hopes up. That way I could save myself from disappointment.

Thank You God that I don’t ever have to save myself. That’s Your job. And You are really good at it.

Holiest Father, I could make a non-ending list of all the things I would like to see be different. Thank You that You already know all that’s on my mind. Thank You for the smile that keeps coming as I initially choose to turn to and trust in You.

Searching “bringing our hopes to God” I am immediately directed to Romans 5:5. Going straight there, I inch my way back up the page. “CHAPTER 5 Faith Brings Joy Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.” Yes Father. Yes!

“Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory” (v.2). Father, thank You that this is never something I could work hard enough to achieve. Jesus did this for me!

“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love” (vs. 3-5).

Thank You Lord that I no longer have to tie myself up into the knots of all the ways I have wanted things to be. I get to look to You instead. Depending on Your promise of The Future Glory (Romans 8:18-30).

Oh this just keeps getting better and better! Thank You God.

Illustrated Bible Handbook explains, “The promise of righteousness is for now - and for forever. What now seems a struggle will become full liberation when Jesus returns, when the fact of our sonship is made plain to all.”

Father, all the uneasiness in my thoughts pale in comparison of Your promised glory. Thank You.

Continuing the paragraph above, “Then even the Creation will share in a great purification, as every trace of sin is removed (18-25). In the meantime we have assurance that the Spirit ‘helps us in our weakness.’ We have the confidence that whatever enters our life is designed for good, that we may grow toward likeness to Jesus and our destiny (26-30).” Yes please!

(11:06 a.m.)

Now back to Romans 5:5.  Verses 3 through 5 actually. Particularly in Easy-to-Read Version. “And we are also happy with the troubles we have. Why are we happy with troubles? Because we know that these troubles make us more patient. And this patience is proof that we are strong. And this proof gives us hope. And this hope will never disappoint us. We know this because God has poured out His love to fill our hearts through the Holy Spirit He gave us.”

Yes! Yes, please! Hope. In You. Because of your love.

EasyEnglish Bible says, “We are happy even when we have troubles and pain. That is because we know that those troubles help us to become patient and strong. And when we remain strong, we show that we trust God. When we trust God like that, it causes us to hope for God’s help. And when we hope like that, it will not disappoint us. That is because we know that God loves us very much. God has given His Holy Spirit to be with us. The Holy Spirit causes us to know God’s love very well.”

Thank You Father for the number of smiles I notice as I read Your promises. Smiles that represent trust. In You!

I ask (Matthew 7:7) that I would stay close by You today. Not wandering too far off in my own thoughts. Keep me tethered securely to You.

Yes! Here's even more confirmation of our security in You.

Hebrews 6:17-19. “God also bound Himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that He would never change His mind. So God has given both His promise and His oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to Him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.”

Thank You Father. Praise You Lord. Joining myself in with Paul’s words to the Romans (15:13), “I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and peace while you trust in Him. Then your hope will overflow by the power of the Holy Spirit” (International Children’s Version).

Yes please. Thank You. Amen.

(959 words ~ 11:40 a.m.)