Hurt, Hard Times and Hope

This past week we started our new series: Hurt, Hard Times and Hope. The thing I love about this title and the series as a whole is that it leads to something. You look at the title and you can focus on hurt and hard time and feel the weight of those words but once you look at the word hope, you know it is leading you somewhere. Without hope we have nothing to look forward to. We are stuck in darkness. But that is why our God is a God of hope! We need to look to him and continue moving forward. I learned this first hand with my recent problems with my health. The moment I decided to live in God’s strength is when I noticed a drastic change. Too often we try to live in our the hope of ourselves. That will lead us nowhere! God is our hope, our strength and salvation.

This Sunday there will be a song performed called “My Hope” off of Matt Redman’s latest album. You will recognize some of the lyrics from the hymn “The Solid Rock”. I want to encourage you to take just a few minutes out of your busy lives and meditate on these lyrics. Some of you may not want to do this because you can’t see the hope beyond the hurt and hard times. We need to take those moments of “selah” to recenter ourselves and make sure we have open eyes to see the glory of the hope of God! Please pray for God to reveal his hope to you.

“My Hope”

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly live on Jesus’ name

When the mountains are falling
When the waters are rising
I shall be safe in You
Though the nations are quaking
Every kingdom be shaking
Still I will rest in You

When darkness seems to hide Your face
I rest in Your unchanging grace
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil.

When the mountains are falling
When the waters are rising
I shall be safe in You
Though the nations are quaking
Every kingdom be shaking
Still I will rest in You

Medical Results – Praise God In Everything

So the last few months I have been undergoing tests and have had many Dr. visits trying to figure out why I have a pain in my shoulder and numbness in my arm and hand. I had an arthrogram (which is a fairly painful procedure) and an MRI on my shoulder. It yielded no results. Then I had an X-ray on my neck which showed some abnormalities and looked like I might need surgery on my neck. They sent me to get an MRI to be sure. I got the results back today and it turns out I do not need surgery. That is a huge answer to prayer. I am trying to look at this as somewhat of a healing from God. A week ago I was panicked thinking I would have to go under the knife and on my neck of all places. Now I am still in the dark as to why I am having pains. But I live in the light knowing that God is in control of it all. I may have to just wait it out. I am currently in therapy trying to relieve some tension on my neck to see if that makes my nerves stop flaring up. Please pray that I will either be healed of the pain or that an answer can be found so I can be treated. It is a trying time because it is easy to get discouraged when there seem to be no answers.

Jon