Hope For Today Videos

What does it mean to be a person with discretion? This is something we don’t often see practiced as we live in a culture where people want to “speak about their truth” regardless of the impact on others. It's a challenge to both gain and practice discrectionbut we are given clear help in the Bible.

God wants us to be responsible and generous with all He has given us – time, abilities, money, possessions. God does not want us to carelessly spend the money and resources we have as soon as we get them, with no thought about what we might need in the future. He also wants us to help others even though we might feel our resources are limited. God wants us to ask for wisdom and seek His will in how we use the resources we have been given.  He promises to bless us when we do.

I think we wouldn’t get much argument from anyone if we described someone with good character as being, honest, responsible, generous, caring, fair etc.  These are all seen a good character traits and the more we live in them, regardless of our circumstances, the more we become known as people of good character.

We all appreciate a person who shows us solid and caring character – a person of strength and dignity.  I thought we could have a look at some character qualities that we can ask God to develop in us.

One week since Easter Sunday and so we pray: Work in us and through us today to help us become the persons You have created us to be – beloved citizens meant to bless You and be a blessing to others.  Teach us what all that means, Holy Spirit, and guide us in the ways of God, the great King of all Kings. 

It’s just a week since Good Friday and our remembering the great sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf.  A week is a long time in any news cycle.  Our world is full of many troubles and the death and resurrection of Jesus is meant to reassure us, particularly during troubled times, that God has a good way forward for us.

With full knowledge of our broken past, Jesus looks at us today, asks us to follow Him, and promises to use us in meaningful and satisfying ways if we will do His will. His resurrection power in us is more than enough to make us successful in the venture.

We all love the flowers and vegetables that grow from seeds but it is true that the original seed dies in the ground before any new growth takes place. I’m so grateful that Jesus Christ gave His life as the seed that died so that you and I could find life with God.

One of Jesus’ followers named Thomas wasn’t with the others when Jesus first made an appearance to them.  When Thomas was told that they had seen Jesus, he doubted that it was true. He was afraid to hope again.  Too many surprises.  Too much information.  Thomas just couldn’t deal with any more. I think there are lots of folks who feel that way today. Like Thomas, some of us have known the discouragement of hopes dashed and opportunities lost.  In our broken fearful lives, we doubt the presence of a loving caring God with us to help.  And yet ….

God wants to lift us out of whatever sorrow and darkness has clouded our own souls with life’s challenges.  Our part is to realize that we are not seeing reality as clearly as we should.  God is with us, has been with us, providing us whatever we need for whatever we face.  God is doing more.  God is ready to explain more.  God, in fact, is doing so much that if we paused to let Him show it to us, we would be amazed.

The resurrection of Jesus proves that the power of God’s love is stronger than all of evil so anything challenging that happens in our lives is something we can bring to God and expect His power to make changes in us – not just in our bodies but in our souls and spirits as well.

How do we respond to the greatest act of love this planet has ever seen? One song writer tried with these words: “Love so amazing, so divine, demands my life, my heart, my all.”