Jesus is our Hope

How often do we feel hopeless?

Hopeless marriages, hopeless parenting, hopeless single life, hopeless job, hopeless situatutions, hopeless healthy living, hopeless in school, hopeless money problems, etc. It can be easy to feel weighed down with hopelessness.

We feel like nothing is changing. There must not be a plan. Life is full of uncertainities. We can't see the light at the end of the tunnel, and we doubt that it even exists. We are confused with the way things are playing out, frustrated that it isn't the way we had planned. All of this pain, hurt, and struggle could never bring about anything good. We have no hope.

THOSE ARE LIES.

The enemy wants you to be distracted, distraught, and defeated. He rejoices in your confusion, struggle, and pain. He dances when we feel helpless and hopeless. He is after us to steal our joy, kill our passion, and destroy our purpose.

The good news is, we don't have to live there. The enemy does not have to have the victory. He can be defeated. We do have hope.

We are blessed to be able to look back. We can see the beginning, the middle, and the end of the Easter story. We look unto Easter with full knowledge of the events, beacuse it has already happened.

But, think about then. The day between His death and His ressurection must have been dark. The Saviour of the world was dead, He was buried, and all hope was gone. His family, His disciples, and His followers were probably all confused. They may have felt like they wasted their time with Jesus. There was no change to happen, life would stay the way it always had been. They were hopeless, swarmed with uncertainities, and filled with doubt. The awful pain of His death would've been all in vain. Nothing made sense.

EXCEPT

God had a plan. He defeated sin, death, hell, the grave, and the enemy, so we can have hope. Not a distant hope that doesn't change anything, but a real, lively hope. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Peter 1:3)

God's Word brings us the full, beautiful picture of what Jesus did for us, in love, so we can have hope. For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.(Romans 15:4)

So, when your situation feels dark, and you are without hope, remember, God has a plan. He was sovereign when Jesus was in the grave, and He is still sovereign in your life, today. He is not taken by surprise when something alarming occurs. He is in control. He has a plan. He is working things out for good for those that love Him. He is with you. for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6b) There is no need to fear the uncertainty. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.(Isaiah 41:10)

Jesus is our hope. Without His rising again, and conquering death, sin, hell, and the enemy, we would be hopeless. But, He did. He gave us hope.

So celebrate today. We can remember that the day before He arose, He was fighting for us, to bring us real hope.

Happy Easter.

Celebrate who He is, and what He did for you.

Love, M

Death does not discriminate.

I heard the story the other day about a lady. She went to my church. She was not well known, and kept to herself. A man saw her walking her dog one day. He recognized her, but didn't wave. He saw her again later that week, but didn't think much of it. The next week he curiously drove by a home with multiple emergency response vehicles, and police. He then saw her picture in the paper the next morning. She had died.
Death seems to be looming around the people I love lately. It's in the news, on Facebook, hurting my friends and my family. The past few months it seems like every other day is peppered with some tragedy.
In this, I am learning some things.
Death does not discriminate. It doesn't care if you are old or young, if you are happy or sad, if you have people who love you or are all alone, if you can pay your bills or you can't. It doesn't matter. It takes who it wishes when it pleases.
Life really is precious. Living your days intentionally is the best way to live. Be bold. Take adventures. Live life to the fullest.
Be kind. Wave at someone. Share a smile. Tell people you love them. Be patient. You never know when it will be their last day, or your last day. You also don't know what they are really going through.
Believe Jesus is everything He said He is. He really is. He really did conquer death, hell, sin, Satan, and the grave. He really is preparing a place for those who confess with their mouths and believe in their hearts that He is Lord. Believe that He is healer, comforter, Father, peace, and friend. Believe His love is so overwhelming, we can never begin to understand.
Share hope. Don't keep Jesus to yourselves. We will never have the ability to know when someone may die. The time is now. Be bold. There isn't a second chance after the last breath. You are not responsible for someone's salvation, you are only responsible to share. God is the One who works in hearts.
Be praying for my best friend's as they deal with the sudden loss of a good man.
Have a wonderful night.
Love, M.

I went to the cemetery.

I am starting to feel like Michelle again. The cranky, weepy, jerk of a girl who has taken my body captive the past month is starting to move out. This weekend I felt like me. The dancing in the car, smiling at everyone, dork of a girl is coming out of hiding. I am beginning to let go of bitterness and anger. I'm becoming me, again.
I visited the cemetery today.
I was driving home, windows down, music up, hand dancing in the wind, and hair blowing everywhere. I started to realize, He's doing it. Ever so carefully, He is healing me, He is using me, He is restoring me.
I pulled into the cemetery. I didn't know if I could do it. If I could be here, and be okay. I wandered around for a few minutes. The last time I was here, the trees still had their leaves. I couldn't find where she was buried. But then I did. I plopped down on the ground. Sitting in the dirt and grass in a dress is not the most lady like thing to do, but for once I didn't care.
Short sleeves, with no jacket in November. What was I thinking? And then the breeze started. I wasn't cold, I was surprisingly warm, but was covered in goose bumps. Then I heard Him. He whispered in the deepest part of my heart, that only He can be. He told me, "I've got you, girl. You are my beloved."
Maybe those words don't do much for you, but for me, sitting at the grave of a girl whom I loved, weeping and mourning, and trying to do life, they meant something.
They meant so much. He loves me. In an overwhelming love. He wants to heal my heart. He wants to see me smile. He desires to use me. He wants to hold me in His arms. I am His girl. His girl. I am His. He is mine.
A breeze blew so fiercely in that moment, it took my breath away for a second. I could feel Him. He was here. My Jesus did not forget about me, or leave me to figure out life alone. He is here.
I heard Him for the first time in four weeks. I felt Him with every bit of me.
He alone is the one that brings hope. He conquered sin, death, hell, the grave, and Satan himself.
What Satan has been trying to use for his own pleasure, God is using for His good. He alone is sovereign. He alone is good.
So, I continue to sort through life. I trust that He really is sovereign. He is working all things for good, because I love Him. I really just want to honor Him. I want my life to point to Jesus, even on the roughest days.
Last time I was here, I picked up a leaf from near where she was going to buried. I stuck it in my Bible to press it. The colors are still bright, its beautiful. It is a reminder that He did conquer the grave. There is beauty in death, only because of Jesus. Today, I took a crinkly, brown, dead leaf. Even in death, when all hope seems lost, He brings hope, and joy.
Have a great night.
Love, M.