Hope! Don't give up...

Hope is the womb that a legacy is born out of...
Bill Johnson.

◄ Romans 8:24 ►
For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?

◄ Romans 4:18 ►
Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be."

◄ Romans 15:13 ►
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

◄ 1 Corinthians 13:13 ►
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

David, David. . . A Man Like David

David, David, David: a great man, a flawed man, a shepherd, a king, a lover, a father, a priest, a warrior, a repentant man, a dynasty’s beginning, a sinner, a murderer, a liar, an adulterer, a musician, a poet, a friend, a leader, a visionary, a worshipper, an unashamed chaser after God, a mentor, a brother.

Yes, yes, and yes, he was all these things and more. Many have thought and said, “How can God love such a man? For this man was so imperfect, with so many shortcomings. Yet, this man, this man, God loved and chose to establish His throne forever. What qualifies him so to be so special?”
You see, yes, he sinned and was a sinner; he messed up royally (pardon the pun). But this man David--as many as his sins were--when he did repent, he did so with sorrow, godly sorrow. He then never looked back to his sin; rather, he turned to God and embraced Him boldly and fully and without shame, just as if he had never sinned!

What awesome trust in God's forgiving grace and unending love. How can a father not love such a son who implicitly trusts in his sonship and who honors his father in that he never committed the same sin twice, never? And he never looked back, never. And once forgiven, he never cowered, never hid himself from God, never. Rather, he laid himself bare and trusted Him who had said, to do what He said.
What have you done? Have you sinned, lied, stolen, cheated, hurt, or abused another? Call upon God, the Father; repent and receive His love. Then, don't look back; hold your head up high and never let anyone or anything convince you that you are anything less than loved--absolutely, totally, crazily, as only God can.

I've been there and done that too, but no more--no more doubt. I am the redeemed, the beloved, the covered, the forgiven, and so are you. Yes, YOU!
So join with me today to celebrate Papa's love. Old things have passed away and behold all things have become new (2 Cor. 5:17b). I am my beloved's, and He is mine (Song of Sol. 6:3a) His banner over me was love (Song of Sol. 2:4b)


Excerpted from The Voice of One Woman by Mettabel Okulaja
Copyright © 2011, Xulon Press. 

You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain!

“You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain."
Exodus 20:3

You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain… This is the third commandment and I have heard this phrase quoted many times whenever someone would use the name of Jesus or God as an epithet or exclamation. The quoting of this verse in response to these actions never sat well with me, but I didn’t quite know why.

I came to the realization that taking this commandment to solely mean that one should not speak the name of The Lord as a swear word or exclamation would be reducing it to pettiness on God’s part. And He is NOT petty! I was then prompted to look up the meaning of “in vain” and when I did so, it was as if the penny dropped with regards to the meaning of this commandment!

In vain - Definition
Without success or a result.
Synonyms:
Unsuccessfully, without success, to no avail, to no purpose, fruitlessly

What I believe this commandment actually means is that we should not align ourselves with The Lord, and have no fruit, result, or success to show for it. It meant for the Israelites that they were to live worthy of being called The Lord’s people. It as it does today that we are not TO TAKE THE NAME OF THE LORD WITHOUT EXERCISING THE RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES THAT GO ALONG WITH THAT STATUS!

Time... A phenomenal entity, worthy of emulation...

It marches relentlessly, defining seasons, undaunted by disappointment, failure, mourning, joy, celebration and or victory.

It is relentless in its' pursuit of the future and in its' determination to shed the past almost as soon as it occurs, yet maximizes every tick of the tock... Time passes, yet no one other than the One who created it... passes it.

It has many forms of expression, but itself remains constant - Always to itself true...

It is elusive, yet too obvious to ignore; Creates shadows, yet heralds light.

It may seem to stand still appearing to accomplish nothing but the stretching of its’ passing, but may in actuality represent the winning of the race of a lifetime!

But, even more so to be emulated and sought after is the one who created it in its own time, for as sure as its beginning was, its end shall be, liberated into eternity, by He who said let there be, and it was  - The end of time before it all began...

© AdePero Mettabel, September 2014.