Friday, December 8, 2017 Advent Week One! Hope! Day 6: Hope Springs Eternal

Friday, December 8, 2017

Advent Week One! Hope!

Day 6: Hope Springs Eternal

Scripture:

1 Peter 1:3-9Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! 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, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 4:8

Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

Colossians 1:5

…because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel…

John 3:16-17

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

1 Corinthians 15:20-22

But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

Revelation 21:4

“…and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."

John 11:25-26

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?

John 4:13-14

Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again, The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

John 6:51

"I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh."

1 John 5:13-14

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.

Devotional:

Once in a while, I wake up long before the alarm clock rings and my sweet husband brings me my morning coffee (oh, yes, he is a saint!). This has been just such a morning. On these instances, in the past, I used to feel frustrated but now, I get excited. This is because, invariably, the reason for this early waking (we are talking 4 o’clock in the morning…..) is that the Lord is granting me both supernatural rest and extended time in His Presence and His Word. Whenever I answer this call, I find myself in a richer, deeper place of study and communion with His Scriptures. While the Lord might not be asking you to wake at 4 am, I invite you to answer the call to be inconvenienced by His voice when He does interrupt your day. This is such a precious gift. I can’t share the depth of the intimacy of this time and the deepening of my dependence on and joy in Him.

Today’s readings and study led me to take a look at the beauty that is our Hope Eternal, that we will live and reign with Him forever. Forever. Pause and think of this.

“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).”

What are the afflictions we are experiencing today? For most who join me here, it is the challenge of parenting a child with challenges. Whether you are raising a child with a special need or a child with a particularly strong will, you face daily challenges that at times feel like affliction, yes? And at times, they certainly do NOT seem like light afflictions. Autism moms and dads, when was the last time you left the house by yourself with your children without at least a moment of anxiety about what would happen or how it would go? Parents of children with strong wills, how did dinner time go last night? Did you get to finish your meal in peace without a child screaming like they had just been in a car accident over getting the wrong cheese? I do not desire to discount the struggles we face, my friends. What I do hope is that as we meditate and sink into the Truth of the Word about our eternal destination and destiny, we will remember that this is for the Eternal Hope of their salvation, and for the purpose of refining us to even better serve Him and His Kingdom.

Jesus is the Bread of Life. Let us partake of Him. His Words are life. They are truth, and they are sustenance for our hungry, exhausted souls.

This advent season, may our hearts and minds be quickened to the Truth that we are eternal beings who serve an eternal God. He shall reign forevermore, friends, and this will pass. We will one day stand before Him, and we will walk into eternity. Forever. We shall be with Him. And He shall reign forevermore!

Prayer:

Thanksgiving:

Father, I thank You for Your Eternal Word and Your Eternal Truth! I thank You for the reality of eternity…that You established this world, time, and our lives before time began. You were, are and will be forever. God, You are awesome. I praise You today. I worship You. Lord, I love You and adore You. Thank you for (take time to list and journal the things that you are thankful for. See how many things you can list!)

Confession:

I daily confess and repent before You, to prepare my heart and mind for Your grace and forgiveness so that I might remain fully connected to Your heart in the most intimate way possible. I pray that no sin will come between You and me. I pray that I will always remain soft, pliable and tenderhearted to Your gentle, loving, kind reminders to remain in Your Truth. (Take time to allow the Lord to examine your heart and release any fears, sins against others and Him, wrong attitudes, or wrong motives. Mine today: I was short with my daughter yesterday. I don’t have to respond to her in kind when she is being disobedient or manipulative. My words were impatient and unkind. While I did confess and apologize later for how I spoke to her, I pray that You will facilitate a deeper level of restoration and understanding. Help me to address her dishonesty and manipulation Your way and not with my flesh.)

Supplication:

I lift my needs to You today, and I thank You that You care for the things that concern me. I need You, Lord, every hour. (List progress, answers to prayer, needs, and concerns. Mine today: I thank You that I am healing; I pray for complete healing and a turnaround in my family’s immune problems. I pray that my cough will abate and that I will not have any more sickness this season. I also pray for my fitness that I will be able to get back on track with my workouts after this time away. Help me to trust You, because this journey is and always has been an uphill climb. Renew my strength as I wait on You and trust You. Help me to do the things You have shown me to do. Show me small ways I can increase my fitness that will not leave me feeling overwhelmed. Help me to play with my children and be active together with them.)

Intercession:

I lift my children to You today. I thank You that You care for them and You have provided for their needs. I ask that You will father me to parent them, and I ask that You will continue to father them better than we ever could. Thank You, Lord for these amazing gifts. Teach us to see them through Your eyes, and help us to be earthly shepherds for their hearts. (Take time to list victory, progress, answers to prayer and needs, concerns, and ongoing struggles. Chloe today: Thank You again that she is choosing to stay in her bed at night. I pray that You will continue this trend. I lift up her problem with lying and manipulation. I ask that You will uproot this fleshly tendency at an early age. I ask that You will saturate her with truth and a willing, teachable, obedient heart. I lift up Christian today and thank You that he is progressing with bathrooming. I pray that he will fully initiate. I also pray for his speech to continue to progress. Let the progress begin to increase. Let us not grow weary in working with him. It feels so tedious and we do not want to lose our heart connection with him due to frustrations or impatience. Give my husband and me supernatural understanding and patience. I pray for the health of both my children and my husband to increase and continue. I pray that we will not have more sickness and that the circuitous illness year by year will be replaced with strong, healthy immune systems.) In Jesus’ Name I pray!

Thanksgiving and Consecration:

I give You this day with gratitude and joy. I thank You that peace reigns in our home. I thank You for this time together, soaking in Your Presence and sharing my heart with You and You with me. Seal and protect this time today and for Your Kingdom. You are worthy, Lord!

Blessing and Benediction:

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 

17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

God bless you for all eternity!