Don't Lose Hope

I hear the song by Journey ringing in my ears, reminding me to keep believing. Now you hear it too...sorry or you're welcome! Either way I want to talk about HOPE, DREAMS and FULFILLMENT.

The Message Bible says it this way, "Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heart sick...."  We've all had dreams and hopes, desires and plans that we know run deeper than just some foolish wishing upon a star. Dreamers have been deemed flighty and foolish, but to be honest where would we be without hopes and dreams?

Look at Joseph the ULTIMATE biblical example of "The Dreamer". He dreamed so much he had a gift to interpret dreams. He was beaten, sold as a slave, lied about thrown into prison and out of his continuance to trust in that one original dream and DARE to keep the hope alive that one day it would happen, he became Pharaoh's right hand man! Through his hope in that dream he saved a nation and his very own family, who started the trickle effect of what seemed to be his downfall, but set him up for victory.

Now let's look at Noah. God told Noah, "Build an ark, I'm bringing a flood and all the animals will come 2 by 2 to this floating zoo." (Yes, I had to rhyme 😂) Noah could have argued and stopped believing when people mocked him, called him crazy and all that nonsense but he kept the hope alive, that what God promised He would do, He would come through.

Then the final biblical example, lady and gentlemen, give a hand for the Father of Faith.......Abraham!!!!!!

Romans 4:18 says, Abraham, who had no hope, yet in hope he trusted the promise of God that he would be the father of not a village, city or even one nation, but the father of many nations. Okay so let's look at this story deeper.....Sarah couldn't get pregnant she was not only old but also barren. She wanted to have hope but as the years ticked on she was starting to wonder what she missed and maybe God needed her help with this promise. What does she do, she says, "yeah, I believe God is always true and faithful but let me help Him out since there's clearly no way He would fulfill this promise through my dead body." She sends the maid to Abraham, they make a baby, Sarah gets jealous sends her away and once again left with no baby and now a stepson from the maid......AWKWARD!!!!! Sarah had what Proverbs calls "deferred hope", unrelenting disappointment. So God had to come down Himself with angels and remind them of the promise and now put a date on it. BADA BING BADA BOOM.......Here comes Isaac "Laughter" Yep, I'd be laughing too Sarah, laughing because I foolishly allowed the hope for my promise to wane.

You know sometimes I look at some of the things God has promised me, big things, huge things and in the moment I get that vision from Him, I'm excited. I mean there is nothing or no one that could deter me from His promises then comes LIFE. Job loss, huge argument with your spouse, one of your kids acting like they will never serve God and the list goes on of unrelenting disappointment. You go to God and ask for a fresh word, "Inspire Me", "Motivate Me" "Do something to MAKE me trust You in this...." Ha Ha Ha it sounds so foolish writing that but we do it all the time, at least I've been guilty of it. The funniest part is I get the same response, peace and just the patient reminder that it's coming. Very few times have a gone to God and ask for a fresh vision in the same promise that I've actually gotten one. Why? Because if I need a motivation outside of the original promise because I don't see it right away I'M NOT LIVING BY FAITH......Faith takes that original word and stirs itself up with the word of God. "I know I don't see it but this is what He said and I am confident that what He promised He will bring it to pass. I will wait patiently and confidently for it Lord and I just thank you for the promise being fulfilled in my life."

What is it that you have in your heart? What dream or hope have you forgotten about or stopped going after because you think it's too late or yeah but I've gone a different way?

How many times has your spouse, kids, bank acct, friends, family etc distracted you or shown you the opposite of what God has promised?

Just because you don't see it happening in the way or time frame you wanted doesn't mean it can't or won't. The times you make a 100 page list on how it will happen, God is planning it out on page 101. His ways are higher and thoughts are higher, that means no matter how smart you are God loves to surprise His kids and do it His way and in a way you thought completely impossible or never would have even thought of.

So my friend do NOT give up on what God has spoken! If He said it, rest assured He will do it and you can sit back and rest in His perfect peace and watch that promise unfold before your very eyes and in front of all those who mocked you.

In the comments declare that dream so I can stand in Faith with you and watch God do it! Don't be afraid that if it doesn't happened you'll be embarrassed, it's His promise not yours and He is NEVER embarrassed because He always follows through!

Verses to reference:
Proverbs 13:12
Hebrews 10:36
Romans 4:18
Hebrews 11:1

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Unveiled Faces

Before you start reading this, I want you to STOP.....Take 10 seconds and look in a mirror. Go ahead, I'll wait...……

Done? Now let's talk. 

Who did you see when you looked in the mirror? We obviously try to either put the mirror down quickly, fix our hair or sigh at the imperfections we see. Some of us smile and are amazed at how on point our makeup looks, love our fresh new hairstyle and giggle with excitement over what we see. But who are we truly? Do we spend too much time on the outside and who others see? Do we constantly question our identity? Am I just a wife, mom, daughter, sister, aunt, grandma, ETC? Or am I something more?

Genesis 1 tells us that we are made in God's image, His likeness, a reflection of who He is. WOW....We were made to reflect who He is! Let that sink in a minute. Now we were not made to be gods but we are made to be the spitting image of the Father. 

I have 3 boys, all unique in how they act and look but there is something that everyone can see, these kids are brothers and it's not just outward. You see each of my boys, as unique as they are reflect different personality traits (good or bad lol) of my husband or myself. They were made in the image and likeness of the two of us. To go even further something deep inside us as parents tells us when something is wrong, someone is lying, or when someone is about to get hurt, we just know. Call it instincts or whatever but that is the very same thing with God the Father and us. 

Now I know we are talking about identity but to truly understand identity we must know where it comes from. Our physical outward identity as we know comes from our mother and father and all those in their family line, yes even the inherited flaws we try to hide or even change.

Our personality however, comes from many outside sources. What we were told by someone, what we saw or heard on TV or the sneakiest of all, a lie from the devil. Yep even a lie from the devil is an outside source because we are NOT His creation so He can't legally step inside unless we give access (another topic for another day) 

We have been so programmed to this physical realm we forget that we are FIRST a spirit being. God formed us from dirt and BREATHED THE BREATH OF LIFE into us.

 Without that breath we are just lumps of clay, statues, a shell. Our shell isn't our full identity it's only the suit to keep our spirit on the earth. God designed our spirit FIRST and then created our outward form to be able to do the purpose of the spirit on the earth.

I know guys this is some crazy stuff to think about but your spirit is who you truly are!

That's exciting news that means that no matter how painted and chiseled we are on the outside it doesn't reflect the image of God, that's our spirit's job and that can ONLY be done by first receiving Jesus as our Lord and Savior and daily renewing our minds so we can be transformed.

2 Corinthians 3:14-18

But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. ¹⁵ But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. ¹⁶ Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. ¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. ¹⁸ But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 

That passage says it ALL!!!! Without Jesus we are blind to who we are, but when we receive Him as Lord the veil is lifted and we can see who we really are as we become transformed to look more like Him.

What a relief to know that I'm NOT who the world says I am, I am not who people tried to make me be or even the lies of the enemy I believed for many many years, I am who God says I am. I want to share a personal story as I know many can relate and probably felt the same fear and shame I did to even share about it.

This story starts when I was around 12 or so but I remember it like it was yesterday. I'm standing in the hallway at my house and looking into the long mirror we had. It wasn't unlike any other day that I had stopped to look at myself and make silly poses or faces but today something was different, my thoughts felt different. As I stood there I had a thought, "Wow, I'm not that pretty of a girl. I wonder if I was supposed to be a boy?" I shrugged it off and walked away but just like most images the person I saw staring back was burned into my mind and I thought would never leave. Now my dad out of anger had said things like, "My mom was right boys are easier and I wish you would have been one." Not knowing that those words would shape my identity and open a door for the thought to be planted and stick. Now I am not going to tell you I lived as a boy or had extreme gender confusion, I will say however this lie would be watered by the world. Lead me to be involved in things I would immediately feel shame and guilt over. Something was wrong with me. No matter what I did, no matter how many sermons I heard or how many times I did things for God I would constantly struggle with thoughts of wanting to be accepted and hoping I would find myself. It wasn't until a failed marriage and many years of frustration and shame that I finally told my now husband about that day in the mirror and as I spoke it out loud, I realized something that would set me free. 

That thought was NEVER mine! 

I had carried the fear, shame and condemnation of this lie for so long and allowed it to shape who I was.....BROKEN!

When I started digging into God's word and seeing Him as the Father who had made me who I was for a reason and what His purpose was for me and His thoughts towards me I was FOREVER changed. I don't care what the enemy thinks about me.....he hates me. I don't care what people think about me, they will NEVER know me the way my Papa does. I could be at my worst and He still tells me how beautiful and amazing I am to Him. 

My story helps me see people differently and see that it doesn't start with just choosing to sin it starts with a seed and what we do and who we listen to waters that seed and it will bring a harvest of whatever we nurture. As I write this I am in tears knowing there is someone out there with a similar story and maybe you still carry that lie and hurt. But let me just say this truth, "You are NEVER too far gone." You were made in His image no matter the false image you might have right now, your identity will never be true until you ask the Creator who He created you to be. 

I will end with this. Imagine you go into an art museum and see you a group of people debating over this piece. The piece is different shapes and colors, strange angles and looks like nothing you've seen before. Some are arguing it's a picture of strength, some say sadness and others are convinced it's a depiction of the artist's life. The crowd is getting louder and louder and then suddenly they stop they turn to see the artist walking up. Instead of asking him first, frustrated they whisper amongst themselves knowing they know exactly what the art is all about. They are simply waiting to say, "Ah ha, I knew it." The artist doesn't say a word, he simply picks up the piece and throws it away. They all turn around, shocked. They see the masterpiece revealed, a mirror titled, "Perfection." You see the piece in front was only a cover for the actual masterpiece hidden behind.

Here's the basics:
1. Only the Creator knows the true identity of the creation. To learn it you must know Him
2. We are not who we see in the mirror or what people say we are, we are perfectly designed and made either male or female on purpose
3. The enemy can use things or people around us to plants lies that seem true
4. The ONLY way to be who you truly are is to know Jesus and return to His image and Likeness

Genesis 1:27
2 Corinithians 3:14-18
Jeremiah 1:5
Psalms 139:14
Jeremiah 29:11