Sunday, May 19, 2019

Tenacious Hope is Anchored in Love

Do you feel the unshakable, immovable love of God for you?


The life-breathing hope that transpires from truly feeling
the love of Jesus Christ for you every day, creates strength
to carry on.


“The amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, the
extravagant love of God, the intimate friendship
of the Holy Spirit, be with all of you.”


We can lean on the extravagant and tenacious love of God
always! I am certain of it!


May I share with you a recent experience that prompted me to
think deeply about the love of God and the sure, secure, and
tenacious hope that we can have because of Jesus’ loving
sacrifice?


A few months ago, one of my pets had been missing for
several days. I suspected that she had been hit by a car, and
was not coming home.


The morning after walking our neighborhood looking for her
and calling her name, she showed up at home.


She was not, however, in very good health. One of her front
legs was broken in many places and her jaw was stuck opened.
She was so frightened.


She looked up at me, her broken and bruised body hurting
severely, and I saw hope in her eyes, because she had found the
one that loves her and would care for her.


I held her for many hours that day, trying to comfort away the
pain. It took several hours to even get her to drink. She was so
weak and scared.


In those moments, I began thinking about the deep, unending
love of God. I thought about God taking care of us whenever we
cannot care for ourselves. I recalled times that I have felt like I
did not have the strength to go on, and God always comes
looking for me, picks me up, and reminds me of his deep love
for me. He gives me hope for the future and fortitude to keep
on.


As I was holding my pet and trying to care for her; at one point
she stood up on her back legs and licked my nose and then
nuzzled into my neck. This pet had never been a cuddly pet,
in fact, she was quite cranky most of the time. But in this
moment, she felt loved and therefore also felt hopeful that she
would be alright.


I thought about Jesus taking all of the burden from us and
giving us the gift of hope for a beautiful life and future, because
of his sacrifice on the cross.


My pet had apparently been invigorated by the sound of my
voice looking for her. She heard my voice and had the strength
to come home.


Whenever I feel lost or broken, I fall to my knees and pray, and
when I hear the life-breathing voice of God, I too have a
renewed vigor to carry on. The voice of God uplifts my spirit
because I am confident in his deep, unending love for me.


We can feel secure in the sure and certain truth that the Good
Shepherd himself, our Savior Jesus Christ, never loses one from
his flock. He will seek us out at any time, in any way needed,
and fill us with a hope so undeniable that we cannot escape the
power of his love.


God will always give us the strength to persevere.


There is nothing that the Lord will not do to pursue us each and
every day. He will move mountains to show His love. He will
knock down walls in our lives (or build walls, if needed) in
order to show his unending love for us!


Today, our 3-legged pet lives a happier life then before. She has hope because she is certain that the people who love her will
care for her. She is no longer a cranky, standoffish gal, but
rather a loving, happy, peace-filled being.  


I hope and pray for the same for each of you.  


Acknowledge the immeasurable love of God for you, and live in
tenacious hope that you are cared for completely!




Live today and everyday, certain of the hope that a relationship
with Jesus Christ gives. May you notice God seeking you out,
holding you, comforting you in times of need; and may you be
anchored and grounded, with tenacious hope, for a beautiful
tomorrow, because of his undying, unending love for you.  

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This post was previously submitted for a spot in a Devotional
book. This post didn't make the cut, but I have a different
devotion in the book!! Check it out and purchase a copy here: