You
are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope.
—Psalm
119:114 NLT
When
the struggles of this life overwhelm, Lord, you are my place of safe retreat.
When I'm not strong enough to stand, you are the strength that carries me. When
I feel vulnerable to the onslaught of those who come against me, you are the
shield that protects. You and your Word are my promise of hope in this world. You
are your Word.
When
the world speaks defeat, you speak victory. When the world speaks death, you
speak life. When the world turns its back, you are constant and unchanging.
When the world accepts the latest belief, your Word is solid and pure. It
inspires the hope I need to reach for you. I can't place my hope in the changing
words of world circumstance. My hope would have no meaning. But your Word is
Truth, and it is rock-solid and unchanging. What your Word promises, it
provides. I can trust in what you impart through your holy Word. I can believe
in your faithfulness above all the world's fickleness.
In
the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with you, and you were the
Word. Not only did it exist, Lord, but it was and is still your very heart and
being! The New Living Translation version of John 1:1-2 speaks of the Word as
“He”. Lord, you were the Word in the beginning. You are the Word now. If I want
to know you, Lord, I will know your Word. If I want to experience hope, I will
make your Word my most intimate friend.
“Not
only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering
produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope
does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our
hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (Roman 5:3-4 NIV). How
do I rejoice in my suffering? I rejoice
when I grow through hardship in perseverance and character and hope. I rejoice
when your Word inspires me to discover your promise for my life. Hope does not
disappoint—it does not discourage—it
does not shame when it is placed in your Word.
Your
love has been poured into my heart through the gift of your Holy Spirit, and
that love anchors me to believe in your Truth. It is what a volatile world so
desperately needs, but cannot grasp without believing in you. Help me, Lord, to
live and always hope in your Word.
© 2017 Lynn Lacher
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