[.30Carbine]

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.
2 Corinthians 1:3-5

Dear freema, I join in prayer for Shalom--wholeness, wellness, the peace of God which passes all understanding--for your family at this difficult time. I want to share with you the moving testimony of Diver Dave on yesterday's Daily Reflections with Oswald Chambers thread, for he has been comforted of God, and perhaps his comfort will comfort you.

Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14

[The Mayor]

March 8, 2006

A Living Hope

Read:
1 Peter 1:3-9

Blessed be [God] . . . who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope. —1 Peter 1:3

Bible In One Year: Deuteronomy 5-7; Mark 11:1-18

Life is hard for everybody, but it's much harder for some than for others. Putting our trust in Christ as our Savior does little to change that. Nothing in the Bible promises us a free pass merely because we are Christ's followers. In fact, some of our wounds may not heal and some of our deficiencies may not be corrected during our lifetime. They may even get worse. Yet our deformities and weaknesses are only temporary.

Anticipating what God has in store for us can put a smile in our heart. Hope gives us poise and lets us live with inner strength, because we know that one day we will be dramatically different than we are now.

If you are in some way damaged by past abuse or feeling defeated by sin, or if you feel so inferior to others that you walk with your eyes to the ground, take heart in what God has in store for you. Live today with the courage God gives you. Make what you can of your afflictions. But rejoice, because all that degrades and limits you is only temporary. It will be gone—some of it sooner rather than later.

If you have a living hope in Christ, you can deal with your past because of your future. God's glorious best for you lies ahead. —Haddon Robinson

Lord, give us grace to trust You when
Life's burdens seem too much to bear;
Dispel the darkness with new hope
And help us rise above despair. —Sper

Christians can cope with their past because they have hope for the future.

FOR FURTHER STUDY
Why Is Life So Unfair?

[freema]

THANK YOU. That was a powerful reminder of my own father's passing, Dave...on Christmas Day. Not much 'sorrow', but rather a powerful joy and humble gratitude.

(The post above that was AWEsome, too!


I feel as though I'm getting my tank filled and my windshield cleaned for 'this trip home'.

Thank you so much.