"Put your hope in God" - Psalm 42:5

Our psalmist in today's verse may have been in exile, away from all he loved, including his worship time with the Lord.  He was downcast (the opposite of  hopeful) and felt forgotten and oppressed;  but his faith was strong and he knew to go "deep" and remind himself of God's promises.  When we cling to those promises we know to be true in His word, our hope is renewed.  Our hearts must learn to trust even when we cannot see or feel God's presence. 

I saw a clip on The Today Show this morning of the young girl in Georgia who has been afflicted with the flesh-eating disease and has lost limbs.  What a joy to see the smile on her face when she was able to go outside and enjoy the sunshine.  Her dad, with a smile on his face, said because of prayer they were able to be grateful and joyful in the midst of this trial.  Here's great news:  joy follows hope...it is the fruit of  hope.  Henri Nouwen in HERE AND NOW says:
           
                              "When we trust profoundly that today is the day of the Lord
                              and that tomorrow is safely hidden in God's love, our faces
                              can relax, and we can smile back at the One who smiles at us."

Hope is found in no one else but God.  As we look around the world today, despair rises up.  But Chuck Colson said: "Despair is a sin because it denies the sovereignty of God."  This is what I know to be true:
--God is love (1 John 4:16)
--In Him there is no darkness (1 John 1:5)
--He has a plan and it is good (Jeremiah 29:11)
--We have life in His Son (John 3:16)
--I will never be separated from His love (Romans 8:38)

This pillow sits on our bed:

Who can you encourage with hope today?

For further study:  Job 13:15, Psalm 71:14, Psalm 73:26,  Proverbs 13:12, Isaiah 40:31, Romans 8:24, 28, 1 Corinthians 13:13, 1 Timothy 6:17-19, Titus 2:11-14, Hebrews 6:17-20 and 10:23, 1 John 3:1-3.

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,

Holly

Think on lovely things... - Phil. 4:8

"...whatever is true, whatever is noble,

whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,

whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or

praiseworthy - think about such things"

My mother said it differently...she always told me "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all".  The child's song says:

                                     

                                        "Oh be careful little eyes what you see,

                                          Oh be careful little ears what you hear,

                                          For the Father up above is looking down in love

                                          Oh be careful little eyes what you see."

You might say: "garbage in, garbage out".  The Scripture says it like this: "We demolish arguments and every pretention that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5).

In case you haven't noticed, there are a lot of "unlovely" things to watch and read out there.  I find myself more and more unable to tolerate what's in print or on the television...pictures stay in my head and often what stays in my head is thought about a lot.

So, my summer reading will not be including E.L. James' FIFTY SHADES OF GREY.  Mary Kassian, a respected Christian speaker/author, wrote on Revive our Hearts why she will not be reading it.  I think it is worth repeating.  Here are her 7 reasons:

1.  It violates God's design for sex.

2.  It violates the biblical concept of authority.

3.  It violates the biblical concept of submission.

4.  It encourages the sin of sensuality.

5.  It promotes sexual perversion.

6.  It glamorizes pathological relationships.

7.  You won't get it out of your head.

I don't have to experience something for myself to know the danger of the experience.  Dannah Gresh, in a similar article, says:

                     "God has given me more than fifty shades of truth in His word

                     and when just one of them is in conflict with my entertainment

                     choices, I choose to pass!"

There are a lot of things we don't have choices in, but for the life of me I can't figure out why women would want to read such books.  As for me, I will choose to read things that honor God rather than grieve Him.  Respect yourself more than supporting those things that describe severe emotional and physical pain.  Choose to "think on lovely things...".

For further study:  Genesis 2:24, Psalm 33:13-15, Psalm 119:37, 127-128, Proverbs 4:23, Proverbs 22:5, 1 Corinthians 6:18-20, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8, Hebrews 13:4, 1 John 2:15-17.

Our pillow open house is this Thursday from 1 to 5...you are all invited!

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word!

Love,

Holly



GREAT IS THE LORD

"Great is the Lord and most worthy

of praise; his greatness no one can fathom."

Psalm 145:3

GREAT IS THE LORD because

...He created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1)
...He never leaves us or forsakes us (Deuteronomy 31:8)
...He drives out our enemy (Deuteronomy 33:27)
...He alone heals and forgives (2 Chron. 7:14)
...He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed (Job 5:9)
...His plans stand firm forever (Psalm 33:11)
...He is close to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18)
...His love endures forever (Psalm 100:5)
...He alone is righteous (Psalm 119:137)
...He gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness (Ecc. 2:26)
...His compassions never fail (Lamentations 3:22)
...He is mighty to save (Zephaniah 3:17)
...He removes our heart of stone and gives us a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26)
...He loved the world so much He gave His only Son for those who believe (John 3:16)
...He gives us His Spirit to guide us into truth (John 16:13)
...All things were created by Him...and in Him all things hold together (Colossians 1:16-17)
...His word stands forever (Isaiah 40:8 and 1 Peter 1:25)
...He knows everything (1 John 3:20)
...He loves, enabling us to love (1 John 4:19)
...He alone will reign forever and ever (Revelation 11:15)

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,
Holly