My Hope is Built on Nothing Less...

The world we live in seems to have been turned on it's head in the past two years.  At least, that's how it appears.  However, things have been upside down for decades, perhaps longer.  It may be that now it is more in our face, for those who are paying attention.  This can create an onslaught of stress, mostly in the form of fear.  Fear of what's coming next, the never ending claims of harder times coming our way.  Gas prices, shortages, health threats...the list goes on and on.  Although I do not watch the  mainstream "news," there is still plenty of fear mongering going on everywhere a person looks.  So what do we do?  How do we navigate through these challenging times?

Truth is, we have all had hard times in our lives.  Yes, this is global.  Yes, there is untold things/people behind it that we cannot fathom.  But, there have been hard times before and most of us can list numerous personal traumas.  Here is what I've found.  I cannot count on the world to save me.  I certainly cannot look to the government to save me.  I cannot count on any human to save me.  Even people who I thought would be there when I needed support, clearly were not.  Understand that I am not faulting them.  This was never their place.  We are human and we fail.  I have failed others more times than I care to count.  Some of those would be more than happy to tell you about it. ;-)

Through all of the most painful times of the life, when others abandoned me, it taught me the most important lesson of my life.  There is ONE who is always with me, will never forsake me, and has never let me down.  He is my Comforter, Savior, Redeemer, and my Hope.  He is my Prince of Peace.  He has never abandoned me or rejected me.  His name is Yeshua.  You may know him as Jesus.  He is the Rock on which we should build our lives.

I am not talking about attending a particular church building, or joining a specific denomination.  No.  That's not what any of it is about.  Sitting in a pew every week doesn't make us His.  Scripture says, "That if you confess with your mouth the Master יהושע (Yeshua) and believe in your heart that Elohim has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, and so is saved.  Because the Scripture says, “Whoever puts his trust in Him shall not be put to shame.”  Because there is no distinction between Yehuḏite and Greek, for the same Master of all is rich to all those calling upon Him.  For “everyone who calls on the Name of יהוה (Yahweh) shall be saved.”  (Romans 10:9-13)

Please know that this is not, "say a 20 second prayer and then go on with your life."  It is a total turn around, a commitment from the heart that permeates everything.  It's a life change.  And if all this seems completely overwhelming and confusing, please reach out to someone who you KNOW is following Yeshua (Jesus) and living for Him.  There is much to this decision, this walk, and it begins with the first step.

Yes, challenging and more trying times are ahead.  Maybe it will be global.  Maybe it will be personal, Maybe it will be both.  We can't know what's coming.  But we can know that without faith in Him, faith in our Creator (Yahweh) and His Son (Yeshua/Jesus), whose Hebrew name literally means "Salvation," none of us are going to make it.  Regardless of how much we have "prepared" in the physical, preparing in the spiritual needs to be done above all else.

I pray this has blessed you, encouraged you, and given you hope.  Whether it's the physical, emotional, or spiritual aspect of health you need encouragement and help in, please reach out.  You are greatly loved, by the One who created you.  I pray that if this is a new thought for you, you will search it out.  If you were once on fire for Him and turned away, that this a call to teshuva (repentance).  Take that first step, whatever it is for you.  Begin with His Word, the Bible, at the very beginning and all the way through to the end.  This is His love letter to you.

"Yahweh bless you and guard you;  Yahweh make His face shine upon you, and show favour to you;  Yahweh lift up His face upon you, and give you peace.”  (Numbers 6:24-26)

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