Emphatic Hope

"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.  Romans 5:3-5  (NIV)

Hope is one of those words that fills my heart.  Hope is different than a wish.  Hope comes with a level of confidence.  For instance, I wish I would win the lottery.  Knowing the odds are not in my favor, I hope that whoever does will be generous with the money.  I have a level of confidence with the second statement than I do with the first.  Hope can be powerful.

Hope can show up in many different situations.  We certainly hope to feel better when we get sick.  Yet, when situations cry for something deeper, it moves to a more emphatic hope, the type of hope that we see in our verses today.  There is much suffering that comes with the hope we have here. 

It's the hope that a prisoner of war may have.  Going through such suffering, yet doesn't give up - they persevere.  Through that perseverance, their character is built.  With that level of character, there is hope - hope that they will once again see their families.  With all of that comes a strengthening of faith.  A man who emulates this profoundly was Senator John McCain.  He was a man who lived out the verses above to its fullest.  His quiet yet profound faith in God walked him through all the stages of suffering, perseverance, character and hope.  Through that faith, he continued to serve our country.  His emphatic hope was rooted in knowing that God's love was in him. 

I am certain we all know people who have this level of emphatic hope.  Maybe they served our country and had other challenges.  Maybe one who suffered greatly with surgery or cancer.  Maybe one who struggled growing up with relational issues.  Maybe one who made poor choices and suffered greatly for them.  Yet with a strong faith in God and knowing how much God loves them, they continued on a journey of emphatic hope.  This hope is knowing, confidently and profoundly that God will be there with us and bring us to the path that we are intended to be on.  

Emphatic hope is not something we can have on our own - it comes with the love of God through the Holy Spirit.  It provides us the reassurance that "My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus' love and righteousness."  As we end this study of Romans 5, I am quite certain that we have, and will continue to have, times of suffering.  When those times come our way, may we settle a little deeper into Jesus' love and word.  Through those things we will move through perseverance, our character in Christ will become stronger and we will have the emphatic hope that we will succeed in Him. 

Heavenly Father, may we put our emphatic hope in you, knowing that you love us so much and will guide us to our intended path.  Our journey through life will not always be easy.  May you hold us close to you during times of suffering and despair.  Let us fill our lives with you and the hope that only YOU can bring.  In your name we pray.  Amen.

Character in Christ

"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.  Romans 5:3-5  (NIV)

Hard Work Builds Character!  This is a statement we hear often, especially if we are enduring something difficult that takes time and patience.  I'm sure each one of us can reflect upon a time when we worked hard on something - school, work, relationships, etc - and realized that we came out on the "other end" of the hard work with a greater level of appreciation of the hard work we endured.

In our verses of study, though, we are looking at building character through a different lens.  In this case, we didn't actually "pursue" the hard work for anything specific (school, work, etc.), we are in the middle of suffering.  I find it very hard during difficult and trying times, to look at the end, how it will be positive in the end.  

• While going through weeks of chemo, it was hard to envision not getting sick, hard to believe my hair would grow back, hard to think I would EVER feel strong again.
• While walking through the grief of losing a parent, did I ever believe the ache in my heart would ever be gone?
• In the days of unkind words and frustration of a divorce, was love ever going to be in the cards for me?

In walks character in Christ.  Relying on our own ways and means to walk through suffering, results can be difficult.  Hard times and suffering can produce anger, bitterness, frustration and a general attitude in life that is skewed towards the negative.  Have you ever met people such as that?  So much suffering has happened TO them that they can't see anything but negativity.  In walks our Jesus!

Building a character in Christ is knowing, deep in our souls, that our ability to move forward out of the darkness and into the light relies solely on ONE person - Jesus.  By giving our suffering to Him, we can continue to walk forward to the other side of heartache and not drown in sorrow.  Why does our mental, physical and emotional state change with this one differentiator?  Because we know that there was one who suffered far more than we could ever suffer, one that persevered farther than we ever could and has the character that we long to have - Jesus!  

When we rely on our Jesus during times of suffering, we can see past ourselves and look at what needs to be done to succeed.  Such greatness and power comes in the fact that God loves us and when we go to him with our suffering, he is there to receive us and build us up, not tear us down.   The greater the struggle, the greater the building.  There is strength in this knowledge and we then want to show gratitude, we want to be more like Jesus - grow in his word and his deeds for the good of Him!!  Now is the time, sisters and brothers.  If your suffering is weighing you down and you don't know where to turn, know that your strength and resolve is in front of you - in Jesus.  Open up His Word and lay down your weight on his shoulders.  He is ready to build you up in character!!!

Abba Father, I am ready to be built up.  I want a character that is rich in you and I want to better see the path to that wonder.  Although my life may be full of suffering, I ask for perseverance and an opportunity to build my character to be closer to you.  By not dwelling inward but focusing upward, I know I can feel your love.  Thank you Jesus.  Amen!

Persevering Mamas

"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.  Romans 5:3-5  (NIV)

There are many reasons that Romans 5: 3-5 has become my mantra.

• Timing - these verses came to light when I was in my darkest valley.  
• Bold words - I have come to fully embrace words like suffering, perseverance, character and hope as words that are always held close to my heart, bringing full understanding.
• Visual - the words that God gives in this passage I can truly see.  When I read this verse, I see the suffering, perseverance, character and hope of the one who died for ME.
• Grace - in the end, it is God's love that brings all of these words together for truth.

This week, as I reflect on Mother's Day and my own Mom, the word that will always come to light is the word PERSEVERANCE.  If there is one person in my life that has always persevered, it has been Mom.  I have watched that perseverance through her own suffering, whether it was physical or emotional.  When life was difficult with my dad's illnesses, Mom didn't let that stop her from ensuring everyone - not just Daddy - was taken care of.  When life turned to her own illnesses, once again, her ability to persevere - moving forward despite difficulty or suffering - was seen in every thing she did.  Mom has never let her challenges define who she is.  She has always let God and his grace define her, which is why I couldn't have asked for a better spiritual mentor than Mom.  Thanks so much Mommy!!

As I reflect on times in my life that were tough, these verses have always been with me, showing me and guiding me that with God, I can rise out of the darkness and into the light.  Suffering can certainly bring us to a fork in the road.  Instead of going left or right, I see it as either going out or in.  I can either retreat into myself and wallow in self pity and despair, or I can go out and seek God, who will bring me out of the suffering and into a level of moving forward despite suffering - perseverance.

I have had the honor to meet many mamas who have persevered throughout their lives.  Whether it was a challenging marriage, challenging children, challenging circumstances, or a challenging spirit, I have watched these women move from the suffering that they were enduring and knew that there was only one way out - perseverance.  I thank God for these shining examples of not only what it is like to keep going, but to do so with love in their hearts.

Today, as we celebrate mothers, I thank all of you who may read this.  Know that the most important one to see all that you do every day is God.  God knows the challenges you face as you put that foot out of the bed in the morning and He is with you every step thereafter.  Persevere Mama!  There is strength within you that is given to you by God.  Feel that strength!!

Dearest Father, thank you for providing perseverance and strength to us.  The boldness that we gather as we move through suffering helps us to appreciate the journey we are on.  Please continue to bless us with the courage to go to You always and live in your light.  In your gracious name I pray, Amen~~

Glory in Suffering

"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.  Romans 5:3-5  (NIV)

"I've got this!"  Those words rang through my mind.  Well, if we are being honest, those weren't the FIRST words that rang through my mind.  It was more like, "Maybe they are wrong."  When the doctor said, "You have cancer," my initial thoughts were filled with "maybe" statements versus the "I've got this" statement.  I had taken the glass-half-full philosophy throughout all the testing and the biopsy.  Once I wrapped my head around the words they had shared, and had my moment of tears, I decided it was about moving forward.  Those positive days were short-lived.

The optimism that I promised myself I would have and would share with others turned into difficult thoughts and difficult days.  The "what if" thoughts ran through my mind and optimism was overshadowed with despair.  As I reflect upon that time and the feelings I had, the negative seemed to build up even greater when I added on top of it a failing marriage and a daddy who went to be with Jesus.  The suffering seemed insurmountable.

The weight that was on my shoulders, and my heart, came to a crossroads one day when I didn't think I could go on.  Did you see the most important pronoun in that sentence - "I"?  The time had come for me to go to the foot of the cross.  That is what I literally did.  I went to church on a weekday while nobody was in the sanctuary and I sat at the cross and told Jesus I knew He was bigger than me, stronger than me, greater than me, and that I couldn't do it anymore.  It was then that Jesus said, "I've got this"!  My friends, when Jesus says those words versus when I say those words, that's when there is glory!!

Throughout the years since then, when tough times have come upon me, I have realized that it is then that we should glorify God the most!  Yes, it's always good to share the glory of God, but when life seems to be getting the best of us, take a step back to realize that we have a God who is there fighting with us, standing right there on our most difficult days, to let us know we are not alone.  We have a heavenly Father who can say, "I've got this" with far greater confidence than we have.

Trials and tribulations can overcome us.  Some days, those sufferings are not ours but are those of people we hold close.  Medical conditions, addictions, failing relationships, and depression are just a few of the many sufferings we may be dealing with either ourselves or with those around us.  It can be just as hard watching a loved one go through difficult times as it is to endure them ourselves.  Yet, let us remember to give glory to God - especially in times of suffering and difficulty.  It is in these difficult situations that we find God's strength, that we find our reliance on the Holy One, and that we find out that growth to a better tomorrow can happen when we glorify the one who brings hope.  These sweet verses have become my mantra over the years to pull me up and keep me going - to bring me the hope I need during tough times.  I pray they do the same for you.

Heavenly Father, when we glorify you in our sufferings, we know then that we are not alone.  We have you on our side saying, "I've got this" when we know we can't handle it.  Our prayers and praises need to ring out so we can shout with thanksgiving that our God can bring us the hope of salvation.  Thank you God!!  Amen~

New Beginnings

"We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.  For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.  For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with . . . because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him."  Romans 6: 4-8

There is something about a new beginning that brings joy and anxiousness.  Whether it be a new job, a new book, or a new relationship, we can get excited about what lies ahead but a bit nervous about the "what ifs".  What if I am not as qualified as I think I am for this job?  What if this book isn't as good as I heard it was?  What if this isn't the right person for me?  Beginning something new has its challenges.

When we have conflicted feelings, many times the negative runs way ahead of the positive.  We can run the risk of talking ourselves out of something long before we give it a chance to succeed.  I know I have experienced this in my life.  Whenever I begin a new project around the house, I have a very strong "vision" of what it is supposed to look like.  As I venture along the project, I begin thinking, "What if it doesn't turn out the way I envisioned it?" and I begin to see the flaws versus what has been accomplished.  These runaway negative feelings of something new can overcome us.

In walks Jesus.  Whether you are a lifelong Christian or a new Christian, Jesus provides plenty of references throughout His Word for us to have a new beginning with Him.  Each time we have an opportunity to reflect on His awesome love and salvation, we have a chance to have a new beginning with Him.  With each new Bible Study, with each new hymn we sign, with each new sermon we hear, we have a new beginning in Christ.  "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come; The old has gone, the new is here!" 2 Corinthians 5:17.  

The best part about new beginnings with Jesus is that there is no need for anxiousness, only feelings of joy and praise!  Don't think I measure up?  God accepts ALL sinners, including me!  What if His salvation isn't that great?  Nothing is sweeter than the room that awaits us in His kingdom!  What if I can't give all that He is asking for?  We get to come to Jesus just as we are!  Accepting His salvation is all Jesus asks of us.  That's it!!

Understanding that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and loves us unconditionally is the easiest and greatest new beginning you will ever have!  Yes, it is truly that simple.  Simple Faith in Christ provides us a new beginning in His world every day.  Cherish this new beginning above all else.  For as each new day dawns, we have the privilege to be called His Children.  Blessings~~

Dearest Jesus:  To be united with you through your death and resurrections helps us to see new beginnings with you each and every day.  May we relish in the thoughts that because I know that My Redeemer lives, I have a new beginning.  Please bless each and every new beginning in you by helping us to know that through simple faith, this is possible.  Amen!

Peace in Repentance

"We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.  For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.  For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with . . . because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him."  Romans 6: 4-8

Happy Easter!  This is truly a day to celebrate.  A day that, as Christians, we know to be the most important day to celebrate.  Without our Jesus Christ rising from the dead, we would be lost souls.  Without Jesus rising from the dead, our sins would never be forgiven.  Without Jesus rising from the dead, we would have no peace.

Peace is born in repentance!  Peace is one of those words that I cherish.  I have lived a part of my life with a lack of peace.  My soul struggled for many years with the "whys"!  The "Why do I have cancer?"  "Why isn't my marriage working?"  "Why did my dad have to die?"  The list goes on.  The peace that I so desperately sought was not within reach.  It was as if God forgot about me - after all these years.

Yet, peace returned the day I repented!  Throughout all of those things, I felt my thoughts and actions didn't stand up to what God wanted from me.  Especially with my divorce, I felt like I had let God down and that I wasn't worthy of peace in my life.  Enter in Easter!  As I sat in church that particular Easter morning, I heard the words of Pastor and realized that God WAS on my side.  God, did love me (enough to lay down His life or me).  God did forgive me!  

The newness of Easter sprung a new sense of peace.  Although I have had struggles since that Easter Sunday so long ago, when I walk into worship, my soul finds peace.  For as the old hymn says,                   "When peace like a river attendeth my way,

                          when sorrows like sea billows roll,

                          whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,

                          It is well, it is well with my soul."

When we comprehend what our Lord did for us over 2000 years ago, we are able to gain the peace that only comes when we fully understand that our sin has been washed away, and we will live one day with Jesus in paradise.  There is a phrase that will always bring peace to my soul.

I pray that each and every reader has a wonderful, repentant, and peaceful Easter.  May the newness of life in Christ bring your soul an ever lasting peace.  Blessings!!

Dearest Jesus, The joy of Easter reigns with all of us.  The empty tomb fills us up our souls with sins being released and life everlasting with you.  There is nothing that will produce greater peace.  Thank you for never leaving us and bringing us peace in repentance.  Amen!

Death Brings New Life

"We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.  For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.  For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with . . . because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him."  Romans 6: 4-8

"I need a new . . .!"  I can't even begin to count the numerous times those words have come out of my mouth.  When work has been tough, that phrase has been completed with "job".  When aches and pains have overcome me, "body" has ended the sentence (oh by the way, I added "thinner" to that one).  When life seems to get hard, I want it to be "new", easier, brighter, shinier, etc.  

When we look for something new, what it is replacing needs to die, get out of the way, become no more.  Here we stand, with Jesus, as we read our verses for today.  The only way something new can be bestowed upon us is if we are willing to let the old die.  In this case, it is our sin that needs to die and get out of the way, so we can revel in a new life.

As I reflect on my habits, my thoughts, and my actions, I realize there is much that I would like to throw away.  My habit of eating what I shouldn't, my negative thoughts and certainly my poor choices.  Looking at those things makes my heart drop and I know I need to change.  Flipping that switch isn't always easy.  I have found that there has only been one way that I can put off the old and jump into the new - with Jesus!!

As Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey on Palm Sunday, He heard the Hosannas and praises of those around him.  What joy that must have brought to his heart!  Yet, as the week progresses, we know that by Good Friday, the praises and hosannas had been replaced with jeers and rants of "Crucify Him"!  How could something change that fast?  It was God's plan to have his Son come to earth for us.  It was His plan to have Jesus take that walk to Calvary.  It was His plan to have him die a horrific death for us!  Yes, His death gave us new life.  By Jesus' journey, he took our sin, our death to sin, with him.  With Jesus' walk, our death to sin changed that fast, to a new life. 

The only way we can live a new life is to believe that our sins died on the cross with Jesus.  Our repentant sins have been washed away for a new life - a life everlasting.  There is such joy and glory in that sentence!  Death isn't the end, it's just the beginning.  When we think about needing something "new", may we know and understand that the only new thing we need is to have simple faith in our Jesus, the one who died to bring us the new everlasting life that will keep us with him in paradise.  Only with Jesus can we jump into the new life; only with Jesus can we be brighter and shinier!!

Dearest Jesus,  As we begin Holy Week and reflect upon your journey into Jerusalem to the journey to the cross, may we also reflect on our own sin.  Help us to realize that the only way we can have new life in you is to understand we need to put death to our own sin.  YOU DID THAT FOR US!  Through your journey, you brought us death to sin for a new life in you.  May we always remember that as we walk through our daily lives.  In your holy name we pray, Amen.