Find Hope @ The Hem
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  • Category: God’s promises

    • Do things seem hopeless?

      Posted at 4:00 am by sneuhofer, on February 22, 2021

      When circumstances appear hopeless, God keeps his promises.

      Abram (Abraham) was 75 years old when God told him to “leave his country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land I will show you (Gen 12: 1).” God continued to tell Abraham that He would make him a great nation from his family. Abram obeyed God and left the comforts of his homeland for an unknown destination.

      I wonder if the words “I will make a great nation from your family” were mulled around in the back of his head as he headed out. You see at the time, Abraham had no biological children as his wife Sarai (Sarah) was barren. Yet…Abram stepped out in faith and didn’t question God.

      Fast forward a few years. I wonder if Abraham assumes God will fulfill His promise of making a great nation from his family through his slave Eliezer because he and Sarah are still childless. This story is told in Genesis 15: 1-6 where the Lord appears to Abraham in a vision:

      “Abram, don’t be afraid. I will defend you, and I will give you a great reward.” But Abram said, “Lord God, what can you give me? I have no son, so my slave Eliezer from Damascus will get everything I own after I die.” Abram said, “Look, you have given me no son, so a slave born in my house will inherit everything I have.” Then the Lord spoke his word to Abram: “He will not be the one to inherit what you have. You will have a son of your own who will inherit what you have.” Then God led Abram outside and said, “Look at the sky. There are so many stars you cannot count them. Your descendants also will be too many to count.” Abram believed the Lord. And the Lord accepted Abram’s faith, and that faith made him right with God. [emphasis mine]”

      God promises Abraham descendants too many to count but the circumstances haven’t changed a bit…Abraham and Sarah are still advanced in years and childless. Perhaps a few more years pass, I don’t know the Bible doesn’t tell us…but Sarah decides to take matters into her own hands and gives her slave girl, Hagar, to Abraham (Genesis 16:1-3). Although this was customary in their day it still showed a lack of faith in God to do what He promised He would do.

      Have you ever taken matters into your own hands and gotten ahead of God? Perhaps you take a look at the circumstances surrounding you and think “maybe I should step in and do…something.”

      I sure have and boy… did I make a mess of things. By taking things into my own hands and “taking care of business” in my own strength and timing, it showed God that I had a complete lack of faith and willingness to allow Him to work in His.

      Go ahead… you can say it…  it’s nothing I haven’t said to myself at least 100 times. OUCH! Right?

      What I have to remember is God always keeps his promises…it may take a lot longer than I would like, but He is faithful….and His timing is always right on time.

      Lamentations 3:21 – 26 (GW) “The reason I can still find hope is that I keep this one thing in mind: the Lord’s mercy. We were not completely wiped out. His compassion is never limited. It is new every morning. His faithfulness is great. My soul can say, ‘The Lord is my lot in life. That is why I find hope in him.’ The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to anyone who seeks help from him. “It is good to continue to hope and wait silently for the Lord to save us.”

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      Posted in God's faithfulness, God's promises | 0 Comments
    • Seeking truth…God’s truth

      Posted at 8:34 am by sneuhofer, on October 4, 2018

      Philippians 4:8 (ESV) Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

      For the past 4 weeks, my church has been on a life-changing journey to discover what our thought processes really are and how they impact our own lives and those around us. Plain and simple, our thoughts run our lives. I don’t think I have ever thought about what I think about so much in my life. I tend to “over-analyze” everything. From what I say, to how people interpret what I say and then on to what other people may be thinking or saying has always set off some chain reaction thought-process in my head. I never really realized how exhausting my thought life is until just recently. Prior to 4 weeks ago, I just figured it was the way God made me….so wonderfully complex.

      But I think the truth is, Satan just wants me all spun up and questioning every single thing that comes out of my own mouth or the mouths and actions of others. Satan wants me immobile…he wants to hold me in a fear prison so I don’t get to experience the abundant life God has planned for me (John 10:10, Jerimiah 29:11).

      AGAIN…exhausting!

      The truth is YES, I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) by God, in His own image (Genesis 1:26). But God never intended me to be an anxious, over-analyzing mess who continually plays and/or replays negative (hurtful) things in my head. In Philippians 4:8, Paul encourages us to think on things that are true and honorable, just and pure. But how will I know what those things are if I don’t spend time reading the truth of God’s word and focusing on the truth of what it says?

      So my challenge today (and every day) is to:

      • LEARN the word of God
      • LIVE in a way that brings honor and glory to the Father
      • SPEAK the truth over myself and others around me

      When I do these things, I am throwing off the former things (the way I think, act and speak) and allowing the Holy Spirit to renew my thoughts and attitudes (Ephesians 4:22 – 24).

      Here are a few truths to walk in today:

      • God will provide for my every need (Philippians 4:19)
      • There is NOTHING that can separate me from the love of God (Romans 8:37 – 39)
      • God gives power to the weak, He will restore my strength (Isaiah 40:29 – 31)
      • The Lord will fight for me (Exodus 14:14)
      • The Lord loves me with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3)

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    • Pure Promises from God

      Posted at 7:35 am by sneuhofer, on November 21, 2017

      Psalm 12:6 The Lord’s promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over.

      As I read over this verse, I couldn’t help but think of how thankful I am to know that the One I can count on when everything seems to go south will always keep His promises. He will never lie to me or try to deceive me. He can’t, it’s not in his nature. His words and promises are pure like silver refined in a furnace and purified seven times over. That just blows my mind. When I started to think about the word “pure” it made me think about its actual definition. What does the word “pure” actually mean? I went to the dictionary and looked it up, Mom would be so proud.

      Pure, a. Free from moral defilement; without spot; not sullied or tarnished; incorrupt; undebased by moral turpitude; holy.

      There, at the end of the definition – did you see it? The word holy. Our God is a holy God. What does holy mean? Again I flipped through the dictionary.

      Holy, a. Properly, whole, entire or perfect, in a moral sense. Hence, pure in heart, temper or dispositions; free from sin and sinful affections. Applied to the Supreme Being, holy signifies perfectly pure, immaculate and complete in moral character; and man is more or less holy, as his heart is more or less sanctified, or purified from evil dispositions.

      Did you notice how many times the form of the word pure was used in the definition of the word holy? It was used 3 times. That tells me that if God’s promises are pure and God is holy then I can trust and rely on Him with every circumstance in my life. He is not going to try to trip me up for His benefit for gain. He is going to seek what is right for me, for my best interest… even if I don’t understand why He does the things he does.

      The God who spoke the entire universe into existence loves me and wants what’s best for me. The Bible proves that time and time again as we read of God’s mercy and grace. If you’re struggling withe something today and you don’t know if you can even trust God to get you through it, I encourage you to spend some time reading through the book of Psalms, Proverbs, or one of the 4 gospels. In these books you will find encouragement to press on, wisdom and knowledge, and the reason God sent Jesus to walk among us.

      God is pure and holy…  you can trust Him….  you can REALLY trust Him with all the details of your life.

      Need direction?
      Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.  (Psalm 119:105)

      Feel like your in a pit of depression?
      “You, Lord, are my lamp; the Lord turns my darkness into light.” (2 Samuel 22:29)

      Need His strength to get you through the toughest trial of your life? 
      “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

      Are you anxious about what the future holds? 
      “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God trust also in me.” (John 14:1)

      Not sure God can forgive you? 
      “If we confess with our mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe with your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

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