I grew up going to church three times a week and met some of my closest friends (even to this day!) in youth group. Most of my Facebook statuses in high school were inspirational Bible verses that I hoped would encourage my friends at my public high school who weren’t believers. I went to a Christian university for my undergraduate degree, where mandatory chapel was held twice a week, and every student was required to take six semesters worth of Bible classes. I interned at a local church and even earned a minor degree in the Bible. And then, I went to graduate divinity school.
But somewhere along the way, I stopped delighting in Scripture. I saw it as something to be studied, but not something to be taken to heart. I began to think of God as something to learn about rather than someone to know. To date, this was one of the most confusing times in my life so far.
After a time spent in this confusing season, I was given a special project at work; I was instructed to go through the entire book of Genesis, chapter by chapter, writing discussion questions along the way for kids aged eleven to fifteen.
I don’t know the last time you read through the book of Genesis (maybe in January when we read it together, as an SRT community), but there are some stories in that book that are, well, a little less than age-appropriate for young teens. As I was going through some of the trickier passages, the discussion point I kept coming back to was that God keeps His promises to His people. His people keep turning away from Him, not believing Him, disobeying Him and turning to other gods, but God is consistently faithful to His promises.
One of the passages that fell into this category was the story of Sarah and her pregnancy with Isaac. When God told her she would become pregnant in her old age, Sarah laughed at the very thought (Genesis 18:9–15). But God kept His promise to her, and she bore a son (Genesis 21:1–7). After reading and working through the rest of the book of Genesis, I went into my friend’s office exasperated and frustrated with myself because I couldn’t find anything else for the discussion questions. She encouraged me to keep at it and do my best, and reassured me that maybe it was okay if God keeping His promises was the main theme of the project.
Soon after completing the project, I realized that what had been frustrating me about the book of Genesis was exactly what I needed to hear and understand about God in a season of my own confusion and doubt: God keeps His promises to His people. He keeps His promises when your world seems to come crashing down. He keeps His promises when your best friend betrays you, when a dear family member falls ill, when the plans you had for your life have suddenly fallen to pieces around you. I know He does because I’ve seen it in my own life. His promises to His people are true. We can put our hope in Him to do so (Psalm 119:81). What a beautiful gift.
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65 thoughts on "I Put My Hope in Your Word"
ChurchMouse really nailed it for me. The world IS collectively screaming!! So much angst, judgement, all driven by fear it seems to me. Like when an injured animal tries to bite it’s rescuer….we are lost and lash out. Like so many of you, my worries (yes, I know…) range from my grandchildren and what will school look like, to my work mates, some of whom cannot focus on anything but doom, to my mother in assisted living, where all are confined to their rooms due to a virus case. The director there is doing a wonderful job under terrible circumstances but is under attack from the families, due to fear I expect. And then my mom said “we are dying from loneliness anyway, so if we get this virus and die, what is different?” Yes Lord, “help me!”
Mae I pray for your mom. Her comment about dying from loneliness anyway broke my heart. ❤️
I really needed this devotional this morning. I went to bed, and also woke up, in a sour mood, wrestling with God about some Big Questions. So encouraging to remember that He is faithful in the middle of those questions, and He will be with me as I work out my salvation with fear and trembling.
As I was reading Blessed Beth’s post, I was reminded of the sermon I heard on Sunday. The church was doing a series called, Unmasked. The pastor was saying that’s how we need to be as a church. Let’s be honest and real. Life isn’t perfect and people have stories and scars. We were told scars are welcome at our church. We can be real and ask for help. We can pray for each other. We were reminded of the church in Acts. They did life together, and helped meet each other’s needs. I know that I could use prayers and the help of others at times. I’ve been prideful and don’t like to ask for help. May God forgive me. His Word says pride comes before a fall. Also, God resists the proud. I also need to get honest with God. How many general prays have I said instead of praying specially? I know that He knows everything. I am realizing I should come before Him and confess and ask for His help and deliverance for those specific sins, thoughts, or situations. I know this may seem so obvious to some of you, but I am just getting this.
On another note, when I read Hebrews 4:12 as referenced above, I think of things I learned about that Scripture from a book for a class from church. The author reminds us that God’s Word is living, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword. He says that the Word is piercing even to the division of soul and spirit. He writes that there is a difference between soul and spirit- just as there is a difference between bones and the marrow that is in the bones. He said that for hundreds of years the medical profession didn’t know this truth. Verse 12 goes on to say that God also knows the difference between your thoughts and the intentions of your heart. He asks if we ever had a thought that we were instantly ashamed of? He again states that the Bible says our Heavenly Father knows the difference between your thoughts and your intentions. He goes into more detail later, but tells us to rejoice that God knows the difference. What an awesome, amazing God He is!
Sorry if my sharing is all over the place.
Thank you for the comments, prayers, and encouragement that you share here. Have a great day!
With all that is going on what a blessing it is to know our God is with us and we can have peace in our hearts knowing we can go into His presence 24/7 no masks, no distancing, no rejection, and we can rest or request, no questions asked, and just be.
❤️
This is the season where we seem consumed with case numbers, hospitalizations and deaths. Conversations center on social distancing, face coverings, businesses and schools opening or not. We look for informed reporting and often get more opinions than facts. Civil unrest emerges from personal unrest, injustice and uncertainty. It’s as if the world is collectively screaming. Like the psalmist searching for understanding, we too long for comfort and relief. We have grown weary. We pray compassion and love will be seen through us as believers. We strive to react to this unprecedented time in a manner which glorifies God and reflects the hope we have in Him. We meditate on the Word. We search for its promises. We look for answers to claim. We ask “How many days must your servant wait?” We take deep breaths and resolve to hold on and trust. To whom else can we turn? The psalmist cries out “Help me!” We cry the same.
♥️
Amen, Churchmouse…these are my reflections, meditations and prayers, as well.
After I read the devotion, I was led not to write, but to act on, what I know to be the truth of Gods promises, to share, remind and call to mind in others.
To a friend who recently lost her Papa, I reminded of His promise to be near the broken hearted..
To my friend whose husband, is battling cancer, that God promises that He walks with them each step, putting the right people in place in this season..
To my newly weds, who, though deeply love each other, but… I reminded them of His promise to be the third strand in their cord, He will be their guide..
To my dear friend who celebrates her birthday today, a reminder of the promise that, she is an absolute child of God, created for His pleasure and in His image, chosen and that today is going to be awesome..because today is a day the Lord has made..
A busy morning.. and all this before 9am.
And to you my sisters in Christ, His promise that He fully knows you, and He absolutely loves and delights in you..❤
Happy Friday, wrapped is the promise of His goodness, grace and love…❤
Yes, Tina! Respond with Truth! Point your friends to His promises. There alone is comfort and hope. What a great friend you are to them, and to us who gather here!
Amen, ESTHER.
AMEN!
Blessings!
All God’s promises are yes and amen!