Tag: Eternity

Hope for Now and for Eternity

On By vickleaIn Scripture5 Comments

I am thankful for the hope that I have living in me that helps me to get through each challenge of each day. This morning when I awakened before six, I thought to myself that I would get up, go to the bathroom, take care of the cat’s needs and go back to bed. After all, I did not fall asleep until after midnight and knew that I needed more rest. All good intentions aside, that is not how things happened for me. I did get up and to all of the aforementioned tasks, but I could not fall back to sleep. My mind, restless thing that it is sometimes, decided to remind me that I had to post my book review that would not load yesterday. And it reminded me that today is my laundry day. And it reminded me that I have a library book out that I have not seen since my husband carried it into the house from the library two weeks ago. And…and…and. The end result was that I got up, put the laundry in the wash, made my morning beverage of flavored water and got my book review posted. The satellite decided to work today, so that was a blessing in itself. Now, I am pondering what I am particularly thankful for today and I am thankful for hope. As long as I have breath, there is always hope. (I may even find that library book once my husband awakens and we think of where he may have put it.)

My mind may be galloping away with me at times, but my soul remains at rest. I know that I can totally count on God because He has never failed me yet. Sometimes my hope is stalwart, standing like a child on Christmas morning, absolutely sure that good things are coming. But most days, my hope is just a calm assurance from deep within me that everything will be okay, that God is working on me to rest in Him and put my hope in Him.

Over five decades ago, I was walking around without the hope that lives in me today. I had no idea that Jesus loves me or that God has a plan for my life. Now, I know for absolute certainty that God’s plan is one that I can count on working out because He is in the center of it and His great love for me means that I can fully trust Him. The hope that I have is not something that I can easily explain. After all, I am older and have a lot of aches and pains (some days, more than others), and I have retired so some friends tell me that I have finished my days of being useful so I should just enjoy the rest of my life quietly waiting to pass on to eternity. Well, that “friendly” advice is not for me! I don’t mind dying when God calls me home, but I am occupying this space and time until He does and all of my hope is in Him, that He will continue to mold me and use me, just as He has been doing for the last fifty years. I will ACTIVELY hope for as long as I am alive and my desire is to spread the reason for my hope to others.

Today, I am thankful for hope. I am grateful for God who is with me today and every day and who gives me hope for today, tomorrow and all of the tomorrows that are to come.

May you have a day blessed with hope that springs from within and that waters your soul with peace and the assurance of God’s great love for you.

Eternity and God’s Provision

On By vickleaIn Scripture2 Comments

I love that this Scripture verse says that God, our Creator, has put eternity into our hearts. Of course, our human hearts will one day stop and out body that it supports and keeps alive will die here on earth. But the heart that we have that is attached to God is also attached to eternity, the Heavenly home that He has prepared for us and where we will always be with the Lord. It is a great mystery what God has done, most likely because our finite minds cannot fathom the works of an infinite God.

I am overwhelmed with thanksgiving that God always provides just what we need when we need it. Just as He provided manna for the Israelites in the wilderness, He provides for us. And when they reached the Promised Land and could eat from the abundance there, the manna no longer appeared daily for the Israelites to pick up and eat. God knows what He is doing even when we don’t always understand it!

Have a blessed and wonderful day, always remembering that you are a child of the King!

Light Affliction

On By vickleaIn Scripture6 Comments

www.bible.com/1171/2co.4.17-18.mev

This was one of my Scriptures in my devotional this morning and I chuckled to myself when I read the first part about the “light affliction” because I was thinking of my ankle. I almost fell again in the bathroom this morning when my ankle turned and almost gave out. I was not laughing then because I have been in physical therapy for almost six weeks now, with another three weeks predicted by my therapist. And this all from a broken foot in September! So, light affliction and for a moment. Yes! In light of eternity, these last few months are but a blink of an eye. I’m hoping that the pain that I’m going through will be for some higher benefit, like the people that I get to talk to about God and pray for at PT. The lady who is mourning her ill relative, the one who is all alone and trying to take care of herself after she hurt her foot much more seriously than I did, the many who are practicing to move their knees again after replacement surgery, and the former students who now work there and with whom I can share my faith. So, yes, I have to drive to PT, “suffer” through exercise and manipulation of my injured joint. But I get a blessing each time I go because there is someone new there with whom I can talk and share the Gospel. I pray that each seed that I plant will one day bear fruit and lead the person to a glorious eternity with our Savior. After all, that is why each of us is here…we are seed planters and water bearers and sometimes, we even get to harvest. We keep on pressing forward until Jesus calls us home, even with hurt joints. God didn’t plan my hurt ankle, but He can surely use it! How will He use you today to touch someone for eternity? Bless you as you discover your path today!