Tag Archives: Hope in God

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A Gift For God

How To Make Him Happy

SYNOPSIS: What can you give to a God who has it all and does it all? Only your fear and your hope! What satisfies God to the core of his being is the fear that arises not out of terror, but from the kind of reverence and obedience that comes from knowing that he is the giver and sustainer of life itself, the rightful owner of Planet Earth and ruler of your life.

Project 52—Memorize:
Psalm 147:11

“The LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.”

How do you make God happy?  He has everything he wants and can create what he doesn’t have.

God is all-powerful—after all, he even created all the stars and calls them each by name:  “He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.” (Psalm 147:4)

God knows everything there is to know—there is no limit to either his power or his understanding: “Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.” (Psalm 147:5)

God has fixed up this little globe called earth to run amazingly well, sustaining its ecological systems: “He sends his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. He spreads the snow like wool, and scatters the frost like ashes. He hurls down his hail like pebbles. Who can withstand his icy blast? He sends his word and melts them; he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow.” (Psalm 147:15-18)

God has even ordered provision for the daily needs of his earthly creatures: “He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call.” (Psalm 147:8-9)

So precisely, abundantly, and consistently does God care for the earth’s higher inhabitants that their utter and ceaseless gratitude is only fitting: “Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp.” (Psalm 147:7)

What, then, can you give to a God who has it all and does it all?  Only your fear and your hope! What satisfies God to the core of his being is the fear that arises not out of terror, but from the kind of reverence and respect that comes from knowing that he is the giver and sustainer of life itself, the rightful owner of Planet Earth and ruler of your life.

What causes God pleasure is the hope that looks to him for protection, peace, and provision: “For he strengthens the bars of your gates and blesses your people within you. He grants peace to your borders and satisfies you with the finest of wheat. (Psalm 147:13-14)

What causes God pleasure is the patience that waits for him to execute justice and fairness: “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” (Psalm 147:3)

What causes God pleasure is trust that expects him to fulfill his good purposes to all those who belong to him: “He has revealed his word to Jacob, his laws and decrees to Israel. He has done this for no other nation; they do not know his laws.” (Psalm 147:19-20).

What gift can you offer to the one Being who truly has it all?  Just your very life, that’s all.

“God desires to be loved by men, although He needs them not; and men refuse to love God, though they need Him in an infinite degree.” ~Plaintes Du Sauveur

Reflect and Apply: Do you want to bring a smile to God’s face today?  I think you know what to do!

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Hope is Alive

Nothing Else Matters

CHRIST IS RISEN—AND NOTHING ELSE MATTERS! If you believe Jesus rose from the dead, then stop living like he’s still in the tomb. Jesus died on Good Friday and rose again on Easter Sunday so that you and I can live with hope on Monday—and every other day of the week throughout life and for all eternity.

Enduring Truth // Matthew 27:50, 1 Peter 1:3

Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit…Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Jesus died on Good Friday, but rose again on Easter Sunday, so that you and I can live with hope on Monday—and every other day of the week throughout life and for all eternity. That is what Peter calls living hope:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (1 Peter 1:3)

When you fully embrace this living hope, you will quit living like Jesus is still dead! That is our problem, I think: We embrace Good Friday and rejoice in Resurrection Sunday, but go back to work or school on Monday and live as if the Lord’s body is still in the tomb.

The story is told of Martin Luther, who once spent three days in a deep depression over something that had gone wrong. On the third day his wife, Katie, came downstairs dressed in mourning clothes. Luther asked, “Who’s dead?” She replied, “God!” Luther was offended, “What do you mean, God is dead? God cannot die.” Kate replied, “Well, the way you’ve been acting I was sure He had!”

Peter calls to us today, to snap out of post-Easter funk, because Jesus lives! We have a living hope that really matters beyond Easter!” I love how historian Jaroslav Pelikan said it, “If Christ is risen—nothing else matters. And if Christ is not risen—nothing else matters.”

What difference does an Easter resurrection make on a back-to-work Monday?

  1. Christ’s death and resurrection are the foundation of your faith. The fact is, without the resurrection, your faith (and life) is meaningless. I Corinthians 15:14 says, “If Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.”
  2. Christ’s death and resurrection are the basis of your hope. 1 Corinthians 15:19-20 says, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than anyone else in the world. But Christ has been raised to life! And this makes us certain that we will also be raised to life.” Hebrews 6:19 says, “We have this hope as an anchor of the soul, firm and secure.” Romans 5:5 say this “hope does not disappoint us!”
  3. Christ’s death and resurrection are the guarantee of your resurrection. Jesus said in John 11:25-26, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” If you do—believe, that is—the cross and the empty tomb become God’s signature on the Divine contract with you assuring you of eternal life after you die.

Yes, Christ is risen, and nothing else matters!

Thrive: When you wake up tomorrow, try singing, “Christ the Lord is Risen Today.” It just might fill you with hope, and that can’t hurt.

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Depressed? Practice Hope!

The Sure Path to Emotional Balance

Depressed? Practice hope! How? Start by dwelling on the love and kindness that God has for you. Dwell on all the things he has done for you for which you are grateful. Dwell on all the promises he has made to you in Scripture. Dwell on the promise of heaven. Basically, just do some reverse worrying. What do you do when you are worried? You dwell on the negative. So just turn that around and dwell on the positive truth of God’s Word. Do that—practice hope—and watch it “rock your world.”

Enduring Truth // Psalm 42:1

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

I am not a mental health expert, so don’t go throwing away your meds if you are under the care of a medical professional. And please don’t take this as the final word on clinical depression. So with that caveat out of the way, let me just say that I think the authors of this psalm, the sons of Korah, David’s worship team, are on to something.

And since we believe this sacred book, the Bible, is God’s perfect revelation of himself and his will for mankind, then let’s lean it to it as our only rule of faith and practice, perfect in all it affirms. Let’s treat it as we should—as the first, highest and best authority by which we will live our lives!

So when it comes to the ups and downs that we commonly experience in our daily existence, this psalm reminds us that the sure path to emotional balance and inner joy is to practice hope. The psalmist says, “put your hope in God.” The Apostle Paul said it a bit differently—but he had the same thing in mind: Put on…hope.” (I Thessalonians 5:8)

Practice hope! How? Start by dwelling on the love and kindness that God has for you. Dwell on all the things he has done for you for which you are grateful. Dwell on all the promises he has made to you in Scripture. Dwell on the promise of heaven. Basically, just do some reverse worrying. What do you do when you are worried? You dwell on the negative. So just turn that around and dwell on the positive truth of God’s Word. Do that—practice hope—and watch it “rock your world.”

Don’t believe that will work? Well, let me give you just one example of how hope can change you. Suppose you were to receive a phone call later today from an old friend who enthusiastically says, “Friend, I have good news. You can take a 7-day trip to Hawaii with my company that won’t cost you a dime. We have room for two more…but here’s the catch: we leave tomorrow evening at 9:00 PM. The boss is taking us on his private jet, and we’ll be staying at his beachfront villa in Maui.” You tell him you’ll call him right back, and the minute you get off the phone, you and your spouse, who was listening in, start thinking and planning. Out comes the pen and paper, and you begin to prioritize what you need to do to make this happen. Then you call the friend back, and tell him you’re in.

If that were to happen, I guarantee that you would then begin to ruthlessly align your life over the next 24 hours to pull off that all expenses paid trip to paradise. You might say that the hope of Hawaii tomorrow changed the way you lived today.

There’s something even better and more permanent than Hawaii. It’s called heaven. So why don’t you live like you are going there tomorrow—everyday! Here’s the deal: You’ll be amazed at how hitching your hope to the promise of heaven (or the love of God, or the blessings of salvation, or any other truth of God’s Word) will change everything you experience today—even your emotions.

Practice hope!

Thrive: So why don’t you give it a try! As the psalm says, “Hope thou in God!”

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Be At Rest

Why Trust Anyone Other Than The Everlastingly Faithful God

What are you putting your hope in at this moment? The government? Your investments? The media? Your doctor? Science? Technology? The American dream? Not that any of those are inherently bad, but they are not God. Put all your hope in him and you will never be disappointed!

Read: Psalm 146 // Focus: Psalm 146:5-6

“Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—the LORD, who remains faithful forever.”

Here’s the bottom line, Biblically speaking, for you: God alone is faithful—no one else is! That’s what the psalm is proclaiming from start to finish in Psalm 146. And the fact that he alone is everlastingly faithful means there are some life-altering implications for you:

That is why God alone is worthy of your praise: “Praise the Lord, my soul. I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.” (Psalm 146:1-2)

That is why you should place your trust in him alone: “Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.” (Psalm 146:3-4)

That is why you should look to God alone to give you justice, provision, and freedom: “He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free,” (Psalm 146:7)

That is why you should believe for God to give you vision, hope and reward: “ the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous.” (Psalm 146:8)

That is why should expect security and fairness from him: “The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.” (Psalm 146:9).

That is why you should surrender to his eternal reigns: “The Lord reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations.” (Psalm 146:10)

Only God is everlastingly faithful!

What are you putting your hope in at this moment? The government? Your investments? The media? Your doctor? Science? Technology? The American dream?

Not that any of those are inherently bad, but they are not God. They do not have unlimited power, foreknowledge of what the future holds, indisputable justice and complete moral clarity. Only the One who created all things, sustains the universe moment by moment, and holds tomorrow in his hands will be able to continually keep his eye on you (Psalm 33:18), provide you with everything necessary for life, health, happiness and peace (Acts 17:28, II Peter 1:3), shower you with his favor (Psalm 147:11) and fulfill his promise of your eternal life (Psalm 16:10, II Corinthians 5:1).

So put all your hope in God (Psalm 43:5) and you will never be put to shame (Psalm 25:3), nor will you be disappointed (Romans 5:5). Only he is everlastingly faithful.

Making Life Work: In whom are you placing trust: The government? Your investments? The media? Your doctor? Science? Technology? The American dream? Take a look at what is written on a coin in your pocket. What does it say? In God We Trust. Ding! Ding! Ding! That is the correct answer. Take a moment to exclaim that in a prayer to your trustworthy God.

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A Gift For God

Reflect:
Psalm 147:11

“The LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.”

How do you make God happy?  He has everything he wants and can create what he doesn’t have.

God is all-powerful—after all, he even created all the stars and calls them each by name:  “He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.” (Psalm 147:4)

God knows everything there is to know—there is no limit to either his power or his understanding: “Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.” (Psalm 147:5)

God has fixed up this little globe called earth to run amazingly well, sustaining its ecological systems: “He sends his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. He spreads the snow like wool, and scatters the frost like ashes. He hurls down his hail like pebbles. Who can withstand his icy blast? He sends his word and melts them; he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow.” (Psalm 147:15-18)

God has even ordered provision for the daily needs of his earthly creatures: “He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call.” (Psalm 147:8-9)

So accurately, abundantly and consistently does God care for the earth’s higher inhabitants that their utter and ceaseless gratitude is only fitting: “Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp.” (Psalm 147:7)

What, then, can you give to a God who has it all and does it all?  Only your fear and your hope! What satisfies God to the core of his being is the fear that arises not out of terror, but from the kind of reverence and respect that comes from knowing that he is the giver and sustainer of life itself, the rightful owner of Planet Earth and ruler of your life.

What causes God pleasure is the hope that looks to him for protection, peace and provision: “For he strengthens the bars of your gates and blesses your people within you. He grants peace to your borders and satisfies you with the finest of wheat. (Psalm 147:13-14)

What causes God pleasure is the patience that waits for him to execute justice and fairness: “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” (Psalm 147:3)

What causes God pleasure is trust that expects him to fulfill his good purposes to all those who belong to him: “He has revealed his word to Jacob, his laws and decrees to Israel. He has done this for no other nation; they do not know his laws.” (Psalm 147:19-20).

What gift can you offer to the one Being who truly has it all?  Just your very life, that’s all.

“God desires to be loved by men, although He needs them not; and men refuse to love God, though they need Him in an infinite degree.” ~Plaintes Du Sauveur

Reflect and Apply: Do you want to bring a smile to God’s face today?  I think you know what to do!

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Everlastingly Faithful

Read Psalm 146

Featured Verse: Psalm 146:5-6

“Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them— the LORD, who remains faithful forever.”

Here’s a biblical bottom line for you: God alone is faithful—no one else is!

That is why God alone is worthy of your praise (Psalm 146:1-2) and in him alone should you place your trust (Psalm 146:3-4). God alone will give you justice, provision, and freedom (Psalm 146:7), vision, hope and reward (Psalm 146:8), security and fairness (Psalm 146:9). That is why he reigns forever (Psalm 146:10); he alone is everlastingly faithful.

Who or what else can make that claim—and back it up?

What are you putting your hope in at this moment? The government? Your investments? The media? Your doctor? Science? Technology? The guarantee of the American dream? Not that any of those are inherently bad, but they are not God. They do not have unlimited power, foreknowledge of what the future holds, indisputable justice and complete moral clarity. Only the One who created all things, sustains the universe moment by moment, and holds tomorrow in his hands will be able to continually keep his eye on you (Psalm 33:18), provide you with everything necessary for life, health, happiness and peace (Acts 17:28, II Peter 1:3), shower you with his favor (Psalm 147:11) and fulfill his promise of your eternal life (Psalm 16:10, II Corinthians 5:1).

So put all your hope in God (Psalm 43:5) and you will never be put to shame (Psalm 25:3), nor will you be disappointed (Romans 5:5). Only he is everlastingly faithful.

“I have a better Caretaker than you and all the angels. He it is who lies in a manger…but at the same time sits at the right hand of God, the Father. Therefore be at rest.”
~Martin Luther

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Psalm 146: Everlastingly Faithful

One Year Bible: II Kings 13:1-14:29, Acts 18:23-19:12; Psalm 146:1-10; Proverbs 18:2-3

Everlastingly Faithful

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD his God,
the Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything in them—
the LORD, who remains faithful forever.
(Psalm 146:5-6)

Here’s a biblical bottom line for you: God alone is faithful—no one else is!

That is why God alone is worthy of your praise (Psalm 146:1-2) and in him alone should you place your trust (Psalm 146:3-4). God alone will give you justice, provision, and freedom (Psalm 146:7), vision, hope and reward (Psalm 146:8), security and fairness (Psalm 146:9). That is why he reigns forever (Psalm 146:10); he alone is everlastingly faithful.

Who or what else can make that claim—and back it up?

What are you putting your hope in at this moment? The government? Your investments? The media? Your doctor? Science? Technology? The guarantee of the American dream? Not that any of those are inherently bad, but they are not God. They do not have unlimited power, foreknowledge of what the future holds, indisputable justice and complete moral clarity. Only the One who created all things, sustains the universe moment by moment, and holds tomorrow in his hands will be able to continually keep his eye on you (Psalm 33:18), provide you with everything necessary for life, health, happiness and peace (Acts 17:28, II Peter 1:3), shower you with his favor (Psalm 147:11) and fulfill his promise of your eternal life (Psalm 16:10, II Corinthians 5:1).

So put all your hope in God (Psalm 43:5) and you will never be put to shame (Psalm 25:3), nor will you be disappointed (Romans 5:5). Only he is everlastingly faithful.

“I have a better Caretaker than you and all the angels. He it is who lies
in a manger…but at the same time sits at the right hand of God,
the Father. Therefore be at rest.”
~Martin Luther