breathing room for my soul

Saturday, March 14, 2015

Never-ending Mercies ~ Lent 2015

God’s Faithfulness ~ Our Everlasting Hope!

LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for in perfect faithfulness

You have done wonderful things, things planned long ago. Isaiah 25:1 NIV

During this season of reflection and renewal, join me in exploring God’s Faithfulness. Do you find strength for every circumstance in God’s Faithfulness? God IS Faithful! God’s Faithfulness is our everlasting Hope! ~ Donna Oswalt

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV

Various Bible translations use great love, lovingkindness, steadfast love, mercies, faithful love to describe the way God loves, the character of His love, and the depth of His love. Even as Israel suffers for her unrepentant disobedience to God, as she succumbs to captivity in Babylon, as Jerusalem sits in utter destruction, God’s covenant love for His people remains. God’s never-ending mercy constantly seeks restoration. I will hope in Him!

Words struggle to adequately explain deep grief or spiritual emptiness or deliberate rebellion or profound remorse. God’s unmeasured grace finds us wordless, defenseless, guilty and starving. With compassion, God understands the wordless sighs, the heart’s intentions, the soul’s great needs. Even though we stumble or fail or sway or faint, God’s faithfulness will always endure.

Adonai, my great LORD, hear my whispers of regret and confessions of sin. Replace my emptiness with Your goodness; let my story tell of Your mercy-full forgiveness. Great is Your faithfulness, overflowing with truth and compassion and never-ending grace. – dho

Focus Point: God’s never-ending mercy constantly seeks restoration.

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“May you be blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”

Friday, March 13, 2015

Until the End ~ Lent 2015

God’s Faithfulness ~ Our Everlasting Hope!

LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for in perfect faithfulness You have done wonderful things, things planned long ago. Isaiah 25:1 NIV

During this season of reflection and renewal, join me in exploring God’s Faithfulness. Do you find strength for every circumstance in God’s Faithfulness? God IS Faithful! God’s Faithfulness is our everlasting Hope! ~ Donna Oswalt

But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and everything in them will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be exposed to judgment.

2Peter 3:10 NLT

Revelations 2 and 3 describe how each of the seven churches will be recognized by Christ before the Great Tribulation. Two churches – the persecuted church and the faithful church – find favor with Christ and are encouraged and promised security. “I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown.” [Rev. 3:11] To the other five churches - the loveless church, compromising church, corrupt church, dead church, and lukewarm church – Christ points out their weaknesses; then, Christ calls to any of them who will hear, calls them to repentance, to perseverance, to faithfulness. God’s promises are faithful until the end.

Referenced various times in the Old Testament, Peter speaks about the end of time, the judgment of the Eternal God, the Resurrected Christ – I AM. From the beginning of the first church, followers endure persecution, slander, beatings, prison, and poverty but remain faithful. Today, like then, some churches suffer from a lack of passion and moral purity, idol worship and false teachings, good deeds without faith. These still have an opportunity to change, to move beyond good intentions, to listen for God, to speak His Truth, to love like Christ, to worship with enthusiasm, to quench hunger and thirst with God’s word, to hope! God’s faithfulness remains true until the very end.

Christ, I read Your promise: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him...” Bring revival to this world, to the churches, to the lost, and to my lukewarm passion, my faded purpose, my spiritual poverty. Great is Your faithfulness, then and now and forever. – dho

Focus Point: God’s promises are faithful until the end.

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“May you be blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Mercy in Patience ~ Lent 2015

God’s Faithfulness ~ Our Everlasting Hope!

LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for in perfect faithfulness

You have done wonderful things, things planned long ago. Isaiah 25:1 NIV

The Lord is not slow in doing what he promised – the way some people understand slowness. But God is being patient with you. He does not want anyone to be lost, but he wants all people to change their hearts and lives. 2Peter3:9-13 NCV

Centuries ago, Scripture tells us how the disciples and new believers of the first century church anticipate the return of Christ. The promise that Jesus will come again remains unfulfilled today, yet eternal hope for the new heavens and a new earth continues with great anticipation. God’s faithfulness includes judgment, but His timetable is not ours. Scripture reveals that no one can predict Christ’s second coming. Peter explains that God’s patience in returning is not about being slow; rather, it is about His mercy for the people, His desire for all to have salvation, His hope than none will perish.

Theologian Warren Wiersbe distinguishes the difference between us and God, “Human beings are immortal: they have beginnings but no endings. They will live forever either in heaven or hell. But God is eternal, without beginning or ending.” Not limited by time but motivated by love, God’s enduring patience reflects His hope that the Good News be shared with all people.

Lord, constrained by time, my days often become over scheduled and underutilized. I want to control the outcomes and predict the endings. Haste devours; rebellion disengages. Great is Your faithfulness. Find me now; lead me with everlasting hope. Teach me patient urgency; before the boundaries of time come to an end, show me the hearts of those who need to change. Let them see Christ in my living. –dho

Focus Point: The promise that Jesus will come again remains unfulfilled today, yet eternal hope for the new heavens and a new earth continues with great anticipation.

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“May you be blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Giver of Hope ~ Lent 2015

God’s Faithfulness ~ Our Everlasting Hope!

LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for in perfect faithfulness

You have done wonderful things, things planned long ago. Isaiah 25:1 NIV

This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. Hebrews 6:19 NLT

The anchor for our souls symbolizes confidence, expectation, and assurance which encourages in uncertainty, endures through storms, promises beyond fear. Hope, like faith, believes what cannot be seen. God’s faithfulness secures our hope with Grace.

On the day of the crucifixion, at the moment Jesus dies the curtain in the Temple that separates the Most Holy Place tears completely from top to bottom. Anchored and immovable, hope fills the inner sanctuary. Grace invites each believer to spiritually enter into the presence of God.

Holy One, I need hope in the darkness and courage in my doubt; I hold tight to this anchor when the storms of life make me weary. As I enter Your inner sanctuary, peace fills my soul. Great is Your faithfulness. -dho

Focus Point: God’s faithfulness secures our hope with Grace.

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“May you be blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Faithful to Discipline ~ Lent 2015

God’s Faithfulness ~ Our Everlasting Hope!

LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for in perfect faithfulness

You have done wonderful things, things planned long ago. Isaiah 25:1 NIV

For the Lord disciplines those He loves…God’s discipline is always right and good for us because it means we will share His holiness. Hebrews 12:5-13 NLT

Often feeling like punishment, difficult times require strength and endurance of spirit. Sometimes roadblocks and rejection hinder the journey, can discourage the soul. Answers that do not satisfy or silence that baffles weigh heavy on the mind. None of these situations limit God. Although His best for us may require discipline, His motivation consistently comes from deep love for His children.

The Greek word for “discipline” in these Scriptures means “to train a child”; it involves correction and education and nurturing. In His faithfulness, God uses difficult life lessons to train His children for service in the Kingdom. God’s perfect discipline always benefits and blesses, nurturing and nudging the soul toward holy living.

Faithful Father, teach me holy living. In the struggle nurture my sensitivity, in the rejection teach me humility, in the silence foster my patience; when the answer is ‘no’ change my desires, when the sorrow lingers show me perseverance. The presence of Your holiness imparts unfailing love; how great is Your faithfulness! –dho

Focus Point: God’s perfect discipline always benefits and blesses, nurturing and nudging the soul toward holy living.

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“May you be blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”

Monday, March 09, 2015

God's Faithfulness Overcomes Sin ~ Lent 2015

God’s Faithfulness ~ Our Everlasting Hope!

LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for in perfect faithfulness

You have done wonderful things, things planned long ago. Isaiah 25:1 NIV

It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another law at work within me that is a war with my mind. This law wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 7:21-25 NLT

From the beginning when Adam and Eve sin, humanity’s nature begins its sinful journey that will finally end when Christ returns again and all believers will call the New Jerusalem their forever home. Until then, we struggle with carnal thoughts, earthly lust, and worldly cravings. The war with my mind tries to deceive the heart, to manipulate the will. These attitudes of sin, the sin that dwells in me finds itself in direct conflict with the spiritual laws of God. While the law itself exposes our sinful nature, it cannot offer new spiritual life.

While in Corinth during his third missionary journey, Paul writes Romans, a letter to the church in Rome, as a statement of faith. One of the main themes deals with sin, exposing the heart’s disobedience, examining the will’s rebellion. Paul confesses that he loves God and wants to do what is right; yet, he finds himself tempted by sin. Because of God’s faithfulness, Jesus Christ overcomes sin and offers us a spiritual rebirth. Through Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes to each of us, lives within us, and empowers our desire to be obedient to God’s laws.

Lord, life gets tangled between spiritual darkness and spiritual obedience. The flesh is weak, easily held captive and powerless, hostage and rebellious. Jesus, You break the chains that bind my soul to sin. In my weakness, great is Your faithfulness. You are the living God, the Spirit that dwells in me. –dho

Focus Point: Through Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes to each of us, lives within us, and empowers our desire to be obedient to God’s laws.

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“May you be blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”

Sunday, March 08, 2015

3rd Sunday in Lent ~ Our Gift in God's Faithfulness

God’s Faithfulness ~ Our Everlasting Hope!

LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for in perfect faithfulness

You have done wonderful things, things planned long ago. Isaiah 25:1 NIV

But now God has shown us a different way of being [righteous] in His sight – not by obeying the law but by the way promised in the Scriptures long ago. We are made right in God’s sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we can be saved in this same way, no matter who we are or what we have done. Romans 3:21-26 NLT

The Lord, the I AM, the same yesterday, today and forever is with us. This is what matters. This is our reason for confidence.

Elizabeth Elliot

In the Biblical temple, in the most holy place, the Holy of Holies, blood sacrifices for atonement are offered on the mercy seat which covers the Ark of the Covenant. God’s righteousness reveals itself anew through Jesus Christ, His faithful promise for everlasting life. With Christ’s blood sacrifice on the cross, He becomes the living “mercy seat”, the eternal “place of forgiveness”. Christ brings God’s righteousness to each of us.

Until Christ, only the most high priest could enter the Holy of Holies and only once a year. Now, Christ invites everyone into the Holy of Holies, into the presence of God – the prostitute, the thief, the murderer, and the unfaithful spouse, the habitual abuser, the child molester, and you, and me. This gift of Grace, this atonement, exceeds all darkness, all destructive habits, all disillusionment, all depraved indifference. Grace comes from the outstretched arms of unfailing love, reaching for all. With faith each one can accept this pure gift, undeserved and unmeasured Grace.

Holy One, sin surrounds me, invades me, lives within me. Grace offers forgiveness and new beginnings. Infinite Righteousness, cover me, cleanse me, complete me. Great is Your faithfulness, great in goodness and generosity. –dho

Focus Point: Grace comes from the outstretched arms of unfailing love, reaching for all.

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“May you be blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”

Saturday, March 07, 2015

Complete Power, Absolute Faithfulness ~ Lent 2015

God’s Faithfulness ~ Our Everlasting Hope!

LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for in perfect faithfulness

You have done wonderful things, things planned long ago. Isaiah 25:1 NIV

photo:in Germany/T/McGirr

Then Job answered the LORD and said: “I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. Job 42:1-6 NKJV

IF you can find time, read Job chapters 38-41 to fully grasp the magnitude of Almighty God. In these verses, God confronts Job’s arrogance with a series of questions that proclaim the complete power of God Almighty. God asks Job who and where and when did you create the world and all its glory? Have you and do you know and can you explain how all things work? These Scriptures expose the greatness of an all-powerful Creator. With great humility, Job responds that God’s power exceeds everything.

The story of Job invites us to witness human suffering up close. From great abundance to complete despair, Job struggles to understand his tragedies, but he misses the most important point. God is Sovereign! God asks us the same questions that He asks Job, and in reply, we must confess that God’s ways are higher, beyond our finite minds. Like Job, we should respond with awe and gratitude, “I've been talking about things far too wonderful for me!”

Lord, I constantly talk about things I do not understand, worry about situations I cannot control, try to plan my future without even grasping my present life. Expose my pride and weariness, my doubt and anxiety, my self-righteousness. Great is Your faithfulness. –dho

Focus Point: God is Sovereign!

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“May you be blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”

Friday, March 06, 2015

Divine Protection ~ Lent 2015

God’s Faithfulness ~ Our Everlasting Hope!

LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for in perfect faithfulness

You have done wonderful things, things planned long ago. Isaiah 25:1 NIV

photo: in Germany/T.McGirr

He will shield you with His wings. He will shelter you with His feathers. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Psalm 91:4 NLT

God’s faithfulness provides safe shelter for His own. Whether the metaphor refers to feathers of angels or eagles or hens (see Matthew 23:37), trusting in this living God becomes a shield for the fearful, the forgotten, the desperate, the dying, the wounded, the weary. The world reeks of danger and uncertainty, but we find our refuge, our safe place in the embrace of God Almighty.

Whether the context is Moses reminding the Israelites or Jesus grieving over Jerusalem or the world churning its chaos, God longs to sit in the inner sanctuary, to have communion and fellowship with those who seek Him. So come to a place of safety, a place of Divine Protection, a place of unfailing love.

El Shaddai, You are my safe place, my port in life’s storms, my retreat from daily struggles, my shelter from Satan’s lies. Great is Your faithfulness; be my salvation. - dho

Focus Point: The world reeks of danger and uncertainty, but we find our refuge, our safe place in the embrace of God Almighty.

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“May you be blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”

Thursday, March 05, 2015

Faithful in Judgement ~ Lent 2015

God’s Faithfulness ~ Our Everlasting Hope!

LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for in perfect faithfulness

You have done wonderful things, things planned long ago. Isaiah 25:1 NIV

photo: in Germany/T.McGirr

All who believe in God’s Son have eternal life. Those who don’t believe the Son will never experience eternal life, but the wrath of God remains upon them. John 3:36 NLT

No one likes to talk about God’s judgment preferring to focus only on God’s love and goodness; yet, God cannot be compartmentalized into categories. Throughout both the Old and New Testaments, God remains unchanging, always faithful and true, full of mystery and majesty. His sovereignty and power span infinity. God’s faithfulness enters the world through Jesus Christ, His Son, not to judge the world, but to save the world. (John 3:17) God’s promise of Perfect Love brings life, real life, right now!

God’s most extravagant gift of love, His Son, brings new hope to old wounds, compassionate arms for old regrets, gentle smiles for the abused, tender hearts toward the outcasts, healing for the spiritually blind. God’s judgment reveals our true heart, our weakness, our shortsightedness, our stubbornness, our desire to walk on the edge. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more. (John 3:19) Choose Light!

Holy One, my heart overflows to think of such Perfect Love. I do want to walk in the light but confess, sometimes, I find myself dangerously near the shadows. Open my heart and ears and eyes that I can see others as You see them. Great is Your faithfulness, immense in light and love. - dho

Focus Point: God’s faithfulness enters the world through Jesus Christ, His Son, not to judge the world, but to save the world.

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“May you be blessed by the Lord Who loves you best!”

A New Beginning

"This is my [new] life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message. It came as a sheer gift to me, a real surprise, God handling all the details . . . God saw to it that I was equipped, but you can be sure that it had nothing to do with my natural abilities.

And so here I am . . . writing about things that are way over my head, the inexhaustible riches and generosity of Christ. My task is to bring out in the open and make plain what God, who created all this in the first place, has been doing in secret and behind the scenes all along."
Ephesians 3:7-10, The Message

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Saturday, March 14, 2015

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Thursday, March 12, 2015

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Monday, March 09, 2015

Sunday, March 08, 2015

Saturday, March 07, 2015

Friday, March 06, 2015

Thursday, March 05, 2015