"If the LORD delights in a person's way, He makes their steps firm; though they stumble, they will not fall, for the LORD upholds them with His hand." (Psalm 37:23,24)

13 March HOPE

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2020
Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends. 
Today is Friday the 13th!!
 
In the hearts of many people, any ‘friday the 13th’ is a day to stay in bed or at least a day to anticipate very bad news. What about you? What does God say to us on days like today?
 
I’m sure you would agree our world right now is in fear. 
* A global ‘pandemic’ of fear related to the Coronavirus illness, has now gripped millions of people with worry and confusion.
* The global economic chaos also has millions of people in great fear regarding their jobs, their investments and their future.
 
What does GOD say to us today my friends? What is God wanting you and me, people who trust in Him, to be thinking, saying and doing where-ever we are in the world…today, in the face of such bad news?
 
I have found the most powerful thing for calming fear and restoring hope and confidence is God’s truth. The truth about HIM and His reliability, His faithfulness in times like these. 
 
 
So this morning may I help you focus on some of the great truths God has for us in such uncertain, even frightening times? What I’m giving you today may become for you an anchor in the storm not just for today, but for a long time to come, so I urge you to take the next several days to work through these great truths from God. . .
 
Psalm 139 assures us that God is fully aware of all that is happening in our world, even individually in each of our lives. NOTHING is beyond His understanding. While things may seem confusing and even dark to us in these days, “…even the darkness will not be dark to YOU, O God…Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast. ” (Psalm 139:10-12) May I urge you to carefully read through this great Psalm of assurance?
 
Psalm 9 is a powerful statement in the face of frightening times. I will praise You, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High…The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know Your name will trust in You, for You, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek You.” (Psalm 9:1,2,9,10) 
 
Have you discovered the power of PRAISE my friends? Intentionally celebrating, thanking God for all His glorious attributes, and specifically thanking Him for wonderful things HE has done in your life journey? Praise defeats fear. Remembering God’s great work in your life emboldens your confidence to face the current challenges, because God is unchanging. (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8) Do you see in those Psalm verses all the actions words, and the words I WILL repeated over and over?
 
Do you remember that each of the great names of God describes one or more of His magnificent, dependable attributes, which call us to worship & rely upon HIM in chaotic times. May I give you a few of these names? 
   Jehovah LaHai Roi… “The God who sees me”  (Genesis 16:7-13) Remember the story of Hagar who felt all was lost in despair, until God spoke to her through an angel?
   El Shaddai… “The All Sufficient God”  (Genesis 17:1-8)  Abraham had given up on the promise of God made so many years before, but God is ALWAYS reliable. His miracle son Isaac would soon be born. God had not forgotten His promises!
   Jehovah Jireh… “The LORD will provide”  (Genesis 22:8-18) In total trust Abraham was ready to sacrifice his son, but God provided a ram in the thicket. Throughout Scripture God provides for His people who trust Him in desperate times! Remember God’s faithful provision of Manna and water in the desert for 1 million people, for 40 years?
   Jehovah… “I AM that I AM” (Exodus 3:14)  Moses discovered ‘the great I AM’ to be far more than He could ever comprehend. God is more than we will ever need! 
 
milky way
   
Psalm 62:5-8 “Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, He is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in HIM at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.” Because God is Eternal; Omnipotent (all powerful); Omniscient (all knowing); Omnipresent (everywhere at all times); Holy; Loving; and Compassionate, we can find our peace, our hope, our confidence in HIM! Do you agree with that my friends?
 
Matthew 11:28,29 “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” These are Jesus’ words, inviting us to come to Him as our Savior, our Lord, our King and receive His comfort as we ‘yoke’ ourselves with Him and learn from Him. This means we ‘walk closely with Jesus’ in our relationship with Him, loving Him and listening to Him as He guides us through His Word and His Holy Spirit. Nothing will calm our hearts more than soaking in the powerful truth of God’s Word as the Holy Spirit speaks God’s truth into our troubled minds. 
 
yoke
 
Psalm 89:1,2,15,16 “I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make Your faithfulness known through all generations. I will declare that Your love stands firm forever, that you established Your faithfulness in heaven itself.
Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim You, who walk in the light of Your presence, O LORD. They rejoice in Your name all day long; they exult in Your righteousness. For You are their glory and strength…”  
 
   The power of God’s unconditional, unwavering LOVE for you and me, each created by God in His image, and each of us sustained every moment of every day by God’s Power…should be greatly encouraging to us! The faithfulness of God should sustain us when all else may fail. God is always faithful to His character and nature. Always faithful to His Word and His Promises. Always faithful to His people! Therefore as we walk each day in the confidence of HIS Presence with us, and His holiness at all times, we will find great strength in God to face anything! 
 
Now consider these truths about how God is watching all that is taking place in our turbulent world, and especially watching over His people:
 
2 Chronicles 16:9 “The eyes of the LORD roam to and fro, across the whole earth, looking to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.” 
 
Exodus 3:7,8 “I have indeed seen the misery of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them…”
 
Psalm 33:13-18 “From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; from His dwelling place He watches all who live on earth – He who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do…the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love…”
 
Psalm 33:20-22 “We wait in hope for the LORD’ He is our help and our shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name. May YOUR unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in YOU!”
 
My friends do you see how these powerful Scriptures link together calling us to have confidence in our Almighty God who is totally aware of all that is happening in our world and our lives? Can you trust Him today? Can you praise God for all you see He has done in your life? Can you encourage others to trust Him?
 
Psalm 77 is a tremendous Psalm, exactly for times such as we are in right now. I urge you, my friends, to read verses 1-14 outloud, slowly, carefully… and look to see how these verses fit with you today! You’ll find the first 9 verses reflect the fear, the despair, the worry of our world today. 
 
away
 
Then suddenly, in verse 10 everything changes, can you see why? The writer turns his focus from the frightening despair around him to the wonder, the majesty, the reality of Almighty God and remembers all God has done in the past! God’s great track record of miraculous achievement in the past, gives the Psalmist great HOPE in his despair!  Oh I urge you to soak in this great Psalm of raw reality and powerful hope.
 
Finally my friends, let’s turn to the words of Jesus in the upper room with His friends, the night before He went to the cross. Specifically the 15th chapter of John’s Gospel. 
 
Jesus knows that within hours all those disciples would run into the night, deserting Him as soldiers came to arrest Jesus! He also knew that by the next morning, He would be hanging on a cross in excruciating pain and humiliation. Yet Jesus here, in chapter 15, urges His friends to live every day linked very closely with Him, as His friends. Jesus promises His power, His love, that He will be with us in our times of despair. 
 
Please note Jesus urges His friends to understand how much God loves them. Jesus urges them to remain faithful in trusting in Him at all times. Jesus calls them His friends and explains that He wants them to experience JOY in life, not fear and despair. Jesus even warns them that difficult days are ahead…but HE is with us in it all. 
 
Oh friends, as the daily news continues to be frightening regarding Coronavirus and global travel and economic chaos, please, please root your hope, your confidence, in your relationship with Almighty God who is Sovereign over all, and Jesus Christ who has paid the full price to save you from your sin condemnation and place His Holy Spirit within you! If you have trusted Jesus to be your Savior, He is walking each day with you!
 
 
 
And finally remember this… this world is not our home, we are just passin’ through! These few years we have here are a tiny fraction of time as compared to all eternity we will have with Jesus and all who have trusted in Him for Salvation! But for here and now, God offers us His help… His Word which is so very powerful as it penetrates our minds and hearts with His Truth! His Son, Jesus our Savior and Lord, and His Holy Spirit who fills us with His Presence and walks with us each day so we face nothing alone! 
 
Oh Almighty God we trust in You today, and thank You that you are fully aware of all that is happening in our world. We hold tightly to the truth of Psalm 33 which we’ve looked at today:
 
  Psalm 33:20-22 “We wait in hope for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name. May YOUR unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in YOU!”
 
 
 

Click to read today’s chapter: Psalms 33; Psalms 77; John 15. (At the top you can choose a different translation.)
 

Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from youcontact me here.


Pastor Doug Anderson    262.441.8785  
Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)

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