Hope Springs Anew

Sunday Scripture

and a

Song

 "See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland." 
Isaiah 43:19 NIV

Anyone who attended my Women's Winter Retreat saw this scripture on the cover of our event folder. It's truly one of my favorites. It reminds me that the joy I know in my life is all because God has made me new, over and over again. 

The life-giving energy of a spring bubbling up through to the surface of the earth is a beautiful analogy for the love of God breaking through the barriers we place in our lives. Only God can bring life when hope has died.

When we finally realize that we can't navigate this life alone, and our hearts feel like a wilderness, God's life-giving force can fill us with hope and give us the will to keep trying. 

Water carves through the crust of the earth, creating small creeks, which grow into raging rivers. Water is a life-giving force, and Jesus is the living water in our lives, giving us life and energy and forward motion.

Drink from the well of Salvation. Know His peace. Be well, my friends.

Enjoy our song today, by Matt Maher. Come to the Water.

 

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When You Need a New Perspective

Sunday Scripture

and a

Song

"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know. " Jeremiah 33:3 (NLT)

Do you ever reach out to a friend to help you understand a situation you are in? Last night, confounded by emotions I didn't expect from an email response, I reached out to my closest friend (who knew of the situation) and we shared our thoughts. It was so helpful to have another perspective, and my close relationship with my friend made her available to me and she was my first thought when I needed help with the problem.

Jesus can be that friend for us, too. And it's all about relationship. If we keep that relationship going, through daily prayer and conversations with God, we will know that we can come to Him with any problem or thought or idea and He will be our sounding board. And if we can be still for awhile, we may even know a response to our situation, through a nudging of the spirit, a song on the radio, or words from a friend. God uses many ways to reach our inner spirit to give us guidance.

When I have a big decision to make in my life, I call on Jesus. I talk with Him and I walk with Him and I pray for His guidance in my decision making. You see, I want it to be what God knows is best for me, not just what I want. And while it may be very difficult to discern what God's will is for me, I can usually tell if my motives are self-driven or of the Spirit. It just takes time and patience to discern the difference, and lots of self-reflection.

Call out to Him. Pray what your heart longs to know. Ask, and He will answer. And then, if you're like me, you may be awed by an overwhelming feeling, a feeling of knowing One so mighty would come to my aid and give me direction in my life.

I hope you enjoy our video today. It's a song by JJ Weeks that is getting a lot air play on the radio this week. I can't seem to get its message off of my mind. While the message may not coincide directly with the Bible verse today, it's sort of the other side of the conversation. While I reach out to God for guidance in my life, I want to reflect Him back into the lives I touch. That's the theme of our song, "Let Them See You" 

Subscribers, click on Hope to find to view this video on my blog site.

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 May you find blessings through your intimate conversations, my friends.

 

Light of the World

Sunday Scripture

and a

Song

"Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, 'I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.' "

John 8:11-13 NLT 

My son and I have had this same discussion many times. He is convinced that the evil in the world is taking over. While it can be very distressing to hear unending news stories of man's inhumanity to man, I believe there is hope. 

God came to this earth to teach us the right way to live. We must remember that the Light will always overcome the darkness. If we follow the Light, and the teachings of Jesus, we will live in the Light of God's love. And in this way, we will know peace amidst the chaos that humanity creates.

Jesus is the Light of the World, and the darkness cannot overcome it. 

You can bank your eternity on that. 

Enjpoy our song today, written by Tim Hughes;
sung by Jeremy Camp ~ Here I Am to Worship

Subscribers please click on Hope to find to view this video on my blog site.

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