I will share about Christian books I have read or listened to.
I will be sharing about my life before and after Christ. I will include stories about my pet and other pets I have encountered.
Living Within the Hope of God
Have you ever accidentally seen the end of a movie first? Knowing the ending probably shapes the way you understand the rest of the story.
Well, if you skip to the last few chapters of the Bible, you'll be skipping over a lot of really good stuff—but you'll also see how God will one day make all things right again. He will restore things that are lost, repair things that are broken, heal things that are fragmented, and ultimately make everything new. He will wipe away every tear and heal every broken heart.
That promise for the future should shape the way we live today. As Psalm 30:5 says, there are times in life that are filled with sorrow and grief. These are very real seasons that every person will experience.
The promises of God give us hope to endure difficult seasons. We know that even though things are broken and sorrowful right now, they won’t always be like that. One day God will restore things to how they are supposed to be.
As the Psalmist says, weeping may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning. That “morning” might not be tomorrow morning, or even a morning next week. But one day, God will come with a bright new morning in which everything will be just as He wants.
Until that time, we are tasked with living faithful lives to God while holding tight to the promises and hope that He gives us. Scripture is filled with other promises that God gives us to hold onto in various seasons of our life.
Take a moment to think of a few of God’s promises that are true for you today. Meditate on them. Let them fill you with hope as you follow after God.
Undeserved Mercies
When someone hurts you or, worse, hurts somebody that you love, revenge can seem appealing. After all…
They were mean.
They were selfish.
They talked behind your back.
They broke a vital promise.
They lied about you.
They criticized you.
They ignored you.
They did the unthinkable.
They walked away.
They deserve to be punished, right? To feel some of that same pain? They deserve a consequence that will not only help them learn, but will be just as severe as the inflicted wounds.
And yet—because God sees things differently, both His standards and tactics can be surprising. And that’s why the apostle Paul, writing to the believers in Thessaloniki, said:
“See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.”
1 Thessalonians 5:15 NLT
Paul’s words sound a lot like Jesus’ words—to love your neighbor as yourself; to do to others what you’d like them to do to you. (See: Matthew 22:38-40)
God’s ways ...
