Notes on Hope Devotional

Proverbs 6:21-22 (NIV)

Bind them always on your heart;
    fasten them around your neck.
When you walk, they will guide you;
    when you sleep, they will watch over you;
    when you awake, they will speak to you.

While Psalms is a balm of comfort and hope for our souls, Proverbs is a handbook for living wisely. These verses offer a diagnosis, prognosis, and prescription. Like the supplements I take in the morning, there are multiple benefits.  

The verbs in verse 21, “bind” and “fasten,” indicate a sense of strong attachment. Recently, I was a foot passenger on a ferry with some friends. We positioned ourselves to be in the front as the ferry landed and the ramp descended. I watched intently as two crew members reached for two thick ropes at each side of the ferry to fasten onto the dock. As they placed the ropes on cement poles, the ferry was tightly tethered and in place. Like the ferry, we can securely fasten God’s Word in our minds, staying steady in the storms life brings. 

The verbs in verse 22, “walk,” “sleep,” and “wake,” offer the reality that whatever we are doing, wherever we go, throughout the day, God’s Word is alive and active. The promise that it will “lead,” “protect,” and “advise” us indicates a constancy and presence free from fear and anxiety. 

How do we land in the place and live there where we experience God’s Word like this? We don’t start with a guilt trip. We begin with reading where you are. Reading intentionally with a desire to absorb and grow will allow the words to be planted in our minds. Reading more than once, while reflecting on one or two words allows us to slow down.

My friend, Cathy Fort Leyland says, in her book Whispered Wisdom, “In this hectic, fast-paced world it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, exhausted, and stuck in a rut. One of our greatest needs is to walk beside still water so our soul may be restored. We long to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd whisper words of life and truth into our innermost being.” 

Begin where you are, taking time to read, reread, meditate, and memorize God’s Word. Time in the Word is never wasted. Truly, Scripture guides, guards, and gives us hope as we hold on tight and don’t let go. 

 Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank you for Your Word and the promises we have. Help us “tie it” to our minds and souls as we trust You. Help us keep coming to Your Word and holding on to the promises, not letting go. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Notes on Hope Devotional

Signature Scent

2 Corinthians 2:14 (CSB)
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in Christ’s triumphal procession and through us spreads the aroma of the knowledge of him in every place.

After my mother passed away, I had to go through her things and decide what to keep, what to donate, and what to throw away. She loved clothes, jewelry, and perfume. She had a signature scent by Estee Lauder. I kept the half-empty bottle. The scent reminds me of her long after she’s been gone.

Our sense of smell is powerful. It is connected to a place in our brains that connects scents with memories. Think of the smell of a freshly baked apple pie or the remains after a fire has destroyed a home. It can evoke good memories or painful ones.

Today’s verse contains the message of how we are purveyors of the aroma of Christ.

What leads up to this honor and privilege is the Source of this beautiful gift. God, “who always leads us in Christ’s triumphal procession,” is the storehouse of this scent. God is the Source of allowing us to be the containers of His grace that we give out to others.

God supplies, strengthens, and spreads this scent of who He is through us.

We bring our scent into our homes, jobs, churches, spaces, and “in every place” where we engage with people. There’s an added dimension, as well.

The essence of our fragrance is evident even after we leave a space. Think of when you’ve been around a campfire and gone home to discover that your clothes and hair smell of smoke. We carry the scent, and it lingers after we are gone.

What kind of scent are we leaving? What fragrance follows us into the grocery store and the parking lot? Are there odorous scents that need to be replaced? Is it possible we need a “scent makeover?”  Let the Lord supply us with His signature scent which is full of compassion, kindness, love, and forgiveness in a world desperate for the sweet, smelling aroma of Christ.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for being the Source of all we have. Thank you, that You, supply the ingredients for us to be Your fragrance. Give us the beautiful scent of Your Spirit to carry with us everywhere and leave behind a glimpse of who you are for others to see.
In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen. 

Notes on Hope Devotional

The Gift of Grace

Ephesians 2:8 (NIV)
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves,
it is the gift of God.

Today’s verse is basic Christianity 101. We know it. With familiarity comes a sense of taking it for granted and not fully recognizing the depth of it. Our heads get it and we can recite it, but do we really live it out as a gift from God?

Recently, while out of town, I attended a local church service. The worship was familiar, and the people were warm and friendly. The pastor began his sermon, sharing that he was going to preach on a fundamental truth of the gospel called grace. After he introduced the topic, he walked slowly to the front row and approached a young man. Reaching into his pocket, he gave the young man $20 and said this was a gift for him to keep. The pastor continued walking down the aisle and stopped in my row. As we made eye contact, he reached into his pocket and gave me $20.

Astonished, I sat with a sense of confusion—not what I had imagined. In the next few moments, I experienced an immediate need to give it back, and say, “No, you don’t understand; I don’t deserve this. You picked the wrong girl.” I could no longer focus on the rest of the sermon. I was in such discomfort and disbelief.

I was given a gift and I immediately wanted to return it to the owner. I felt unworthy. I had never met this man before in my life, and he gave me something. I didn’t earn it, or do anything to deserve it. It was a gift, plain and simple. My only response was to accept and receive it. As the pastor continued in the sermon, I began to let it sink in: grace is a gift to be received, not earned by performing or doing, but entirely because the Giver wants to present us with a gift.

Pastor and author Paul Tripp says, “The most precious of things in our lives, our relationship with God, we did not earn. It is the eternal, transformative gift of his grace.”

As simple as it sounds, it might be the hardest thing we do to take and receive this glorious gift of grace. We don’t deserve it. We didn’t earn it. We simply receive it and say, “Thank you.” 

(FYI, I have the $20 tucked in my wallet as a reminder of the gift of grace.)

Notes on Hope Devotional

Philippians 1:6

The Bible tells us in Philippians 1:6, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” God has always intended for you to be filled to the measure with His goodness, confident in His presence, full of faith and joy, heart at rest, and perfected in His love! There is hard work yet to be done, but you can do hard things! The Lord is with you! Though we can easily lose hope and get discouraged when life’s struggles seem too much to bear, God renews our hope and our strength. We are never alone. 

I wrote the following prose to help you remember that God is with you and He is for you. Use it when you’re beginning to despair or lose hope to awaken the courage the Lord has planted deep within you. May it revive your spirit and encourage you to persevere and finish your race.

Awake, my soul, awake! Arise! The Lord your God is with you! Though you stumble, you will not fall. Remember, the Lord has made a way for you, alighting the path before you. Surely, you will rise in triumph over your enemies. Your foes will be no more. Rise up now, on the wings of His perfect love for you! Delight yourself in Him, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Your life is not over yet, child. There is still work here to be done. Begin again to sing His praises! It’s time to begin again! Is the joy of the Lord not your strength? Awake, my soul, awake! Arise!

Don’t give up! Keep going! It’s time to dig deep within yourself! Strength doesn’t come from doing what you think you can do. It comes from stepping out in faith and obedience to what God has called you to do—believing His strength will rise up to meet you. Therefore, “be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished” (1 Chronicles 28:20). 

Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
— Isaiah 12:2

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for helping me do the work you’ve called me to do! I confess there are days when I struggle, fail, and feel intimidated by the mountains before me. I question whether I am enough. But then you remind me of who I am: I am a child of God. I believe I am chosen, and I can move mountains! Thank you for your Holy Spirit’s presence, which strengthens me daily and encourages me never to give up. Father, help me feel the power of Your Holy Spirit flowing through me. May I never rely upon my strength but on your strength alone to empower me to follow and obey you. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. 

Kelly Ann Snyder

Notes on Hope Devotional

Look at the Birds 

Matthew 6:25-27 (NIV)
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”

Most mornings, I enjoy sitting outside to sip my coffee, listen, read, and pray. As the butterflies and birds fly by, I fix my eyes on one or two birds that land on the top of my fence and perch. They look around and sometimes sit for a few minutes. When they fly off, they swoop into the air and head to a branch on my neighbor’s tree. When I read these words Jesus spoke, we are reminded to look at the birds to see His tender, loving, and gentle care for us.

The lyrics of the hymn, “His Eye is On the Sparrow,” offer hope, encouragement, and peace, knowing we are seen, cared for, and loved.

Why should I feel discouraged
Why should the shadows come
Why should my heart feel lonely
And long for heaven and home
When Jesus is my portion
A constant friend is He
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches over me
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches me
I sing because I'm happy
I sing because I'm free
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches me (He watches me)
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches
I know He watches
I know He watches me
I sing because I'm happy
I sing because I'm free
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches me (He watches me)
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches me (He watches me)
He watches me
(Written by Civilla Martin, 1905)

Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank You for caring for me in such a loving way. Help me remember to look at the birds to see evidence of Your care. When my mind runs to worry, let me run to You. Thank You for keeping Your promise.
In Your Mighty Name, Amen.

Notes on Hope Devotional

 Lavish Grace

Ephesians 1:3-6 (CSB) Christian Standard Bible
3 Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him. 5 He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One.

We’ve all had this experience in our lives to some degree. Whether in elementary school or during adolescence, we’ve known the feeling of being picked last. I have a memory of standing alone on the sidelines with one other child after the teacher had two cool kids pick their teams for dodgeball. Recalling the feeling of rejection evokes my sense of not being chosen as a child.

These verses in Ephesians contradict my childhood experience. Paul is writing to the church in Ephesus, encouraging them in their faith. His introduction describes the source of their faith; “Blessed is God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” defining the source of “every spiritual blessing.” God bestows on us what we have been given, both here and in heaven.  

Then come the words we all have been longing to hear; “He chose us, before the foundation of the world.” We are chosen, not rejected; adopted, not abandoned; accepted, not dismissed. We have received the full benefit of being God’s child, handpicked by our loving Heavenly Father to belong to Him. We are His beloved child. Henri Nouwen said, “The truth, even though I cannot feel it right now, is that I am the chosen child of God, precious in God's eyes, called the Beloved from all eternity and held safe in an everlasting embrace... We must dare to opt consciously for our chosenness and not allow our emotions, feelings, or passions to seduce us into self-rejection.” We must choose to believe we are chosen.

Next, Paul goes on to give us a “behind the scenes” look at why we’ve been chosen. Verses 5 and 6 give us the answer, “according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One.” We didn’t earn it or behave perfectly in order to be chosen. We were chosen according to the pleasure of God’s will. It was and is all grace.

When I’ve said thank you to someone, and they respond, “It was my pleasure,” I notice a deep satisfaction in my spirit. It means they were delighted and enjoyed doing whatever I thanked them for. We are chosen because it brings God delight. It brings Him pleasure, and it brings Him praise; “to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One.” We are lavished in this glorious grace, fully immersed and completely saturated. Grace “dunks” us in the tank where we can know, believe, and walk in our chosenness, no longer rejected but accepted by our loving, gracious Heavenly Father who delights in calling us His beloved child.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for choosing me. Thank you for calling me Your child. Help me to accept, believe, and receive my chosenness deep in those places that have been wounded. Let Your lavish grace fill me as I walk in my true identity of being Your chosen child.
In Your Beloved Name, Amen.

Notes on Hope Devotional

Sustain and Carry

Isaiah 46:4 (NIV)
 Even to your old age and gray hairs
    I am he, I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
    I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

Back in the day, there was a television commercial for a hair coloring product. It had a phrase, “Only your hairdresser knows for sure.” Well, my hairdresser knows, and so do you. I color my hair. I have several friends who have “gone gray” and look fabulous. It’s not a good look for me. However, my covered gray hair is there, reminding me that I am aging.

We are reminded daily that we are growing older. Aging brings a process of loss and shows us our limitations. This verse in Isaiah promises God’s unchangeability. The God who made us, who knows how many gray hairs we have on our heads, promises never to waver or wander. God has not, does not, and will not change.

In the phrases that follow, God is characterized as Creator, Sustainer, and Comforter. Isaiah is centering on who God says He is. As we age, knowing who God is keeps us from falling into the trap of thinking we no longer have purpose. Believing God keeps His promise steadies us as we lean, trust, depend, and deepen our relationship with Him.

Facing this “last act” of our lives produces a sense of what’s important and what our legacy will be. David Brooks, author of “How to Know a Person,” looks at “resume virtues” and “eulogy virtues.” Accomplishments and accolades will not be how we are remembered. How people remember us will be reflected in our character and the way we cared.

Aging is the opportunity to continue to walk with God, love others, and leave a legacy of God’s faithfulness. God is faithful to help us, sustain us, and carry us. He promised.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the promise we have in You, to sustain and carry us as we age. Help us hold tightly to eternal things as we loosen our grip on temporary things. Give us strength as we journey ahead with You. In Jesus Powerful Name, Amen.

Notes on Hope Devotional

Safe and Secure

Isaiah 40:11 (NIV)
He tends his flock like a shepherd:
    He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
    he gently leads those that have young.

The book of Isaiah is filled with warnings about judgments and proclamations of God’s power and might. Yet, chapter 40 offers an element of comfort. The verse before verse 11 declares, “See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and his arm rules for him.”  The verses immediately following verse 11 describe God’s power: “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?”

What lies between these two verses is a tender and gentle image of God, our Shepherd who “tends his flock.” I can’t help but think of how a shepherd is always on the lookout for ways to protect his sheep from danger, alert to the prey out to harm his sheep. With a careful and attentive gaze, a shepherd guides and leads his sheep to places where they can graze and lie down in safety.

“He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart” evokes a sense of love and devotion from the Shepherd. There’s an overwhelming sense of comfort and protection in this imagery. Much like Psalm 23, the Lord, our Shepherd, has a depth of love and concern for us as we see ourselves as the recipients of His loving gaze.

In the midst of life’s challenges, these verses offer us a reminder of being cared for, carried, held close, and watched over. We are being looked after and tended to under the watchful eye of our Good Shepherd.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for being our Good Shepherd. Thank You for the tenderness in how You care for us. Lead us and guide us as we trust You and listen to Your voice. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Notes on Hope Devotional

  The Bigness of God

Psalm 8:3, 4 (NIV)
 When I consider your heavens,
    the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
    which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
    human beings that you care for them?

Two weeks ago, the world watched as the moon went in front of the sun for a total eclipse. The rare experience evoked awe and wonder and incited a take-your-breath-away moment as people wearing funny-looking glasses turned their gaze toward the sky. These verses today offer a commentary on creation and the Creator: “When I consider the heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon, and the stars, which you have set in place.”

During the eclipse in southern California, I was inside an office and unable to take a peek out the window. In the evening, I watched the news and saw the thousands of people in places where the sky went from light to dark in minutes. Even the news commentators had a difficult time expressing their awe. As I watched, I said, “Look what God did!” God was exhibiting His authority, power, and majesty for all of us to see. The bigness of God was on display.

In my living room, I have a picture of a French countryside from the photographer who took the photo. He gave it to me. I know who he is. We are given God’s creation to look at every day. We know who He is. There’s a magnet in us that draws us to God through creation.

With our eyes, we see, and, in our hearts, we know the Creator. Then comes the question in verse 4, “What is mankind that you are mindful of him?” Or in other words, “How can You notice of me, in the vastness and magnitude of the universe?”

David is cited as the author of these verses in Psalm 8, so my imagination wonders if he spent hours gazing at the night sky while tending sheep as a young boy. In that posture, we are forced to ask, “God, if you made all this, who am I, a speck on the planet, that You would even care for me?”

Embedded in this question is a sense of how small we are in comparison to how big God is. God, who created the universe, spoke the land, sea, animals, and every living thing into existence, is the same God who calls us by name, knows how many hairs are on our heads, and hears our wordless prayers. David eloquently expresses a response in Psalm 139:6 that we can resonate with, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.” Our brains are not fully able to comprehend our finiteness in light of God’s infiniteness.

However, we can know that Almighty God, in all of His majesty and magnitude, is the same loving God who sees, hears, loves, and cares for us by name. In His bigness, we are loved and seen.

Dear Heavenly Father,
We stand in awe of Your majesty and bigness. Thank you for being Creator over all, and at the same time, being a loving Heavenly Father who sees us in our humanity and cares about our deepest, unspoken needs. Help us in our humanity as we seek You.
In Jesus Name, Amen

Notes on Hope Devotional

 Remember and Rest

Psalm 116:5-7 (NIV)
     The Lord is gracious and righteous;
    our God is full of compassion.
    The Lord protects the unwary;
    when I was brought low, he saved me.
    Return to your rest, my soul,
    for the Lord has been good to you.

Over the years, I have written dates next to verses in my Bible. As I’ve gone back, I remember what took place at that time, a significant experience where I connected with a particular verse. Today’s Scripture is underlined and has the date of 2/9/21 next to it in my Bible.

In December 2020, I was with my two adult children at the Grand Canyon. While they went on a walk, I hung back and waited for a phone call. My doctor called with the results of a biopsy I had the week before. She reported I had invasive ductal carcinoma (well-differentiated Stage 1 breast cancer). After a deep sigh, telling my kids, and praying, I let it sink in. It was a pause-and-stop moment for me to wait, trust, and hold on to hope. I had surgery four weeks later and started radiation in February.

These verses became a repeated chant to me. Reading “The Lord is gracious and righteous, our God is full of compassion,” I was able to see who God is. “The Lord protects the unwary” (or inexperienced in the Christian Standard Version). Here’s where I see what God does. I was relying on God to be who He said He was and to do what He said He would do. Full of compassion, the Lord’s graciousness was evident as His protection surrounded me in the place I found myself: uncertain, inexperienced, fearful, and full of questions.

“When I was brought low, he saved me.” These words pumped air into my lungs. There was the hope I needed to carry me through. God was with me, for me, beside me, and protecting me.

Verse 7 gives the summary of the previous verses: It’s like, “Hey, look, remember who God is and what He has done!” “Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.”

The Psalmist is giving a gentle nudge to “remember where you’ve been with God? Go back to that place where you’ve seen His grace and compassion.”

When we recall how God carried us through a season of waiting and trusting, we see evidence of His goodness, His grace, compassion, and unfailing faithfulness.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for your compassion, graciousness, and faithfulness to us. Truly, You have been good to us. Help us remember to go back to the place where we’ve known the rest that only You can give us. We rely on Your great faithfulness while we trust and wait. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Notes on Hope Devotional

Easter 2024

Romans 5:8-11 (NIV)
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Easter will be celebrated around the world this Sunday. The resurrection of Jesus is the pinnacle and culmination of Holy Week. Today’s Scripture gives us the reason we celebrate Jesus walking out of the tomb: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this; While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Easter came at a cost.

Celebrating Easter without looking at what Jesus went through diminishes the power of the resurrection. We have no capacity to completely absorb what Jesus went through, from praying in the Garden, sweating blood, being rejected by his disciples, beaten, abused, and crucified.

When I saw “The Passion of the Christ” in 2004, I closed my eyes and couldn’t watch the scene of the Crucifixion. It was too much to bear. But it was Jesus’ death that allows us to celebrate Easter.

These verses in Romans 5 remind us of the glories of the resurrection; “…how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”

As you celebrate Easter this Sunday, may you consider and ponder the cross, the demonstration of God’s love for us. The hopelessness of Good Friday gave way to the hope of the tomb, where Jesus walked out, defeating death, rescuing and reconciling us, and calling us his beloved children. He is Risen.

Dear Lord Jesus,
Our human minds cannot fully comprehend the cross and what You suffered. Thank You seems inadequate to articulate a response. Thank You for the cross. Thank You for the love that You demonstrated for us. Help us grasp the depth of Your love so we can fully engage in the celebration of Your resurrection. In Jesus Resurrected Name, Amen.

Notes on Hope Devotional

Finding Strength

Psalm 84:5 (NIV)
Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
    whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.

We are all on a pilgrimage of some kind, a journey, a path, a route as we traverse through life. Some paths are ones we have chosen. However, some paths are not what we would choose. What about the path that brings a diagnosis, divorce, or a death?

Last April, I became a pilgrim and took a journey to Spain to walk the Camino de Santiago. For centuries, thousands of pilgrims have walked the Camino de Santiago to experience spiritual renewal, to “go inside while going outside” to deepen their inner life.

When I found this verse in Psalm 84, I underlined it before my flight to Spain. It offered me two things. First, I needed to know I was not doing this on my own. God’s strength was going to uphold and sustain me as I walked 9-11 miles a day. But it wasn’t just a physical endeavor it was a spiritual and emotional endeavor. For me, it was a recalibration of my life after my husband died suddenly in 2018. 

Secondly, I needed to set my heart on being completely open to listen while quieting my cluttered mind and soul. I needed to unplug and disconnect from my noisy life at home. My prayer before I began the Camino was from a devotional by Tim Keller;

“Lord, I need Your love and presence to soften my hard heart, strengthen my fainting heart, and humble my proud heart.”

As I walked in the beauty of creation, it became apparent how scattered by senses were as I began to slow down and focus on walking. After a few days, I found a sense of being present to listen. Over the 10 days I walked, I came to a place of settling my soul and sensing God’s strength, comfort, and nearness. The time on the Camino was not wasted. It was a reset and renewal of my body, mind, and spirit. 

Daily, we are on a pilgrimage as we stay faithful to what God has called us to do.    We can rely and trust God to give us the strength to sustain and carry us as we journey together. 

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the strength that You supply as we walk the path You have laid out for us.
Let us focus our attention and affection on You. Help us quiet our minds so we can listen to You above the noise. In Jesus Name, Amen.

(On April 1, my book, Walking the Way, A 21-Day Devotional for Pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago will be available on Amazon.)

Notes on Hope Devotional

Asking Why

Psalm 42:5 (NIV)
Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my God.

During the first months after my husband died, I went on a deep dive into the Psalms.  In my quest to find words to describe my pain, I found Psalm 42, a lament and a source of hope and comfort. Reading this passage was like peeking inside someone’s journal, full of feelings and questions. I found what the psalmist wrote to be weighty and real, as I clearly identified with the words on the page.  

The “why” question the psalmist is asking is much like what we ask when we are disappointed, discouraged, or depressed; “What’s wrong with me?” We are trying to determine our feelings and what’s causing them. Right at the beginning, the psalmist expresses a deep desire and longing for God. It sets up the rest of the chapter as he says, “his tears are his food” (verse 3), and pours out his pain, talking to himself, knowing that God is listening. Fear did not keep the psalmist from being honest with himself and God.

Interestingly, what he does next is a recap of where he’s been with God in the past. Like a Facebook memory that pops up on our phones, he has evidence of God’s presence and power in his life. While in the present moment, he’s in pain, he doesn’t have spiritual amnesia. He has a history to recall of God’s faithfulness, leading him to remember and revisit what he knows to do: put his hope in God.

While he’s telling himself to “put your hope in God,” he inserts a little word in the next phrase that might go unnoticed yet. Mark Vroegop, pastor and author of “Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy” says, “Yet means that I choose to keep asking God for help, to cry out to him for my needs, even when the pain of life is raw.”

We may be in a season of pain, asking questions that don’t have answers and facing an unknown future. However, we can pour out our pain and ask honest questions while knowing God is listening. In remembering where we’ve been with God in the past, we can place our hope and trust that we will yet praise Him.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for your presence in our lives, even in the pain and problems we face.  Thank You that we can pour out our hearts and know that You are listening, seeing, knowing where we are. Help us know that our feelings tell us where we are, not who we are. We are loved and know that You are with us. Give us hope as we trust in You. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Notes on Hope Devotional

A Holding Cell of Hope

One of the many dimensions of hope is seen throughout the Old Testament when the prophets were calling Israel to return to the Lord. Zechariah was given night visions where God was calling his people to return to Him while also telling of the coming Messiah. Today’s verse is in that context.

Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you. Zechariah 9:12 (NIV) 

When I hear the word “prison,” I have images of the cells at Alcatraz Island, the historical prison near San Francisco. While taking a tour many years ago, I recall seeing the dungeon-like spaces of isolation, the bars and locks on the cell doors, and the cement walls. It was a place of utter hopelessness. Definitely not a place to dwell.

So, what’s this verse saying about “you prisoners of hope”?

Could it be true that we can be held captive by hope when we are suffering? Is there a place where we are confined and detained in the midst of a battle? I can’t help but believe there’s a holding cell where captivity is seen as the sacred place where hope forms and develops in us. Not as a punishment, but as a provision; not to let us out, but to let something in; hope.

Perhaps, we are invited to “serve our time” here on earth with a hope that sustains us while waiting for what is to come. 

C.S. Lewis said, “Hope...a continual looking forward to the eternal world is not a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but one of the things a Christian is meant to do.”  

Could it be, as fellow inmates, we are called to be prisoners of hope waiting for our release? Together, may we relish in hope in this present life and into eternal life.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for being the Living Hope that sustains us, strengthens us, and supplies what we need. May we, like prisoners, be attuned to the Holy Spirit, who guards us and gently guides us, knowing we are loved and never alone. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Notes on Hope Devotional

What Hope Isn’t

Romans 5:3-5 (NIV)
Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Hope is hard to define. Like the air we breathe, we know it’s there. It’s like when we can see our breath in the cold air. There’s evidence under certain conditions.  We know it as we sense our chest inhale and exhale. It’s vital to our existence. So is hope.

Today’s verses look at how hope is produced. And what it isn’t. 

There’s a progressive process to develop hope. Verse 3 in chapter 5 of Romans is the starting point: suffering. Really, it has to start there? Suffering is the engine that drives the car toward hope. More often than not, we find ourselves avoiding, preventing, escaping, and denying when faced with suffering. If we live long enough, we recognize that suffering is unavoidable. Pain will come through the door in the form of a diagnosis, divorce, or death. It can come in as discouragement, disappointment, and depression. Pain is the entrance on our journey toward hope.

What does suffering do in us? Verse 4 says, “perseverance and character." The Holman Christian Study Bible says, “endurance produces proven character.” Endurance and character sound like qualities we would like to inhabit except they come at a cost.  Endurance comes from hanging in there, plowing through, and continuing when giving up seems easier. Proven character is the outcome of enduring trial and pain; a character that only develops through our suffering that results in hope. Verse 5 states, “hope does not put us to shame...” The Holman Christian Study Bible offers another version, “a hope that does not disappoint.”

If that’s what hope isn’t, then what is it? Pastor and author Paul David Tripp offers this; “Sturdy hope that does not vanish with the constant changes in situations, locations, and relationships that make up all of our lives-hope that simply will never, ever disappoint us-can be found only in one place. True lasting hope is never found horizontally. It’s only ever found vertically, at the feet of the Messiah, The One who is Hope.”

Let’s stay firmly fixed to this hope that does not disappoint.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for being our Hope, here on earth and beyond. Grant us the eyes to see where we have misplaced our hope in people or things. Deepen our awareness of the hope that comes from our suffering as we keep our eyes fixed on You. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Notes on Hope Devotional

Preservation and Protection

Psalm 73:28 (CSB)

But as for me, God’s presence is my good.
I have made the Lord God my refuge, so I can tell about all you do.

Turning the calendar to another year, there’s a sense of arrival in a new space. We can take a deep breath, consider where we’ve been, and set our sights on what’s ahead. Reflecting over the past year offers perspective on where we are now.

Today’s verse is the final verse in this chapter, where the Psalmist, Asaph, is lamenting and asking God questions, like, “Did I purify my heart and wash my hands in innocence for nothing?” (v. 13 CSB)
In verse 25, he asks, “Who do I have in heaven but you?”

These are good questions that ultimately lead him to a conclusion in the last verse of this Psalm.  It’s like he finally comes to a spot and says, “Wait,” there’s more. Whenever we begin a sentence with a but, you can be sure we are making an important point. Asaph knows something. He is certain that God’s presence is his good thing. He has made the Lord his refuge. Recently, my pastor spoke on what a refuge is: “Refuge is a place to preserve our wholeness.” Whoa!

When we know God as our refuge, we are secluded, surrounded, protected, and preserved. It’s where we experience true wholeness in body, mind, soul, and spirit. This place of refuge is where we experience fulfillment, satisfaction, and true intimacy with God. And there’s more.

Because of our position, our place of protection and preservation, we get to announce all God has done for us. It’s like finding a treasure in a cave. We can’t keep it to ourselves but have to tell somebody. A refuge is a place for you and God. However, what happens in that space is worth telling others. It’s not just about us. It’s for us, but needs to be shared. Children love to tell on one another to a parent so they will know. “But Mom, this is what happened.”

Once we’ve experienced our time in our refuge, we get to “tell on” God. We can’t not tell.

It’s part of the beauty of finding our refuge in the Lord.

Come, Lord Jesus

I’m in much need of slowing down this week before Christmas. My spirit is thirsty to remember what Christmas is all about; the birth of our Savior, coming with a purpose, becoming our sacrifice and taking our sin, and giving us the gift of eternal life.

I’ve selected a prayer and hymn to recenter our scattered senses and redirect our full attention as we celebrate the birth of the baby in the manger. Blessings on you this Christmas.

Lord Jesus,
Master of both light and darkness, send your Holy Spirit upon our preparation for Christmas.
We who have too much to do and seek quiet spaces to hear your voice each day,
We who are anxious over many things look forward to your coming among us.
We who are blessed in so many ways long for the complete joy of your Kingdom.
We whose hearts are heavy seek the joy of your presence.
We are your people, walking in darkness, yet seeking the light.
To you we say, “Come, Lord Jesus!”
Amen
— (Henri Nouwen; www.dynamiccatholic.com)

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel;
That mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of Hell Thy people save,
And give them victory o’er the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery. 
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, Thou Lord of Might,
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai’s height,
In ancient times did’st give the Law,
In cloud, and majesty, and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

— Latin hymn from the 12th Century, translated into English by
John Mason Neale, 1851

Note: Emmanuel is derived from the Greek and Immanuel is derived from the Hebrew.
Both spellings mean “God with us”.

Staying Rooted

Colossians 2:7 (CSB) “being rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with gratitude.”

On a recent hike near Idyllwild, California my friend and I maneuvered past the remains of a tree that had been uprooted. On its side, the tree was exposed and showed the massive root system that once gave it life. Over time, the wind and weather affected the tree. Erosion from the outside affected the tree, while disease and decay from the inside caused the tree to die. Life has a way of checking if our roots are strong and established. What makes for a good root system? How do we stay grounded in the storms of life?

This verse in Colossians offers several things to consider if we want to stay grounded; being rooted requires paying attention to where we are and what’s around us. We stand on the truth of who God says we are in a world that shouts we are not enough. Our roots require that we cling to the promises of God; that He is faithful and will never leave us on our own. To be built and established in our faith, we daily choose to walk the way of the ancient pilgrims, who stayed the course and didn't waiver in their belief. Being tightly tethered to the truth allows our minds to stay grounded when we face storms. God’s Word and the Holy Spirit are the only means by which we can withstand and remain strong amidst life’s storms.

In the classic hymn, “How Firm A Foundation” (anonymous), these words offer truth; “the soul on who Jesus does lean for repose, you will not - you will not - desert to its foes. That soul though all hell should endeavor to shake, you’ll never, no never, no never forsake.”

In the last phrase, the outcome of staying strong and rooted appears, overflowing with gratitude. Gratitude is evidence of a rich root system. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.” Amen!

Let us stay rooted, grounded, built up, established so we can be filled to the brim with gratitude.

God, root us in the truth of who you are, and we are not. Let us not merely have the appearance of life but find true life in you. Thank you for the joy you provide in humility.
Amen


Amie Cross, M.Div. Chaplain and Missionary
Biola University

Thanksgiving 2023

I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
Ps. 9:1 (NIV)

As we gather once again to celebrate Thanksgiving, it seems fitting to reflect on the words of those who have authored words that we can recite and make our prayer.

Martin Rinkart, was a German theologian who wrote the following hymn during the 30 Years’ War during 1618-1648. In the text describing the setting of his writing this hymn, “It is a tes­ta­ment to his faith that, af­ter such mis­e­ry, he was able to write a hymn of abid­ing trust and gra­ti­tude tow­ard God.”              

Let this be our prayer this Thanksgiving: 

Now thank we all our God
with heart and hands and voices,
who wondrous things has done,
in whom his world rejoices;
who from our mothers' arms
has blessed us on our way
with countless gifts of love,
and still is ours today.

2 O may this bounteous God
through all our life be near us,
with ever joyful hearts
and blessed peace to cheer us,
to keep us in his grace,
and guide us when perplexed,
and free us from all ills
of this world in the next.

3 All praise and thanks to God
the Father now be given,
the Son and Spirit blest,
who reign in highest heaven
the one eternal God,
whom heaven and earth adore;
for thus it was, is now,
and shall be evermore.
Psalter Hymnal (Gray), 1987

Glimpse of Glory

Psalm 19:1-2 (NIV)

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.” 

There’s a stretch of highway on Camp Pendleton in northern San Diego County that runs parallel to the ocean for approximately 10 miles. It offers a viewpoint for drivers to pull over and take a photo. Whether during the day or night, it offers a breathtaking view. Recently, I was driving on this part of the freeway and out of the corner of my eye, I glimpsed the moon’s reflection on the water. I sighed and silently said, “Wow”! It captured my attention for the smallest moment.

The sky was telling me something about God’s glory. The magnitude and majesty were evident in the meeting of the sky with the ocean, with the moon as a beam of light on the water.

These verses in Psalm 19 portray the heavens as God’s canvas, displaying His creation for us to enjoy. Whether in the hours the sun is shining or in the darkness, there is a wordless story taking place. What words can we put to the story of God’s heavenly handiwork?

During the day, the sun shows up faithfully in the same spot, always giving light and life to all living things. Sunsets put on a show of color and beauty to behold. 

At night, there is a sense of wonder and awe that invite us to take time to gaze and consider the vastness of the universe and that God set in place each star.

Could it be that the heavens convey the greatness and power of our God while we recognize our smallness? In looking at the heavens we are offered a glimpse of the glory of God that precisely and perfectly placed each star, planet, and galaxy in position. Now can we consider that same God knows us by name, has numbered each hair on our heads, and constantly listens to each prayer we pray.

God’s greatness overshadows my smallness. However, it doesn’t diminish His love and care, but only amplifies it so I can rest in His arms. 

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for your power, majesty, and might. As Creator of the universe, we see the works of Your Hands. As our Heavenly Father, we see how You love and care for us. Open our eyes to look for the numerous ways You show Your love to us. In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.