Soft as the voice of an angel
Breathing a lesson unheard
Hope with a gentle persuasion
Whispers a comforting word
Wait, till the darkness is over
Wait, till the tempest is done
Hope, for the sunshine tomorrow
After the darkness is gone
Whispering hope
Oh how welcome Thy voice
Making my heart
In its sorrow rejoice
If in the dusk of the twilight
Dimmed be the region afar
Will not the deepening darkness
Brighten the glittering star
Then when the night is upon us
Why should the heart sink away
When the dark midnight is over
Watch for the breaking of day
Whispering hope,
Oh how welcome Thy voice
Making my heart
In its sorrow rejoice.
“Whispering Hope” by Septimus Winner , poet and composer (1827–1902)
We encounter many disrupting events in our regular lives, even beyond the global pandemic. On a scale of the world, they may seem small to us as they may or may not impact us. On a scale to each of us as individuals, these disrupting events may seem very large, and we wonder how we are to cope. Turn to God, claim His blessings, because they aren’t just here today and gone tomorrow. They span time. He knows the events of the coming days.
Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” His love remains the same, He knows you by your name. Psalm 46:10a, “Be still, and know that I am God…” When God cannot be found in the midst of the frenzy, silence and stillness are needed to hear Him. Malachi 3:6a, “For I am the Lord, I do not change…” Our world today is unfamiliar to us and we long for the “normal” that we once had. Any restoration in the future of any society, rests in God’s faithfulness and commitment to us, as He promised.
Proverbs 29:25, “The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trust in the Lord shall be safe.” The devil is the source of all anxiety and his goal is to confuse and confound us so that fear ensnares us. Psalm 146:3, “Do not put your trust in princes, nor in a son of man (mortals), in whom there is no help.” Psalm 112:6-7, “Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.” The benefits of trusting in God far outweigh what others can provide. Isaiah 26:3-4 “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.” God knows everything we are going through at this very moment and everything we will go through in the future. He knows the best way to handle every situation so we get the best possible outcome and we need to trust Him with that. We need to follow His path and trust that He knows best, because He does.
When we think it’s too late, God says He still has a plan. Jeremiah 29:11, “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 hope and a future.” Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Become that little child you once were, when you took your first step, you weren’t afraid; when you climbed your first tree, you weren’t afraid. Deuteronomy 31:6, “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” So don’t worry about the “what if’s” or the “why me’s”.
This is exactly why Jesus came. He didn’t want us to be alone anymore. He wanted to bring the presence of God into our world. And that is exactly what He did. John 14:16, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever.” We are not alone. Talk to him. Listen. And know He is with you. Isaiah 40:10, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Joshua 1:9 NLT, “This is my command–be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Matthew 28:20 NLT, “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” So many times God tells us that we are not alone…and we’re not.
“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40: 28-31
Human strength runs out too quickly. Human strength relies on the things of the earth like food, sleep, exercise, water and sunshine, but those things are not enough to make us strong in the Lord. You must have and use the divine strength of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; and it is never in short supply.
Sometimes you feel unloved. Do you feel unloved by God? Perhaps its not Him that doesn’t love you, but you that doesn’t love Him. “God is love.” Not only does God love; love is part of His essential nature. Love is who God is, therefore He cannot but love.
John 3:16 (NIV), “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” God loves you simply because He loves you. You don’t have to work for His affection. You don’t have to set yourself straight before God can pour out His love over you. He longs to love you right where you are, as you are. He will always love you no matter what. God loves you the way He loves Jesus.
Through the finished work of Jesus Christ and His power working through you, you are good enough to do everything God has called you to do. Isaiah 30:21 (NIV), “Whether you turn to the left or to the right your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Philippians 4:6-7; 13, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” And …
If you don’t know Jesus as your personal Saviour but would like to, just whisper this little prayer to Him,