Tag: hope

A Righteous Man Falls

Proverbs 24
16 For a righteous man falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.

  • Righteous men fall. Sometimes it’s a precious comfort, even vital, for us to be reminded of that. God’s word is full of examples of God’s people, righteous men, falling… Falling from the secret place of The Most High, falling from the place of blessing, falling from the place of communion and fellowship, falling from the place of joy, peace and service. But every one of them got up again and continued on! It is the wicked who are overthrown!
  • Godly sorrow for sin is truly a low and bitter experience. To be found wallowing in sin and shame but then to be reminded of His holiness; or to hear again of His desire for us; to have The Holy Spirit reveal to us afresh the love, long-suffering and faithfulness of God; to see the emptiness and death in our flesh. To see so clearly and evidently who and what we have sinned against! But Godly sorrow leads to repentance! Hallelujah!
  • Sinful choices may have terrible consequences affecting relationships, testimony, family and posterity but the righteous repent! A righteous heart sorrowing over sin grieves the loss of intimacy and communion with The Father but will confess sin and cry out to The Lord! “It is not falling into water that drowns but lying in it. It is not falling into sin that damns but lying in it without repentance.” Thomas Watson.
  • Repentance does not necessarily remove consequence! This is a powerful and fearful truth but, praise The Lord, repentance does remove guilt and it does remove shame! Hallelujah! “For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.” 2 Corinthians 7:10. It is truly shameful to find ourselves fallen… But we need not stay there!! In Jesus Christ there can be restoration of communion and fellowship with our Heavenly Father! How much better to fall into the hands of The Lord than to remain in the torturous hands of the world! (2 Samuel 24:14)

Matthew 18
21 Then Peter came up to Him and said, Lord, how many times may my brother sin against me and I forgive him and let it go? Up to seven times?
22 Jesus answered him, I tell you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven!

  • If we are commanded to be so forgiving towards our brothers for multiple offences how much more is Our Father willing to forgive us?!! What an incredible comfort for us!! Be encouraged today brother or sister!! Confess and repent where you have to, forsake the flesh and obey The Holy Spirit’s conviction but do this knowing that forgiveness and restoration are what The Father longs for and promises!
  • GET UP!! GET UP IN JESUS NAME! Get up and get to Jesus! Pour out your heart before Him, cry out to Him! Oh He is slow to anger and so willing to forgive! Hallelujah! Bless His Name!

1 Samuel 12
19 Then all the people said to Samuel, “Pray to the LORD your God for your servants, so that we will not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil—to ask for a king for ourselves.”
20 Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid. You have [indeed] done all this evil; yet do not turn away from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart.
21 You must not turn away, for then you would go after futile things which cannot profit or rescue, because they are futile.
22 The LORD will not abandon His people for His great name’s sake, because the LORD has been pleased to make you a people for Himself.

Psalm 37
23 The steps of a [good] man are directed and established by the Lord when He delights in his way [and He busies Himself with his every step].
24 Though he falls, he shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord grasps his hand in support and upholds him.

Psalm 145
14 The LORD upholds all those [of His own] who fall And raises up all those who are bowed down.

Sow In Hope

Psalm 126
5 They who sow in tears shall reap in joy and singing.
6 He who goes out weeping, bearing precious seed shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

  • The writer doesn’t give us a specific reason for the weeping. In context of the psalm we could presume they are weeping in grief because of loved ones still in captivity; or maybe they might feel that their seed is so insignificant; perhaps they weep in loneliness for none will stand and sow with them; maybe the labourers are few and no one else is willing; maybe they weep in pain because they are neglected by those who should help them, unappreciated by their brothers, sisters and equals, despised and rejected by friends; it could be that they weep in fear and doubt, weak in faith that the harvest will come…
  • Weeping and tears are real, not discouraged, not rebuked, but lovingly and tenderly comforted (Psalm 56:8, Revelation 21:3-4). So with this promise, and The Lord’s testimonies, we need not continue in tears. Be careful of trying to create or get to some emotional experience. The promise is not to the weeper but to the sower! This psalm is written to exhort and encourage us to sow with hope and expectancy in faith! We are encouraged to sow looking joyfully to the harvest, comforted and resting in the promise. 
  • There are many valid reasons for tears but those who continue to faithfully sow will, from a Faithful God, reap the promise!! Whatever our circumstance, may we be faithful in sowing the seed of HIS Gospel! May we continue to sow HIS word by HIS Spirit… For WE SHALL REAP in joy and singing and rejoicing! Bringing sheaves of countless seed to glorify The Lord of the harvest! Sometimes we may sow in tears, but always sow in faith and hope. 

I Shall Yet Praise Him

Psalm 42
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, my Help and my God.
6 O my God, my life is cast down upon me [and I find the burden more than I can bear]; therefore will I [earnestly] remember You…

  • THE QUESTION: Why?! Why are you cast down? Why are you fretting? What is wrong with you?! Why are you looking at yourself, or the enemy, or the storm? “Consider your ways”, analyse/understand your battle. Answer the question accurately and specifically… Why are you cast down?
  • The question suggests that it is unreasonable to be downcast. Sin is no cause or reason, because we are promised it shall not have dominion over us and, upon repentant confession, the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from ALL sin; Satan and his temptations are also no reason to be cast down. God is mightier than the devil! The Spirit of Jesus Christ, who abides in the believer is greater than he that is in the world! Satan can go only as far as God allows. There is no justifiable reason for the believer’s soul to be cast down! We have every reason to look up and wait expectantly in hope!
  • The implied answer is that we are downcast because we have moved our eyes from looking at our Saviour, Jesus Christ. We have taken our eyes off of all that He is, all that He has done and all that He has taught and promised! And we have started to perceive by our own logic and lean on our own understanding. We have magnified the problem/flesh and not The Lord!
  • THE RESPONSE: I shall yet praise Him! I will praise Him anyway!! Despite my circumstance, despite the enemy, no matter the storm, I will yet continue to praise The Lord with a set and determined heart of faith and trust. I will not let the enemy, the world or my flesh take me from abiding in Christ, the secret place of The Most High! I will not heed distraction but cling to The Lord, His promises and His faithfulness.
  • But also, I will yet have a testimony of paise in this situation so don’t be cast down… For praise is coming! Victory is coming! Joy is coming in the morning! A testimony of The Lord’s sustaining grace; providence; provision; goodness and mercy is coming! I will yet praise Him because I know that “surely” I will always look back and see His goodness and mercy following me. His Glory shall be my testimony!
  • I shall YET PRAISE HIM!! I will remember Calvary! I will remember that victory is already won! I will remember that we have been delivered by a Mighty Hand! I will remember that my name is written in Heaven! I will remember His So Great Salvation! I will remember His complete deliverance from Egypt; His promise to never leave me nor forsake me; His loving kindnesses and tender mercies… I will remember my Redeemer, my Saviour, my loving Heavenly Father and that Almighty God lives within me!! And then I will ask myself… Why are you cast down??

Matthew 28
20 “I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age.”

  • ⁠If we have the faith to really believe that this is true then how/why are you downcast oh my soul, my brother, my sister? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for we shall yet praise Him, our Help and our God!

What Hope??

The whole world is degrading. Untold millions of lives wasting and wasted. Hundreds of thousands living in hurt and heartbreak. Families torn and shattered. Children sold like retail, treated as currency, used for sex. Babies murdered in their millions. 12 yrs olds encouraged to have “safe” sex. 14yr old mothers! paedophiles given only 5yrs in jail! Governments publicly abase! Integrity is tortured and mocked! Love is spat upon! … What hope do we have? Continue reading “What Hope??” →