Category: Hope

I can’t believe it’s May 19th again. That could very well be what my sister is thinking as she adds another candle to her birthday cake. Time flies when you’re having fun, right? What about when you aren’t? The truth is it really doesn’t matter whether you’re having fun or not, there are still 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a day, etc. It only seems that it is going faster when you’re having fun.

May 19th has become notorious for me in recent years for a reason apart from my sister’s birthday. This year marks 3 years since my infamous elbow surgery gone bad. It seemed like such a simple procedure at the time, but the results were (and still are) quite complicated. As the days and weeks followed, I slowly came to realize that my life had taken an unexpected turn, at least from my perspective. This new route has been far from fun. Time doesn’t seem to be moving all that fast on this road I’ve been traveling. As I write this I am reminded of the Israelites on their way to the Promised Land. If I remember correctly it took them 40 years to make a journey that should have taken 9 days. That’s quite a disparity! Apparently they weren’t ready to enter the Promised Land quite yet so God took them on a detour. While on that detour He molded and shaped their character to prepare them for their future. Apparently it was a very lengthy process! While wandering in the desert, they moaned, grumbled and complained, grew impatient and were even fearful at times. I’m not so different from the Israelites. Are you?

For as long as I am on this road that I am currently traveling, I vow to remember that there is purpose in it and wanted to remind you that there is purpose in the detours of your life as well. Let us rejoice in that knowledge.

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope …” Romans 5:3-4 (ESV)

I don’t know how long it might take us to reach our “promised land” but I believe with every part of my being that He will sustain us on His chosen path. Not only sustain us, but also make us look more like Jesus in the process. Our hope is in Him, now and forever. Amen.

Upon recommendation from my pastor I have been reading the Bible online through various plans offered at YouVersion, the Bible App, for the past several years.  I get an email from YouVersion every so often encouraging me to keep up the good work or sometimes to let me know that I’ve missed a few days. The other day I received a different message. In this message, it was suggested that I choose a verse to focus on in the new year. I have been thinking about it ever since.  It is kind of overwhelming to try to pick just one from God’s instruction manual for living.

As I have been thinking about this, God brought something to mind from the first Christian fiction that I ever read, the Mitford series by Jan Karon.  In this series of books, the main character, Father Tim, often resorted to the prayer that never fails when he was at a loss for words and would simply say, “Your will be done.”  This has stuck with me over the years for a few reasons.  It is so simply stated and it really is the prayer that never fails.

While I was trying to come up with a focus verse I looked for verses that pertained to healing because that is the desire of my heart and is never far from my mind. That, and my doctor says we’re going to fix it in ’14!  I know this—we are certainly going to give it our best shot. Ultimately, though, I have decided to choose part of the Lord’s Prayer for my focus verse of the year..your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:10 NIV) Why that one? Because it is the prayer that never fails!

The prayer I offer for healing, on behalf of all those who are suffering, is that it would happen in His perfect time and in His perfect way.  There is no guarantee we’re going to fix it in ’14, maybe not even in this lifetime, but there WILL be healing.  I shall leave the details to Him. Why? Because I am His child and He loves me. I believe He knows and wants what is best for me.  His promise in Romans 8:28 to use it ALL for my good, even the unwanted, undesirable circumstances of life, brings me comfort in the midst of the pain.  He makes that promise to each of His children.

I pray as I walk through this new year He would help me overcome my pride and selfish desires and simply want what He wants.  The beginning  of the Lord’s Prayer as written in The Message states, Our Father in heaven, Reveal who you are. Set the world right; Do what’s best— as above, so below. Amen?

Do you have a verse to focus on in 2014? If so, I’d love to have you share it here at theultim8gift.com. Let’s hold each other accountable and stay FOCUSED!