Dear Ones, Hope you have a hope-filled day. I plan to go to Women’s Bible study this morning and then we are having friends over for dessert and fellowship.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
I hope when you are reading this that you are a person of hope! We can ask ourselves the questions, “Can I change? Will the things I’m concerned about be better tomorrow?” If we are praying persons, the answer would probably be, yes. I believe that tomorrow is a new day with a fresh start, but we also have to be willing to learn from our past failures and have faith to believe the Lord can weave them into something beautiful in the future. We don’t have to be fixated in the past, because we know God is in control.

None of us go through life free of pain or problems. Just read the the Psalms, where the authors share their sorrows and despair, but also their hope and joy in knowing God is present. We may have tears as the writer of Psalm 126 shares, “Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping bearing the seed for sowing shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.” When we go to the Lord in our tears and sorrow, something often happens to us: we begin to sense hope rising in our hearts. We may not know what God will do, but we put things in His hands and we have to be ready for anything.

The Lord listens to the cries of our hearts, but He is also in charge of the larger story of our lives. He does what is best and according to His Father’s plan, and we need to patiently wait. In Rom. 8:25 we are reminded, “But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” It is quite amazing how the Lord can take even our past and weave it into our larger story, strengthening us for the future. God’s love for us is gives us hope no matter what we go through in this life, for we have all of eternity with the One who died and rose again for us.

Challenge for today: When you feel overwhelmed by problems of life, share with the Lord and find hope in Him to work it all out for His glory.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy