Author: Highlighting Hope

The message of hope, the need to be filled and immersed in hope, is not just for moments of hopelessness and hardship, but rather it’s a message that is needed everyday! Seek to build up a harvest of hope within your heart! Each day is a God given opportunity to do so! Let your storehouse be filled to the brim and even running over with the hope that God desires to supply to you, so that in every season you will find that you are filled and ready. Don’t wait for winter to come and scramble around to find what you need. Instead, seek to always be filled with God’s loving supply! God has given us a way of salvation through Christ and therefore He has blessed us with unwaivering HOPE! Sharing hope with others is the true passion of my heart! Blessings to you as you read! In His Grasp, Tiffany
Christian

It Certainly is a Very Merry Christmas

Highlighting Hope

I recall having a virus when I was young that hit me pretty suddenly and settled in my joints. The excruciating pain in my joints, especially my ankles, made it impossible for me to walk for several days. I was probably in the first or second grade at the time, and the onset of this virus happened while I was at school. Thankfully my mom worked at the school that I attended and she was able to get to me quickly, put me on a rolling chair, then rolled me down the hallway, and out to her car. It’s funny how more than 30 years later I can still remember the crippling pain and my need to be carried.

The holiday season is a time of remembering and gathering with loved ones. For the Christian, its’ main purpose is to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus. This is to be a jovial time of year, and for many, hidden beneath the fixed smile on your face, is a heart that bares grief, hurt, sadness, or pain. The reason for these emotions residing in many hearts is multifaceted, and the holiday season tends to stir up or agitate a grieving heart. I often times have gone to scripture in my pain in order to seek truth, and while I may still find the pain in my heart to be present, I begin to find rest because God’s word carries me, and it can carry you. In our pain, we see a loving Savior who remains present and carries us when we feel as if we can no longer stand, no longer walk.

Grieving friends, friends who feel much sorrow this night, I pray that I might encourage you with God’s word so that you can remember your position before God.

 In Isaiah 49: 15, 16 we read, “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.”

You dear friend, are not forgotten by God. While the world seems to move forward, and your pain has you feeling stagnant, you have not been forgotten by our Heavenly Father. You are ever before Him and on the very hand that holds you, you have been engraved. To be permanently remembered and seen by God is a grand truth to behold. This is a love that is greater than our minds can ever comprehend.

Psalm 139 says, “even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” Pain has a way of crippling us and making it feel impossible to move forward, but with God as our guide, holding us and guiding us, we have an immeasurable amount of hope to move forward because He is the one who is carrying us through.

This great hope, these great truths that we have to claim and live by this very night are only possible because,  ‘Unto you a child is born, a Savior, and He is Christ, our Lord! He is Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace.’ (Luke 2:11, Isaiah 9:6) While pain may be present in your heart this Christmas, worship this Savior who was born for you, who continues to live for you, who intercedes for you, and who continues to carry you! Jesus certainly is the true hope of the world and because of that we can say with certainty that it is a very Merry Christmas.

Christian

Our Wounded Hearts are Best Laid at the Feet of Jesus

Highlighting Hope

One of the verses my daughter  learned at school when she was 5 was, “Hear and increase in learning.” Proverbs 1:5. An abundance of wisdom is found in that little verse, and as I have heard her recite it over and over again, I have been reminded of how important it is to take the time to listen. Here recently, I have made a greater effort in really listening to those around me, and take to heart the stories others share.

A story shared, is piece of someone’s heart that’s being given out and that is something of great value. As I have taken greater strides in listening, I have been able to see how much we really all have in common. We have all known happiness, sorrow, acceptance, rejection, fulfillment, and emptiness…etc; and all of these we have been acquainted with through various life experiences. But in the midst of our difficulties, can we all say that we have experienced true joy and peace?

Hardships do come. The size of the hardships may vary, but they do come, often leaving wounds that require time to heal and a course of treatment. But, how we treat our wounds makes all the difference in how well those wounds heal, and improperly cared for can result in something far worse than what you started with.

Our hearts are deceitful, especially when pain is present, making us more likely to respond to our hardships foolishly. When we are heavy with burdens, God, our Heavenly Father, lovingly extends an invitation to come and give those over to Him (Matthew 11:28). Choosing to obey and follow God’s call to come to Him when our hearts are hurting and our wounds are so deep, results in a great blessing and sets us on the path of true healing.

Regardless of the burden you carry today, regardless of how deep your wounds, we have a God who heals, who extends to us a surpassing peace, blesses us with joy in the storm, and bestows upon us His constant presence in our lives! Our wounded hearts are best cared for when we lay them at the feet of Jesus; and when we lay them there and leave them there, we can be sure that we will experience His healing, His joy, and His peace!

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3

Christian

Look for the Rain

Highlighting Hope

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Ephesians 6:12

God kindly informs us that will face battles, we will endure storms in life and they are rooted in spiritual wickedness! Although, I know this to be true and I have thought on and read over this verse many times, I still find myself struggling with the “surprise factor” when battles or storms actually arise. Maybe you do too.

In 1 Peter 4:12-19, Peter tells us that when trouble and hardship come, we should not be caught off guard.
“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.”

So, while storms and trouble may brew around you, rest assured that while you weather your storm, God will send the rain! The storm may be present, but God will rain down on you everything you need to bring glory to His name, and keep you fruitful! God, Himself will faithfully rain down on you all that you need to sustain you, and provide you with a holy vibrancy that is only due to a Heavenly Father nourishing the souls of His children!

Do you find yourself weathering a storm? If so, join me in the practice of looking for the spiritual rain pouring down from the heart of our Heavenly Father and bask fully in His love and provision!

Christian

The God of Heaven Will Take You by the Hand

Highlighting Hope

The act of hand holding occurs under various circumstances, but they are rooted in care. You hold the hand of the one who has captured your heart and desire to love forever, you hold the hand of your children when want to ensure their safety as you cross a busy street, you hold the hand of a loved one lying in a hospital bed in hopes to bring them comfort and simply let them feel your presence. The circumstances vary but all are intimately rooted in love and care.

As I read the following verses in Jeremiah, my heart is captivated by the intentional language used to describe how God was leading His people out of Egypt, all while knowing the condition of the hearts of those He was leading.

God recalls the day that He took His people “by the hand.” This was the day God was leading His people out of Egypt, out of a place of bondage. What tremendous love and care we see from God as He cares for a people who have broken His covenant.

But leading them out of a place of bondage was just the beginning. After their exit, they faced a desert place that would require God’s constant love, care, provision and guidance. God did not lead them out of Egypt just abandon them at the gate to fend for themselves the rest of the way. No, our God takes us by the hand.

Wherever you find yourself today, know that in any and every circumstance, the God of heaven and earth is holding your hand! What a beautiful picture of grace and mercy!

Jeremiah 31:31-33

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, [32] not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Christian

Bearing Fruit in the Bleak of Midwinter

Highlighting Hope 
  Psalm 1:1-3:

Blessed is the man
     Who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
Or stand in the way of sinners
     Or sit in the seat of mockers.
But His delight is in the law of the Lord,
  and on His law He meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
   which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
   Whatever he does prospers.

These are some of my favorite verses in scripture. In these verses, I find comfort and I am reminded that I am desperately in need of a source outside of myself to constantly nourish me in order to produce the necessary fruit we are called to bear in every season of life. As I read these verses, a beautiful, tranquil image fills my mind. I imagine the most beautiful, crystal blue stream of water flowing peacefully. From the water’s edge and beyond is vibrant, green grass, and lush, sturdy trees. I imagine this to be a day where the sunshine provides the perfect amount of warmth. I imagine a place that I want to stay and linger. A place of perfect peace.

In a climate such as this, it would be of no surprise to see a nearby apple tree bursting with produce. So many apples fill these branches, that after you’ve had your fair share of picking, there’s still plenty of apples left hanging on the tree to prove that it is still yielding fruit in its season. What I imagine describes the perfect scenario for growth, prosperity, and abundance. Everything is just right and it seems fitting to see fruit growing from the tree.

But, what if the scenario is nothing like what has just been described? In fact, these verses never give the description that I tend to imagine in my mind’s eye as I read them. What if we are a tree planted by the stream of water but the season is in the bleak of winter? Maybe the climate is bitterly cold and the sky is a dreary grey. What if in those conditions, you were to look down stream and see in the midst of the all the grey and bitter surroundings, this same apple tree, still bursting with produce, bursting with fruit that’s good to eat. Any passerby would stop to gaze at a tree that is still producing fruit in unlikely circumstances. Anyone passing by would have to stop to look at the fruit that should not be present and wonder how it’s possible. One might even cave to the yearning to pick an apple off of that tree just to see if it’s any good, to see if it’s legit.

What we see here is a change in the circumstances and seasons. However, the one thing has remained the same, is the source that is still continuously supplying the tree. This source, the stream, is STILL present and it STILL continues to flow and supply all that is needed in every season, and thus, allowing the tree to bear much fruit in unlikely circumstances.

 In these verses, I’m reminded that our fruitfulness relies completely on the stream. Without the stream, that tree would not bear fruit, even if the circumstances surrounding it are favorable for it to do so. Jesus tells us in John 7:38, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”

I don’t know all of my readers. Nor do I know what season of life you may be finding yourself in today, but I do know Jesus, and from Him flows a continuous supply of living water! This living water will do more than sustain you. This living water will allow you to be fruitful, even in the bleak of midwinter.  So, I implore you to draw near to this stream of living water. Allow Jesus’ loving, faithful, and reliable supply to flow from you. Draw near to this place. Stay and linger, and you will find that it is a place of perfect peace.

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit- fruit that will last”
 John 15:16

Christian

Bearing Fruit in the Bleak of Midwinter

Highlighting Hope 
  Psalm 1:1-3:

Blessed is the man
     Who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
Or stand in the way of sinners
     Or sit in the seat of mockers.
But His delight is in the law of the Lord,
  and on His law He meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
   which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
   Whatever he does prospers.

These are some of my favorite verses in scripture. In these verses, I find comfort and I am reminded that I am desperately in need of a source outside of myself to constantly nourish me in order to produce the necessary fruit we are called to bear in every season of life. As I read these verses, a beautiful, tranquil image fills my mind. I imagine the most beautiful, crystal blue stream of water flowing peacefully. From the water’s edge and beyond is vibrant, green grass, and lush, sturdy trees. I imagine this to be a day where the sunshine provides the perfect amount of warmth. I imagine a place that I want to stay and linger. A place of perfect peace.

In a climate such as this, it would be of no surprise to see a nearby apple tree bursting with produce. So many apples fill these branches, that after you’ve had your fair share of picking, there’s still plenty of apples left hanging on the tree to prove that it is still yielding fruit in its season. What I imagine describes the perfect scenario for growth, prosperity, and abundance. Everything is just right and it seems fitting to see fruit growing from the tree.

But, what if the scenario is nothing like what has just been described? In fact, these verses never give the description that I tend to imagine in my mind’s eye as I read them. What if we are a tree planted by the stream of water but the season is in the bleak of winter? Maybe the climate is bitterly cold and the sky is a dreary grey. What if in those conditions, you were to look down stream and see in the midst of the all the grey and bitter surroundings, this same apple tree, still bursting with produce, bursting with fruit that’s good to eat. Any passerby would stop to gaze at a tree that is still producing fruit in unlikely circumstances. Anyone passing by would have to stop to look at the fruit that should not be present and wonder how it’s possible. One might even cave to the yearning to pick an apple off of that tree just to see if it’s any good, to see if it’s legit.

What we see here is a change in the circumstances and seasons. However, the one thing has remained the same, is the source that is still continuously supplying the tree. This source, the stream, is STILL present and it STILL continues to flow and supply all that is needed in every season, and thus, allowing the tree to bear much fruit in unlikely circumstances.

 In these verses, I’m reminded that our fruitfulness relies completely on the stream. Without the stream, that tree would not bear fruit, even if the circumstances surrounding it are favorable for it to do so. Jesus tells us in John 7:38, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”

I don’t know all of my readers. Nor do I know what season of life you may be finding yourself in today, but I do know Jesus, and from Him flows a continuous supply of living water! This living water will do more than sustain you. This living water will allow you to be fruitful, even in the bleak of midwinter.  So, I implore you to draw near to this stream of living water. Allow Jesus’ loving, faithful, and reliable supply to flow from you. Draw near to this place. Stay and linger, and you will find that it is a place of perfect peace.

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit- fruit that will last”
 John 15:16

Christian

Look for the Rain

Highlighting Hope

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Ephesians 6:12

God kindly informs us that will face battles, we will endure storms in life and they are rooted in spiritual wickedness! Although, I know this to be true and I have thought on and read over this verse many times, I still find myself struggling with the “surprise factor” when battles or storms actually arise. Maybe you do too.

In 1 Peter 4:12-19, Peter tells us that when trouble and hardship come, we should not be caught off guard.
“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.”

So, while storms and trouble may brew around you, rest assured that while you weather your storm, God will send the rain! The storm may be present, but God will rain down on you everything you need to bring glory to His name, and keep you fruitful! God, Himself will faithfully rain down on you all that you need to sustain you, and provide you with a holy vibrancy that is only due to a Heavenly Father nourishing the souls of His children!

Do you find yourself weathering a storm? If so, join me in the practice of looking for the spiritual rain pouring down from the heart of our Heavenly Father and bask fully in His love and provision!

Christian

Don’t Let the Rocks Cry Out!

Highlighting Hope

Are the rocks crying out in your stead? Jesus said that if it’s not our voices ushering out praise to Him, that the rocks will certainly do it. We are told in Luke 19 that as Jesus was entering Jerusalem, the whole multitudes of His disciples began to rejoice and praise God with loud, joy- fulfilled voices as He triumphantly entered that town. Even there, in a glorious moment of being in the physical presence of our Savior, there were those who did not understand the praise of the people. Instead of joining in on the praise, these critics sought to shame and silence God’s worshippers. And what was Jesus’ response to these Pharisees? He told them “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

The triumphant entry of the Lord Jesus Christ into the life of a believer will undoubtedly result in praise and worship. This new song that you have been given, that results in praise upon praise, is due to a triumphant, grand entrance of Jesus Christ into your life! Many around you may not understand your new song, this song of praise, as well as your desire to sing this new song loudly. Sing it anyway! Sing unto the Lord anyway, and then, kindly tell them why you have a new song that is crying out from you. Jesus is most deserving of our praise, and if it is not us, the rocks will certainly cry out. But were the rocks created to sing? What rock has a soul in need of saving and a voice fashioned by our creator to usher up praise? Not one! But you and I, we were created for praise (Psalm 102:18, Colossians 3:16).  In fact, let us see to it that there is never a need for the rocks to cry out and worship our God in our place.

There will be praise given up to God, but let it be our voices that are singing in bold adoration to the One who has seen us in our worst condition, who took on our sin upon Himself, and defeated sin and death for an underserving people. We serve a God who came to us in order to restore what sin sought to destroy! In spite of our great limitations “to be perfect as He is perfect”, He has made away for us to take on the righteousness of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21), to become His very own, and then He allows us to call Him, Abba, Father! Yes, this God is worthy our praise!  The triumphant entrance of Jesus will inevitably result in praise! Therefore brother and sister in Christ, lift your voice and let no rock cry out in your stead!

Christian

Don’t Let the Rocks Cry Out!

Highlighting Hope

Are the rocks crying out in your stead? Jesus said that if it’s not our voices ushering out praise to Him, that the rocks will certainly do it. We are told in Luke 19 that as Jesus was entering Jerusalem, the whole multitudes of His disciples began to rejoice and praise God with loud, joy- fulfilled voices as He triumphantly entered that town. Even there, in a glorious moment of being in the physical presence of our Savior, there were those who did not understand the praise of the people. Instead of joining in on the praise, these critics sought to shame and silence God’s worshippers. And what was Jesus’ response to these Pharisees? He told them “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

The triumphant entry of the Lord Jesus Christ into the life of a believer will undoubtedly result in praise and worship. This new song that you have been given, that results in praise upon praise, is due to a triumphant, grand entrance of Jesus Christ into your life! Many around you may not understand your new song, this song of praise, as well as your desire to sing this new song loudly. Sing it anyway! Sing unto the Lord anyway, and then, kindly tell them why you have a new song that is crying out from you. Jesus is most deserving of our praise, and if it is not us, the rocks will certainly cry out. But were the rocks created to sing? What rock has a soul in need of saving and a voice fashioned by our creator to usher up praise? Not one! But you and I, we were created for praise (Psalm 102:18, Colossians 3:16).  In fact, let us see to it that there is never a need for the rocks to cry out and worship our God in our place.

There will be praise given up to God, but let it be our voices that are singing in bold adoration to the One who has seen us in our worst condition, who took on our sin upon Himself, and defeated sin and death for an underserving people. We serve a God who came to us in order to restore what sin sought to destroy! In spite of our great limitations “to be perfect as He is perfect”, He has made away for us to take on the righteousness of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21), to become His very own, and then He allows us to call Him, Abba, Father! Yes, this God is worthy our praise!  The triumphant entrance of Jesus will inevitably result in praise! Therefore brother and sister in Christ, lift your voice and let no rock cry out in your stead!

Christian

Get Up and Walk!

Highlighting Hope

The enemy loves to cast discouragement our way, and it often occurs in the seat of our minds. As I began casting my cares upon the Lord, the Holy Spirit spoke and said “Get up and walk!” I was taken aback at this response, because I wasn’t done wallowing in what was troubling my heart, but again I heard, “Get up and walk!”

Bitterness can strike the heart of the believer quickly, often unexpectedly, and always leading to unforgiveness. If bitterness and unforgiveness are what seems to plague your heart today, give it over to the Lord and “Get up and walk!”

Disappointment may be lurking around the corner, looking to greet you, and seeking to shatter the hope that you have in Christ. When disappointment makes its presence known and seeks to linger, give it over to the Lord and “Get up and walk!”

Struggles with sin are sure to arise, seeking to silence the voice of the Holy Spirit in your life. When sin seeks to dominate, confess it, give it over to the Lord, and “Get up and walk!”

When grief strikes, know that God is the God of all comfort; and if God is the God of all comfort, then there is nothing that you are facing, no pain that plagues your heart today, that is beyond His ability for which He can provide relief and healing. Dear friend, God our Father says you can in fact, “Get up and walk!”

As we cast our cares over and lay them at the feet of Jesus, may we cast them over knowing that we cast them over and lay them before a Conquering King! We cast them over to the One who provides and has provided us with perfect healing. What should cripple and paralyze, no longer cripples and paralyzes those of us who are in Christ, because the Holy Spirit that He has given us, enables us to obey His command to “Get up and walk!”

Jesus healed a paralyzed man by commanding him saying, “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And what was the paralyzed man’s response? He got up and walked! We often think the end result is that this paralyzed man was able to finally walk. He finally received his needed healing, but that was hardly the final result. The final result was that God was glorified in this act, and all who saw the man who was lame get up and walk responded by saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today!” (Luke 5: 17-26)

Friends, when we follow Jesus’ command to get up and walk, we do in fact show that we have received a supernatural healing, but the result is never for the sole purpose that we “get to feel better” or for a “new and improved life.” No, it’s always for the sole purpose that God gets all of the glory! It allows us to put His miraculous acts on display for all the world see, and then many will in fact say, “Today, I have seen extraordinary things!” Brothers and Sisters in Christ, let’s follow the command of Our Savior! Let’s get up and walk!