Saturday... I hope to, but just in case.

In my reading this morning in 1 Timothy, I came across a phrase that spoke to me about the beginning of a New Year. I Timothy 3:14 (MSG) says, "I hope to visit you soon, but just in case I am delayed, I'm writing this letter so you'll know how things ought to go in God's household, the God-alive church, bastion of truth."

Paul was a very driven man but also a very caring man. He planted many churches. He would spend time with them and then move on to a different area to plant a new church but he still had the a burden for the church he left. He couldn't be with them so he sent letters to them. He would say over and over, I hope to visit you soon but just in case.

Now in heading into the New Year I'm sure you have some hopes. I know we all hope that this virus is taken care of. There are many other hopes that we each individually want to happen but do you have any just in case they don't? Or is it all or nothing?

Paul did not put his total hope on one thing, he had a back up plan and it was a very effective back up plan. I hope to come and see you but just in case I can't, I'm writing this letter. I hope this happens but just in case I'm still going to do something.

Now God doesn't always reveal His plan about tomorrow. Yes, you may have a plan and it is important to have one but it still comes down to as Proverbs 1:7 says, "Start with God - the first step in learning is bowing down to God; only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning."

That is where you put your hope and your just in case. So what if you hope something is going to happen in the New Year and how will you deal with it just in case it doesn't happen? The hope is important but so is the just in case. The key is to start with God! Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning

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Friday... We have this hope of expectancy.

Psalm 5:3 (NLT), "Listen to my voice in the morning Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly." Friday... We have this hope of expectancy. Now David found a great way to start his day. He says in Psalm 5:1-3 (NLT), "O LORD, hear me as I pray." And that is a great place to start. It really is. Morning sunrise He goes on, "Listen to my cry for help, my King, my God, for I pray to no one but you." And that is so important. We don't try to pump ourselves up by ourself. No, we pray to no one but you, God, my LORD, my King. Now this relationship with God is so, so very important. And then David says, "Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD. Each morning I bring my requests to you" And that is so great. And then he says, "and wait expectantly." Yes, we have this hope of expectancy. We are experienced. That is what a relationship with God and a moment by moment connection does. It makes a difference in our daily wa...

Friday... Yes, we can know this to be true.

Psalm 12:6 (NLT), "The Lord's promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over." Friday... Yes, we can know this to be true. Maybe this is what you want to say in this day in which we live. Psalm 12:1-2 (MSG) says, "Quick, I need your helping hand! The last decent person just went down, all the friends I depend on gone. Everyone talks in lie language; lies slide off their oily lips. They doubletalk with forked tongues." Do you ever feel that way?" Have you found that to be true? Well David the writer of this Psalm continues and says in verse 6 something to encourage us, to lift us up, to give us hope. Psalm 12:6 (NLT) says, "The Lord's promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over." The Message Paraphrase says verses 6-8 this way, "God's words are pure words, pure silver words refined seven times in the fires of his word-kiln, pure on earth as well as in heaven, God, keep ...

Friday... So what is it that you really fear?

1 Corinthians 15:57 (NLT), "But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ." Friday... So what is it that you really fear? Yes, fear holds us back. It seems to take hold of us so that we can't even really enjoy living. Now I have found that one of the best ways to handle fear is to solve the problem of what we fear. Let's say that death is what we really fear. Everyday we wake up afraid to get up because we are afraid to do anything because we are afraid to die. And that is so understandable. Now I have found the solution to fearing death. I have through faith taken care of my fear to die. 1 Corinthians 15:57 (NLT) says, "But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ." Verse 22 (CEV) says, "Adam brought death to all of us, and Christ will bring life to all of us." Death was not God's plan. Adam was created for an eternal life but he and his partner, Eve blew it and sin a...

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