Finding hope when none is found

photo from freefoto.com

Here’s one thing we all need to be assured of – God is always at work.  For every 1 x we see God working in our life He’s doing at least a 1,000 different things that we can not see.

 

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you Psalm 55:22

Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the word of his servant? Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God. Isaiah 50:10

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. Hebrews 11:1 & 3

How about that Isaiah passage?  Are you in the dark?  Trust!  Can you not see any hope?  Believe!

While at Camp Arcadia I was blessed with great teaching by my preacher-hubby as well as a friend, Pastor Scott Christenson.  Pastor Scott taught on the book of Ruth and going through dark times.

One thing that really hit home to me (which I already mentioned here) was how God used a poor situation to help bring about deliverance for the world.  Let me re-cap for you…

Naomi was blessed.  She was married with two sons.  However, her husband died and shortly after each of her sons also passed.  She was angry and bitter and went back to her homeland to suffer.  But what happened there was beyond Naomi’s expectations.

Naomi’s daughter-in-law Ruth stayed with her on this journey.  Naomi instructed her how to find food in the harvest fields.  While there, Ruth attracted the owner of the fields, Boaz.  Eventually they married and gave birth to a son, Obed.

Obed fathered Jesse.  Jesse fathered David (as in King David).  This family tree moves through the generations and births the Savior of the world, Jesus. (Have a few minutes?  Read the short book of Ruth for the whole story.)

Naomi wanted to wallow in her suffering.  And all of us would have allowed her!  She probably felt abandoned and isolated from God.

Yet, God wasn’t finished with her.  At the end of Naomi’s story she finds hope.  The women around her say in Ruth 4:14-15: Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age.

Naomi dies not knowing she will be the great-great grandmother of the best king in all of Israel.  She also dies not knowing that Jesus, the True Redeemer, will be in her lineage.  Amazing, isn’t it?

When the historians write your story years from now, what perspective of God’s way will be found?

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An industry of faith?

If you’ve been reading my blog this week, you know that FAITH has been on my mind.  So when I read the following words in a post today, I knew I had to share it with you.

I know many of us are struggling financially. We can’t sleep at night worrying about our home. We wonder when we can buy groceries again, and how in the world we are going to pay the electric tomorrow. But, can I ask you to trust Him?

Can you say, Lord give me just enough? Give me just what I need. My kingdom is your Kingdom. You sit on the throne of my life. This is where real and lasting happiness dwells.

Good, isn’t it?  Want the whole story?  Read Titans of Industry from Laced with Grace.

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Guest author, Marissa, shares more about trust

Below is from author, Marissa, at By Grace Alone:

How do we trust God when He seems distant or absent from our lives?  We’ve all been there – we’ve prayed and prayed, and things are still not working out like we planned.  Often, when my plans don’t work out the way I hoped, I am devastated.  Then I realize that I was not trusting God in the sense of wholly submitting to His plan for my life.  I was merely believing that God would give me what I wanted, when I wanted it. 

Two authors views on trusting God

I asked a couple “bloggy” friends to chime in on our discussion about Who is God.  In particular, I asked them how one can take the leap of faith in trusting God.  Here is what they had to say.

     Joanne Heim from The Simple Wife:  The Bible tells us that Jesus is Faithful and True (Revelation 19:11).  He is trustworthy as part of his character and he can’t not be trustworthy because of that.