In the center of the cyclone

Is a place of utter calm:

In the whirl of mad confusion

I am sheltered in the palm

Of the hand that cups the sky:

Hidden, treasured, safe am I.

(Author unknown to me)

 

 

 

If you ever believe that your bad situation will last forever, you have lost hope.  If you have lost hope, you have lost the ability to plan creative ways to solve the present crisis.  Many times we would be able to overcome a hopeless attitude if we simply spoke hopefully about it.  (I don’t recall from where I gleaned this.)

In this world of daily uncertainties, we need to keep hope alive.  We are facing a new year with many unknown experiences ahead.  We can begin the year with dread and fear; or we can face it with faith and hope, which will bring us comfort in the midst of any chaos that might develop.  We can face every day filled with the joy of the Lord, since it is a product of the Holy Spirit and not something we have to dredge up from within ourselves.

"Every tomorrow has two handles, we can take hold by the handle of anxiety or by the handle of faith" (Quotable Quotes).

 

God is still alive!  Jesus is our Hope, and He gave us the Holy Spirit for our Comfort.  If we avail ourselves of the Holy Spirit’s properties (fruit of the Spirit), we will have adequate provisions for every day; day by day. 

“This is the day which the Lord hath made’ we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24).

 

Hope gives us momentum to carry on; without it we will succumb to the depths of despair.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus” (1 Peter 1:3).

A “lively” hope, not a dead one.  We are begotten to a hope that raises our vision above the present horizon where trials and temptations are swirling around us.  Trials, tests, temptations are inevitable; they are the building materials for hope and comfort.  If we never had to face them, we would not need to be comforted nor hope past the present.

 

“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also; knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope” (Romans 5:3, 4).

Tribulations give us opportunities to endure (patience) and not give up; our endurance leads us to experience the faithfulness of God in every trial, so we learn by experience that we have every legitimate reason to have hope.  It is through tribulations that God comforts us with hope; not an intangible hope, but one with assured expectations that we will be victorious.

 

We tend to avoid things and people that cause us to feel uncomfortable, and there may be times when it is expedient to do so; but we must not avoid the things and people that God places in our path.  It may be they will push us to increased hope in God or it may be that we are to be there to do the same for them.  We need to be discerning, and not seek out the easiest way; because the easy way is not always the best way.  Sometimes the uncomfortable “feeling” is the Holy Ghost making us aware of what He wants us to do.  God wants only the best for us.

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end" (Jeramiah 29:11).

Paul experienced that when he determined to go in one direction and the Holy Ghost had other plans.  He would have had no comfort if he had gone against God’s plan.  He was very uncomfortable when he was “kicking against the pricks (goads)” on the road to Damascus to ferret out any Christians he could find.  But what comfort he had even during all his troubles as he followed the call he received on that Damascus road!  He knew what he was talking about when he said the Father was the “God of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3).

 

When the Holy Ghost convicts sinners, they begin to feel uncomfortable with themselves, their sinful lives; then He woos them to Jesus and wraps them with His comfort when they respond with repentance.  The sin-sorrow is a heavy burden, hard to bear, but repentance lifts the load and the Blessed Comforter takes its place.

 

When our heart is hurt and broken by someone we love, the place to run is to Jesus.  We may have understanding friends who will be sympathetic, but all they can do is offer sympathy and leave us in our sad condition.  Their sympathy can cause us to harbor the hurt and leave us with bitterness instead of conviction.  When we seek the Lord, the Holy Spirit is present to heal and restore us without leaving a hideous scar.  If restitution is required, He will guide us through it.  He comforts us “as a father pities his children” (Psalm 103:13).

Look at Paul again.  In spite of his many and varied troubles, he said “…I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation…God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us…” (2 Corinthians 7:4, 7).  He in essence said, “Thank you for the tribulations; they were opportunities to help me grow as they worked patience (produced endurance).”

 

No one knows about tribulations like Jesus!  He suffered everything that we go through, and He knows exactly how we are feeling—and He know what to do about it!  He has the comfort we need, and He will share His joy with us.  Nehemiah tells us that “the joy of the Lord is our strength” (8:20).  Notice that he said it was the Lord’s joy, not something we work up in our own emotions, but His indestructible joy strengthens us!  The strength of that joy took Him to the cross and held Him here until He paid for our sins and our joy-strength.

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

 

 

Mom’s Comfort

Thoughts of my friend

Were swirling in my head.

My friend hurt me,

There’re tears on my bed.

I hear mom coming

She’ll make it all better

And you what—

I think I’ll let her!

She’ll pull up the covers

And gently kiss my cheek.

She’ll whisper, “It’ll be OK,”

And very soon I’ll fall asleep.

(This is in honor of my mother who was a ‘comforter.’)

 

 

As a child puts its trust in its Mother to calm its fears and protect it from all harm and danger, so we Christians can fully trust our Heavenly Father to bring us safely through every trial and tribulation, strengthen us in every temptation and preserve us for Himself

There will always be trials and tests, but they will be followed by comfort and hope.  We have nothing to fear, not even death.  Someone has said, “Christians face death, but don’t taste death.”  Jesus has conquered every enemy, even death.

What’s to fear?  Be comforted in the hope of our Lord Jesus Christ!  Face the new year with that comfort and nothing can defeat you!

Faith makes a Christian.

Life proves a Christian.

Trials confirm a Christian.

Death crowns a Christian.

Anonymous

 

 

~~Delores~~

 

Happy New Year!

May this year be the one that you sell-out to Jesus Christ so He can give you all that He bought when He sold out for you!  May love, joy and peace follow you and those you love as you wait for the Lord's return.  Be all you can be for Him; you can't lose anything if He is the keeper of all you possess.

 

 

© There’s Good News January 2008

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