MEDITATIONS
Posted by Batas Internet Media on Saturday, January 8, 2011
Under: MEDITATIONS
By: Bobot Apit
Dec 30, 2010 - Thursday Meditation (Hope Must Grow!)
Advancing age and the disappointments of life can easily make us cynical and hopeless if we do not have our hope placed rightly. Anna's hope in God and his promises grew with age! She never ceased to worship God in faith and to pray with hope. Her hope and faith in God's promises fueled her indomitable zeal and fervor in prayer and service of God's people. How do we grow in hope? By placing our trust in the promises of Jesus Christ and relying not on our own strength, but on the grace and help of the Holy Spirit.
Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas
1 John 2:12-17
Ps 96:7-8a, 8b-9, 10
Luke 2:36-40 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phan'u-el, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity, 37 and as a widow till she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God, and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem . 39 And when they had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth . 40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.
Meditation by Don Schwager
What do you hope for? The hope which God places in our heart is the desire for the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness. Hope grows with prayer and perseverance. Anna was pre-eminently a woman of great hope and expectation that God would fulfill all his promises. Filled with the Holy Spirit, she was found daily in the house of the Lord, attending to the Lord in prayer and speaking prophetically to others about the Lord's promise to send a redeemer. She is a model of godliness to all believers as we advance in age. Advancing age and the disappointments of life can easily make us cynical and hopeless if we do not have our hope placed rightly. Anna's hope in God and his promises grew with age! She never ceased to worship God in faith and to pray with hope. Her hope and faith in God's promises fueled her indomitable zeal and fervor in prayer and service of God's people. How do we grow in hope? By placing our trust in the promises of Jesus
Christ and relying not on our own strength, but on the grace and help of the Holy Spirit. Does your hope and fervor for God grow with age?
"Lord Jesus, may I never cease to hope in you and to trust in your promises. Inflame my zeal for your kingdom and increase my love for prayer, that I may never cease to give you praise and worship".
Supplementary Reading
Consider Your God
“And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body...he did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform” - Romans 4:19–21
Abraham is known as our father in the faith, but he had many obstacles coming against the promise of God in his life. See, God told him that he would be “the father of many nations,” but Abraham was over 90 years old before he ever saw that promise begin to come to pass. How many people today would look in the mirror and say, “No way; it’s just not happening.” But today’s scripture tells us that he didn’t consider his body. He didn’t meditate on all the reasons he couldn’t be the father of many nations. Instead, he considered the strength and ability of his God!
He knew God could make a way even when there seemed to be no way. Abraham knew he served a faithful God, and so he gave all the praise and glory to Him! Scripture says his faith strengthened him and opened the door for God to move mightily on his behalf.
Today, what are you believing God for? Does it seem impossible? Has it taken a long time? Consider your God. Consider His Word. Consider His faithfulness. Just like Abraham, let His Word strengthen you as you give glory to God. Keep believing and keep hoping and let your faith open the way for victory in every area of your life!
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your faithfulness and strength at work in my life today. I choose to consider Your ability over my circumstance. I choose to trust You and receive Your strength. I give You praise, honor and glory now and forevermore. In Jesus’ Name. Amen. - Joel & Victoria Osteen
Dec 30, 2010 - Thursday Meditation (Hope Must Grow!)
Advancing age and the disappointments of life can easily make us cynical and hopeless if we do not have our hope placed rightly. Anna's hope in God and his promises grew with age! She never ceased to worship God in faith and to pray with hope. Her hope and faith in God's promises fueled her indomitable zeal and fervor in prayer and service of God's people. How do we grow in hope? By placing our trust in the promises of Jesus Christ and relying not on our own strength, but on the grace and help of the Holy Spirit.
Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas
1 John 2:12-17
Ps 96:7-8a, 8b-9, 10
Luke 2:36-40 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phan'u-el, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity, 37 and as a widow till she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God, and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem . 39 And when they had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth . 40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.
Meditation by Don Schwager
What do you hope for? The hope which God places in our heart is the desire for the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness. Hope grows with prayer and perseverance. Anna was pre-eminently a woman of great hope and expectation that God would fulfill all his promises. Filled with the Holy Spirit, she was found daily in the house of the Lord, attending to the Lord in prayer and speaking prophetically to others about the Lord's promise to send a redeemer. She is a model of godliness to all believers as we advance in age. Advancing age and the disappointments of life can easily make us cynical and hopeless if we do not have our hope placed rightly. Anna's hope in God and his promises grew with age! She never ceased to worship God in faith and to pray with hope. Her hope and faith in God's promises fueled her indomitable zeal and fervor in prayer and service of God's people. How do we grow in hope? By placing our trust in the promises of Jesus
Christ and relying not on our own strength, but on the grace and help of the Holy Spirit. Does your hope and fervor for God grow with age?
"Lord Jesus, may I never cease to hope in you and to trust in your promises. Inflame my zeal for your kingdom and increase my love for prayer, that I may never cease to give you praise and worship".
Supplementary Reading
Consider Your God
“And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body...he did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform” - Romans 4:19–21
Abraham is known as our father in the faith, but he had many obstacles coming against the promise of God in his life. See, God told him that he would be “the father of many nations,” but Abraham was over 90 years old before he ever saw that promise begin to come to pass. How many people today would look in the mirror and say, “No way; it’s just not happening.” But today’s scripture tells us that he didn’t consider his body. He didn’t meditate on all the reasons he couldn’t be the father of many nations. Instead, he considered the strength and ability of his God!
He knew God could make a way even when there seemed to be no way. Abraham knew he served a faithful God, and so he gave all the praise and glory to Him! Scripture says his faith strengthened him and opened the door for God to move mightily on his behalf.
Today, what are you believing God for? Does it seem impossible? Has it taken a long time? Consider your God. Consider His Word. Consider His faithfulness. Just like Abraham, let His Word strengthen you as you give glory to God. Keep believing and keep hoping and let your faith open the way for victory in every area of your life!
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your faithfulness and strength at work in my life today. I choose to consider Your ability over my circumstance. I choose to trust You and receive Your strength. I give You praise, honor and glory now and forevermore. In Jesus’ Name. Amen. - Joel & Victoria Osteen
In : MEDITATIONS