unfailing hope

"For to the end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God" 2 Timothy 4:10a.


"He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. On Him we have set our hope that He will deliver us again" 2 Corinthians 1:10.


"And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in You" Psalm 39:7.


"According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead"1 Peter 3b.

What is this unfailing hope? According to Titus 2:13-14, our "blessed hope" is the "appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works".

I don't know what I would do without this hope that the Lord brings to my life. HE is my unfailing hope, the reason that I can live abundantly. I'm so thankful! He's the very reason for my joy, zest for life, love, wholeness, worship and my hope.

This song by Aaron Shust (My Hope Is In You), which I've been listening to a bunch lately, sums it up perfectly. Lord, may this be my heart's song to You all the days of my life! What a glorious hope we have in You!

be still

"Be still, and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10

I absolutely love this piece of scripture :) Boy is it difficult sometimes! Yet it's such a simple, clear-cut command from the Lord. This verse has been implanted on my heart for several years and I think of the words quite often. I usually pray in my times of solitude with the Lord that He would show me how to truly be still before Him:

to stop everything else,
to lay all distractions aside,
to give Him my undivided heart for cleansing and filling,
to think/meditate on Him,
to realize what it means that He is GOD of the universe, so holy and true,
and to love Him in response to seeing Him in light of who He is.

Yet, even still, I so often fail to remain in this attitude that God has called us to, especially in the business of life. Obviously He understands where He's placed us in life, that we must go about daily routines, and live purposely and intentionally. But He still calls us to be still before Him. So how does that work? Well, I don't have that exact answer, but I do feel that the Lord's teaching me more of this every day, no matter how tough.

Let me explain... I am a doer. A go-getter. I don't want to waste the life that Jesus has given me idly sitting around, if that makes sense. I'm incredibly passionate to be out in the world, living for Him, loving Him, loving others, sharing His good news- basically doing and pouring out. But there has to be that balance between doing and just being (filled and still before God) like in Psalm 46:10. It's not hard to imagine why I can struggle with this and the evidence is quickly seen in my personality and decisions.

I have a really tough time saying no to any ministry opportunities.
I usually don't take time to rest unless told to.
I often stretch myself way to thin and try to take on an amount of things that are just plain humanly impossible.

God sure has been changing this in me lately... and at first by force. I'm so thankful though! He knows exactly who I am (from the inside out) so He knows that I can be quite determined and stubborn. It's not that I don't like rest or stillness. In fact, I completely CHERISH my solitude with Him and that's where I draw my strength from. It is like air to my lungs- totally essential. It's why I try to begin each day with an unlimited time amount given to Him and spent before Him. Although others would probably consider me pretty outgoing, a people-person and very talkative, I thrive on my recharge sessions alone and with Jesus. My parents talk about how funny it is that I've always been this way, even from the time of infancy- very pensive, one who ponders things deeply in my heart and loves times of silence/stillness.

Recently He has been slowing my pace again and telling me not to do- just to be still, to rest in Him, to love Him with everything, to know that He is God (like I mentioned in another blog post). It's definitely been difficult, but the needed refreshment to my soul. I have been more physically exhausted and in pain than ever before- my body just doesn't seem to allow me to do the things that I normally could. But I know this is no accident. It's all the Lord. I've not only been physically depleted, but somewhat spiritually, emotionally and mentally as well. In my lack of my own strength, Jesus reminds me that He IS my strength, that He demands to be my strength. He's the only one who can carry me through. And I can only fully trust Him and love Him when I come to Him in my inadequacy and brokenness. Because it's then that He's able to fill me and make me whole again.
"Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick... For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." Matthew 9:12 & 13b

I love the beautiful picture of the sinful woman who came to the Pharisee's house and sat before Jesus, weeping and wiping His feet with her tears, hair and ointment from an alabaster flask (Luke 7), which was probably the most expensive thing that she had to her name. What a mighty display and example of what Psalm 46:10 looks like in action! I long to worship my Heavenly Father in this way and to sit humbly and simply before His feet, giving Him my most prized treasures. Lord, would You teach me to still myself before You like the woman in Luke 7 and know that You are God. Would You remove the things that hold me back from doing this in my everyday life and break what You see fit in me so that I may be still and love You more.

the name above all names

I just started a new bible study that I'm super excited about! It's Beth Moore's Jesus study through the book of Luke, called 90 Days with the One and Only. Just what my soul has been thirsting for- an in-depth study all about Jesus, His character and His life. My precious Jesus. Words can never adequately capture my love for Jesus. He is absolutely everything to me, the very dearest person in my life; the one who I long to seek, love, worship, obey and give everything to. In fact, without Him I am nothing at all.

The more I get to know Him, the more I'm captivated by Him and the less I want of myself. His love and entire being are too huge, wide and deep to grasp. I can't possibly wrap my puny little mind around His magnificence and power. Even the sound of His name evokes such a tenderness, sweetness and love in my heart unlike any other. Jesus. The very name that signifies my salvation! One above all other names. One that's universally understood regardless of language. One that saves souls destined for death. One that some despise and use in vain. One that defined the history of this world. One that has all victory, glory and honor. One to which every knee will bow and tongue confess one day soon.

I can't imagine the magnitude of when Gabriel told Mary, "You are to give Him the name Jesus" (Luke 1:31). What must it have been like to hear the very first proclamation of our Savior's name since the beginning of time? The name of the Son to come humbly in the form of a servant to save the lost by bearing the weight of all sin and God's wrath on a cross, then to rise again and give us life! Oh how I thank you, my dear Jesus! My thankfulness could never be enough to measure up to what You deserve, but I give you all of my life, all that I have.

got it all together?

I'm one who often struggles with letting my guard down, besides with the Lord and my precious family. I believe that God has made me to be an encourager of others (it's something that He's engrained in my heart and that I'm passionate about because I desire to love people with His love), yet I have the hardest time wanting to be the one to lay burdens on others. So most of the time I just try to hold it all together and not let on that I may be hurting deep inside or going through a tough season. It's not that I don't want to be genuine or transparent with others- not that AT ALL actually. I love people that are that way and find it to be such a beautiful trait! Especially when the joy of the Lord is visible in the midst of their pain. So it's my honest desire and my heart. But it can still be so tough for me because of not wanting to be a weight for others (and often, most people just don't ask anyway, besides my closest friends- probably because it always seems like I'm fine). But I know the flip side as well haha... because I consider it a huge blessing to be able to share others' burdens and lift up their struggles to the Lord with them. I've been pondering all of this recently and was so comforted by the sweet touch of my momma's loving words, encouragement, and embrace last night. I'm SO thankful for her, my dad, and my brothers. Besides Jesus, they know me the best of anyone, from the inside out. They're able to see right through me to my heart with just a glance and I'm overwhelmed by their continual love, encouragement and support, which reminds me of the Lord in His constant love.

It makes me remember how much He knows us each personally and intimately. He not only formed our hearts, but He also sees into them and searches them every day. He peers deep inside, looking for hurts, wounds, worries, blemishes, sins, joys, meditations, thankfulness, faith- and He knows exactly what we're experiencing at all times (whether it be spiritually, emotionally, physically or mentally). He is the biggest comfort, corrector and encouragement- the One whose Fatherly embrace lets us sink into His arms and chest with our full weight. I'm so thankful that I can run to Him and know that I don't have to appear to have it all together, because I most certainly don't. HE's the only One who holds me together, even on the tiniest level, holding every cell in my body together. He knows all and He loves without bounds. Even in the midst of the storms, He is so near. And even when we may think He is sleeping (like when Jesus was in the boat with His disciples on the Sea of Galilee), His control has never ceased and His comforting presence has not left. Thank you Jesus!