Saturday, February 15, 2014

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HOPE

Suggested Reading: Jeremiah 48

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).

 

The view that Moses had on Mount Nebo as he looked westward to the Promised Land. The green seen in the centre of the photo is the oasis of Jericho. On the far horizon is Jerusalem, approximately 25 miles (40 kilometres) beyond Jericho. The Judean wilderness lies between Jericho and Jerusalem. The territory of Moab begins just south of this point. Ruth, the great-grandmother of King David, was from Moab. To travel from Moab to Bethlehem, where she married Boaz, she would have had to travel through this wilderness. God cares about individuals and countries too.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.

 

Key Verses: Jeremiah 48:10a, 29

“Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord deceitfully.”

“We have heard the pride of Moab (He is exceedingly proud),

Of his loftiness and arrogance and pride,

And of the haughtiness of his heart.”

 

Like Philistia, Moab was caught in the middle between the warring super powers of the day, Egypt and Babylon (Iraq) and was suffering the horrors of genocidal destruction. God was seen as in charge overall, but let us remember that God has given humans a free will. He refuses to turn us into robots and puppets. We bring judgment on ourselves! “Moab” is mentioned 25 times in this chapter. This is evidence of God’s deep concern, not just for Israel, but for the people of Moab also. This was like a hell on earth for them. Jesus taught of an eternal Hell (10 times in the 4 Gospels) in order to warn us. He provided through His cross, suffering hell’s worst agony, the way of escape and eternal salvation for all who are willing to accept by free will His saving grace.

What can we learn from Moab? They were materialistic, worshippers of a false god, deceitful, deliberate liars, filled with pride, self glory, haughtiness and carelessness. Do any of these descriptions sound familiar in our day? Jeremiah reveals the heart of God for these people by ending the chapter on a note of hope in the final sentence. There are dozens of Bible verses about “hope”! The word “hope” is used twice in one sentence in Romans 15:13. Read Romans 15:10-13 for our reason to have “hope”.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Dear God, You desire to save the whole world from death and Hell. Forgive me for going my own way again and again instead of Your way. I’m made in Your image, as is every person, and I have a free will so I can, if I’m not surrendering to You daily, fall into the traps into which the Moabites fell. I repent, asking You to give me power to overcome sin today and every day. Keep me true to You. I pray this in the Name of the only Person who lived 100% of the time in a way which pleased You, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

Alexander Pope wrote these familiar words in the early eighteenth century, “Hope springs eternal in the human breast.” In reading his words further, it’s certain that Pope wanted his readers to be “hopeful” by believing in the gift of eternal life. Meaning or purpose for life, beyond the daily grind of waking, eating, drinking, etc., is so important for human wellbeing. Secularists and atheists face an empty and often horrible future without “hope” for a better world to come where truth, love, comfort, no more pain, no more separation, and no more death is the human experience.

I was 11 years old the first time I heard Billy Graham preach. We went to an Ottawa, Canada, “Youth for Christ” rally. I remember vividly that Billy pictured fame, pleasure, wealth, etc. as soap bubbles…all shiny and bright looking, but then he reached out his hand to grasp the imaginary bubbles he was describing and they were as nothing. They burst the moment he touched them. There is nothing satisfying out there apart from “hope” in God! Paul ends what I consider to be perhaps the most beautiful use of language, perhaps of all time. “And now abides faith, hope, love, these three, but the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13). “Hope” is the middle word. Faith is a gift from God. “Hope” is our word of confidence. The result is that “HOPE” surprises me when it springs out of my heart, Pope’s “Human Breast.” What a joy to be alive, facing another day with complete confidence in God.

Yours for eternal “hope”…that’s forever, and ever, and ever, Amen!!!

David

P.S. I’m singing as I close off the blog these words, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.” Here is a YouTube rendition (click here).

28 thoughts on “Saturday, February 15, 2014”

  3. HALLELUJAH……..we have the ETERNAL HOPE of The ONE who died and rose again, and THE ONE TRUE LIVING Father, Son and Spirit.

    Thank you Pastor David for our daily blog filled with the joy and hope of JESUS! Blessings to everyone!

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  5. What a revealing picture today of Moses’ view of The Promised Land. Hard to believe human life could eke out an existence there.
    I pray Billy Graham is greatly cared for in his senior years by both man and God. His consistent shouting of God’s love for us has spread hope all over the world.
    Thank you for spreading the hope that comes to us all through your devotion to saving souls in God’s name David Mainse.
    Blessings to all God’s saints.

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  6. So true … “All Other Ground is Sinking Sand.” Many inhabitants of Moab were likened to having attitudes of loftiness, arrogance and pride. Haughtiness of heart and exceedingly proud. Lord, may You always be the rock on which we stand, realizing that anything else is simply vanity as grasping bubbles in the wind. Blessings and His Strength, to all!

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  7. I’m singing, “Keep me true, Lord Jesus, keep me true” That’s a great prayer too. Prayer is being asked for Billy Graham. He was suffering from congestion recently and his son is saying that Billy is not really over that yet. He asks for prayer for him. Love to all.

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  8. When you look into the eyes of someone who has lost all hope you see a deadness, probably not a word but it fits; there is a weariness, a sadness so profound that it breaks your heart. When you look into the eyes of someone who has hope, no matter how horrific the circumstances they are facing you see the glint of life and light in their eyes.
    Whenever I am speaking to someone about whatever issue in life they are having I always check out their eyes while they are speaking about it to see if they see have hope or not.
    If we place our hope in wealth we can lose it, if we place our hope in government they can betray us, if we place our hope in knowledge/science it can deceive us, if we place our hope in our family or friends they can leave us.
    Yet it is vital to have hope,for without it life becomes unbearable, so it is important we place our hope in someone who we can trust always, whose character we do not question and whose ability to help us is beyond reproach and who can never or will never change their mind about us. And the only one I know like that is God Almighty, revealed to us in the person of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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  9. “My Hope is Built on Nothing Less”
    By Edward Mote, 1797-1874

    My hope is built on nothing less
    Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
    I dare not trust the sweetest frame
    But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
    On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
    All other ground is sinking sand.

    When darkness veils His lovely face,
    I rest on His unchanging grace;
    In every high and stormy gale
    My anchor holds within the veil.
    On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
    All other ground is sinking sand.

    His oath, His covenant, and blood
    Support me in the whelming flood;
    When every earthly prop gives way,
    He then is all my Hope and Stay.
    On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
    All other ground is sinking sand.

    When He shall come with trumpet sound,
    Oh, may I then in Him be found,
    Clothed in His righteousness alone,
    Faultless to stand before the throne!
    On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
    All other ground is sinking sand.

    Praise God for the hope, breath and life of this day, dear saints! God bless you, David and Norma-Jean, may you have a splendid day!

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  10. Thank you, Reynold, for the incredible photo, today, and history behind it. When I first looked at it, of course, I thought it would make a beautiful painting. When I read the caption, below, it added so much more value and meaning to it! God’s continued blessings to you!

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  11. “All other ground is sinking sand
    All other ground is sinking sand”
    I want to say a big Thank You to our GOD and FATHER for taking me and my family safely to my country on vacation and bring us all back safe and sound!!! I have always wanted to sing but the devil has been trying seriously to convince me that I have a voice for love songs and not gospel songs, but to the glory of God, the Holy Spirit inspired me to write a few gospel songs and was able to sing them while on vacation with the help of my aunt, Pst Margaret! Praise The Lord! I am now hoping for the strength and motivation to spread these wonderful messages out to the world by His Grace.
    Secondly, I was blessed with a marriage proposal for this coming December!:) I am very happy and I ask you all to please remember me in your prayers till December. Anything can happen from now to December but I believe with God on my side, victory is mine!!!:) As happy as I am for this proposal, I still want God’s will to be done. So I kindly ask you all to help me pray for the will of our Lord and Saviour to be done in not only my life but also his (Hassan Magona) life! Amen:) God bless you all and it’s good to be back.

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  13. Dear Rev. David M and all my fellow bloggers,

    How very blessed we are! Let us give to all those we can this precious gift of HOPE by THE ONE AND ONLY, OUR SAVIOR, OUR KING, JESUS CHRIST.

    Amen, Amen

    Blessings on my fellow Saints!

    xxxx Carole

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