Closing My Eyes… To See HOPE!

I had to chuckle, Lord, when Pastor Mark spoke about his early days in ministry.  His first church plant ended in failure (his word).  He was invited to lead a second church plant in another region of the country.  His pain-ingrained, knee-jerk reaction was to say NO.

But You’re a hard One to say “no” to, Lord.   🙂

So he said “yes” to that new church plant… and what turned out to be a very difficult first year.  With only 25 members, most of their collections went to renting their house of worship.  His self-disclosure said it all:

“That’s when I learned to close my eyes in worship because it was too depressing to open them.”  (Pastor Mark Batterson, Draw the Circle, page 120)

I had to laugh.  But then I realized… my laugh wasn’t just from a sense of irony.  It was from a Deeper Truth You spoke to my heart.

Sometimes we have to close our eyes to our circumstances.  So we can see, with HOPE, Your Promise yet unfulfilled.

“Let us hold unswervingly to the Hope we profess, for He who promised is Faithful.”  (Hebrews 10:23)

How many times have my circumstances given me every “reason” to retreat… or to give up altogether?  Except for You, Lord… urging me forward.  And I knew I could… because You, too, had survived Your own “make-it-or-break-it” moments.

Understatement of Eternity!

“For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will now grow weary and lose heart.”  (Hebrews 12:2-3)

The Truth is:  Sometimes we can’t believe what we see.  We have to believe what we know… and walk by faith until our circumstances “catch up” with You, Lord!

And catch up they will!

“… the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations.”  (Psalm 33:11)

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”  (Proverbs 3:5-6)

So next time I look around me and see the “impossible,” I will close my natural eyes so I can see more CLEARLY!

“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  (Matthew 19:26)

Ever HOPE-FULL…

Abba’s Girl

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