GOD OF HOPE

Daily Stop & Thinks

Stop & Think: March 31, 2023

Failure?

As we try and fail, we learn what not to do, we make adjustments, and we file experiences under a super power column called wisdom. (Malcolm Forbes, late American entrepreneur)

It is probably true that no one wants to fail, but it’s also true that we all do at one time or another and likely more than once. The worst kind of failure, of course, is to simply quit trying. But Forbes’ idea can really be helpful. Make the necessary changes to avoid the same mistakes and learn, gaining that “super power,” wisdom that will help you succeed the next time.

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking (James 1:5). 

Stop & Think: March 30, 2023

Afraid?

One of the greatest discoveries a man makes . . .  is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn’t do. (Henry Ford, inventive car maker)

We are sometimes faced with projects we don’t think we are capable of completing. We may have to admit that we’re just afraid that we can’t do it. The choice we make at that time could well be an important turning point. To prepare ourselves as well as possible and gather the best resources we can may help us overcome the fear that’s hindering our success.

But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you (Psalm 56:3).

 

Stop & Think: March 29, 2023

Friends

The best mirror is an old friend. (George Herbert, 17th century English poet)

It has been said that couples who have been married a long time tend to become like each other. That may certainly be true in habit and opinions—maybe even looks to some degree. Herbert may be right about long-time friends, too. After all, we probably don’t hang out too long with people who are really different from us. The bottom line is: choose your friends wisely.

There are friends who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother . . . The godly give good advice to their friends. (Proverbs 18;24; 12:26)

Stop & Think: March 28, 2023

A Step in Faith

When the road ahead is dark and you don’t know where to go, Trust God and take another step. (From a Stephen Curtis Chapman song)

We have all been at that place no doubt. An adult who has Parkinson’s commented on such dark days and how this song helped him keep moving on. What an encouragement when we begin to worry about the unknown future. It’s not just taking a step, however, it’s taking that step, knowing and trusting the God who will enable you to take the step and move forward. 

The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives (Proverbs 37:23).

Stop & Think: March 27, 2023

Lost Love

’Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all! (Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 19th century English poet)

This familiar line from Tennyson’s elegy for his Cambridge friend Arthur Henry Hallam, has become a common proverb in the English-speaking world. A love affair may bring heartache when it fails, but you cannot forget the joy that the mutual affection brought. As Euripides, the ancient Greek writer, put it, “Love is all we have, the only way that each can help [another].

Love is patient and kind . . . Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance . . . love will last forever! (1 Corinthians 13:4, 7, 8)

Stop & Think: March 26, 2023

Cutting Edge

I would much prefer to live my life on the sharp, cutting edge of reality than to dream on the soft, phony mattress of fantasy. (Chuck Swindoll, pastor, author)

Swindoll continues: “[Living on the cutting edge is] the spark that prompts the engine to keep running. Some of us might prefer the “soft, phony mattress of fantasy,” because that seems so easy, requiring little effort and energy. We have all come to learn, of course, that reality is 24/7 and must be faced with intention if there is to be any joie de vivre and achievement.

Those who work hard will prosper. (Proverbs 13:4) For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him. (Hebrew 6:10)

Stop & Think: March 25, 2023

Perseverance

The hard days are what make you stronger. (Aly Raisman, retired American Olympic gymnast)

Raisman is certainly an excellent example of her comment. As the third-most decorated American gymnast in Olympic history, she must have trained long and hard for many years to achieve her goals. In times when she may have wanted to quit, she didn’t. In whatever facet of life we may be involved, it’s just such perseverance that can bring us success.

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance (Romans 5:3).

Stop & Think: March 24, 2023

Responding to Life

The way you respond has an impact on the people around you. (Tim Kight, business leader and speaker)

We may think that the way we react to life in general or to specific challenges is a private matter. Kight suggests, however that: “Your response is deeply personal but is rarely private.” It’s not just our words; our body language and facial expressions often reveal our feelings Unless we remain quiet and expressionless, we will be “heard.” So, we must be careful how we respond.

Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone (Colossians 4:6).

Stop & Think: March 23, 2023

Work Hard

Weak desires bring weak results, just as a small fire makes a small amount of heat. (Napoleon Hill, 20th century American author)

It’s an interesting simile that challenges us to evaluate our motivations. How strongly do we pursue our goals and desires? It is true, of course, that a small fire produces only a little heat. But when you put more wood in the fire pit, you get a much larger fire, resulting in a lot more heat. It’s so with our desires, too. Put more heart into it, and you achieve far greater results.

Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval (2 Timothy 2:15). 

Stop & Think: March 22, 2023

Opportunity

While we stop to think, we often miss our opportunity. (Publilius Syrus, 1st century BC Latin writer)

When a fast-talking salesman is urging you to buy the vacuum cleaner because “today is the last day it will be this price,” you should take a little more time to think. Considering your options could really be important. But when a genuine opportunity for service arises, stopping to think about it too long could be a grave error. Think carefully but don’t miss the opportunity.

Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith (Galatians 6:10).

Stop & Think: March 21, 2023

Preparation

Every experience God gives us is the perfect preparation for the future only He can see. (Corrie Ten Boom, Holocaust survivor and author)

Not everything that happens in life is a joyful experience, but each event is an opportunity to learn and grow. With the loss of family and home and long imprisonment, Ten Boom survived with faith and hope. When difficult times come, her comment should be an encouragement to us. What is happening is not an end in itself, but preparation for handling what’s to come.

[God] comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us (2 Corinthians 1:4).  

Stop & Think: March 20, 2023

Spring

You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep Spring from coming. (Pablo Neruda, 20th century Chilean Nobel Prize winning poet)

Today is the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. It’s an annual seasonal phenomenon unrelated to the weather we may be experiencing today. Early flowers may have shown their heads and others are still weeks away. But it’s the season of hope we’ve all been waiting for after a long winter. Let’s enjoy the anticipation of warmth and growing things today.

Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring (Hosea 6:3).