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I Needed Hope Today
Andrea Lende • June 14, 2020
Psalm 71:14 Psalm 130:5
I Needed Hope Today
You can also listen to the meditation and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/I-Needed-Hope-Today-efdov1
Daily Word:
Psalm 71:14
“But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more.”
Psalm 130:5
“I wait for the Lord. I expectantly wait, and in His word do I hope.”
I needed to be filled with hope today.
I sought out scripture about hope because God always provides what I need in His Word.
The verses above help lift me up when hope seems out of reach.
Our first verse talks about finding hope in praising God.
Not just a little praise.
But praise, “more and more”.
When I praise God, I remember what He has done in my life.
This happens naturally because I start thinking about all the things God has done for me.
And as I do, I can genuinely praise Him.
As I genuinely praise Him, I become hopeful.
Hopeful that He will deliver me from my circumstances as He has done so many times in the past.
Our second verse talks about waiting on God.
But not just waiting – waiting expectantly.
It makes me think of Christmas in the eyes and hearts of small children.
They expectantly wait for the magic of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to unfold.
The excitement in their eyes is seen by all around.
And, particularly, by the parents who have worked so hard to provide their children with their desires and wants.
It is a joy to give to our children when they are so excited and thankful to receive.
In their joy, we become joyful.
The same must be true for our heavenly Father.
He sees us wait expectantly upon Him.
He sees us excited about the gifts He is about to bestow upon us.
And He provides.
These verses fill my heart with hope.
Today I choose to wait expectantly upon the Lord to provide all that I need and so many of the things I desire.
May you find that the God of the universe is gracious unto you, and is joyful about blessing you and your circumstances.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for seeing me. Thank You for seeing the inner most part of my soul. Thank You for filling me with Your Holy Spirit that lights the darkness. Thank You for Your Word that assures me You are watching over and protecting me in every way. Thank You for speaking to my heart and lifting me up. May I sit in Your presence for a few precious moments this day and be filled with Your love. Strengthen me, Lord, as I feel week. Your power floods my soul and gives me strength to love others and be kind in the midst of pain. Help me do Your will, Lord. May I follow You above all else. Help me seek Your peace amongst the chaos of this world. Help me hear Your voice above the noise around me. Keep me in Your care, Father. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM with you, My child, and I see your needs.
Response: Thank You, most gracious and loving Father.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.