"Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on you." ~Isaiah 54:10
"'For I know the plans I have for you', declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,' declares the Lord." ~Jeremiah 29:11-14
"When I said, 'My foot is slipping,'
your love, O LORD, supported me.
When anxiety was great within me,
your consolation brought joy to my soul." ~Psalm 94:18-19
"Though the fig tree does not bud, and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to do on the heights." - Habakkuk 3:17-19
I have so much faith for my future. Why? Because I know that God is in supreme control over it. Even when the fig tree is not budding and there aren't any grapes on the vine, and it may be easy to think that God isn't providing, he is. That was all in his plan as well, and he wants it to be used to learn from and trust in Him.
God is unchangeable. That never ceases to amaze me. No matter what happens, he continues to love me, and even adore me. I really can't understand why, because I am such a sinful person, but that only makes God so much bigger to me! It only makes me want to know him and try to understand him more! It makes me can't wait to meet him someday. I am up and down and dependent on my feelings, but God isn't. God is love. He loves me and he hates sin. I only wish I wasn't so lazy, arrogant and selfish by trying to take away God's glory and give it to myself. Or by not having my quiet times. Why wouldn't I want to spend as much time as possible with the King of the universe who is also my loving Father? I am endlessly stupid. (surprise surprise?)
Spurgeon says, "If you sow in hope, you will reap in joy. Therefore, 'be strong and very courageous'."
May I be sowing in hope, recognizing that God is in control of everything, whether that be work, school, relationships, finances, family stuff, or anything under the sun. He is there, he knew about it long before it was to occur and had a plan laid out for how it would happen. Not trusting in him that his plan is right is just the arrogance of us stupid humans. May I sow in hope, so that I can reap joy in my Savior.
"Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act." - Psalm 37:4-5
