NEW HOPE FOR 2023

I’ve been thinking about the New Year we’re all about to face. I know for most of us, the past two years have been difficult. I can relate as I went through some battles of my own.  If it were not for the strength of the Lord, my family, and friends, I don’t know what I would have done.

 Well, that is all behind us now and we can forward to 2023.  As we face going into a new year, I’d like to encourage you to allow the Lord to do some new things in your life. Some of you might be comfortable with your life. To that I say, the Lord loves us too much to allow us to remain as we are. We need to always be growing in some area of our life. Others of you may be fed up with life, disillusioned, even fearful.  For some of you there’s been a dream that you’ve held in your heart for years, but you just don’t see it happening. Hold on, you might be delayed, but you are still destined!

     Now let’s look at some new possibilities for 2023.

New Pursuits

“There are many plans in a man's heart, nevertheless the LORD'S counsel-- that will stand.”  Proverbs 19:21

     God might lead you to a new job position. He might send you back to school for some more training. Ask the Lord what he wants to do with your life.  If you’re a Christian maybe he’s calling you into ministry or to go on a mission trip. Be open to new ideas in the New Year. Get your steel-toed shoes ready…. It might be that you need to change some of your relationships that are leading you down a wrong path. In the bible it says, “Don't be fooled by those who say such things, for "bad company corrupts good character."  1 Corinthians 15:33 NLT - You have more worth than you realize. Don’t let yourself be dragged down by those who are on a destructive path in life.

New Reputation

"Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame; for you will forget the shame of your youth, and will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore.” Isaiah 54:4

     Perhaps you’ve failed in some area of your life.  Have you done something that brought you shame? Or maybe it wasn’t something of your own doing, but the false words of others against you. It can all be made new when you call upon the Lord. I could share some stories with you about how God has turned some things around in my life! 

New Heart

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3

     Has your heart been wounded, broken and shattered? Maybe your heart has been so hardened that you feel you just can’t reach out to others or allow people to reach out to you. If you will ask the Lord, he will give you a new heart.  Look at this scripture – “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” - Ezekiel 36:26

New Beginnings

 “And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.” Col 3:10

     If your life has been full of pain, abuse, addictions and failure, whatever – God wants to give you a new life, a new beginning. I can testify to the reality of having my life taken out of the gutter and being made brand new. My life was such a mess at one time that I am in awe that the Lord has changed my life as he has.

     Friend, if you have tried everything else and it hasn’t worked, perhaps it’s time to give things over to the Lord. I know He will help you live in a new way. He will give you hope. If you will just surrender to Him, He has a good plan for your life.  “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

     Once again, I must share with you one of my favorite scriptures – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”  2 Corinthians 5:17

     Until next time, keep your eyes on Jesus because He never fails!

 

HIS NAME HAS POWER

 "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”  (Acts 4:12)

     We’re about to celebrate Christmas and we’re about to enter a new year that I am sure has many new challenges for us. This year has been a rocky year to say the least. Political chaos, unusual, even weird weather, a lot of sickness. Many have lost jobs, loved ones, relationships, etc. throughout year.  Life just gets tough sometimes.  Whether it is health, finances, family issues or other difficulties, one thing I have learned is to call upon the name of the Lord, for it is He alone who can rescue us

     In the bible there are many references to various Hebrew names of God that point to a particular area of his care for us in our lives.   I would like to share a few of those names with you and how you can apply them to your life.

     Jehovah Shalom – “The Lord our Peace” – “So Gideon built an altar there to the LORD, and called it The-LORD-Is-Peace..." (Judges 6:24)

     When life is stressful and you’re feeling no peace, run to the Prince of Peace and let him fill you with his peace that passes all understanding.  “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”  (Isaiah 26:3)

     Jehovah Nissi – “God is my Banner” – “And Moses built an altar and called its name, THE-LORD-IS-MY-BANNER;” (Exodus 17:15)

     In those times when you just want to run and hide under the covers, run to Jesus instead and let him cover you with his banner of love and protection.

     Jehovah Jireh – “The Lord is my Provider” – “And Abraham called the name of the place, THE-LORD-WILL-PROVIDE; as it is said to this day, "In the Mount of The LORD it shall be provided." (Genesis 22:14)

     This name of the Lord is a reminder of God’s promise to provide for our needs. Notice it’s our needs he provides for, not always our wants. I remember a time about fifteen years ago when my husband was in a car wreck and out of work for seven weeks. Now he had just started his new job so there were no benefits – no insurance, no vacations time, nothing. But God provided everything we need for our bills to be paid during that time.

     Jehovah Rapha – O Lord my God, I cried out to You, And You healed me. Psalm 30:2 

This Hebrew word, Rapha means to “restore, to heal, to cure and to repair.” This can appliy to physical, emotional and spiritual healing.

     Jehovah Shammah – “The Lord Who is always Present – “It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The LORD is there. ”- (Ezekiel 48:35)

     What a wonderful promise! He is always there when we need him!  Now there may be times when it feels like he is not there and instead of trusting his hand we have to trust his heart.  We can’t always “feel” God but we know that his word is true when it says, “he will never leave us nor forsake us. “ (Hebrews 13:15)

     Yahweh Roi – “The Lord is my Shepherd” – Psalm 23

     This chapter is the Book of Psalms is probably the most read chapter of the bible. Many turn to it for comfort during difficult times. The Lord does care for us tenderly as a shepherd tends to his flock. To gain a greater understanding of Jesus being the Good Shepherd in your life I would highly recommend the book “A Shepherd’s Look at Psalm 23” written by W. Phillip Keller.    

     It’s amazing how when new trials come our way, we quickly forget what God has done for us in the past. When I face those times of wondering what God is up to in my life, I often go back and refresh myself with some of the meanings of His name.

     My friend, be encouraged today, the Lord is for you, not against you.  Take a step in a new direction and trust the Lord with the events of your life. Sometimes we just need to stop and listen to what God is saying to us through a situation rather than grumbling because things aren’t as we would like them to be. 

     Lastly, don’t fall into the trap of isolation when you face trials. That is one the of the devil’s biggest schemes. He wants you to withdraw and be alone, making you susceptible to discouragement.  Instead of running into hiding, go to your local church or Christian friend and ask for prayer. There is power in the prayer of agreement with another person and proclaiming His name over your life!

 

Holidays Can Be Tough

 Wow! The month of December has been busy, and Christmas is just a few days away! But for some it’s a month of pain. Some have lost loved ones due to death. Some have been through the pain of separation and divorce, or having a child go wayward. This time of year, often brings painful things to people. However, there is hope. God through his son Jesus wants to bring comfort to your life during this season.

     You may think I don’t understand because I’m just writing my blog. I have been through some personal battles in the past three years. What I share with you today I have been applying to my own life. So, once again let’s use an acronym to see how we can receive God’s comfort in our lives.

Cares – “casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

    We must cast all of our cares on the Lord. Despite what you may feel or what others have told you, God does care for you. But it requires faith and trust to believe that.

Omniscient – “When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then You knew my path. In the way in which I walk...” Psalms 142:3

     The word “omniscient” means, “all knowing.” God knows everything from the beginning to the end. He knows the paths our lives will travel. As I have often heard preachers say, “Nothing comes to our lives that doesn’t first go through the hand of God.” His grace and his all-knowing can be trusted to carry us through any situation.

Meditate - "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Joshua 1:8

     One of the best things we can do to receive the comfort of the Lord is to daily read the bible. Did you know that the book of Psalms is the most read book of the bible? Why? Because David shows that he is human, which we can all relate to. Many of his psalms start off with a trial but he always ends with giving praise to God for providing a way out of troubling situations. We can do the same. Things may look bleak, but if we hide God’s word in our heart, the praises will begin to flow from our lips before all is said and done.

Faith - “… if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20

     Do you see that? Even if your faith is as small as a mustard seed it is enough to move mountains. So don’t accept the lie from the devil that your faith is too little to do receive strength and comfort from God. Put to use what you have, and the Lord will multiply it.

Omnipotent – Psalms 147:5 - “Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; his understanding is infinite.”

     Here we see another interesting word. Omnipotent means “all powerful.” God is more powerful than anything else in the world.  When you find yourself feeling weak and defeated ask God to show up in his power to remedy things as only he can do.

Rest –"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

     What an offer! Jesus was telling us in this verse that if we will give him all of our burdens, he would give us his rest. That’s a great promise to hold on to when the going gets tough.

Trust – “5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

     This may be a familiar scripture, but it is so true. If we lean on our understanding, we will mess things up every time. No matter how difficult this season is, try to make an effort to trust the Lord. Trust Him that he will help you with the pain, with the memories, with whatever it is that you need in your life right now.

     All of this takes me back another familiar scripture found in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

“3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

     Oh, my friend, how the Lord wants to comfort you! He wants to comfort you so that you have peace as you receive His comfort. But he also wants to comfort you so that someday you will be able to share that same comfort with someone who crosses your path and is need of healing from the scars of life.

     In closing, While the pain you’re experiencing is real I want to encourage you that it’s not the end. God wants you to move forward with your life. He wants to heal you of your pain so that you can be his instrument of comfort to someone else along the way in your journey. I am speaking this to myself as much as I am you!  Be encouraged, because of Jesus Christ, there is hope ahead!