Tag: endurance

Posted in Bible study, Enduring Hope, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

Confident Expectation

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Based on the LGG Study, Enduring Hope, w3,d4

Today’s Reading: Titus 3:3-8 / SOAP: Titus 3:7

And so, since we have been justified by his grace, we become heirs with the confident expectation of eternal life.”

Titus 3:7

Because Jesus made us right with God – who saved us by His grace – we have become co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17). Because of this, our hope is secure in the eternal life God promised through our faith in Jesus Christ.

We were all once enemies of God. We disobeyed His commands, ignored His wisdom, and hated one another. We were hopeless without God and hopeless of ever being saved. But God did not let us stay there. –

LGG Team Member / Enduring Hope w3d4
An Amazing Love and Confident Expectations

In the Enduring Hope journal the LGG Team of writers share devotions for each day’s Scripture references. They are all wonderful but some stand out to me more than others. Today’s was one of those. I share it in part here that those who read this blog might not miss the hope that comes from these words that so beautifully describe the love of our God and Savior.

“We were all once enemies of God. We disobeyed His commands, ignored His wisdom, and hated one another. We were hopeless without God and hopeless of ever being saved. But God did not let us stay there.

Our God is kind. He is loving. He is merciful. He poured out His kindness, love, and mercy on us when we were still His enemies. Instead of letting us remain in darkness. He rescued us and gave us new life.”

The writer goes on to explain, “We’ve done nothing to deserve the kindness of God, nor could we possibly have made restitution for our sins on our own. We sinned against God, but His mercy was poured out on us; He held nothing back. He has fully and completely justified us.” She explains, “This means we are fully pardoned from sin, fully free of the punishment of death.” Oh what beautiful love this is!

“He has welcomed us as heirs, as recipients of all the promises of God. We have a confident expectation of eternal life.”

LGG Team Member / Enduring Hope

Perhaps the best part of the author’s words is her commentary on our justification and eternal inheritance. Remember it’s an inheritance that would have never been ours apart from the grace and love of God, and the complete surrender of His “only begotten son”, as John described Him (John 3:16). She puts to rest every consideration we may have ever given to how Christ, the only son and rightful, sole heir feels about sharing the inheritance with us, who were enemies of His Father. With the reminder of Christ’s own words that He has gone to prepare a place for us in heaven, she writes, “He has welcomed us as heirs, as recipients of all the promises of God. We have a confident expectation of eternal life.”

Response to God’s Word

Father, thank You for the confidence that is ours through Christ Jesus and for the eternal life He secured for us on the cross. + We are forever in His debt and Yours, for He surrendered His life for mine and You accepted it as payment in-full for my sin debt! Mercy and grace flow into hope and we are forever changed – from hopelessly lost to eternally secure in Christ! I praise You God, my God – from Whom all blessings flow! – In Jesus’ name – Amen!

Worship Through Song

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=M7cD9kAjrXg&feature=share

Posted in Bible study, Enduring Hope, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

The Salvation of Your Souls

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Based on the LGG Study, Enduring Hope, w3d2
Today’s Reading: 1 Peter 1:3-9 / SOAP: 1 Peter 1:8-9

You have not seen him, but you love him. You do not see him now but you believe in him, and so you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, because you are attaining the goal of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

1 Peter 1:8-9
LIVING HOPE

Peter’s letter is meant to be a praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. However, it also serves to encourage the Christians who had been scattered because of persecution. What a cheerleader Peter was for these believers. He urges them to not give up even though they may be suffering, the suffering will enhance their faith and reveal its proven character – which Peter says is much more valuable than gold. He cheers them on with the reminder that they have, by faith, been reborn into a living hope, that they can trust in this hope because Jesus is ALIVE! I can just hear Peter cheering – ‘Alive! Alive! / A-L-I-V-E / Jesus is ALIVE! – This is the foundation of our salvation and it is indeed our living hope! It is, as Peter described, our imperishable, undefiled, and unfading inheritance kept in heaven for us until that day!

What exactly does Peter mean when he speaks of “a living hope”?

Peter states that it is the “new birth” that provides our living hope, affirming that salvation is a gift from God. Just as an infant does nothing to be born, we experience rebirth not because of who we are or anything we have done. We are born of God (John 1:13) through Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. Salvation changes who we are (2 Corinthians 5:17), making us dead to sin and alive to righteousness in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:5). This new birth serves as our reason for hope—the assurance of salvation. –  Jesus Christ is our Savior, our salvation, our Living Hope.

Gotquestions.org /on what is Living Hope
BLIND LOVE

Like those Peter wrote to in his day – we have not yet seen Jesus, but we love Him and we believe in Him, and indeed, we rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy! Why? Because we are achieving, or realizing, the goal of our faith – which is – the salvation of our souls! Can’t you just hear the crowd responding to Peter’s cheer with a thunderous shout of “Hallelujah! / HALLELUJAH! / HAL-LE-LU-JAH!?”

Response To The Word

Father, Hallelujah! You have given us a spectacular and living hope through a faith that is attaining for us the salvation of our souls. You have given us Jesus, and even though we haven’t yet seen Him we have believed in Him and we have loved Him. This belief and love are ongoing and bring with them an indescribable and glorious joy – to which we say glory hallelujah and amen!

Go Deeper

What is the living hope in 1 Peter 1:3?

Visit today’s LGG Blog for more thoughts on today’s passage

Biblereference.com / commentary on 1 Peter 1:8

The Salvation of our Souls / commentary on 1 Peter 1:9

Song of Worship

Living Hope

Posted in Bible study, Enduring Hope, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

Comfort in Trouble

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Enduring Hope, An LGG Study / Week 2 Hope In God’s Character
Today’s Reading /Psalm 119:49-64 / SOAP Psalm 119:49-50

Remember your word to your servant,
for you have given me hope.
50 This is what comforts me in my trouble,
for your promise revives me.

Psalm 119:49-50
Notes:
Verse 49:
  • God does not forget His Word
  • God’s faithfulness is known and not doubted
  • God’s Word give the Psalmist/us HOPE
  • The Psalmist honors God with and through a servant’s attitude
Verse 50:
  • God’s Word is powerful – it comforts and revives us when we need it
    • consider this: revive means to regain life, consciousness, or strength
    • give new strength or energy to.
  • We can/should use it to comfort and revive others

It is obvious that the Psalmist puts much weight into God’s Word. He has a personal relationship with God since he alludes to the fact that God has spoken to him before. He not only calls God to remember the words He had spoken to His servant, but the Psalmist declares that the words have brought him hope. When he has faced troubles, God’ hope-filled words have brought the Psalmist comfort, because he considers God’s Word to be trustworthy promises that can fill him with strength and life.

Response to God’s Word

Father, Your hope-filled words comfort me when I’m in trouble – I trust in Your Words – I consider them gold, pure gold, sure and TRUE – so they revive me when I’m weak or “fainting” from fear, trouble, doubt , worry, and the like. For this I am most thankful. Help me to use Your Word to comfort others, to help them regain strength and life in times of trouble. – In Jesus’ Name – Amen!

Posted in Bible study, Enduring Hope, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

His Loyal Love Endures

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Enduring Hope, An LGG Study / Week 2 Hope In GOd’s Character
Today’s Reading /Psalm 136 / SOAP Psalm 136:23-26

to the one who remembered us when we were down,
for his loyal love endures,
24 and snatched us away from our enemies,
for his loyal love endures,
25 to the one who gives food to all living things,
for his loyal love endures.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven,
for his loyal love endures!

Psalm 136:23-26

How sweet and comforting it is to know God’s love is loyal and it endures. I can’t help but think how beneficial it would be for us to imitate the Psalmist and make a list of reasons to thank Him and to follow each reason with the phrase – for His loyal love endures – if for no other reason than to rehearse it in our minds so that when there doesn’t seem to be any miraculous deeds or creation seems to be crumbling rather than ‘awing’ us. Or when chaos and our needs are overwhelming us, or we find ourselves wandering in a desert or walking into battle, even then may we say – to God belongs all thanks and praise because His loyal love endures!

To endure is to abide … to last … to remain … to continue …
in other words … God’s love is forever

Me – from the Inside out 🦋

It’s also a healthy exercise to reverse the order of the Psalmist’s wording. For instance,

  • ‘Because your loyal love endures, God remembers us when we are down -‘
  • ‘Because His loyal love endures, God saved us from our enemies’ – or
  • ‘Because his loyal love endures, He provides our food.’

This is what I call a biblical perspective that impacts or changes everything! When this is our perspective we find strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow! And, we find countless reasons to praise the father.

Reflection Question

What’s something you have to thank Him for?

Posted in Bible study, Enduring Hope, From the Insideout, LGG Study, Quiet Time

The Goodness of God

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Enduring Hope, An LGG Study / Week 2 Hope In GOd’s Character
Today’s Reading /Ruth 1; 4:14-22; Matthew 7:7-11 / SOAP Matthew 7:11

If you then, although you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

Matthew 7:11

Borrowing from today’s LGG Journal/Devotional – “We serve a good God. He never changes. But sometimes, life doesn’t turn out the way we hoped it would. How do we reconcile our difficulties with God’s goodness in those times? How do we know that He really cares about us when we don’t feel like anything that’s happening to us [or those we love] could possibly be good?

Naomi had experienced incredible loss. She knew who God was, she was convinced of His character – that He was sovereign, ever-present, and good – but she had stopped believing He was good to her.”

If you didn’t read today’s passages from Ruth, I encourage you to do so. We may know the story from reading or hearing it before but let it fall fresh on you and watch for the ways God cared for Naomi – even in the midst of her loss and bitterness. In chapter one we see her forced to leave her homeland, friends, and all she knew for another land and people. Once there she lost her husband and her two sons, but not before gaining two daughters-in-law. One of which, Ruth, adopted Naomi’s God as her God and despite the fact that Naomi released her from her ‘obligation’ to live out her days with her – Ruth makes the declaration: “Stop urging me to abandon you! For wherever you go, I will go,. Wherever you live, I will live. Your people will become my people, and your God will become my God. Wherever you die, I will die – and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me severely if I do not keep my promise! Only death will be able to separate me from you!”

The rest of the story is a beautiful love story of God for His daughter and the longevity of His people. It is a wonderful testimony of His Great Faithfulness and evidence of the work of His hand! To miss it is to miss out on a visual piece of the rich history of God’s people.

It is also a wonderful example of today’s focus verse – in demonstrating how “[our] Father in heaven gives good gifts to those who ask him!”

If you’re wondering why the LGG Team combined the Ruth passage with the Matthew passage – note in Ruth 1:8-9 how Naomi had prayed in general for both Ruth and Orpah, but then she prays specifically for Boaz, who has recently shown interest in Ruth –

“And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, ‘May [Boaz] be blessed by the LORD, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!

Ruth 2:4-19

And then, the beautiful declaration of praise from the lips of the village women, when they saw how God had answered Ruth’s prayer –

“May the LORD be praised because he has not left you without a guardian today!”

Ruth 4:14

Consider this, not only had God provided Naomi with a guardian, He was continuing to carry out His plan to gift us with a Savior! – Oh the vast, immeasurable goodness of God!

Response to the Word

Oh God, how very good You are! You have gifted us with a Savior, with Your Spirit, with forgiveness, never-ending mercy and all sufficient grace. You hear and answer our prayers, You see us when we are hurting, and You provide for our needs. Yes, You allow hard and even tragic things to happen to us or around us but our hope will not be shaken for we know You are with us, You are for us, You are not against us. Help us to press into these truths and to cling to the HOPE that is ours in Christ Jesus! – Amen and amen!

Posted in Bible study, Enduring Hope, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

Hope in the Lord

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Enduring Hope, An LGG Study / Week 2 Hope In God’s Character
Today’s Reading / Psalm 31 / SOAP Psalm 31:24

So be strong and courageous,
    all you who put your hope in the Lord!

Psalm 31:24

Sadly, we live in a fallen world. We live in a world where we have to call out to the Lord to vindicate us, to rescue us, to deliver us, and protect us. We need a refuge to run to and a stronghold to trust in. We are reminded in today’s passage and throughout the Bible that our God, the true and living God, is faithful. We can entrust our lives to Him because He is faithful; and we can rejoice in His faithfulness for He notices our pain and is aware when we are in distress. He hears our cry for mercy and He protects us from the enemy and enables us to stand even when we are weak.

Regardless of the things or people who come against us we can trust in the Lord our God, for He determines our destiny and rescues us from the power of our enemies, both earthly and spiritual. Your loyal followers find safe shelter in You, for You hide us under the shelter of Your wing where we are safe from the treacherous plots of the enemy and the slanderous words of men. When we are attacked from every angle we do not have to fear for we know You will hear us and come to our aid. We have tasted and seen Your goodness and Your faithfulness and have known Your rich mercies so that we can be strong and confident as we hope in You Lord.


Putting our hope in the Lord requires both strength and courage –

May this trust and the confidence that it instills in us, Your faithful followers, be a light that radiates to the world around us and draws all people to You.

Don’t forget to visit lovegodgreatly.com for todays blog

Going Further

Psalm 34:4-8

Joshua 1:9

Proverbs 16:9

Psalm 18:2

Posted in Enduring Hope, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Quiet Time

His Love Never Fails

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Enduring Hope, An LGG Study / Week 1 The Nature of Hope
Today’s Reading / 1 Corinthians 13; 1 john 4:9-11 / SOAP 1 john 4:9-11

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

1 John 4:9-11

What better encouragement is there than to know – that not only did God give His only son so that we may live through Him, but God’s love never fails, or as some translations put it – His love never ends?

Paul’s list of what love is and what love isn’t (or doesn’t do) is describing God’s kind of love, a love which we are to imitate according to Jesus’ words in John 13:34. It is also worth nothing that we cannot imitate God’s love if we do not know or have not received His love. As 1 John 4:9-11 points out God’s love is a deep deep love. It is a love that thought of others over self. It is a love of action and example. It is a visible love that speaks volumes of how secure our hope is in Christ. It even gives us hope that we can love like He loves – because, as John wrote, God’s love is revealed in us.

Love is not defined by our love for God, but by the actions of His love for us.

Me -from the Inside out
How do we live this out?

I think the best answer to imitating God’s love comes from Christ Himself. We find it in His words in John 13:34 when He says, “so now I’m giving you a new commandment – love each other. Just as I have loved you should love one another.” But even better, we find it on the cross, when He willingly laid down His life – not because He deserved a sinner’s cross but because He knew it would save us from the death we deserved. – “Mercy there was grace and grace was free, pardon there was multiplied to me – there my burdened soul found liberty – at Calvary.” Dare we love like this? Dare we lay down our desires for God’s or our ‘life’ for others? If we dare – I believe others will impacted and God will be glorified.

Response to God’s Word

Father, thank You for Your Love and Jesus, thank You for Your obedience to the Father. You have set a high bar for us to imitate but we have received Your Spirit who empowers us to live and love like You did when You were here on this earth. May we live lives that are rich in love and grace – to the benefit of others and to the glory of the trinity. – In Jesus’ name – Amen and amen!

Posted in Bible study, Enduring Hope, LGG Study, Quiet Time

Hope Deferred

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Enduring Hope, An LGG Study / Week 1 The Nature of Hope
Today’s Reading / proverbs 13:12 / SOAP verse 12

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
    but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

Proverbs 13:12

Such a tiny verse and such a great message. I found it helpful as I journaled to clarify a few things in order to unpack the meaning.

  • Hope is a feeling of expectation and desire or longing for a certain thing to happen.
    • examples include things like pregnancy, a much needed job, a loved one’s salvation, or the healing of a disease…
  • Deferred means to put off or postpone until a later time.
    • this is not always a controlled or chosen action (see examples above)
  • Heart, in this sentence, is not referring to our physical organ but rather to the spiritual part of us where the emotions and desires dwell.
  • Desire is another word for hope
  • Fulfilled is something accomplished or completed.
  • Tree of Life in the Scriptures signifies “renewal of life” or to be refreshed, a breath of fresh air, renewed strength or joy, encouragement …

These observations may not seem necessary since they are all familiar words or phrases; however I find them helpful in fully appreciating the warning and wisdom of this proverb. The warning being we can’t always control when or if we will receive what we desire – but we can control how we respond in the waiting. Do we allow our crushed hopes and disappointment to drive us to bitterness and anger or do we let it lead us closer to the Savior? Do we succumb to “heart sickness” – allowing ourselves to fall into despair, depression, anxiety, and even actual physical sickness? Or, do we endure the wait with our faith planted firmly in God? I believe the answer lies in whether we want our desire more than we want God’s will and His perfect timing.

When our hope is deferred, we can cling to the hope we have in Christ, the one hope that will never be deferred. –


An LGG Team Member

Father, when hope is deferred help us to trust in You, Your will and Your perfect timing – and to want these things more than the desire we seek. Help us to not give up! – Amen and amen

Posted in Bible study, Enduring Hope, LGG Study, Quiet Time

Hope Deferred

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Enduring Hope, An LGG Study / Week 1 The Nature of Hope
Today’s Reading / proverbs 13:12 / SOAP verse 12

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
    but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

Proverbs 13:12

Such a tiny verse and such a great message. I found it helpful as I journaled to clarify a few things in order to unpack the meaning.

  • Hope is a feeling of expectation and desire or longing for a certain thing to happen.
    • examples include things like pregnancy, a much needed job, a loved one’s salvation, or the healing of a disease…
  • Deferred means to put off or postpone until a later time.
    • this is not always a controlled or chosen action (see examples above)
  • Heart, in this sentence, is not referring to our physical organ but rather to the spiritual part of us where the emotions and desires dwell.
  • Desire is another word for hope
  • Fulfilled is something accomplished or completed.
  • Tree of Life in the Scriptures signifies “renewal of life” or to be refreshed, a breath of fresh air, renewed strength or joy, encouragement …

These observations may not seem necessary since they are all familiar words or phrases; however I find them helpful in fully appreciating the warning and wisdom of this proverb. The warning being we can’t always control when or if we will receive what we desire – but we can control how we respond in the waiting. Do we allow our crushed hopes and disappointment to drive us to bitterness and anger or do we let it lead us closer to the Savior? Do we succumb to “heart sickness” – allowing ourselves to fall into despair, depression, anxiety, and even actual physical sickness? Or, do we endure the wait with our faith planted firmly in God? I believe the answer lies in whether we want our desire more than we want God’s will and His perfect timing.

When our hope is deferred, we can cling to the hope we have in Christ, the one hope that will never be deferred. –


An LGG Team Member

Father, when hope is deferred help us to trust in You, Your will and Your perfect timing – and to want these things more than the desire we seek. Help us to not give up! – Amen and amen

Posted in Enduring Hope, Journey Through The Word, Quiet Time

Saved in Hope

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Enduring Hope, An LGG Study / Week 1 The Nature of Hope
Today’s Reading / Romans 8;18-25 / SOAP verses 24-25

For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Romans 8:24-25

Some Observations

Our larger passage begins with these words from Paul, “For I consider that our present sufferings cannot even be compared to the coming glory that will be revealed to us.” It is worth noting here that Paul is not trivializing ‘our’ present suffering in this sin cursed world nor any suffering that we may face because we follow Him, but rather – he is pointing out how great and wonderful the “coming glory” of life with the Father will be. With the knowledge of such a great promise, is it in wonder that Paul goes on to write, “- we eagerly await our adoption, the redemption of our bodies.”?

  • The hope of being with God is the same hope that led us to believe – and place our faith in Christ.
  • Our hope is certain – but not yet seen. We have to wait for it and while we wait we hope.
  • While we wait we will know the suffering and consequences of life on a sin-filled earth and because of this – we will wait eagerly, knowing there is a better day coming.
  • And, we will wait patiently – enduring this present life for the promise yet to come – eternal life with God.
A Present Day Perspective

To put this in perspective of our present day. I work in the office of my church, and there’s a lady who faithfully for prayer – for herself and her extended family. She’s been doing this for years and the needs are never trivial – she calls because she or someone she loves is suffering, or in prison, or unsaved. She is a woman of great faith but also great need and suffering, most recently in her own battle with cancer. She was just seeing the light at the end of the tunnel when her sister took ill and died. She buried her sister this past weekend and then called today to say that her brother’s house was robbed while they were at the funeral and thousands of dollars was taken – it was all he had. The list goes on. The suffering never ends for her … but her faith holds firm. In one breath she cries out in agony and in the next – “hope”. Today her agony was so great and her wails so loud that I could barely understand her – then her agony turned to a professed and firm confession of hope in knowing that God is able to save her unsaved and troubled nephew, and He is able to return the stolen money to her brother, and He is able to give her peace “in” all the suffering – and that one day all pain and suffering will end. It was a hope that calmed her crying and brought peace to her agony – and tears to my eyes – because it was a true and abiding hope placed in God and His coming glory.

Like my friend Thelma and in the words of the Apostle Paul, “we [too] eagerly await our adoption and the redemption of our bodies [from earth to heaven]. Because in hope we were saved.” To be sure, – according to God’s Word He has adopted us as His own children, Romans 8:15, but as someone once said – “The adoption is complete, we’re just waiting for our Father to come and pick us up so that we can be with Him.”(unknown source)

Response to God’s Word

Father, as we “eagerly await” Your coming glory, help us to wait patiently, with endurance, for the hope-filled promise of 4-ever with You! And as we ‘endure’ the suffering of this world, whether spiritual or physical, may our endurance shine a light on You, so that others will share in our hope. – In Jesus’ Holy Name –