When Hope Becomes Joy

 

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Genesis 21:2-3;6: And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him. Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac. And Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me.”

God not only predicted the birth of Abraham’s son—He gave the exact timing and told Abraham what the child’s name would be: Isaac.

“And Sarah conceived…” “…whom Sarah bore him…” God seems to be emphasizing that this child came from Sarah—not from Hagar or any servant. This was no ordinary birth. It was a miracle. Sarah was 90, and Abraham was 100 (Genesis 17:17). There was no natural way this could happen. It was fully the work of God.

Isaac means “he laughs.” Both Abraham and Sarah had laughed when they first heard God’s promise that they would have a son. Their laughter began in disbelief, but now—oh, what joy! After twenty-five years of waiting, at the perfect time, God’s promise was fulfilled. And with it came happiness and laughter.

Application:
Sometimes we go through long seasons of waiting, hardship, or sorrow while we cling to a promise. But nothing is impossible for God. When He moves, when He comes through, there will be laughter and joy where there was once only doubt and despair. 

So don't give up. Keep praying. Keep seeking the kingdom of God. Keep following Jesus--knowing that you can look to the future with hope and faith, trusting that God is who He says He is and that He will do what He says He will do.

 

Scripture from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

God in the Darkness

I read Psalm 88 this morning during my devotional time with the Lord. In it, the psalmist feels like he’s sitting in the depths of the pit—“in the regions dark and deep”—because of God’s wrath. Yet, even in that place of sorrow, he doesn’t turn away from God. Instead, he cries out to Him, prays, and pours out his heart.

In fact, he begins by declaring, “O LORD, God of my salvation.” Even in despair, he acknowledges that God is still his salvation.

That struck me—God is showing us that in our darkest moments, we are not meant to turn away from Him. Even if we suffer under His discipline or feel overwhelmed by life, we can still cry out to Him for mercy. We can repent and pray, drawing closer to God, not farther away. And He will come to save.

Sometimes, we must sit in darkness. But even then, God is our light.

I love Micah 7:8, and I often quoted it to myself during a season of depression and panic:

“Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me.”

Verse 9 continues:

“I will bear the indignation of the LORD because I have sinned against Him, until He pleads my cause and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light; I shall look upon His vindication.”

This gives us hope. We don’t despair during such times—we hold on to the God who loves us and promises to lift us up.

1 Peter 5:10 offers this comfort:

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast.”

I pray this encourages you today, just as it has encouraged me. God will restore and strengthen us—if we do not lose heart. Keep trusting in Him. Keep praying.

To God be the power and the glory forever and ever.

Amen.

Candle image from Pexels.com 

Quotes from Psalm 88 and Micah 7 are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

1 Peter 5:10 is from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

The Last Week of Jesus Christ

 If you'd like to follow Jesus during His last week, reading the Scriptures on each corresponding day, here's the timeline.

How King David Handled Fear in Psalm 55

 

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

David, a man after God's own heart, still experienced moments of panic and fear. In Psalm 55, he felt overwhelmed by his circumstances despite having the anointing of the Holy Spirit. This is a powerful reminder that experiencing fear and anxiety isn't a sin. It's what we do with those emotions that matters.

David didn’t hide his feelings or pretend they weren’t there. Instead, he took them directly to the Lord. He poured out his heart, expressing his fears and anxieties, and leaned on God for help.

“Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice.” (Psalm 55:17)

David’s words here suggest that he didn’t just pray once and then expect everything to be fine. He prayed continuously, every time panic gripped him. This wasn’t a one-time prayer when the weight of fear was too much to bear (Psalm 55:6-8). No, David took his complaints to the Lord repeatedly, and we should do the same.

When I face fear, I pray the verses that speak to my anxiety that I’ve written on 3x5 index cards—the same ones I posted on this blog years ago. Sometimes I experience peace after praying just one verse. Sometimes I have to pray through them all before I feel a release of my fear and an increase in my faith. Sometimes I have to pray them several times a day. It depends on the circumstances. Like David, we can take our fearful thoughts to God as often as necessary—morning, noon, and night—knowing He hears us every time.

David reminds us in Psalm 55:22:

“Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.”

God promises that He will not allow our faith to be shaken. He will sustain us—even when we feel like we’re in panic mode.

But here’s the key: we must ask Him for help. We need to humbly come before God, just as 1 Peter 5:6-7 urges us:

“Humble yourselves…casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

When fear arises, don't hold back—bring it to the Lord. He is always ready to listen, sustain, and care for you.

Scriptures from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

From Panic to Peace on Patsy Clairmont’s Blog

 Author and former Women of Faith speaker, Patsy Clairmont, has a free download, From Panic to Peace: 10 Steps to Soothe Your Soul—a checklist of steps to follow when having a panic attack. You can find it here.

She mentions singing hymns as a means of refocusing your thoughts. I found that reading Scriptures that reminded me that God is with me, sees me, and would help me worked better than singing hymns, which I’d tried when first experiencing panic. I felt more empowered through Scripture.

Finding Peace Through Faith: My Journey with Jesus

About twenty years ago, I attended a video-driven Bible study at my church. The speaker was the kind of Christian I aspired to be. She had an active, real relationship with Jesus, and I longed for that same connection. I wanted to believe in God the way she did, to trust Him fully.

As I completed the assigned homework, I began to feel a sense of peace and God's favor. My anxiety and panic attacks lessened. There were moments when it felt like the speaker on the video was speaking directly to me, addressing my struggles. During that time, I went the longest I ever had without experiencing a panic attack.

I began to realize that staying in God's Word daily, confessing my sins, and praying consistently were essential to building a close relationship with Jesus. And, perhaps most importantly, they were crucial to my mental and emotional well-being.

God's presence became a constant in my life. He was so good to me. I was even able to return to Sunday School and choir practice after a two-year absence due to depression, agoraphobia, and panic disorder. Though I'd been diagnosed with a poor prognosis, God saved me and made me whole again.

Today, when I focus my mind on Jesus and trust in Him, I truly feel like I’m living my best life. I’ve come to realize that belief—faith—must be nurtured. My confidence is rooted in my ongoing relationship with Jesus, His Word, and daily prayer. There’s no going back! God is everything!

God's Great Power

By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. (Psalm 33:6) NIV

Psalm 33 was in my reading this morning. Verse 6 is one of my most favorite verses from my teenage years. Another favorite of mine is a little longer: 

Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. (Isaiah 40:26) NIV

Takes me back to junior high when we were studying a unit on astronomy. I would sit on the trunk of the family car at night and stare at the stars and think about God. His vastness and power. None can compare with Him. 

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

God, Our Everlasting Rock

 Isaiah 26:4 Trust in the Lord forever, For in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock. (NASB)

This verse has been a constant reminder for me that God is my unshakable foundation. The Lord has been my Rock and refuge all of my days. Not because I am perfect, but because He is. His perfection and goodness continually humble me. I often ask myself, 'Who am I, a sinner in need of grace?' And yet, His grace covers all my sins.

Because I’ve confessed Jesus as my Savior and Lord, and I follow Him, I can be confident that every time I cry out for help, God hears me. He helps me. He becomes my safe place while He works things out for my good.

Over the years, God has shown me that His love for me is unwavering, and because of that, I can trust Him. I can let Him be in control. He won’t abandon me in hard times or in good times. He’s my everlasting Rock! I can choose to lean on and rely on Him without fear every day for the rest of my life.

"Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed." (Ps. 34:5) (ESV)

When I look to Him, He fills me with peace and assurance. I know that no matter what, I will never be ashamed. He is my everlasting Rock.

New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Perfect Peace

 Isaiah 26:3: You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. (ESV)

Perfect peace comes from keeping our minds on God, the Father, because we rely on and lean on Him. Refusing to let this world with all its distractions drag our minds away from the Lord will keep us in His peace. If we do get caught up in the chaos in the world, our remedy is to focus our thoughts back on God and His ability, His power, to bring peace to any chaotic situation.

We don’t sink into despair worrying what to do about the chaos. We trust in God, and we turn to Him in prayer. We turn our minds back to our powerful Heavenly Father and pray about the problem or situation, trusting God can and will help. 

This is work—spiritual warfare. The Enemy wants your mind focused on anything other than our Lord and Savior. But we don’t need to fear him. Jesus has promised He will never leave us or forsake us. He is for us, and we have the Holy Spirit in us. 

So, how do we turn our minds from the chaos back to God? Focusing on Scriptures that speak against the chaos, the problem, and/or the fears helps me tremendously. We walk in the kingdom of Light now; we read God’s thoughts found in Scripture, and we align our thoughts with His. We read Scripture, meditate on Scripture, memorize Scripture, quote Scripture to our souls. And soon we’re back staying our minds on Jesus, and we have peace—perfect peace—that only comes from trusting God and His Word. 

Grace and peace to you.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Reopening Redeemed and Summoned

 Almost two years ago, I closed this blog. But I’ve been sensing the Spirit’s urging to start posting on here again. So, I’m going to follow this prompting and do just that. 

First, let me say that God has recently blessed me big time by answering two prayers. These are prayers I’ve prayed for several years. One—that my husband would want to be in the Word with me; and two—that my youngest son and his family would start going to church. 

My first prayer was answered in December when my husband agreed to listen to portions of Scripture each day during Advent (He’s blind from retinitis pigmentosa), and then agreed I could continue reading the Bible to him after supper each night in 2025. We’ve read Genesis, Exodus, Nehemiah, Philemon, and Hebrews so far.

My second prayer was answered this month when our son told us a friend of theirs invited him and his family to go to their church. My grandchildren loved it, and so they’ve been going since then. 

I’m beside myself with joy! 

If you’ve been praying for something for a long time that you know is in line with God’s Word, I encourage you to stay with it. God is faithful. He’ll either answer in the affirmative, or He’ll let you know to let it go and trust that He knows what He’s doing. 

May God bless you with answered prayers in 2025! Nothing is impossible with God!!