“Show me Your ways, Lord, teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long.” (Psalm 25:4-5)
Hope is a key to my staying focused on the Lord. It is one of God’s gifts that I can lose sight of quickly. It happens in the blink of a thought!
I stray away for a time. You all know those thoughts: fear that I have failed God or others, fear that I will not get through a time of grief to feel whole again, fear of what a medical test will show or has shown, fear of the future and what it holds.
I rob the present of God’s peace when I worry. Oh how I hate catching myself doing this. Yet, if these kinds of thoughts go undetected they escalate and the feelings that accompany them do as well.
When I snap back from my mental straying, I am humbled. My desire is to discern quickly the negative side trips I take from the path where God can teach me. I want my hope focused on Him, not on tomorrow.
Yet looking back to former days, I can remember that He has never forsaken me. Some of my “tomorrows” did hold harsh news. He faithfully steered me through those rough times. I could not depend on my own strength. He and His strength kept me moving and remaining hopeful. These were His deepest times of teaching me, an answer to this Psalm’s plea.
Scripture tells us that there is faith, hope, and love and that the greatest of these is love. My believing that hope is needed to keep me focused does not diminish love. It is God’s love that helps me to return to His path when I get sidetracked.
My remembrance that He is my hope, strengthens my faith. He beckons me to follow this triune pattern by putting all three of His gifts into their proper perspective, centered in Him. When they work in tandem I am able to remain hopeful.
Prayer: Lord, my deepest longing is that I stay steadfast as I hope in You, follow You, and trust in You completely. Amen.
About the Author: Lynn Severance is a retired elementary classroom teacher. She lives in Lynnwood, Washington. She writes to encourage others as God has encouraged her during 29 years of living with daily physical challenges.
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What is the one thing that can attempt to rob you of hope? What means have you discovered that help you prevent the robbery? How has God worked with you in past times when your hope tank was low in fuel? What means did he use to fill you up again with himself and with his confidence to persevere?
Lisa, thank you for this. This is exactly where I am right now, and I know that so many here can relate to this as well. I want you to know that as I walk through various things, in the back of my mind I’m aware of a wonderful group of people on this site who are walking through the same things and God uses it to cause me not to feel so alone. I love your prayer that we stay steadfast in Him hope in Him, follow and trust Him completely. I join you in prayer for this…for you…and for everyone here. It’s a privilege “running the race” in faith with all of you…In Christ’s precious love…<3
LYNN…I see I called you “Lisa!” DUH!! Pefect example of “brain fog.” LOL I’m sure you understand. 😉 Have a great, blessed day, dear one…<3
Hi BeBe – no problem!
If my name is going to be “mixed up” with anyone – ’tis nice it is Lisa’s! I can understand how your mind would go in that direction. I also know I can get fogged up in the same way, very easily.
More importantly – thank you for sharing your comments. Do remember that YOU are also part of the RM team as a reader, enocurager with your comments, and a supporter. I agree in your statement that knowing that others are facing the same thoughts / concerns / feelings helps us feel less alone in our struggles.
I have said this often but I will repeat it – I need the messages in my own writings equally as much as any reader! Even today – this one is helping me to refocus on God’s faithfulness and my longing to be steadfast.
Bless you, BeBe! Thanks for your prayers, too.
Love,
Lynn
Lynn, I have to tell you first that the picture had me puzzled for a few moments. I thought, “What is it? Looks like a cigarette bent at one end. Or an upside down “L”. Or, is it modern art?” Finally I saw the partly open door and a connection to the devotional. For me, it was an optical illusion. Tee hee! Anyway, I guess it was a good little mental exercise!
Then I read your piece and can I ever identify! For me, too, straying to worry “happens in the blink of a thought!” It shocks me sometimes how quickly my thinking and feelings can become very negative.
I earnestly prayed the prayer from the psalm and yours as well.
Teacher, I need some time to ponder the questions. Then, Lord willing, I’ll be back with an answer or two.
Blessings,
Beth
Beth, now that I look at the photo Lisa chose to go with this writing, I do “see” what you were mentioning. It is somewhat like an optical illusion. For some reason, I saw the “open door” right away but it is definitely open to interpretation!
I was with some friends recently and they had a couple of pages of those images that are optical illusions and one can see 2 different images – depending on IF they can see them. One I never did figure out!
Thanks for what you shared – glad my words reached into you and you could identify. Wow – I sure do get sidetracked so fast. . .just as I said.
Don’t feel you have to do any “homework” but if any more thoughts come to you, your thoughts are always worth reading.
Hugs –
Lynn
Lynn: When I called you teacher, it was just my way of teasing you. I know I don’t have to do this “homework”. I felt that I WANTED to give the questions more thought.
This morning I had one of my sobbing spells. I didn’t fell much hope at the time. I was (and am) overtired physically and mentally. I’ve been pushing myself pretty hard for too long. Although I’m used to the symptoms of my Attention Deficit Disorder, they’ve been much worse lately. Focusing and making the simplest of decisions are so much harder than usual. My brain seem to be yelling, “Enough!” and, at times, my thinking is paralyzed.
So I guess I’d say that fatigue and a prolonged period of stress can easily lead to my loss of hope. The thought of another day of life’s demands was too much for me.
What I did, after crying for a while (a good release I think) and taking care of a few household tasks, was decide to say “No” to at least two of the regular activities I’m involved in with other Christians for this week. And, after lunch, I sat down in a quiet place with a cup of tea and read from “Taming Your Fears”, a book by Carol Kent. The Lord enabled me to concentrate on that and what I read was good. What a treat!!
Although I’m still very, very tired, etc. I once again have hope, knowing God loves me so much.
HI Beth,
I knew you were teasing me! That you had sone more thoughts is nice as I do understand how drained you can get. It sounds like you did just the right thing for “now” by saying, “no” to a couple of events that may have added more fatigue. You and Bob are facing some new challenges and that alone is overwhelmiing.
The thing I have to keep remembering ( because I do not remember it immediately when I get overwhelmed ) is that God only wants me to live in the “now”. If cryiing is part of the now – He is with me in it. If making decisions to cut back on activiies that drain me is causing me to lose hope or be too overwhelmed, then in those moments – sit with Him in the quiet and let Him be in the “now”with me.
I was considering a new Bible study at my church and realized that although it would be nice – I have other repsonsibilities right now that are too important and I’d be stretching it to try and do too much. That is when I get overwhelmed and my head gets on over load and the vertigo can really get more intense.
I think all of us – no matter out exact challenge ( or challenges ) face being overwhelmed and confusion sets in and then it can lead to despair or “feeling guilty” because other people seem to be able to do so much. And when you are dealing with ADD – that adds on one more factor that is already present that creates a feeling of disorientation.
I think you are doing a great job managing so much, Beth. And it sounds like God gave you some moments of hope when you said, “no” to these extra activities. It may help you to say, “no” again when that is appropriate. Reading that book and having a cup of tea – oh, that sounded very relaxing.
Bless you!
Love,
Lynn
Lynn:
Thank you for your affirmation, etc. Living one day at a time has been a really big help to me. This is something I don’t always remember to do and that’s another situation that gets me in trouble pretty quickly. And you mentioned that God wants you to live in the “now”, which breaks it down further. Not easy to remember because we do have to plan ahead – and the line between planning and worrying can be crossed over so easily.
But, if I had to say just one thing to someone with a new diagnosis of a chronic illness, this is exactly what I’d say: “Ask God to help you learn to live in the present.” We just aren’t made to handle many days, months, years, at once. God’s grace is available for today, for now, which is all we need.
Thanks again my friend.
Beth
Thanks for your comments, Beth.
I understand what you are saying.
I had one insight as I read your words regarding finding the balance when planning for the future.
Here it is: We plan for the future ( the necessary things that are needed ) in the “now”. The planning is in the “now”.
We need the grace to carry out the plan when its day comes. . . when it moves into its own “now”.
I know it is really fine tuned and I have struggles with it also.
But your words gave me this thought and somehow it “helps”. It can, if we let it, lessen the worry.
Hmmm – thanks.
Lynn
Me again Lynn!
Interesting insight! As usual, you give me more to “chew on”.
Thanks hon.
Beth
🙂