Thursday, December 09, 2004

My Hope is in You

"Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making
the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do
not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is." Ephesians
5:15-17

Our days are in God's hands. No matter how in control we try to be
of our lives, God is over all that concerns us. We often dismiss this and
face great frustration in trying to orchestrate our own destiny.
God is the only One who knows the future. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us
that He has good planned for our lives: "For I know the plans that I have for
you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give
you a future and a hope."

He has His best in mind for you. No matter what you have done
earlier in life, God is not ashamed of you. He is faithful to protect and
provide for all your needs, even in heartache and difficulty.
Therefore, when the temptation comes to give up, don't give in to it.
Young believers in Christ often become discouraged because they
dislike facing faith-stretching moments. They want to grow up immediately in
their spiritual walk, and they don't want to wait. But time is not an
urgency to the Lord. He is aware of its value but not consumed with how
long it takes you to grow into the man or woman He has planned for you
to become.

Isn't it wonderful to live for Someone who knows you completely and
has chosen you as His own beloved? You worship a living Savior whose love
is endless and who has all the time in the world to listen and counsel
you.

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"Lord, make me to know my end, and what is the measure of my days, that
I may know how frail I am. Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths,
and my age is as nothing before You; certainly every man at his best
state is but vapor. Surely every man walks about like a shadow; surely
they busy themselves in vain; he heaps up riches, and does not know who
will gather them. And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in
You." Psalm 39:4-7