I had an amazing weekend! What a blessing to meet Kathy Trocolli and experience her ministry for the first time in a long time. The last time was in upstate New York, she was just starting out and I was a teen ager, in love with Jesus. Listening to her music pulled my tender heart closer to Him. Not much has changed, her gift of music still draws my heart to our savior. Her Hope’s Alive tour came to Vegas and I was privileged to be gifted a ticket! It was exactly what God had prescribed for my heart this week! And it fit right with what I had intended for this post to be about, I love it when He orchestrates every little piece of our lives!
Kathy said, “Why should we hope? Because Hope is a person!” That resonated with my heart big time! Jesus is MY hope…but wait…REALLY think that through…is Jesus YOUR hope? Maybe we need a refresher course on why He is our hope so we can truly understand how amazing this is!
Consider Romans 8:29-30, “For from the very beginning God decided that those who came to Him-and all along He knew who would-should become like His Son, so that His Son would be the First, with many brothers. And having chosen us, He called us to come to Him; and when we came, He declared us “not guilty” filled us with Christ’s goodness, gave us right standing with Himself, and promised us His glory.” (TLB)
We are chosen!
He placed His divine favor on us, He gave us right standing with Him and He shared His glory with us. He made us important, placed us in His focus, which is a miracle. But it goes deeper than that.
Psalm 111:9 tells us, “He has paid a full ransom for His people; now they are always free to come to Jehovah”. He has ransomed us to Himself. We are not just saved from our sin and released from the penalty of it. We are saved TO Him! We are no longer separated from Him.
“But now the Lord who created you, O Israel, says: Don’t be afraid, for I have ransomed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine” Isaiah 43:1
How amazing is that?! He has ransomed us and we are His!
He bought me out of the pit I was born into; He purchased me, taking the penalty of the sin I chose willfully and He has called me His own.
How can I be hopeless when I am His? How can I live my life without expectation when He is mine? Can I approach each morning with a sour attitude when the Mighty Ransomer of my heart is waiting to spend the day with me?! That is what gives me hope for the day, hope to pursue Him, hope to allow Him to pursue me, hope to reach out and draw others into this deep pool that washes away the despair of the world.
So today, who or what is YOUR hope?
Got questions? Email me…let’s talk.
~Keri Lee