“Your word is a lamp for my feet,
a light on my path.”
Psalm 119:105 NIV
Put your hope in God and in His Word. We all are broken and will have troubles in this world. But God gives us The Way to salvation. May we all find rest for our souls in God’s Word.
Find Rest by Francesca Battistelli
“You are my refuge and my shield;
I have put my hope in your word.”
Psalm 119:114 NIV
(This photo was taken in July of 2021 at Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado)
“Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—
my Savior and my God!”
Psalm 42:11 NLT
Where is your hope? What do you put your hope in? Do you put your hope in worldly values and worldly perspectives? I certainly have in my life. Is your hope in something that can be taken away from you and leave you disappointed and discouraged? Yep, been there done that. We must stop trying to fill the void in our hearts with the things or people of the world as that only leads to frustration…we were created for relationship with God. Only God can satisfy the desires of our hearts through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Put your hope in God.
Find Rest by Fracesca Battistelli
“Have you never heard?
Have you never understood?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of all the earth.
He never grows weak or weary.
No one can measure the depths of his understanding.
29 He gives power to the weak
and strength to the powerless.
30 Even youths will become weak and tired,
and young men will fall in exhaustion.
31 But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.”
Isaiah 40:28-31 NLT
(This photo was taken in April of 2020 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV
“But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.”
Isaiah 53:5 NIV
It is because of God’s grace that the battle has already been won…we are forgiven…we are healed…we are saved by Grace. Nothing can separate us from Him who loves us. Praise Him for Amazing Grace. Amen.
“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV
(This photo was taken in June of 2013 in Rocky Mountian National Park)
“Your word is a lamp for my feet,
a light on my path.”
Psalm 119:105 NIV
No matter what you are facing or up against…no matter what your circumstances in life, you can always find Hope in God’s Word. The Bible is God speaking to us directly in the case of Jesus and through others as well. Believe in Jesus and spend some time reading God’s Word every day. You will not find hope in the things of this world…yet the Creator has provided His Word to lead us, guide us and to give us Hope. Amen.
“You are my refuge and my shield;
I have put my hope in your word.”
Psalm 119:114 NIV
(This photo was taken in September of 2022 at Big Sky Resort in Montana)
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…”
1 Peter 1:3 NIV
Hope in this world mostly gets aligned with wishful thinking in general conversations. This hope is not sure, not firm and is not based on belief. The hope talked about in the Bible is hope that believes and knows God’s promises for good things. This hope is supported by actions and behaviors. The hope we receive from Christ is a hope that knows and believes that Christ lives and that God is for us and working for our good, even when, especially when the visible evidence is against it. The hope from God’s Word tells us to not give up or surrender to sin and doubt, rather know that God is with you and you can trust in Him…not for the things you believe you should have but for the things God knows that you need. May the God of all hope be present in your daily life. Amen.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:13 NIV
(This photo was taken in September of 2016 on a lake in central Minnesota)
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
James 1:17 NIV
“I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.”
Malachi 3:6 NIV
God is faithful and trustworthy. He keeps His promises…He is consistent in character for all generations. All good things come from the Lord.
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
Hebrews 13:8 NIV
(This photo was taken in October of 2018 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here!”
2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV
Many aspects of life on earth can make us weary and tired, shaping our perspective to approach life with negativity, doubt and fear. We often forget, daily, that we can choose our attitude and perspective for this day. If we focus all our thoughts and energy on our problems and why me, then we may get stuck and begin to spiral downward. We can be renewed and draw strength by turning our focus to the Lord. No matter what you are facing remember God is in control and if you put your trust in Him, your strength will be renewed. Amen.
“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary they will walk and not be faint.”
Isaiah 40:29-31 NIV
(This photo was taken in March of 2018 while traveling through southern New Mexico)
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
8 They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.”
Jeremiah 17:7-8 NIV
A vital element to any relationship is trust. If there is a lack of trust everything else that comes after that will be filled with negativity and the relationship will erode and break apart. Trust takes effort, commitment and humility. Trust works like a bank account…you build it over time making deposits and it can disappear quickly with big withdrawals. The most important relationship for each of us is our relationship with Jesus Christ. We can trust in Him because of who He is and what He has done for us…to learn more read about Him, His birth, His life, His death and His resurrection and know that He did it for you…because He loves you. Amen.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
(This photo was taken in August of 2012 while hiking on the North Shore of Lake Superior)
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Matthew 6:33-34 NIV
What are we seeking in our daily lives? We all have needs and wants…at what point are we content with what we have? Are we ready to share any abundance we have received? This goes well beyond the financial status of our lives…though many of us get stuck on that one…the truth is if we are looking for contentment in the things of this world we will be disappointed. True contentment will not be found in money, a job or career, any human relationship or any amount of power or position…it can only be found in a relationship with God. Spend time in your relationship with Jesus Christ, read God’s word and you will give yourself the opportunity to know contentment that only comes from God. Amen.
“But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.”
1 Timothy 6:6-9
(This photo was taken in October of 2014 on the north shore of Maui, Hawaii)
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[i] have been called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28 NIV
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:13 NIV
Where does hope come from? It comes from the Creator of everything and everyone…only God who can take on all our sins and overcome this world. Only God can defeat death and evil that is so prevalent in this world. Put your hope in God for He is the only true source of Hope each day.
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[b] boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
Romans 5:1-5 NIV
(This photo was taken in May of 2020 along the North Shore of Lake Superior)
Take Your Faith With You 