Joyful in Hope 20th Day in Lent (Thursday) Read: Romans 12:9-21 “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12 (NIV)
In 17th century Italy, in the town of Cremona, lived a young boy named Antonio. Antonio was often sad because he lived in a town that was famous for its music, but he could neither sing nor play. Antonio’s voice was high and squeaky, so he was not welcome in the Cremona Boys’ Choir. When he took violin lessons, the neighbours persuaded his parents to make him stop. Yet Antonio still wanted to make music.
Antonio’s friends kidded him because it seemed that his only talent was whittling, but he did not give up. One day the boy learned that a world-famous violinmaker named Amati lived in Cremona. The next morning Antonio went to visit Amati and begged to serve as his apprentice. For many years he studied and worked. Antonio’s knack for whittling grew into a skill of carving; his hobby became his craft. Patiently he fashioned many violins, striving to make each one better and more beautiful than the one before. When Antonio died, he left over 1,500 violins, each one bearing a label that said “Antonio Stradivarius.” Today they are the most sought after violins in all the world. The clarity of tone and careful craftsmanship remain untouched by the centuries.
Today Antonio’s violins sell for more than $100,000. Antonio Stradivarius could neither sing nor play, but he did what he could, and now, over 300 years later, his violins are still making beautiful music. In the above story, this little boy had a passion and wanted to make music. He persevered to find his calling, the place where he knew he fitted. God has a place for each of us, and it is a place where our gifts can be used.
A place where we can make ‘beautiful music’. We are to be joyful with hope to find the place where God blesses and guides you to where there is also a need in the world. Your calling is where the needs of the world intercept with your passion. God will use you for His glory. Your place is where God is calling you to be. Be joy filled in hope.
Prayer: Lord, you know where my life is going. Direct and guide me that I may find joy in all that you have prepared for me. My hope and life is in you – use me Lord! Amen
Absolutely Certain 19th Day in Lent (Wednesday) Read: Romans 8:31-39 “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels not demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)
There is not a lot in this world to which I hold absolute certainty! We lived through COVID 19 and saw how quickly a world can shut down, new laws put in place, not being able to buy toilet paper, and be faced with fear and uncertainty of catching this dreaded virus. Then with the weather, will the forecast be correct or should I doubt BOM (Bureau of Meteorology)? With all the computer scamming happening can I be absolutely certain that my money will still be in the bank when I want to use it? Going for holidays, can I be absolutely certain that my home will not be burgled while I am away?
All these things happening in the world bring fear to our lives and it seems there is nothing certain to hold on to. The Apostle Paul points us to our God: “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:31b–32 NIV) This is something we can be absolutely certain about. God loves you so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to suffer and die for all our sins and wrongdoings.
God then raised Him to life, after beating death so that you and I can now no longer be left condemned of all our sin but be made righteous (perfect) in God’s eyes. You can be absolutely certain, that nothing can now separate us from God… read the list above in verses 38 and 39. This is the hope we have, that there is a loving God who wants us to be with Him for all eternity and there is nothing in this world now that can stop this.
God made sure of this 2,000 years ago when He sent His sinless Son to die for our sins. This broke the power that the devil had over us. You are God’s child now and for eternity! You can be absolutely certain of this!
Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, that you made a way for me to be righteous and holy before God. You have made my salvation and all your promises absolutely certain. I don’t need to fear but live in hope. Amen.
Waiting for Christmas 18th Day in Lent (Tuesday) Read: Romans 8:22-25 “For it was by hope that we were saved; but if we see what we hope for, then it is not really hope. For who of us hopes for something we see? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” Romans 8:24-25 (GNT)
In the beginning of ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’, by C. S. Lewis, the land of Narnia is described as always winter and never Christmas. Narnia has been in a perpetual winter for as long as any of the Narnians could remember because of the reign of the White Witch. There was no hope or light in this winter to remind the Narnians that winter is only temporary (in the Northern Hemisphere, winter means that Christmas is coming). They could see nothing to be hopeful for, yet they hung onto the prophecy of the downfall of the White Witch and the return of Aslan.
For those who haven’t yet read this book, I hope I have given you the incentive to read it. It may seem like a children’s book, but there is so much gospel in it. There is disobedience and forgiveness, evil and the overcoming goodness, sadness and joy! Aslan is the ‘Jesus figure’ who returns to Narnia bringing hope and Christmas and the ending of despair and winter. The coming of Christmas in Narnia is a reminder that no matter how dark the world gets, darkness cannot overcome the light. Christmas was a few months ago now, but every day we need to be reminded of Christmas and the coming of our Saviour.
That is a reason I keep a few nativity scenes up all year round! Jesus has come to bring light into a dark world. So then at Easter, our Saviour’s purpose comes into focus. He came to bring us hope and the surety of eternal life. Lent is sometimes seen as a sombre, dark time as we follow Jesus to the cross. But Jesus did this all for you and me. He went to the cross willingly to give us hope and a future where before there was no hope.
So now we can wait for our salvation patiently knowing that it is in heaven that our Saviour will welcome us with open arms and it will always be Christmas! Even though we can’t see ‘hope’ – know that Jesus is your hope!
Prayer: My loving Saviour, you bring me hope in a darkened world. Give me patience to wait for this eternal joy in your presence. I can’t see it yet, but I wait expectantly and with hope. Amen
Comparisons 17th Day in Lent (Monday) Read: Romans 8:18-21 “I consider that what we suffer at this present time cannot be compared at all with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.” Romans 8:18 (GNT)
I grew up eating rissoles in hamburgers. Made with minced meat, flour, egg, breadcrumbs, chicken noodle soup mix and spices all these things added made the minced meat go further, especially having four older brothers. My husband, Mark, on the other hand grew up with hamburgers being 100% minced beef – nothing added. Apart from MacDonald’s there are not many places in Australia that serves 100% beef patties. This at times causes Mark consternation. He doesn’t understand why things need to be added to the minced meat. For him there is no comparison in taste.
Me on the other hand, prefer the rissoles for that is what I grew up with; so, we agree to disagree and have to suffer with our differences, depending on who cooks. St Paul tells us throughout Romans and the other letters he has written that we are going to suffer through this life. Hamburger preferences are probably the least of our sufferings. We cannot understand why things happen, ‘Why did God let this happen to me?’
God does not let bad things happen to His children. It is because we sin and we continually do wrong things that evil takes over. God is always there to pick up the pieces and bring comfort, peace and understanding over these situations. God wants us to keep our faith and strengthen our trust in Him. In the above verse, Paul writes that our suffering is nothing compared to our future glory that we all wait in hope for. God gives us in the Bible, little glimpses of what things will be like when we die, but I think it is 100% better than even my greatest hope.
So, we suffer through our hamburger preferences (the little sufferings) and then the bigger times of trials (sickness, loss, family, etc). We know that this suffering will pass and God’s glory will take over, and all creation will experience freedom and be fully restored. Then we will live in an eternal kingdom with no pain or sorrow. Our future hope is 100% better.
Prayer: My loving Father God, I cannot compare what it will be like to live with you in glory. You have planned out my future, and I trust and hope in your promises. Amen.
Producing Flowers 3rd Sunday during Lent Read: Romans 5:1-5 “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Romans 5:5 (NIV)
I do enjoy gardening. Roses are my favourite. Growing roses in the Noosa climate is not easy as the humidity causes rust and the leaves brown easily. I bought a rose when arriving in Noosa after having had many roses in my garden in Loxton. I put it in a pot on my front porch, sheltered from the rain, but it gets morning sun and it just loves it there. All around the year I get not just one bloom, but sometimes eight to ten blooms on one stem. I have learned that it is in the right spot, to give it the right amount of water and fertiliser and I can be confident I will see results if I keep looking after it.
God loves each one of us. He has justified us which means that He has done the planting, the watering and the pruning of our lives and that because He has done it all, we get to bloom under His love. It was through the love of God that He sent His son to die on the cross for each of us and rise on the third day. Because of this we can bloom in heaven eternally with our heavenly Father. This is the hope we have and can live in. God has poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit to give us the ability to grow and thrive and be confident in the hope of eternal life.
God knows what each of us need to thrive and grow. He places us just where we need to be and gives us just what we need to encourage growth. It is easy to think that we know what to do and that we know better. I could try moving my rose to a new place or try not pruning it each year; but I have a feeling that would stop my beautiful flowers appearing. Persevere in your faith, allow yourself to be pruned and God in His love will produce some beautiful flowers in your life. God knows what is best for us – always!
Prayer: Merciful God and our loving Saviour Jesus Christ, you know what is best for me. Allow me to be shaped and pruned by you so that I can grow in your love and faith. Amen.
God’s Voucher 16th Day in Lent (Saturday) Read: Romans 4:18-25 “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’” Romans 4:18 (NIV)
Gifting experiences or vouchers have been the new go-to for birthdays and other significant events. I lately had a larger birthday, and I was given a massage. That was very much appreciated. I also received a ‘Floatage’ (Float & Massage) for Mother’s Day. Some in my family have also received a cemetery tour, tickets to the movies and even gift cards worth a certain amount that can be used anytime for anything. All these sorts of these things have already been bought and given, and it is just up to the receiver of the gift to use!
Reading this Bible verse, it appears that God gave Abraham a voucher of ‘The Father of Many Nations’. The difference with this is that Abraham could see that the expiry date was well and truly over – Abraham one hundred years old and Sarah had well and truly gone through menopause. He tried to use his voucher too early (Hagar and Ishmael), but God reminded him it will all come in His timing. God never puts expiry dates on His vouchers of love and promise. Abraham needed to be reminded of God’s faithfulness and rely on His promise for Sarah did have a baby – Isaac! God has also given each one of us vouchers for our eternal life and that we have credit in righteousness. Jesus paid for our salvation once and for all and for all time.
God gave His only innocent son to pay the exorbitant cost for our sinfulness. Our sinfulness can only lead to eternal death and separation from God. But God in His love for all of us sent Jesus who paid for all our sins (past, present and future) for all time. This is our eternal life voucher. All we have to do is have faith and believe that God will do what He said He would. We have been washed clean and made righteous through our baptism. Now enjoy this incredible gift. This Lenten season remember that this gift has already been paid for – just bask in God’s goodness. God’s voucher never expires nor ever runs out!
Prayer: Dear God, thank you for giving me the experience of eternal life with you in Heaven. You have blessed me every day with your love and your promises, help me to appreciate your goodness. Amen. 2
Confident Hope 15th Day in Lent (Friday) Read: Acts 2:22-32 “David said about him: ‘I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest in hope… You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.” Acts 2:25-26, 28 (NIV)
There are some people who seem to have an eternal optimism. No matter what may be happening in their lives, whatever hardships may come, they seem to be able to shake it all off and know that tomorrow is another day and will be much better. In KYB (Know Your Bible) this last term we studied 1 Samuel. David had confidence that God was there with him when he went against the mighty Goliath with just a sling shot. He was confident that God would save him when a spear was thrown at him by King Saul and had armies sent out to kill him.
David had confidence that God would protect him to do all the things he had promised. And David did become King and was a ‘king after God’s own heart’. There are times when I feel that God is a bit slow on the uptake and maybe I should get in there and help God make all the promises to me come to fruition. But I do need to realise that God doesn’t need my help, He has everything under control and all I need to do is have faith and rest in the hope that God will do all He said He would. In Acts 2, we read that Peter referred to David’s words from Psalm 16:8-11.
Peter was talking to the crowds about Jesus who had died and was risen from the dead. The people of the times would have known the stories of David, so they could relate to what Peter was saying. Peter told them of David’s hope, which in turn had come true through Jesus Christ. We can also relate this to us. We live here on earth, but only for the days that God has given us. Then He has promised that we will be taken to live with our Heavenly Father for ever. This is the hope that we have as Christians, and we can be joyful and be confident like David. Be confident, our eternal hope is secure!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you have battled death through your resurrection and won the victory for me. Let me live confidently in this hope of eternal life and be prepared to share this hope with others. Amen.
God Delights in You 13th Day in Lent
Read: Zephaniah 3:14-17, 20 “The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)
On one occasion, a pastor asked one of his parishioners: “Do you believe in the hereafter?” The parishioner replied: “You bet I do. I often go in a room and say, ‘What am I here after?’” Above the massive front doors of a cathedral these words were inscribed: THE GATE OF HEAVEN. Below was a small sign, which read: PLEASE USE OTHER ENTRANCE. If we were honest with ourselves and each other, we would say that we hope one day to be with God in Heaven. Why do we use this word ‘hope’? Isn’t this a certainty? Haven’t we been told that “Those who believe and are baptised will be saved”? (Mark 16:16a) We all know that Jesus loves us and that we have been saved by grace through our faith, what then makes us doubt God’s promise?
I have a copy of the above verse on the wall of my office. It is there to remind me that God will calm any fear I have and that He is so happy with me that He rejoices over me with songs – He is that happy! It is full of hope and the promise that God will do what He has promised to do. Zephaniah was a prophet in ancient Judah during the time when King Josiah reigned (640–609 BCE). He was there to warn the people that God’s Day of judgement was coming. God’s people had strayed, and they thought that they could enter heaven by other doors – worshipping other gods. Then in verse 17, Zephaniah tells them that even though the people will experience consequences, God will bless His people and take away all the judgements put on them.
God sent Jesus to take the wrath of sin on Himself for all of humankind. Heaven is on earth already… God is here with us! Our hope is in the here and now – not only the hereafter. A little girl promised her daddy a hug when he finished his work.
Suddenly, she ran to him and gave him a bone-crushing hug saying: ‘I just want you to know what to look forward to.’ We can live in the hope and joy promised us every day!
Prayer: Dear God, you love me so much that you rejoice over me with singing, you are that happy to have me in your family. Calm any fears I may have and bring me into the assurance of being with you already. Amen
Hopelessness? 12th Day in Lent (Tuesday) Read: Micah 7:1-7 “But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Saviour; my God will hear me.” Micah 7:7 (NIV)
Our world seems to be in disarray. Political leaders are vying for more land and beginning wars over this land. People are upset over rights and rally about injustices, our youth run rampant in the streets hurting themselves and others. Can there be any hope for our world? In the reading from Micah 7:1–7, it sounds so much like the world today, but this was written between 750 and 686 BCE. Has nothing changed with a godless society? Micah was lamenting over a decadent society and the godlessness of his generation. In verse 6 we also read of the breakdown of the family unit.
There was hopelessness then as well as now. We see people turn away from their faith and the truth of God. They turn to other gods: property, wealth, holidays, possessions, entertainment and experiences. Our prayer is that families will turn to God, that they will teach their children the truth and that the world will turn to see God and worship Him. That is our hope! Let’s follow the example of Micah and not dwell in the hopelessness that we see, rather, we watch and wait in hope for the Lord. We can also rest securely in this hope.
That God will hear our prayers and that we can make a difference even in our small part of the world and remain faithful to God and His Word. God sending Jesus at Christmas was the greatest gift God could give to a fallen world. This gift paved a new way of living in God’s grace and forgiveness and the hope of a better day. God looked at His sin-diseased world and provided the remedy for that condition in His only Son. We are sinful people, but we are also God’s forgiven people who walk through life with hope. Jesus promises us eternal life as a gift from our Heavenly Father.
The world may be scary, and unrest surrounds us but know that there is hope for all the world for we have a God who loves and cares for His children. Discouraged? Feeling hopeless? Know that God brings hope! Prayer: My God, I know you care for your world. Bring peace and comfort to your people. Help me know that in you only can I find hope and peace for my life and soul. Amen