Obtaining Mercy

Hopeful Living

 

A Christian life well-lived, in spite of trial and circumstance, is proof of the power of God.

 

II Corinthians 4:7-10 "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body."

 

God is not only working out His will in us and making us more like Jesus with each difficult circumstance that we go through.  He is also showing His power to the world.

There is no way that we could live victorious lives without His resurrection power at work in us.

We are literally showing God to the world as we live out our faith each day.

So, what did the world learn about God by watching us yesterday???

And...what will we determine to show them today?

Hope in Understanding God

 

In our foolishness, at times, we blame our difficult circumstances on God.

He could, of course, rescue us from them at any given moment; but He does not.

He could protect us from every pain and injustice from the moment of our conception and see that no harm ever comes to us; but He chooses not to.

So, to our finite mind, all our problems are His fault.

However, if we spend any time reading the Bible, we quickly see that is not the case.  Often we bring our difficulties on ourselves. 

This quote from my pastor really made me think:

 

"Our decisions form our circumstances." ~ S. Carter

 

I know there are times when calamities come on us, and there was nothing we could have done to prevent them; but even then, we cannot blame God.  He allows sin to do its work here on the earth and so, yes the rain falls on the just and the unjust.  We all suffer.

However, I find the 107th chapter of Psalms to be so comforting.  The Psalmist lists circumstance after circumstance with the children of Israel; and then shows how God in His mercy provided for their every needs.  The last verse is especially precious to me:

 

Psalm 107:43 "Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the LORD."

 

Time after time the Lord provides for us, when we don't deserve it.  He repeatedly blesses us with things that are not even needs, but simply our desires and wishes.

When we are wise and observe the ways of the Lord, we understand that He is a God of lovingkindness.

And, really, what more do we need to know about our God?

We can trust Him.  He has our best interest in mind; and He will act with lovingkindness on our behalf in every circumstance. 

 

Romans 5:8 "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

 

Knowing this, how can we possibly doubt His love for us???

Continuing to Pray with Hope

 

"Often God delays purposely, and the delay is just as much an answer to your prayers as is the fulfillment when it comes." ~Streams in the Desert

 

"Daniel had fasted and prayed twenty-one days, and had a very hard time in prayer.  As far as we read the narrative, it was not because Daniel was not a good man, nor because his prayer was not right, but it was because of a special attack of Satan." Streams in the Desert

 

Daniel 10:12-13a "Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.
 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days..."

 

Ephesians 6:12 "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

 

"The Lord will go through with His covenant engagements.  Whatever He takes in hand He will accomplish, hence past mercies are guarantees for the future and admirable reasons for continuing to cry unto Him." ~ C. H. Spurgeon

 

Psalm 37:5 "Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass."

 

Have you prayed and prayed, and still no answer has come?

Are you tired from the waiting?

Do not give up hope, my friend!

Your answer is on its way, and God will keep His promises to you.

Continue on in prayer with the firm belief that all will be well.

In His perfect time, your answer will appear.

Songs of Hope in the Night

 

Psalm 77:6 "I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search."

 

"Indeed it is extremely doubtful if a soul can really know the love of God in its richness and in its comforting, satisfying completeness until the skies are black and lowering." ~Malcolm J. McLeod

 

The Jews, historically, have considered the night to be the beginning of the day - rather than the end of the day.

In Genesis, by God's description, we see that the morning follows the night:

 

Genesis 1:5 "And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day."

 

Our night must preceed our day.

 

"Light comes out of darkness, morning out of the womb of the night." ~Malcolm J. McLeod

 

Are you in darkness?

Is the night surrounding you?

Does it feel that the daylight will never come?

Have faith, my friend!

You are learning of God in that darkness.  It is the beginning of your new day, even though the sun is dark and the moon is only a reflection of its brightness.

This is your "cool of the day" when God will come to walk with you in the garden of your heart. (Genesis 3:8)

From this darkness, you will gain the strength to live when the sun rises in its heat during the day.

Do not wish the darkness away. 

Bask in the quietness and commune with your God. 

He will give you a song in the middle of the night that will sustain you in the coming light of day.

Hope in Facing Death

 

"The pressure of hard places makes us value life..." ~ A. B. Simson

 

II Corinthians 1:8-10 "For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:
 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:
 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us"

 

"...Every time our life is given back to us from such a trial, it is like a new beginning, and we learn better how much it is worth, and make more of it for God and man. 

The pressure helps us to understand the trials of others, and fits us to help and sympathize with them...

The man or woman who has suffered much...is very tender and gentle and know what suffering really means...Trials and hard places are needed to press us forward..." ~ A. B. Simpson

 

"Pressed into knowing no helper by God;

Pressed into loving the staff and the rod.

Pressed into liberty where nothing clings;

Pressed into faith for impossible things."

~Streams in the Desert

 

We can celebrate LIFE today because we faced DEATH's dark valley yesterday.

Let us not despair.  We know the God that "doth deliver" and we believe that He will "yet deliver us" again!

 

 

Happy 12th Birthday to Isaac

 

 

Because of you, I know my God better.

Because of you, I know myself better.

Because of you, I love life more.

Because of you, my joy is full.

 

Thanking God for these 12 years, and for the young man that you have become.

Happy Birthday, Ikey Doo!!!

When God Answers, He Answers BIG!

We went to the car dealership, signed papers and came home with this vehicle - free and clear.  I have no idea who all was involved or what deals were made...I'm absolutely sure it was all legal and Christ-honoring, though!!! :)

This is a 2012 Ford Transit Connect.  It is brand new, as you can see by the odometer.  Right now, it seats Isaac beautifully, as well as stores his chair completely upright in the back.  Our little ramp fit right across the back for storage, as well.

We are in the process of applying for a grant that will hopefully allow us to have it modified with a ramp/lift for when Isaac gets bigger.  That will cost between $16,000-$20,000, and we will be without the vehicle for a month as it is shipped to Indiana for the conversion.  It will be a while before that happens, obviously.

So, I leave you with pictures and verses of praise and amazement.

"Our God is so great, so strong and so mighty...there's nothing my God cannot do!!!"

~~~~~

Isaiah 48:6 "Thou hast heard, see all this; and will not ye declare it? I have shewed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them."

 

 

 

Job 42:2-3 "I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.
 Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not."

 

 

 

 

Psalm 84:11 "For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly."

 

 

(of course, we had to try out the Sync program and call Doug's mom in Ohio to tell her the good news!!!)

 

 

And THIS...

...this makes it worth the wait.

I am so full of gratitude and we are overflowing with thanksgiving!

Our God is worthy to be praised.

Please join us tonight by leaving a comment in honor of His mighty work on our behalf!

AND tomorrow is Isaac's 12th birthday...could the timing have been any better?????

HopeFULLy,

Alesha

Working My Way to Hope

This conversation happened in my head this morning.  (I hope this glimpse into my squirrelly thought processes is no too scary this early in the morning!!!)

 

"Oh, is my prayer ever going to be answered?!!

"I just have so many doubts!

"NO!  I won't doubt!  I'll just believe that it IS going to happen!

"Ah...but I have so little faith!

"I NEED more faith?"

"How can I get more faith?

"Does God just give me more faith?

"No...wait!

"'Faith cometh by hearing...'  Yeah!  I remember now!!!  And 'hearing by the Word of God', right?

"I'd better look that up."

 

So, I did look it up and this is what I found:

Romans 10:17 "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

 

Then I wondered, "What exactly does it mean by hearing?"

 

I looked that up too, and this is what I found:

1828 Definition

HE'ARING, ppr. Perceiving by the ear, as sound.

1. Listening to; attending to; obeying; observing what is commanded.

 

Wow! So let me see if I've got this right:

I need a prayer answered.

I need faith to trust God to work out my need.

I get faith from hearing.

Hearing is listening, attending, obeying and observing what I have been commanded.

And what I have been commanded comes from the Word of God.

 

So, if I feel that my prayer is never going to be answered...

• Do I spend more time on my knees begging God for that answer? 
  
• Do I work and work and work to get the answer? 
  
• Do I find a ministry and serve laboriously, hoping God will deem me worth of an answer?

 

No.

I go to the Word of God and I listen to It.  I pay attention to It.  I obey It.  I keep the commandments in It.

Now, granted, as I read in the Word, I may find the instructions to spend more time in prayer, or to labor diligently in my church or community. 

But those actions are the results of my "hearing", not the method of obtaining my answers to my prayers.

 

Are you floundering in a sea of doubt this morning?  Are you waiting for answers that are just not coming?

At the risk of sounding redundant, Go To The Word!

Read it.  Learn from it.  Obey it. 

As you do this, you will find your faith growing by leaps and bounds, and you'll wonder how you ever doubted that God would meet your every need!

 

Finding a Van for Isaac - It Takes a Family, Not a Village

 

We are in the process of trying to find a wheelchair-accessible vehicle for our family.  Our truck died on May 8th, and we have been without a vehicle since then.

I know intellectually that family is incredibly important, but to see family spring into action on our behalf has really been amazing!

 

• My mechanically-inclined brother, who has done the physical labor on our truck the past several times that it needed work, and who had the wisdom to say (as did Bones on StarTrek) "It's dead, Jim!" when our truck blew it's head gasket last Tuesday.
  
• My fiscally-responsible brother and sister-in-love who unselfishly pick me up for choir practice each week, and bring me home from church on Sunday and Wednesday nights, who pick up groceries when we need them, or prescriptions when we have no way to get them, and who support me emotionally when I feel the need to let off steam, by simply listening or by taking me to the beach for a day (and thereby rescuing my sanity.)
• My extended family who are praying and watching for deals and encouraging us that God will meet our need.
• My brilliant husband who can tell you which car/truck/van has the best and poorest Consumer Report ratings for the past 15 years, and who is humble enough to accept rides back and forth to work but is independent enough to walk to the drugstore and grocery store when we needed something.
• My sweet mother- and grandmother-in-laws who give advice and encouragment to Doug each week and who help us pray for answers.
  
• My servant-hearted cousins who are willing to do anything at all for us from toting a wheelchair, to physically helping Isaac in and out of his wheelchair, and who act out the belief that "Pity is a benign form of abuse, " and therefore do not pity Isaac, but accept him just as he is and help him to be a true part of their junior church ministry every Sunday.
  
• My dad who has worked unfailingly to help us find a vehicle, who has loaned his vehicle for runs to the bank and the grocery store, who drives alone to church in his work truck so that the rest of us can fit in the "nice" vehicle, who believes in a fair price and a good work ethic, who has friends all over town because of his own work ethic, and who has blessed his family for many generations to come by following Christ's example and keeping a good Christian testimony.
• My mom who has taught all of us by her incredible example that PRAYER WORKS, and who is continuing to live out that truth by praying a MIRACLE down for us!!!

 

All these combine to make this time of waiting, bearable. 

As we sink our faith deeper into the mind of Christ, and trust Him to meet this incredible need, we are propped up and encouraged by these in our family who have come along beside us.

Of course, we have sweet friends who minister to us, too, giving us ideas and telling us about vehicles they've seen, and encouraging us with reminders of Who God is, and that He promises to meet every need.  These are our brothers and sisters in Christ, and so, by that definition, are FAMILY, as well!

 

The world has swallowed the lie that it takes a government, a society, a village of people to raise a child.  This is wrong and unScriptural.  It takes individuals who are committed to the success of the child and to the spiritual growth of the child, to properly raise that child to be a Child of the King.

In Isaac's situation, he is "safe" in the Lord, because he does not have the understanding to make a personal decision for Christ. 

So, in his case, we are not coming together to teach him about Jesus and salvation in a mental and spiritual way; but rather we are coming together to teach him how Jesus IS by meeting his physical and emotional needs.

 

I John 3:16-18 "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth."

 

My family is loving Isaac, and loving us, "in deed and in truth."

That is very humbling and encouraging and is - quite honestly - just blessing my socks off!!!

Thank you, Lord, for my family!

 

 

HopeFULLy,

Alesha

Don't Lose Hope

 

"Be assured, if you walk with Him and look to Him and expect help from Him, He will never fail you.  An older brother that has known the Lord for forty-four years, who writes this, says to you for your encouragement that He has never failed me." ~ George Mueller

 

Deuteronomy 31:6 "Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."

 

Deuteronomy 31:8 "And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed."

 

Joshua 1:5 "There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."

 

Joshua 21:45 "There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass."

 

Friend, I think we have God's Word on it, as well as the testimony of brothers and sisters down through the ages: 

God will not fail us!

Let this truth restore your hope today!