Guest Blog : HOPE on Presence Filled Fridays

I am so excited to introduce a friend of mine to all of you today. Amy D. Ward is a special, talented, godly woman with the skills of Martha Stewart and the heart of Mary, who sat at Jesus' feet.  I love her and I know you will, too. She has an awesome story of God's presence in her life. Show her some love by commenting! And I will see you back here on Monday.

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13 (NASB95)

What a privilege to meet you here at Kelli's blog today.  I am delighted she asked me to share with you on a Presence filled Friday.

I am a breast cancer survivor.  I have lived in God’s hope-filled Presence!

Throughout my journey with cancer in 2010, God allowed me to be in situations where I could have been hopeless.  But, through reminders of His constant Presence with me every step of the way, I would find evidence to continue to hold onto hope:  the word "HOPE" on a wall, a plaque, a shirt; or the numerous verses on HOPE I would mark in the Bible I took along to all my appointments, infusions, surgeries, and radiation. 

By the way, there are numerous Scriptures with this word in them.  Click here (http://net.bible.org/#!search/hope) to go to the NET Bible and see how many references there are.  

What a gift hope is!  I would find a word of HOPE wherever He led me.

A kind word from a nurse - hope.

A text message of Scripture, prayer, or encouragement - hope.

Forgetting for 5 minutes about the cancer - hope.

A card or call from a friend - hope.

The file I kept and labeled "After Breast Cancer" - hope.

The presence of my husband and our sons on chemo days - hope.

The presence of returning hair after chemo had done its work - hope.

I found new ways to appreciate simple things and that would bring on hope for a cancer-free tomorrow.

I like what Lawrence O. Richards says in his Encyclopedia of Bible Words regarding hope,  “…hope focuses attention on God and fills us with eager expectation.  No one who learns to hope in a biblical way will ever be overcome by disappointment but will be filled with patience, encouragement, and enthusiasm.”

I have said it numerous times and I write it here for you today:  

I would not trade having had cancer for not having had it because of the blessings that God poured out and continues to pour out.

Hope is just one of those blessings that the Presence of God offered me to unwrap.

Encouragement:

God has given the believer a life of hope through the ultimate gift of Jesus Christ, His Son.  Go back to the NET BIble link (http://net.bible.org/#!search/hope), to the references on hope found in the book of Hebrews.  Look at the exhortations there for the believer regarding hope.  Our eternal hope is in Christ.  Soli Deo Gloria (to God be the glory)!

Opportunity for Response:

Please share with me in a comment what spurs you on in your life to hold onto hope.  Thank you!

You can find Amy sharing God's hope at her blog, Digging Deep at www.amydward.com. Or on twitter at AmyDicksonWard or  Facebook at Amy D. Ward - Digging Deep. 

Amy Dickson Ward along with her husband Rob of 25 years is learning what being a near empty-nester is all about.  A graduate of Auburn University, she put her Vocational Home Economics Education skills to work at home after a brief stint teaching school.  Her minor in journalism has come in handy as she began a blog in 2008.  She enjoys teaching others in Bible studies in Columbus, GA, and occasionally has opportunities to speak at retreats.  Her passion is encouraging women to be in the Word and she delights in teaching them how to study the Bible.  Amy and Rob’s oldest son, Robert is newly married to Sigourney.  David, a student at Auburn University, is their youngest son.

eMpowering Mondays: Life in my Deadness

^{Question: Do we live our lives empowered by the fact that our God raises the dead?}

In 2 Corinthians 1: 8 - 9, Paul describes some major gut-wrenching, devastating trials he was going through. Though he doesn't tell us exactly what the trials were, we can infer that they could have been internal (sickness, anguish, depression) or external (persecution, physical abuse, or even wild animal attacks!) I am actually glad that Paul doesn't tell us exactly what those trials were.  Not being specific enables us to apply this verse to our own lives, especially when we are in desperate circumstances.

^"We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead."(NIV)

This verse reminds us that:

1. Our difficult life experiences increase our need to totally rely on God.  Would you agree?  When life is going great and smoothly, we tend to lean on our on power and understanding. We run the show. But when life gets difficult, we are reminded of how inadequate we are on our own and of how much we need a Savior.  God is always worthy of our trust and reliance on Him. But we often make the choice to put Him aside and direct our own steps. 

2. Our reliance on God increases our realization of His power.  When we are at our wits end, and we decide to fully give ourselves and our situations to Him, He shows up in a mighty and miraculous way. We say, "I don't know what to do!"  He responds,"Great. I'll take it from here!" We realize how powerful He is. We realize He is able. 

Ever been in a situation you thought was hopeless? Ever thought a relationship or a dream or a circumstance was virtually dead? You did all you could do. You tried all you knew to try. And wearily, hopelessly, you laid it at the feet of Jesus. Paul says that in the most desperate of circumstances, it feels as we have been given the death sentence. And then Paul gives purpose to those painful circumstances - "that we might not rely on ourselves, but on God." And then he adds these four little words that make all the difference in the world.

who raises the dead. This is not about relying on just any god. This is about placing our lives in the hands of an Almighty God. Our God raises the dead! God can bring life to a dead situation. He can bring hope to your hopelessness. There is no one like Him. Are you living your life as if you are empowered by a god? A god who isn't real? A god who doesn't hear you? A god who doesn't love you and have a plan and purpose for your life?

Or are you living your life knowing that you are empowered by THE GOD OF THE UNIVERSE? The Great I AM? The Lover of Your Soul? The God Who Has a Plan for Your Life? THE GOD WHO RAISES THE DEAD?

Would you join me in praying that we can live empowered by the fact that our God raises the dead? 

Lord, help us to see our need to more fully rely on You and by doing so, see Your power at work in our lives.

Would love your comments!

Unwrapping the gift of Him bringing life to my deadness,

Kelli

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