GOD OF HOPE

Daily Stop & Thinks

Stop & Think: April 2, 2024

Change

Change will never be easy, but it is an unchangeable fact of life. (Kenneth J. Brown, author)

Some people actually enjoy change and eagerly look forward to it. One might wonder how big or significant those changes are because many people do have difficulty when they have to face the differences that changes often bring. Rather than dread them, face changes with the anticipation of the good they may bring, and continue to trust in the unchanging God.

Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father [who] . . . never changes or casts a shifting shadow. (James 1:17)

Stop & Think: April 1, 2024

April Fool’s Day

It is the peculiar quality of a fool to perceive the faults of others and to forget his own. (Cicero)

People probably don’t want to act like a fool, but sometimes they act foolishly or make foolish decisions. Cicero’s comment is a reminder that we all can act like fools when we judge others and criticize what we see as their faults. How foolish we  are to ignore our own failures, while pointing out someone else’s.

And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? (Matthew 7:3)

Stop & Think: March 31, 2024

Dream On

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. (Malala Yousafzai, human rights activist)

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” you were asked as a child. Do you remember those dreams? As a teenager, you may have set goals for your education and your career. Since then, you likely have set numerous goals and pursued a lot of dreams. They may be limited now by health and economics, but you can still continue to dream of spiritual and intellectual growth.

Let love be your highest goal! (1 Corinthians 14:1)
Our goal is to please him. (2 Corinthians 5:9)

Stop & Think: March 30, 2024

The Inner You

What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you. (Ralph Waldo Emerson, 19th century American essayist)

Our personal history certainly had an immense influence in our development. What we are and  know now are the results of learning and experience. And the future may be very promising in light of our training, associations, and opportunities. But both the experienced past and the anticipated future mean little without recognizing who we are and what potential we have.

Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Romans 12:2)

Stop & Think: March 29, 2024

Knowledge and Revelation

The wealth of this knowledge will never be mastered without diligent effort. (William Wilberforce, 18th-19th century British statesman)

Wilberforce introduced that statement with this thought: “Christianity is based on a revelation from God that is filled with information that the natural mind could never imagine.” When people think of religion and God, they often are limited by their own knowledge and opinions. But the full story is to be found in the study of God’s revelation of himself in the Bible.

Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge. (Romans 11:33)
In him (Jesus) lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (Colossians 2:3)

Stop & Think: March 28, 2024

Open Doors

I’m not going to continue knocking on that old door that doesn’t open for me.  (Ava DuVernay, American filmmaker)

DuVernay continues, “I’m going to create my own door and walk through that.” Waiting for the proverbial knock of opportunity may be fruitless. We should be alert, of course, for any new ventures that may come our way, but as others have discovered, we might have to create our own opportunities. Open that new door and see what’s there for you.

Make the most of every opportunity. (Colossians 4:5)

Stop & Think: March 27, 2024

Focus

It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light. (Aristotle)

Learning to focus is an essential step in our development. As infants, we slowly learned how to focus our eyes on a specific object. That’s a kind of analogy of life itself. The more focused we are, the more we can give attention to the details of life that are essential to growth and improvement. In the dark times of life, we must focus on what we have learned in the light.

For you [God] are the . . . light by which we see. (Psalm 36:9)
 Jesus: “If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” (John 8:12)

Stop & Think: March 26, 2024

Love and Live

A single letter differentiates the words “live” and “love.” (Dianne Neal Matthews, freelance writer)

Matthews continues: “The more I take “I” out of the way I live, the more I will be able to love others as Jesus did.” Playing with words in your heart language often opens up new ideas, like that one. Many people seem to be living only for themselves and their interests. What a blessing it could be if they (we) could learn to love as well as to live.

Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. (1 Timothy 4:12)

Stop & Think: March 25, 2024

Friendship

The friendship that can cease has never been real. (Saint Jerome, 5th century Bible translator)

We occasionally refer to someone as a “fair weather friend,” meaning he or she will stick with you so long as everything is going well. It implies that when things become difficult, the “friend” disappears. Jerome says that such a friend was never a real friend. The biblical Judas Iscariot, disciple of Jesus, played just such a role. True friends stick with  you through thick and thin.

A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need. . . . [A] real friend sticks closer than a brother. (Proverbs 17:17; 18:24)

Stop & Think: March 24, 2024

Values

When your values are clear to you, making decisions becomes easier. (Roy Disney, co-founder of Walt Disney Co.)

Difficult choices. Should we buy the more expensive automobile that we really like or the lower-priced car without all the bells and whistles? School choice: the one with the low cost but a poor record of its graduates or the more costly one with an excellent reputation for quality learning? When you have firmly established values, you should be able to choose with confidence.

My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands. Tune your ears to wisdom and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight. (Proverbs 2:1-3)

Stop & Think: March 23, 2024

Behavior

Innocence requires no change in behavior. (Gladys Deloe, counselor)

Do you remember what it was like to try to cover up a wrongdoing? You probably began with a slight variation of the truth, which led to an exaggeration. And then, you ended by telling a complete lie. How difficult was that? At first it seemed easy, but it most often led to real difficulty. As Deloe writes, when you’re innocent, you won’t have to lie.

Even children are known by the way they act, whether their conduct is pure, and whether it is right. (Proverbs 20:11)
For we are each responsible for our own conduct. (Galatians 6:5)

Stop & Think: March 22, 2024

The Extraordinary

I believe God embedded the miraculous in the ordinary, and it is our task to discover it and celebrate it. (Kent Nerburn, author)

We are sometimes surprised by another’s creativity in art, writing, music, or invention. Often these achievers appear to be normal, everyday kinds of people. As author Jim Hocking notes, “God uses ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary deeds.” That should challenge all of us to work hard at discovering and developing our God-given skills for the benefit of everyone.

The Lord has given them special skill . . .  They excel as craftsmen and as designers. (Exodus 35:3, 5)