For an audio version of this message,
please click the link below:
Proverbs 13:12
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
Romans Chapter Fifteen
8. For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9. and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,
“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,
and sing to your name.”
10. And again it is said,
“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”
11. And again,
“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
and let all the peoples extol him.”
12. And again Isaiah says,
“The root of Jesse will come,
even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;
in him will the Gentiles hope.”
13. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
First Peter chapter One
20. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21. who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
Ephesians 4
1. I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2. with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,3. eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4. There is one body and one Spirit just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call
First Timothy 1:1
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,
First Timothy Chapter Four
10. For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
I was awakened very early this morning as Jesus asked me a two questions. He said, “where is your hope, and what are you hoping for?”
I was still sleepy and I pondered the question and my mind went to a lot of different things that I have been hoping would come to pass. Just like most people I have a lot of things that I wish would happen and as I was pondering the question He asked me another question. He said “Hope differed makes the heart sick but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life, so are you putting your hope in things to come or are you eating from the tree of life that you already have?
Suddenly I realized that my hope had been misplaced and I have been putting my hope in things and situations that may or may not come to pass instead of realizing that Christ is my hope and Christ in me is the hope of glory.
All these years I have misunderstood that proverb. I thought hope deferred was not getting what I hoped for but now I know that hope deferred means my hope is in things and not in God. I have put off my hope to future events and not kept my hope in Christ where faith is now and not in the future.
As I pondered these things some more he spoke to me and asked me to write down these words and share them with you. I hope you are blessed by these words of correction that he spoke to me.
He said,
My son, I love you with love that you are not even able to comprehend. I am your hope, I am your joy, I am your peace, I am everlasting life because I AM!
So many times you get lost looking to things and events and situations and hope they will come to pass instead of letting me hold the future and trusting me to work all things together for your good because you love me and because you answered me when I called. I called each of my children and you would not be born again if you didn’t answer me when I called.
You are my purpose and my plan and I want you to give me the future and take no thought about tomorrow’s needs, but trust me and love me and hear my voice while it is called today.
When you first were born again you fell in love with me and you didn’t care if you had a house or car or food or clothes. All you wanted was the joy that came with my presence. All you wanted to do was enjoy fellowship with me.
This is where I want you to live. I want all of your hope in me and not in things. Good days and bad days are in everyone’s future but as long as you have me then even bad days are wonderful.
I want you to refocus your hope on me and not on situations or things. I don’t want you to wake up in the morning and say “I hope this is a good day.” I want you to wake up and say “Good glory what a day, I get to live with Father, Son and Holy Spirit abiding with me and in me and no matter what today holds I will abide in love and fellowship with my creator and all will be well.
This is why most of my children’s hearts are sick and why their lives are full of problems. They deferred their hope to a future “what if “and are not eating from the tree of life inside their own spirits where I abide in peace and power.
Most of you have said, “if this happens it will make me happy.” Why do you put your happiness in an “if” when it can be in a certainty? If your hearts are sick then the issues of life that flow out of your hearts are sick and your life becomes anemic.
I want better for you than this my beloved. I want your joy to overflow constantly whether you have anything or not. My apostles could sing while locked up in jail and rejoice in beatings because their hope was not in the future but the one they hoped for their whole lives was abiding in them. Your hope is not in the future, your hope was realized when I moved into you and made your heart my home.
So please my loved one, don’t worry about the future, it’s in my hands. You are already abiding in eternal life so what are you worried about? Remember what my beloved Paul said? “To live is Christ, to die is gain.” Think about that. Do you really want to keep putting off all your joy into a future time or do you want to live in my living hope which abides in you continually?
My joy does not depend on circumstances. It flows from my Spirit within you and is flowing with salvation and glory. So put your hope in me and don’t put your hope in anyone or anything else. Remember three things abide forever, faith, hope and love. Faith leads you into hope and hope leads you into love and love remains forever and ever.
My love for you is eternal and doesn’t change according to circumstances. If you fall I will catch you. You are secure in my love, so put all your hope in me and watch what happens to your joy. Rest in me my beloved. I am your God and I will provide all you need and will never leave you or forsake you. Put your hope and faith in me and you will not be disappointed.
This was the end of the words he shared with me this morning. I hope you are encouraged by them.
Until next time,
Grow Rich in His Grace,
I love you all,
michael
For more information please click on the links below:
