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https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2024/10/17/the-one-who-helps-us-when-were-afraid?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9z00zLiMa-WvYowDRwNQ77kpUNKfWEdO9UTrJBqfm3D1YWv56mj8buL5MezagiR293xHMhvzIjKWMTJqrh8lj89OySNg&_hsmi=326544350&utm_content=326544350&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread

The One Who Helps Us When We’re Afraid
October 17, 2024
by Lysa TerKeurst, President and Chief Visionary Officer of Proverbs 31 Ministries

“But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.’” Matthew 1:20 (NIV)

Doesn’t it feel like sometimes you can’t think straight when you’re afraid?

Imagine being Joseph when he found out Mary was pregnant. He knew the child wasn’t his. His mind must have fired off all kinds of assumptions and dreadful scenarios that could have caused this situation.  His response?

He made plans to divorce Mary in secret (Matthew 1:19). Joseph fell asleep with his decision weighing heavily on him then God sent an angel to intervene.  “.... An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit'” (Matthew 1:20).

God had an assignment for Joseph and Mary: to bring forth the child and name Him Jesus (Matthew 1:21). And the enemy’s tactic to mess up that plan could have included shame, anger, division, confusion ...  But the angel of the Lord saw what was really keeping Joseph from staying in alignment with God’s plan: fear.  Make no mistake the enemy wanted Joseph to be afraid. The enemy wants us to be afraid too. Not the healthy kind of fear that keeps us safe and alert but the horrible kind of fear that whispers worst-case scenarios absent of hope and full of defeat. The kind of fear that keeps us tossing and turning all night because of situations we can’t control, people we can’t change and outcomes that feel uncertain. Fear says, Entertain my entanglements. Linger in my lies. Drink deeply from my darkness. While we’re distracted with fear, the enemy pickpockets our purpose. Cripples our courage. Dismantles our dreams. And blinds us to the beauty of the Lord’s great plans.  On the surface, God's assignments for you may not seem like Joseph’s at all. But they’re incredibly similar. As a child of God, you, like Mary and Joseph, are to bring forth Jesus. Not in a physical sense but you are to bring forth and proclaim the name of Jesus in everything you say and do, even when you’re afraid.  Proclaiming the name of Jesus brings power, protection and perspective that crushes fear. It is the name above every other name (Philippians 2:9). Joseph might have gone to bed afraid, but in his dream he heard the name of Jesus for the first time, and he woke up empowered to obey God’s plan.  Wow. The name of Jesus released Joseph from chains of fear. And I believe God wants us to experience the same right now.

    Is a relationship with unresolved conflict troubling you? Call on the name of Jesus.

    Is a financial situation paralyzing you with anxiety? Call on the name of Jesus.

    Is there a frustration you’re still thinking about from earlier today? Call on the name of Jesus.

    Is there a parenting conversation you’re dreading? Call on the name of Jesus.

    Is there a medical diagnosis you didn’t see coming? Call on the name of Jesus.

    Is there a friend who asked you to pray for them, but you have no idea what to say? Call on the name of Jesus.

Calling on Jesus can be our first response instead of what we do when nothing else seems to be working. It may look like surrendering our “why” questions and choosing instead to ask, Will You help me see You, Lord?

Even in this?

He is the One who can illuminate the dark places for us. He alone brings us peace in the midst of our unanswered questions. He is Immanuel, God with us. To whisper His name is to call on the power found only in His presence.  Oh, friend, some of the most impactful prayers I’ve ever prayed are ones where I simply say the name of Jesus over and over again. Today, call upon His perfect name. You can know with confidence that “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1, NIV).

https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2024/10/11/moving-from-i-had-hoped-to-i-have-hope?utm_campaign=Daily%20Devotions&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8cd9riEeUNM5VYyp02OM9jXViuNf9SwYIhYpMp7qLzwwvAol8vzZBDMGQxSRYz8QzcT9LKOKnTDJASxBmns_io95JszA&_hsmi=324961330&utm_content=324961330&utm_source=hs_email#disqus_thread

Moving From "I Had Hoped" to "I Have Hope"
October 11, 2024
by Sarah Freymuth

“but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.” Luke 24:21a (NIV)

I had hoped …  It’s a familiar phrase I’ve gotten used to repeating in this season of my life.

I had hoped my intrusive thoughts would disappear completely by now.
I had hoped my energy would be fully back to normal.
I had hoped my faith would not be threatened by panic attacks.

Can you relate?

Perhaps for you it sounds more like:

I had hoped I’d get better from this long-lasting illness.
I had hoped I’d be married by now.
I had hoped the family conflict would resolve.

I know a few disciples of Jesus who understood this too.  Days after Jesus’ crucifixion, sandaled feet kicked up dust on the road to Emmaus as two disciples walked there from Jerusalem, hearts heavy with disappointment. They were mourning the man they had hoped was the promised Messiah. They talked to each other in disbelief about the latest news: Some women went to the tomb but didn’t find His body.  When the resurrected Jesus Himself joined them, they did not recognize Him! He listened to them recall the last few days’ happenings, then unfolded the Scriptures before them, but still they could not see Him for who He was.  What was confounding them so?

What was holding their hearts back from understanding?

Their hope was in the past tense. They “had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel” (Luke 24:21a, emphasis added).

But then the risen Jesus revealed Himself to them through conversation and breaking bread, and the men were amazed, revived by hope fanning their faith back into flame:  “They said to each other, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?’” (Luke 24:32, ESV).

Jesus showed He is the One who redeems, just not how everyone thought He would. Thankfully, when Jesus adjusts our eyes and hearts to see the purpose He brings and who He really is, things change.  What might we be missing, even as we walk with Jesus, if we don’t adjust our ears to hear or our eyes to see Him fully? What might be holding us back from understanding?

Jesus came to give us an eternal perspective. We cannot see all the ways God is at work, but even this invites deeper intimacy with Him. Jesus will handle what we cannot see in the ways He knows are best for us.  Let’s shift our perspective to present-tense hope in our Savior. We can be certain His heart toward us is good. The fleeting hopes of this world are nothing in comparison to the sure and eternal hope we have in Jesus.

I'm so sorry I missed your birthdays yesterday, Cat crazy and alex1973 - I couldn't get onto the forum for some reason - I hope you both had the best day possible?

Kath131 is celebrating today!

It's Bewildered's turn to have the first creamy hot chocolate this morning!

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While We Wait on God’s Promises
October 3, 2024
by Lysa TerKeurst
President and Chief Visionary Officer of Proverbs 31 Ministries

“Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust …” Psalm 40:4 (ESV)

Are there deep disappointments in your life that seem to be lingering? Do you feel like you’ve prayed the same prayers with little to no change?

I understand how hard that is. And although the circumstances of your life may be different from mine, we all have our middle-of-the-night moments wrestling through tears.  Some memories still hurt. Realities that make you wonder if you’ll ever feel normal again. Sufferings that seem forever long. And you’re disappointed that today you aren’t living the promises of God you’ve begged would come to pass.  In your most private moments, you want to scream at the unfairness of it all. But then there are more hopeful moments when you want to turn up the praise music, lift honest prayers, and declare God is good even when the situation doesn’t seem good.  Hurting but still trusting that’s the human journey.  And that’s where we find David in Psalm 40. In the first 10 verses, David praised God for delivering him, but in verses 11-17, he cried out for God to deliver him again.  Trusting doesn’t mean we ignore reality. It means we acknowledge reality in the very same breath that we acknowledge God’s sovereignty His absolute ability and power to work as He sees best.  Our trust can’t be tied to whether or not a circumstance or another person changes. Our trust must be tied to the unchanging promises of God. We hope for the good we know God will ultimately bring from our situation, whether the good matches our desires or not. And sometimes that takes a while. The process often requires us to be persevering and patient.  Honestly, I know that can feel a little overwhelming. I want the promise of Psalm 40:4 “blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust” but I forget this kind of trust in God is often forged in the crucible of long-suffering.

God isn’t picking on me. God is picking me to personally live out His promises.  It’s a high honor. But it doesn’t always feel that way. I’ve got to walk through the low places of the process before I’m perfectly equipped to live the promise. We read about this in Psalm 40:1-3:  “I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD” (ESV).

The idea of waiting patiently is incredibly important in this psalm. The Hebrew word for “waited” in verse 1 indicates it’s ongoing, and it holds a sense of eager expectancy and hope.  So while I want the solid rock on which to stand, first I have to wait patiently for the Lord to lift me out of the slime and mud and to “set my feet” (Psalm 40:2, ESV).

That word “set” in the original Hebrew is qum, which also means “arise or take a stand.” God has to take me through the process of getting unstuck from what’s been holding me captive before I can take a stand.  I also want that new song promised in Psalm 40:3. Did you notice, though, what comes before it?

Many cries to the Lord for help. The most powerful praise songs are often guttural cries of pain that have turned into beautiful melodies.  I know this is hard. So let me be the one to lean in and whisper these words to you as we begin to wrestle through this journey together: God is working things out. He’s not far away. He is right here with us. Even if our prayers aren’t answered in the way and the timing we want. Even when this process feels messy. We can trust that God is good.