Hope For Today Videos

At various times in our lives we’ve known feelings of chaos, dread, fear, and even panic.  It’s so common particularly when we feel out of control.  We don’t know what to do or where to turn. Thankfully, because we live with God, we have someone who is near and available to give us the help and comfort we need when difficult circumstances arise.

Anyone leaving a darkened room and entering into a lighted area knows how blinding the light can be.  It can be painful to our eyes and certainly limits our ability to navigate our way forward. We need time for our eyes to adjust to the light so we can see clearly. Each day, as we seek Him, God gives us directives to help us walk well and overcome sinful behaviour. This is good news, particularly for those of us who are learning how to live in the light after walking for many years under the convenience of darkness.

I bumped into the word “constant” and I find it refreshing to me in these days when very little is constant and everything seems to be moving about, often in unexpected ways. God is the one constant in our lives for stability and goodneess. If we were to look at our use of time and our time spent with God, is there a warmth, a settledness, a relaxed openness to how we interact? Even if we don’t feel like it, God hasn’t gone anywhere. He’s here with us today.

Just like oil and water, good and evil just don’t mix.  One place where this principle is clearly seen is in our thought life.  We can’t think about things that are not good and hope to continue to walk well. The Bible reminds us:

All of us long for recognition of a commitment kept, a job well done, or an act of service given.  God is committed to honouring us as we live for Him.  As we honour God and others, through our obedience to God’s word, we in turn will receive honor and respect from God and others. The Bible is full of specifics about this and we review just a few of the practical ways we are encouraged to live as honourable people today.

We can confidently come to God today and ask for His help.  Too many people think it’s “self-centered” to ask God for help and to bring our concerns to Him.  The opposite is true.  God is eagerly waiting for us to invite Him into our circumstances so He can provide the help we need.

Today we are encouraged to recognize how much influence we can have and how much good we can do even though we may not have a lot of money or prestige.

Praise the Lord - why would someone do that, especially when times are tough and complicated?

To grow and mature well individuals need good role models.  Role models provide inspiration, guidance, and a framework for growth by demonstrating how to navigate challenges and achieve goals.  They show us by their example, how to think and act well so we achieve goals and when we face the challenges we inevitably will along the way. Truth is, we all have some that are good and some not so good. If we’re not careful, our maturity can be stunted by following the ideas and behaviours of poor role models. 

What is something you procrastinate about doing? Most experts in dealing with procrastination would tell us that by taking things one day at a time, one step at a time, even tasks that seem overwhelming become possible. Character building and developing our relationship with God is something else that we can procrastinate about.  However, if we focus on what is before us and do the next right thing, we can trust God to empower us each step of the journey.

If we treasure something, we usually take special care of it. We don’t neglect it or leave it where it could get damaged or stolen or forgotten about. As God awakens our hearts and our consciousness to new and wonderful truths – what many would call a spiritual awakening - we need to cherish what we have learned and let this truth nourish our hearts and strengthen us to act in new and God honouring ways.

An important character strength to develop is tolerance – being patient, understanding, and accepting of something different.  We live in a world where there is a mixture of many cultures and behaviours, traditions and beliefs.  For many of us, part of the challenge to be tolerant is learning how to be around others who are at a different place in their life journey than we are in ours.