Seeking Jesus: 06/24/12

Sunday, June 24, 2012

June 25, 2012 ~ Hope of Heaven

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.

1 Peter 1: 3-4

Thoughts~

Oh, how I hunger to hear of no more heart attacks, cancer and broken bodies. No more divorce, fractured families and hurting people. No more people falling apart with no hope in their lives at all. I long with all my heart for the perfectness of Heaven. Every single day I tell the Lord “I’m ready.” But He is not ready for me yet. I have some friends who dislike it when I talk about heaven this way but I am simply homesick. I long to be with the Lord. I’m just waiting for the hope of Heaven.

Almost all of the time I am able to wait on God’s timing. And I wait with joy in my heart and laughter on my tongue. But there are times I so want to rush Him. I plead with Him for hearts to be changed, bodies to be healed, and lives to be used for Him.

Yet my eyes are wide open and I know that the afflictions and hurt scattered around those I love, and those I don’t even know yet, will go on. I want to stop the hurt. I want to lift the veil of sorrow and usher in the colors of hope. I want I want I want. But life is not about what I want; it’s about what God wants.

And I know that God wants the very same thing I want. This side of heaven, He offers hope in the form of His Son, Jesus Christ. His beloved Son’s birth, life, death and resurrection is why I will one day enter the gates of eternity and spend the rest of my life in the bliss filled joy of pure fellowship with Him and my brothers and sisters of heaven.

For now, I wait, we all wait together. We wait with hurting hearts, bewildered hearts, hearts filled with pleading for changes that are not available on earth, as they are in heaven. It is in Christ alone that we find our hope.

This Sunday evening I look back at my day and wish every day held a time of worship like I had this the morning at my church. The sweet songs that fill the sanctuary, the well delivered and timely message from Pastor Bob, the new friends I meet, Dottie and Tina. Already anticipating next Sunday, I am grateful for this one. My little slice of heaven fills my heart with anticipation for the fullness of what is to come: the inheritance reserved for me in Heaven.

I'm just waiting for the hope of Heaven.

Action~

While we wait for our relocation to our permanent home in Heaven, I think it’s vital to focus our thoughts and attentions on bringing hope to people here on earth. People who know Jesus and those who do not. My calling has been to encourage others and it is not limited just to believers. I wait for people to come to me, way too often though. I think it is time for me to go to them, however that looks.

I challenge you (and myself) to begin asking God every morning to allow us to bring hope to someone who feels lost. What that looks like is different for each of us so I will not put words to it. But God will lead us to the people He wants us to bring the hope of Heaven to.

Pray~

Father, my focus is changing and I know it’s You who has placed new glasses on my heart. I’m not seeing life as I have in the past, but how You want me to see it. Pave the way and show me who to bring Your hope to. The joy of hope found in Your Son.

Trusting in Him,

Becky

The beautiful song, "In Christ Alone" sung by Travis Cottrell

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June 24, 2012 ~ An Anxious Heart

An anxious heart weighs a man down,

but a kind word cheers him up.

Proverbs 12:25

Thoughts~

After my van was totaled I bought a new-to-me three year old Nissan van that was a great fit for my family. It came with a dash cover, which in Arizona is great since our summers reach 120 sometimes in the parked car. However, the cover had the letters KAW embroidered on the right hand side, about the place the glove box is. They most likely were the former owner’s initials but we quickly used them as an anagram for Kindness Always Works. They reminded us all, at particular times, to remember that kindness serves us so much better than sharp and snarky tongues.

Way too often people of the world drag their hearts around on the ground, ridden with anxiety and heartaches that only our loving God can take care of. However, He often uses believers, His ambassadors, to bring a little kindness into someone’s anxiety packed life. I want to be one of those people He uses . . . a person who practices KAW so I can be a people helper, not a people destroyer.

Kindness always works and when you have been a recipient of it, you know the relief you feel. Your heart can soar a million miles over the earth with a few kind words. On the other hand, when you have been the receiver of unkind words or actions, they can hurt deeply. I like gravitating towards people with big hearts, full of kindness that sort of oozes right out of them. Those are the people I want to hang out with, don’t you? I think being kind is contagious so we can all practice KAW and see how fast it spreads.

Action~

When God reminds us to keep His word in our hearts, it is not simply for memorizing, but for action or application. And often His word will serve as a reminder to practice kindness, random kindness and all other kinds in between. We are His ambassadors!

Think about how you can offer kindness this week. And then do it. Get in the habit of it. It will boost spirits and change hearts. And while you will be helping a fellow human that needs a heart-lift, you’ll find your heart will be lifted too.

For those who love to study deeper, do a word study on kindness, using Bible Gateway or your own concordance. I just started one myself, starting first with the New Testament. I love doing these studies because they set a pattern of repetition in my heart: show kindness today. Repeat Tomorrow.