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    • Lord…why aren’t you here?

      Posted at 8:10 am by sneuhofer, on June 12, 2018

      Don’t worry, Jesus sees our circumstances

      John 11:21-22 (GW) Martha told Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask him.”

      Have you ever been in the middle of your circumstances and asked “Jesus I need you! Why aren’t you here?” It seems as if everything around you is spiraling out of control and you just want something miraculous to happen…right now! Perhaps you wonder in these moments if God even cares.

      Have you been there? I know I sure have and so had Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus. In the 11th chapter of John, the story is told of Lazarus’ death. When Lazarus fell ill his sisters sent word to Jesus for him to come. When Jesus received the message it didn’t shock him at all, in fact he stayed where he was for two more days. Jesus knew exactly what would happen to Lazarus.

      I wonder what was going through the minds of Mary and Martha when Jesus didn’t come immediately. “We are his close personal friends, almost family, so why isn’t he dropping everything to come and heal Lazarus? Doesn’t he care?”

      When Jesus finally made into Bethany, the Bible tells us Lazarus had been dead and in the tomb for four days. Martha, after hearing Jesus was on his way, ran out to meet him. “Jesus, if you had only been here! Lazarus would still be alive!” She knew Jesus had the power to heal, she had witnessed the miracles herself. But Jesus hadn’t made it in time. Her brother was dead.

      Jesus knew his delay had a specific purpose, look how he responds. “Your brother will rise again.” (v23) Martha thought Jesus was talking about rising again on resurrection day. But Jesus continued “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me will have life even if they die. And everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” Jesus asks the question “Martha, do you believe this?”

      Her response without hesitation, “Yes, Lord.”

      Martha’s statement of faith is exactly what God is looking for from us. Complete and total trust.

      The exchange between Martha and Jesus is comforting to me because Jesus knew what was happening. He had the situation in his sight, fully aware the entire time. He wept with them and then brought glory to the Father by bringing life out of death.

      No matter how “out of control” our lives may seem, Jesus has our situation in full sight as well. There is nothing in our lives that goes unnoticed. HE SEES EVERYTHING! He will meet all our needs according to his perfect schedule and purpose. He will bring healing out of pain and give us life…eternal life for those who put their trust and faith in him.

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      Posted in God's timing is perfect, Jesus in my circumstances, trust | 1 Comment
    • Learning obedience through the “tuff stuff” of life

      Posted at 7:00 am by sneuhofer, on April 27, 2018

      Hebrews 5:7 – 8 (HCSB)  During His earthly life, He offered prayers and appeals with loud cries and tears to the One who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence. Though He was God’s Son, He learned obedience through what He suffered.

      Have you ever been in crisis and called out to the Lord, only to feel He didn’t hear you? You make your plea “Lord why is this happening to me? Why is my marriage failing? Why is my child raging? Why am I slowly dying of this incurable disease? Why did I lose my job?”  I know I have made these types of cries to the Lord and have felt at times that He’s just wasn’t listening. At times like these, I have often wondered why the God of the universe wouldn’t answer my prayer in that moment…but what if He did answer?

      When Jesus walked this earth, he also faced similar circumstances. He stepped out of his perfect heaven, emptied himself (Philippians 2:7) and took on the form of a human. Why? To show us how to live, treat others, and most importantly be obedient to the will of God even if it’s not the path he would have chosen for himself. In Matthew 26:39 we see Jesus crying out to his Father “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will [emphasis mine], but as You will.”

      Jesus showed us how to be completely obedient even when he was staring death in the face. He could have called 10,000 angels to spare him the pain and anguish… but he didn’t. Obedience to the Father was more important to him than his comfort. He knew God had a plan for his life and he had to walk in that plan. God knew what was on the other side of the cross.

      God knows what’s on the other side of our crisis as well. He knows the plans He has for us. Just look at what He promises in Jeremiah 29:11 – 14 (MSG):

      I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. “When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen. “When you come looking for me, you’ll find me. Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” God’s Decree.

      He hears our prayers and cares about the intimate details of our lives. Putting our trust and hope in the things of this world will leave us high and dry every time… but when we place our trust in God, we know that through every crisis we are learning to be more obedient to God and the plans He has for our lives.

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      Posted in hope, trials of life, trust | 0 Comments
    • Finding “Bread” in the Valley

      Posted at 7:00 am by sneuhofer, on December 13, 2017

      John 6:35 (NCV) Then Jesus said, “I am the bread that gives life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

      I’ve come to this place again where I have given FEAR a foothold and allowed it to dictate my actions. So frustrated with myself this morning, I cried out to God “Lord what is WRONG with me? I don’t want to be this person… I so desire to be in your word and in fellowship with you.  Why am I struggling?”

      In the quietness I heard His still small voice “You’re not getting alone with me… You are not allowing me to sustain you through this valley.”

      As much as I hate to admit it…  I haven’t been having a good quiet time lately. I’ve been distracted by the circumstances in my life. My son, 12 years old,  is growing up and is demanding his independence. He sure is good at being a 12 year old, strong-willed young man. To be honest…his demands are not often handled the right way and as a parent, my job is to guide and discipline – and sometimes I feel like a failure at it. I become the worst version of my self…and I blow up. Not good…not good at all! For me, change is so difficult…and I can’t control it one bit.

      Ok, there you have it. This is another opportunity for me to trust God with everything… yet I worry. He wants us to CRY out to Him. Yet, when I worry or stress, I tend to shut down completely. I become too afraid to move. Reading through the gospel of John this morning, I was reminded of why I felt like this in the first place. It isn’t because I’m worried; It’s because I haven’t been handing my worry over to Jesus and trusting Him to provide.

      Jesus is the only One who can sustain us and provide for every need we have. In times like this, I shouldn’t run and hide from the world around me. I should RUN to CHRIST and cling to him for every thirst, hunger and need. It shouldn’t matter that I am trying to get through to a strong-willed 12 year old who thinks he knows everything.  I should be talking to Him about helping me through whatever “tantrum” comes next. He already knows my heart and my circumstance, it’s up to me to talk to Him about it….and lay it down at His feet.

      He is the bread of life….and I can find nourishment and refreshment for my soul through Him. I don’t have to waste away in the middle of this valley, I can feast at the table of the Lord because He not will only satisfy my physical needs…but my spiritual needs as well.

      God is greater than any problem I have.  He will provide for every single need. 

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      Posted in fear, trust, worry | 0 Comments
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