The longer we wait for something, the more hope diminishes. We wait for a phone call from a job interview and the days keep passing by. We hope for a child, yet another month goes by with disappointment from our bodies. We wait for a loved one to turn their life around, and they continue to make choices that lead to their destruction. The minutes, hours, days, and months stack up, and hope grows fainter.
Jesus Isn't Leaving
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
don't hold back
Martha and Mary lost hope. It was the fourth day since Lazarus had died. He was beyond death. Even a resurrection at day one, two, or three would have been miraculous, but day four? That was beyond impossible. We cannot know what it was like to wait for Jesus, to call out to him, to wait with hope, and then for hope to die. Or maybe we do know what it is like. We have called out for Jesus, we have prayed, we have let him know the situation, but we have had to wait, and in the waiting, our hope has died. So, next time, why bother with hope?
This is where some of you are. Why bother Jesus about anything? It is too painful to hope again. It is one thing when another person disappoints you, but Jesus? That is brutal.
Martha and Mary knew disappointment, pain, and lost hope. That was where they began with Jesus. He came toward them, and they responded and didn’t hold back. If we can be honest about our pain, if we can express disappointment as fully and truly as these sisters did, then maybe, just maybe, we can get to a place where we can hope again.
who else?
Jesus longs to hear from you. The good, the bad, and the ugly. He sees it all, and when we release our words, thoughts, emotions, and more, he meets us with his love, grace, mercy, and power. Who else do we have but Jesus?
Psalm 73:21–26 says, “When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you. Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” In the Gospel of John, it says, “After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, ‘Do you want to go away as well?’ Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God’” (John 6:66–69).
Jesus is with you. He isn’t leaving. In fact, he sent the Holy Spirit to be with you. He hears you, he sees you, and he longs for you to see him. Meditate on the Scripture from Psalm 73 or John 6 and write down any hope that rises up, even if it is just a glimmer. Hold on to this glimmer and ask the Holy Spirit to expand your hope. God isn’t leaving you.
Watch Session Two
Jesus Enables the Faithful
Daily Question
When have you felt alone recently? How were you reminded that Jesus was still with you?
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God reminded me of the recent prayer requests that I thought were impossible and never heard of that he answered in abundance during a recent time of feeling alone.
Disappointments: Praying for healing from Covid for my friend Susan’s brother. He died; for healing for a friend from cancer. He got worse; for breaking away from my sins, failed; for spiritual growth in my husband, nothing.
While my hope has not died, I was disappointed.
And I am disappointed by the fact that I felt disappointed, because as a believer, I know in my heart that the Lord knows what He is doing and it’s for the good for His children, but I still wish things could have been different.
Yet I don’t feel alone. Never alone.
I pray for favorable results.
I accept His answers through the reality He bring forth.
I ask question, God, what are you trying to show me through this reality?
Are you asking me to grow my faith?
Are you asking me to keep praying?
Are you asking me to learn more about prayer and death and heaven?
Are you trying to get me to think about Your more? to get me to talk about You more to others?
Are you trying to grow me and me strong in the face of trails?
He always answers me.
I’ve felt alone when I can’t see any of my friends, and I haven’t seen some of them in months. It’s really hard to not break down sometimes knowing I can’t see those I care most about. I’m reminded, though, that Jesus is with me still when good news comes through. When my grandparents surprised us with lunch. When my parents order me things they never would in other circumstances to try and make the best out of this awful situation. It’s really, really difficult sometimes right now, but I know I’m going to get through it and it will all get better.
Just yesterday I felt alone. Then I got an unexpected message from someone I count as a casual friend. That let me know that my God was caring for me by having someone reach out to me.
Sometimes I forget I can talk to Jesus as I go about cooking. Cleaning, doing laundry. He is waiting.
Isn’t that amazing we can talk to him even in the everyday and mundane? He is there and there is no one like him.
I remember, there was a time at school that I felt lonely and that no-one would understand me, I prayed about it then found hope in the scripture Psalm 125, ‘the Lord surrounds His peoples the mountains surround Jerusalem’, this spoke to me and I felt peace to keep holding onto Him
So many times….family challenges…work challenges etc. but God has come through and shown me that even when I didn’t know I was at battle he was already fighting for me. I thank God because he sees tomorrow. He sees what we don’t see and he is always in control. When he is silent he is actually working for us and never against us. Amen. Dear Lord please help us in the process to be patient and learn from you. Please help us to remember to use the Holy Spirit always to renew our hope. Amen.
During COVID I have been new to working from home. Thank God I have a job. Although I have missed the office, I can listen to worship music and spend time walking after work. Either way, Jesus is right there with me and the Holy Spirit lifts my heart and I feel well loved.
Recently my youngest son has been having some mental issues and going thru some challenges with alcohol and homelessness and it seemed that it was causing all kinds of problems in my marriage because my husband (who is not his natural father) was refusing to help anymore while my son continues to make poor choices. I’ve been begging the Lord to intervene. God has shown him numerous times that he is with him. He’s blessed him so many times but still he refuses to acknowledge Him. I’ve almost lost hope that his attitude will change and he will realize God is with him will. I’ve been reminded so many times of God’s presence in his life but he doesn’t see it. He won’t listen to me he thinks I’m some kind of religious fanatic.
I have experienced this scenario in my life. My marriage was in jeopardy. As hard as it was to do I stopped talking about God with my son. It was the last thing he wanted to hear about. Instead I talked with him about life (the weather, the news, sports). I didn’t become his "friend" but I did keep the lines of communication open between us. I kept praying for God to intervene. It took 15 years, but God did help.
I hope this encourages you a bit.
En ocasiones me siento sola, pero cada día El con sus milagros me recuerda su amor hacia mi.