GOD OF HOPE

Daily Stop & Thinks

Stop & Think: April 30, 2023

Look Up!

I avoid looking forward or backward and try to keep looking upward. (Charlotte Brontë, 19th century English novelist and poet)

We’re often being advised to keep our minds in the present. Forget the past; don’t worry about the future; pay attention to the here-and-now. That could be good advice for many people who are overcome with either nostalgia or future fright.  Brontë, of course, is adding an important spiritual dimension that we too often overlook.

By [sharing with others], they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life (1 Timothy 6:19).

Stop & Think: April 29, 2023

Encouragement

You’re braver than you believe and stronger than you seem and smarter than you think. (Christopher Robin to Winnie the Pooh, cartoon characters)

This thought was so important to Christopher Robin that he urged Winnie, “Promise me you’ll always remember.” Maybe we can learn from the cartoons a very helpful lesson in relationships. Words of encouragement will mean a lot more to your friends than criticism and judgment. Be honest and loving. Your friends will grow as will your friendship.

So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

Stop & Think: April 28, 2023

Meditation

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in . . .  (John Muir, 19th-20th century American naturalist)

Muir continues, “. . . where Nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike.” Naturalists like Muir continually plead for people to take advantage of God’s creation, to admire its beauty and to take time to meditate in its glory. It not only honors God, but it refreshes the soul to get away from the busyness of life and spend quiet time in reflection.

I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles (Psalm 145:5).

Stop & Think: April 27, 2023

Preparation

The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today. (H. Jackson Brown, inspirational author)

Too many people fret about tomorrow. What’s the weather going to be like when it’s vacation time? Is the expected tornado going to hit our area? Will inflation affect my plans for our business venture? All are legitimate concerns, but when they take up so much of our time and mental energy, they can keep us from the important task of preparing for the future.

Do your planning and prepare your fields before building your house (Proverbs 24:27).

Stop & Think: April 26, 2023

Comparisons

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. (Eleanor Roosevelt, 20th century U.S. First Lady)

Certain people seem to have an inferiority complex. They feel insignificant in a group, thinking everyone else is smarter, better educated, or successful. That may be a common problem for some, but Roosevelt is encouraging those people to take a positive look at their lives, realizing that they should avoid comparisons and think clearly about their own strengths.

Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else (Galatians 6:4).

Stop & Think: April 25, 2023

Finding Joy

There is no hope of joy except in human relations. (Antoine de Sainte-Exupery, 20th century French writer)

This is one of those observations that might be true but could be questioned by people with contrary experience. No doubt having strong, positive relationships with others can provide a lot of joy. But contentment can also be found in being alone reading, singing, or meditating. Perhaps joy is an internal element that is found in a variety of experiences.

Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. . . . Those who trust the Lord will be joyful. (Proverbs 3:13; 16:20)

Stop & Think: April 24, 2023

Friends #3

Strangers are just friends waiting to happen. (Steve Klaka, author)

Friendships don’t just happen out of the blue, although sometimes it might seem so. Prof. C. S. Lewis once wrote, “Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one.’” When you discover someone who thinks like you do, there is an immediate bond. The former stranger becomes an understanding friend.

I am a friend to anyone who fears you, anyone who obeys your commandments (Psalm 119:63).

Stop & Think: April 23, 2023

Friends #2

The most beautiful discovery that true friends can make is that they can grow separately without growing apart. (Elizabeth Foley, American legal theorist)

Sometimes we see friends that seem to be almost inseparable. Everywhere one goes, the other will be there. It appears that they must be co-dependent. That could be harmful, because we all need to have other friends and experiences that fulfill us. You both grow when you can allow your friend to have his or her own life and remain fully supportive of each other.

So let [faith] grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing (James 3:4).

Stop & Think: April 22, 2023

Friends #1

A world without a friend would be like a world without water, something you need. (Paraphrased from an unknown author)

This unknown writer continued: “Friends are like glass, once broken, they are hard to fix. Keep your friends, as you would keep your water.” We can’t live long without water; it is essential to life and health. It may be possible to live without friends, but there would no doubt be a constant thirst for something more, someone to converse with, someone to know and trust.

So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God (Romans 5:11).

Stop & Think: April 21, 2023

Warning

Precautions are useless after the event. (Aesop’s Fables)

It’s like “closing the door after the horse has left the barn.” These warnings are simple but important. Putting off till tomorrow may be harmful if our failure to prepare means great loss in a fire, a theft, or even a health issue. What is even more dangerous—though too often ignored in our secular society, is the preparation for life after death.

For God says, “Indeed, the ‘right time’ is now. Today is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Stop & Think: April 20, 2023

Worry

What worries you masters you. (John Locke, 17th century English philosopher)

One of the most difficult issues we face from time to time is the sense of unease and worry. We just can’t seem to control the anxiety associated with the current problem. We act as though if we fret about it long enough, we might eventually be able to change the outcome. We really know that doesn’t work, so we may need to find peace by trusting God with the outcome.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done (Philippians 4:6).

Stop & Think: April 19, 2023

Rituals

Bringing intent to our rituals gives us the chance to rewire our attitudes. (Seth Godin, author and business executive)

More from Godin: “The things we do each day, every day, often arrive without intent. By the time we realize that they’re now habits, these random behaviors have already become part of [our lives].” It would be a good practice for us to examine our habits to be sure they reflect our values and interests rather than just doing them as part of our routine.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior (Ephesians 4:31). So get rid of all evil behavior (1 Peter 2:1).