Death, Hope and Resurrection

    Seeing the brokenness of the world in your own story is unbearable- but we all experience the pain, hurt, anger, loss, loneliness, sickness, and death. It compares to Christ's death on the cross, the weight of the worlds sin. Saturday he was in the tomb and Sunday he rose again! He conquered death. But imagine how the people felt on Good Friday. Christ, their only hope was slain before their eyes. It feels like all hope is lost.
Saturday there only hope is in the tomb!  

     And as we sit in this broken world filled with pain and death. It is here we wait for Christ's return on that Sunday. We wait on the Lord. Its hard to see hope when the world plagues your mind with negative thoughts, lies and deception. This is the time when we wrestle with God the most. It is here that sanctification happens. This time of insecurity and fear will lead to deception unless we daily speak his promises and beg for truth. 

     How do we wait well? How do we have hope in the midst of all this pain and suffering. Will we really see the goodness of God in the land of the living? (Psalm 27) When all hope is lost do we cling to His truth and promises. Do you trust that the Lord promises Sunday. That Christ has promised hope, redemption, restoration, and joy? 

     Psalms 25:4-5 "Show me your ways Lord, teach me your paths, guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are my God and Savior and my hope is in you all day long. "Test me O Lord and examine my heart and my mind, for your Love is ever before me and I desires to walk continually in your truth. (Ps 26: 2-3) . "Redeem me O Lord the God of truth help me remember that nothing and no one can be redeemed without truth: the God of truth!" (Ps. 31:5). Its the season we pray these prayers with faith, that even when we cant see the goodness in all the heartache, we give that to Him and He gives us discernment and hope to keep putting one foot in front of the other. "Do not withhold your mercy from me O Lord. May your love and Your truth protect me." (Ps 40:11) This is also where we learn to take every thought captive and overcome Satan's deception. We begin to recognize lies when we know truth. Lord God you desire truth in my inmost place. "Please expose me in the deeply embedded lies we believe and replace them with permanently engraved truth. Teach me your way o Lord and I will walk in Your truth. Give me an undivided heart that I will fear your name. "(Ps. 51:6) 

We will literally feel his sturdy and loving arms around you, holding you and these times of pain will turn into sweet encounters with the Creator of the Universe. I promise that even though this pain is so intense and the hurt so deep, He will hold you. He will guide you with his right arm and carry you when you cant see a way out. For the same God that Led you in will lead you out.

I have just finished a book my dear friend gave me that’s titled, “ The Red Sea Rules,” If you are facing anything that seems too big right now, say I am here by,

1)    By Gods appointment,

2)    In His keeping

3)    Under His Training

4)    For His time.

     Ive learned that placing trust in God is not just a matter of praying, but giving God room to work, being still, and envisioning Gods enveloping presence.

Pslams 139: 5-6 “I look behind me and you're there- then up ahead and you're there, too- Your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful-

I cant take it all in!” Knowing that his precious presence is more evident in the times of hurt, anger, lonliness, and loss- we can experience Gods incredible comfort.       

Romans 8: 23

And not only they, but ourselves also which have the first fruits of the spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption to win the redemption of our body.

Psalms 25 21

Let integrity and uprightness preserve me for I wait on thee.

Psalms 52 9 I will praise thee forever because thous hast done it and I will wait upon thee because thou hast done it and I will wait on thy name for it is good before thy saints.

Psalm 255 lead me in thy truth and teach me for thou art the God of my salvation- on thee I wait all day.

My soul wait thou only upon God for my expectation is from him psalms 635