No matter. Here I am, where I've been all along, pondering, meditating, learning, and growing.
Update: Jonathan, Matthew, and I had a lovely trip to California, celebrated Matthew's 1st birthday in true fashion with family, and really have enjoyed a beautiful couple of months. I will have an update soon on all the music stuff that has developed and been keeping me busy. God is good!
I was at my prayer group last night, and heard a talk that has left me wanting more from my life in regards to spiritual growth. This talk, among other nuggets of gold, emphasized the need to live a life with single-minded purpose and passion, fixated on the Lord and the path He has set before us.
Especially in these turbulent times, we must above all know who we are and what we believe. We will be tested. We might be persecuted. We will be called upon to give testament to the truth. And we must be ready.
I for one have renewed my resolve to be ready. I have renewed my desire to study, to immerse myself in His Word, to run hard after Him. I want to be able to lead others both through my actions and through my words. I want to be able to defend him with faith and with reason. Our faith is at the same time wondrous and sound.
Another nugget of gold from this beautiful talk has stayed with me. I apologize if this post seems somewhat scattered, but I decided better to share a few things that appear unconnected, than not to write at all. This second truth that struck me was the difference between natural hope and supernatural hope.
I have a tendency to expect good things. I think to myself, I am a good person, I strive to do the right thing, I make good choices... ergo I ought be rewarded with goodness in my life! It makes perfect sense in my mind.
And yet, good things don't always happen to good people. Often, terrible things happen to good people, and no reason for them can be found. In these circumstances, we think to ourselves, how could that possibly have happened to such a good person? It's easy to equate bad things happening with bad things done. If I am good enough, this will all turn right again.
But that's unfortunately not how it works. Back to that distinction in hopes: natural hope is the hope that believes, if I do good, good will be done to me. If I believe strongly enough for long enough, my prayer will be answered a resounding yes! If we rely only on this hope, we can often be disappointed and disillusioned, asking, God, why didn't You come through for me? I prayed and I believed and I trusted, but the bad still occurred.
This is where supernatural hope comes in. This is the type of hope that does not disappoint, according to Romans 5. This type of hope is the one that proclaims unceasingly, His will be done above all else. With this hope in our hearts, we can pray and trust and ask, but at the end of the day, we cling to the assurance that what comes to pass is in our best interest according to His will. And that assurance can never disappoint.
With this hope in our hearts, we can only ever be at peace, sweetly surrendered at all times to His will, confident in His provision for all our needs. Oh, how I long for that peace, that trust, that hope.
I want to live my life focused on Him. I want to hope and never be disappointed.
Will you join me?
