Tag: <span>hope</span>

Published February 3, 2009

From God’s Perspective

by Max Lucado
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“We want you to be quite certain, brothers, about those who have died, to make sure that you do not grieve about them, like the other people who have no hope� 1Thessalonians 4:13 (JB)

The Thessalonian church had buried her share of loved ones. And the apostle wanted the members who remained to be at peace regarding the ones who had gone ahead. Many of you have buried loved ones as well. And just as God spoke to them, he speaks to you.

If you’ll celebrate a marriage anniversary alone this year, he speaks to you.

If your child made it to heaven before making it to kindergarten, he speaks to you.

If you lost a loved one in violence, if you learned more than you want to know about disease, if your dreams were buried as they lowered the casket, God speaks to you.

He speaks to all of us who have stood or will stand in the soft dirt near an open grave. And to us he gives this confident word: “I want you to know what happens to a Christian when he dies so that when it happens, you will not be full of sorrow, as those who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and then came back to life again, we can also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him all the Christians who have died�
(1 Thessalonians 4:13–14 TLB).

God transforms our hopeless grief into hope-filled grief. How? By telling us that we will see our loved ones again.

Isn’t that what we want to believe? We long to know that our loved ones are safe in death. We long for the reassurance that the soul goes immediately to be with God. But dare we believe it? Can we believe it? According to the Bible we can.

Scripture is surprisingly quiet about this phase of our lives. When speaking about the period between the death of the body and the resurrection of the body, the Bible doesn’t shout; it just whispers. But at the confluence of these whispers, a firm voice is heard. This authoritative voice assures us that at death the Christian immediately enters into the presence of God and enjoys conscious fellowship with the Father and with those who have gone before.

Where do I get such ideas? Listen to some of the whispers:

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far.” (Philippians 1:21–23 NIV)

We don’t like to say good-bye to those we love. But if what the Bible says about heaven is true, and I believe it is, then the ultimate prayer, the ultimate answered prayer, is heaven.

It is right for us to weep, but there is no need for us to despair. They had pain here. They have no pain there. They struggled here. They have no struggles there. You and I might wonder why God took them home. But they don’t. They understand. They are, at this very moment, at peace in the presence of God.

You can comment on this devotional online at:
https://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2009/02/03/ml_gods-perspective/

******************************************************************** Max Lucado
From: For These Tough Times:
Reaching Toward Heaven for Hope and Healing
 (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006)
Used by permission
To learn more about Max Lucado visit his website at:
http://www.maxlucado.com/about/

Thoughts by All thoughts by Max Lucado Thoughts by Men

Published January 26, 2009

Don’t Take a Chance on Your Future

By John Grant
John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney
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“Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.� Psalm 42:5-6

These are tough economic times and few have not been touched by the current recession. Many have seen their savings and retirement income dwindle. Most have seen the equity in their home decrease to the point where they own more on their mortgage than the current value of their home. Foreclosures are at an all time high (2.3 million American homes last year). More than two million people have lost their jobs and the unemployment rate is higher than it has been in thirty four years.

With diminished income and savings people are cutting back on their expenditures and the spiral down effect puts even more people out of work. Strangely though, there is one industry that appears to be thriving and growing in that many states lottery sales are rising in this recession.

According to a recent press article, it seems that in these tough times, many people appear willing to gamble a few precious dollars in the hope of winning instant deliverance from their economic woes. More than half of all states with lotteries have reported rising sales over the past six months, and some researchers say financial insecurity might be driving people to risk more of their money than usual on $1 and $5 instant scratch-offs and other daily games in hopes of a big payoff.

As unemployment and home foreclosures mount, psychologists are seeing a rise in stress, anxiety and depression.  The emotional fallout has led to a rash of “crimes of desperation” … bank robberies… arson… insurance fraud – and in some cases – murder or suicide.

It is interesting to see where the world’s people turn when faced with adversity…….gambling money they can’t afford to lose in system where the odds of winning are remote……. appropriating property that doesn’t belong to them…… consuming alcohol and drugs to drown their sorrows.

God’s Holy Word is clear on where we should turn, when our soul is downcast and times get tough. Psalm 42 has the simple prescription: Put your hope in God, not in power, possessions, positions and chances. Put your hope in God.
(a thought on life from John Grant )

You can comment on this devotional online at:
https://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2009/01/26/jg_take-a-chance/

Thoughts by All thoughts by John Grant Thoughts by Men