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My Hope is in the Lord
Andrea Lende • October 14, 2021
Romans 9:33
My Hope is in the Lord
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/My-Hope-is-in-the-Lord-e18ice5
Romans 9:33
“As it is written, Behold I am laying in Zion a Stone that will make men stumble, a Rock that will make them fall; but he who believes in Him [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Him] shall not be put to shame nor be disappointed in his expectations.”
When Jesus came to this earth the educated teachers, lawyers, and priests rejected Him.
They didn’t see Who they had expected to see in the coming Messiah.
They expected greater stature.
They were waiting for a King.
However, the Lord sent His Son to be born to a humble, modest, and unassuming family.
He sent His Son to save the poor and the afflicted.
And even though Jesus performed acts of healing and miracles, the leaders of the day couldn’t see that He was the Son of God.
It is confusing to try and understand why.
Why would God send His Son to the humblest of people?
Why would He blind the eyes of the leaders of the synagogue?
The ones who taught the Word.
There are no easy answers, and we may not ever really know until we meet the King in heaven.
However, our verse today comforts me in these difficult times because it says that “he who believes in Him shall not be put to shame nor be disappointed in his expectations.”
We only need to believe.
Believe in Jesus as God’s Son and accept His sacrifice for us.
In doing so, the Word tells us we will not be disappointed or suffer shame.
We may become disappointed over earthly things, but we will never be disappointed by God and His ability to bless us and strengthen us.
It is up to me, however, to distinguish between earthly and spiritual things.
When disappointment comes my way, I need to make sure I know that my disappointment is in the world and not in God.
I can never be disappointed in the Lord.
He is my Strength and High Tower.
He is my Joy.
He is Love.
Today I choose to be thankful the Lord never disappoints me and believe for His continued source of grace, mercy, forgiveness, and love.
May you find as you focus on the Lord and His love for you, you are able to let go of the disappointments of this world.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for Your never-ending grace, mercy, forgiveness, and love. Thank You for Your overflowing cup which never runs dry. Thank You for strengthening me in spirit as I read Your Word. Thank You for the promise of never being disappointed by You and Your care of me. Help me believe continually in Your goodness no matter what the world looks like. You are always good. You are always love. You are always merciful. You give grace upon grace – so undeserved and yet so lavishly poured over my life. Help me be thankful for all You do for me. Fill my heart with gratefulness today, Father. Help me be more loving and compassionate to all those around me, Lord. Help me serve with joy. Help me hold fast to patience when my patience seems gone. Quiet my soul, Lord. May Your peace rest upon me. Take the burdens I carry, Father, and do what only You can do. Thank You, Lord, for allowing me to come to You with my needs. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM with you My child, and your hope in Me will never disappoint.
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.