Thought for November 19, 2024

  •  1493: Columbus discovers Puerto Rico
  • 1861: Julia Ward Lowe commits the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" to paper
  • 1863: Gettysburg Address
  • 1872: First patent for an adding machine
  • 1959: "Rocky & His Friends" premiers
  • 1965: Kellogg Pop Tarts created
  • 1975: "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" premiers
  • Born: George Rogers Clark, James Garfield, Billy Sunday, Hiram Bingham [re-discovered Machu Picchu], Tommy Dorsey, Peter Drucker, Indira Gandhi, Roy Campanella, Larry King, Jack Welch, Dick Cavett, Ted Turner, Dan Haggerty, Calvin Klein, Allison Janney, Meg Ryan, Jodie Foster, Kerri Strug
  • Died: Man in the Iron Mask, Franz Schubert, Emma Lazarus ["Give us your tired, poor . ."], Samuel Stone ["The Chruch's One Foundation"], Ted Fujita [tornadoes], Mike Nichols, Charles Manson, Della Reese, Mel Tillis
Thought:
Some things seem hopeless. We get defeated, disgusted, discouraged and lose hope. Our team loses and loses. It seems hopeless. We pray about children and grandchildren and nothing seems to change--it seems hopeless. We look at our nation and the problems seems insurmountable--it seems hopeless. I try and lose weight---it seems to be hopeless. And hopelessness leads to surrender, apathy, indifference. And Satan wins.

Reading Romans 15:13 this morning. "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of His Holy Spirit." As I read this, this is what the Lord says to me:

  • Hope begins with believing. Think about life if you did not know Jesus and His promises. Where would we be--of all men to be pitied. Hopeless. A life without meaning or purpose. No answer to why am I here and what am I supposed to be doing. Believing in Jesus and His promises gives us purpose and a reason to get up and get going. 
  • Believing gives joy and peace. Knowing that I am not alone, that my destination is secure, that my future is guaranteed brings joy to my life--overwhelming joy that drives out depression, fear, doubt. And that same knowledge places my soul at peace--peace with God and the peace of God. 
  • Believing fills me with joy and peace and gives me hope. For God has told me that He has plans for me, plans for my good. Believing this gives me hope--a hope that will not disappoint. 
  • I need the help of the Holy Spirit to remember His words, trust His promises, help me communicate with Him. So, I do not believe in my own strength, I do not rejoice in my own joy, I do not experience peace because of my feelings, I do not have hope because of my condition and the conditions around me. I have joy, peace and hope because He that promises is trustworthy and never fails. He is the anchor of my soul, already secured in heaven forever. I await the day He tugs on the anchor rope and calls me to the blessed hope.
Blessings
Larry

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