Jesus The Hope of Heaven Ministries

Happy Anniversary Jesus The Hope of Heaven Ministries! God bless us all!

DAILY WALK WITH MY LORD

"Now Isaac pleaded with the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived. But the children struggled together within her; and she said, 'If all is well, why am I like this?' So she went to inquire of the Lord. And the Lord said to her: 'Two nations are in your womb, two peoples shall be separated from your body; one people shall be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger.'" Genesis 25:21-23

Isaac's wife Rebekah was also barren. Scholars say it took 20 years before God finally answered Isaac's prayer. It is worth noting that Isaac developed the faith he has seen in his father Abraham.

Her pregnancy must have been difficult that she asked God what it means (machines that help during pregnancies are none existent yet), and there was no way for her to know she was carrying twins. God's response was a prophecy that two nations will come from her.

The birth of Esau and Jacob is another absolute proof that God is in sovereign control. He has ordained long before, and His plans are coming to pass---including His curse upon the serpent that man shall crush it's head (a prophetic reference to Jesus' victory over the devil).

If you think everything is not going right for you, think again. God encourages you to come before Him in prayer and seek His plan in your life. His will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Luke 11:2b).

אלוהים יברך אותך

DAILY WALK WITH MY LORD

"And He said, 'Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.' Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son." Genesis 22:12-13

Abraham's trust in God was proven when he unhesitatingly was willing to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. He proved God faithful before when He gave him a son in Sarah's old age. He must have thought: If God could do this, how could He not give a replacement for Isaac?

"And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son"(v.10). It was not an easy thing to do for a father yet he trusted God! But God stopped him in time for He has seen Abraham's heart.

A ram whose horns were caught in a bush nearby was instead sacrificed in Isaac's place. Not only did God provide ("Jehovahjireh" means God provides) but He also supplied in a timely way.

You may have an urgent need now. Whatever it is, remember that God is the god of the 11th hour. He shall provide what you need, when you need it. He has seen you through before; He will see you through now.

אלוהים יברך אותך

DAILY WALK WITH THE LORD

"Then He brought him outside and said, 'Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.' And He said to him, 'So shall your descendants be.' And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness." Genesis 15:5-6

First, God commanded Abram to leave the security of his tribe and bring his family to a place He would eventually reveal; God promised Abram He would bless him and he in turn would be a blessing to others. Abram believed God and obeyed.

Now God affirms His earlier promise to Abram that his descendants would be as great in number as the stars in the sky, though this would seem "impossible" as Sarai is barren and past child-bearing age. Yet Abram believed God in his heart that what He said was true. God reckoned (or counted) Abram as righteous in His sight solely because of belief.

Your daily walk with God entails faith and trust in Him. You must acknowledge that even if things are not going your way or in the outcome you desire, He is in control of each and every situation in your life. In the end, He will fulfill His promise to you in His time and in His way.

אלוהים יברך אותך

DAILY WALK WITH MY LORD

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7

As we go out in our journey in obedience to God's call, we will face obstacles along the way. These hurdles may cause us to lose heart and be discouraged, and to return from where we came.

Followers of Jesus in the 1st century were scattered throughout and persecuted, many to the point of death. This may have been the context of Paul's letter; he may have been encouraging young Timothy to take leadership of a large movement of believers instead of just serving beside Paul.

And like Timothy, we needed to be reminded that we have the permanently indwelling Holy Spirit of God who has gifted us and empowered us with all that we need for life and godliness, no matter how difficult or dangerous life in this world may become.

Today, take some time to think about where your thoughts are focused on. Instead of focusing at fear, choose to think about God and how much He loves you. This thought alone is enough for fear to go. Be encouraged that God is faithful and He wants to provide you freedom from fear.

אלוהים יברך אותך

DAILY WALK WITH MY LORD

"The Lord had said to Abram, 'Go from your country, your people and your father's household to the land I will show you.' So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there." Genesis 12:1,3-4

It was no easy task in those days to move out from one's place. You have to pack and unpack everything onto camels, and you have to have ample water on the way. It was said Abram brought along many people (his household) on the trip, including their flocks of sheep, goat, camels, and cattle. And the trip was in a not-so-friendly country.

Yet Abram followed God's command without hesitation, setting out into unknown territory far from the safety of his family and away from his comfort zone. He obeyed in faith.

Today, we are also going into unknown territory as another year unfolds before us. God is asking us to trust Him as He directs our paths.

But unlike Abram, we are to leave our loads behind us. With wings of prayer and hope we are to fearlessly seek the place where God will lead us. With a heart of anticipation we are to expect His blessings to come upon us.

God is asking YOU today to trust Him and His promises, to experience His mighty works in your life. God will fulfill what He has set you out to do.

אלוהים יברך אותך

DAILY WALK WITH MY LORD

‘“O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?” says the LORD. “Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand.'"
Jeremiah 18:6

It is often in the character of God to use simple things to display His sovereignty so we in our finite minds can understand God’s will and purpose for our lives. We see this in Jeremiah 18. God instructed the prophet to go to the potter’s house to watch him work with clay. God tells Jeremiah the clay represents the children of God, and the potter represents God himself.

God used the potter and the clay as a live visual metaphor to demonstrate how we were created through the intimacy of God’s loving embrace. As Jeremiah looked, he saw the clay spinning on the potter’s wheel. This reminds us that as we go through the turns and changes of life, it is often unclear what God is doing and how He shapes us. Through the uncertainty of transition and transformation, we must trust the process, believing that God (the potter) is at work and He has a divine plan and purpose.

As the clay is shaped, Jeremiah saw it has been "marred"---damaged or even broken. But Scriptures tells us it was "marred in the hand of the potter" (v.4). What a blessed assurance! Despite our fragmented condition, we are still in His hands; there is no better place to be broken than in the hands of God!

If we are in His hands, we know He can mend the broken pieces, make us whole, and transform our lives forever! John 10:28 says, "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone sn**ch them out of my hand."

May each of us know the intimacy of God’s loving embrace as He shapes us for His plans and purposes. Amen.

אלוהים יברך אותך

May all of us experience the abundance of the fullness of life God promised. May His work in us manifest in our lives. May His glory shine on us and through us.

Happy New Year to each one and our families! God bless us all!