by Cindy Geyer

The Living Word
We can rejoice, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. Romans 5:3-5

The Word In Motion
As some of you have read in the last couple years I have been dealing with a disease that has changed my life. What was once a life of go, go, go; has changed to stop, evaluate, and then go. My life has literally stopped. I now have to assess if I can even go grocery shopping today. 

The disease is Sarcoidosis - a hyper-immune disease which can affect all the organs in your body. It has affected my lungs, joints, lymphoids, and skin, it has its ups and downs. No one is sure how it starts or what causes it. Needless to say, it has been a very difficult journey. A journey that has brought me to a lot of different locations.  (For more info read the blogs Detours in life) 

This past year I have been in the location of "The pit of Despair" (said with Princess Bride inflection). What was new and difficult, became mundane and difficult. So the depression set in. Everyone else in my life has moved on. Their lives are still going at the pace I used to function in and mine has slowed way down, and it seems like they have left me behind. (Now, I know that is not entirely true, but seeing this through the eyes of discouragement tends to exaggerate things.)

Also the pain I am in can cause discouragement. When people see me, I don't look “sick”. It is a disease that is inward and not always discernible. I also don't like to let on that I am not doing well. (I am working on that one). Many people don't realize that my life has slowed, so they keep moving on, until they see me again. This leaves times of fellowship few and far between. I try to reach out, but being limited to times of physical ability, it is hard. Also, they have lives that need to keep moving and not stop on my account. (Told you, still working on it). 

So this depression sets in, not an easy thing to deal with. It can consume you and your perspective on life. Now, I don’t usually get so depressed, so this is a new experience for me.  Especially when I know without a doubt that God has a plan in all this and that He turns all things to good! I also know that I am healed!! Whether it is seen now or in the future I am healed.

 So I say all this to tell you about a special time I had with the Lord the other day. It was one of those days that I was in a lot of pain and not feeling I could get up, but I wanted to go to church. So I went. As I was in worship the pain and weakness got really bad. I cried out to Papa God, “Why am I in this position, O Lord… Pain, weakness, tired, alone in a pit of despair.” I just started to cry. Then the Lord spoke to my heart and showed me a picture.

I was in this deep pit, no way to climb out, with a shaft of light shining down on my collapsed body. "This is not a pit of despair my daughter...this is a position of honor!" What? How can this be? I am in a pit, alone and in pain. "My precious one I have chosen you for this time. I have placed you in this position to bring glory to my Name. It is a position of honor that I have placed you in. That it is a pit of despair is a perspective your flesh has made it to be. I have chosen this as a place of honor to bring glory to my name." Now I need to tell you that at first I was, like, could you choose a different place for this position. (Sarcoidosis is not what I would have wanted.) My discouragement was so overwhelming that I almost missed what Papa God was revealing to me. But then the picture of the pit started to change. The light was not just on me it got wider.

It says in Psalm 40 that when we cry out, He listens and lifts us up out of the pit of despair and gives us a firm place to stand. That firm place is His UNFAILING LOVE!! The firm place is his love for me, it gives me the ability to stand firmly and not sink in the mire of my discouragement. I learned that day that my fleshly perspective is a lonely pit of despair but with His unfailing-love-perspective (the shaft of light) I could see others in the pit with me. I saw their pain and suffering, loneliness, and fear. I saw people who needed hope and an understanding of God's unfailing love for them in the midst of their pain. I understood. I was in a position (of honor) to reveal God's love and hope to those I would not be able to reach if it wasn't for my disease. A light in the darkness to bring glory to His name. Wow! what a perspective change. He does turn all things to good. It's not all about me and my pain. It is about how God uses my suffering to reveal His goodness to others.

Now does that change my circumstances? No, I still have to deal with this disease and at times my discouragement, but Papa God always reminds me of His promises. * His understanding of what I am going through no one can fathom. He never grows tired or weary of helping me when I am weak. His unfailing love is always underneath me supporting my life. He is always faithful and He loves me unconditionally. His plan for me is to prosper not to harm me and to give me a hope and a future. These are truths that I believe with all my heart and they give me strength and joy every day. This is what I need to share with those who are suffering.  

He has put me in a position of honor. He trusts me to reveal His love and faithfulness to others. During this time, I have been able to encourage more people than I have ever imagined. Nurses, techs, doctors, admissions, and so on. People I would never have reached if it wasn’t for this sickness. They ask me, “How can you be so positive when you are so sick?” I just look at them and say “God.” My position opens doors to reveal His glory.

Many of you are suffering and need a word of hope. Read the truth of who God is in the paragraph above *. He is a faithful God in all things.

For others of you who are suffering, you need to be reminded of who God is and that you are in a position of honor to bring glory to Him. What are you reflecting on while in your pit? It is not all about you. He is trusting you to reveal to others what He has been to you. What do your actions and statements reveal?  

A position of honor is a place of surrender and responsibility. To surrender your perspective/selfishness and take on the responsibility of bringing glory to His name. Reveal who God is in the dark places of your life so others may see an amazing God who never leaves nor forsakes them. One who never fails and always loves unconditionally.  AMEN!

Our sufferings are our places of honor. It is not about how we feel, it is about who Papa God is.  We are in Positions of Honor to bring glory to his name. 


Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial that has come upon you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed at the revelation of His glory. I Peter 4:12-13

The Living Word: Nehemiah 8:10 b
"...Don’t be dejected and sad,
for the Joy of the Lord is your strength!" 

The Word In Motion:
The Definition of Strength
 state of being strong, endurance, power of resisting attack, force of an army
ability to deal with problems in a determined and effective way, 
ability that makes one effective or useful.

Now...take one of the definitions that fits your situation
and put it in the place of the word STRENGTH. 
The Joy of the Lord is my _________________

​​Example: The Joy of the Lord is my endurance.
His joy is my ability to endure
His joy is my ability to resist
His joy is my ability to be effective in this world..

WOW!  His joy, HIS JOY,
changes our perspectives and enhances our abilities. It give us the strength to endure. 
What do you need right now in your circumstances. Ask for His Joy to fill you and give you strength to endure, or resist, or to be effective.

This joy is a gift. He is offering it to you. All you have to do is receive. 
What activates this gift or the batteries it needs is... Praise and Trust.

Paul in Philippians states: Rejoice in the Lord at all times.
Isaiah states: put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.
David states: God is his strength, I trust Him always and  my heart is full of JOY!

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 
Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4 (NIV)

Joy isn't just happiness - It is the substance of contentment. It is trust in the knowledge, no the fact that God is ever-present, in control of all things, faithful, never grows weary, and He understands better than anyone else what is going on in our lives.

He is hope and He is joy.
Let His Joy flow through you now. Let your soul rejoice in Him.
HE IS YOUR STRENGTH!
 your moral strength
your character strength 
your inner strength

The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving. Ps 28:7

​by Don Geyer

The Living Word
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.   Ephesians 3:20
​
The Word In Motion
“A priest, a Baptist minister, and a Pentecostal walk into a bar.” What’s next? What would you expect to hear after an opener like that? A joke, right? But what if the next thing I told you was that they had a cross-denominational revival and 50 people got saved? Now, if I told you to expect the unexpected, “national revival” is what you would think.

Having grown up with ten brothers, Joe was used to fits of jealousy and outbursts of rage. Being one of the youngest of the brood, he often was the recipient of the brunt of their frustrations. He was also the instigator of much of them. He was his father’s favorite. So when they threw him in a well, he figured one of them would eventually let him out. When they finally came for him, he was thoroughly frustrated himself. Dripping wet they hauled him up only to sell him to some passers-by. This wasn’t like before. A sense of dread came over him. The rest of his life was going to be a living hell. He expected he would serve one master after another for the rest of his miserable life with no chance of ever seeing his beloved father again.

An old shepherd was walking through the dessert. In his 80 years he had seen his share of strange things. Some distance away, at the foot of a mountain in the middle of a long shadow cast by a blistering hot sun was a little thorn bush. Nothing unusual so far. But this one was on fire. Still nothing all that awe-inspiring. What caught the shepherd’s eye at first was the light. He walked toward it, expecting it to be someone’s campfire. As he approached he saw that no one was around. He expected the fire to die down to a few glowing embers and eventually go out.

A seasoned warrior king, a conqueror of nations, a well-traveled man, had seen it all. He had servants from all over the world. His empire glistened with the greatest talents from anywhere in the entire world. He was advised by the wisest words of wisdom from the world’s greatest minds. At a party in his honor, as all of them were, a few rabble-rousers made him angry. No, furious. Did not these puny peasants know that he had the power to destroy them?! Even when confronted, these men refused to pay him homage. He was beyond angry, furious didn’t even do him justice. He couldn’t control himself. He had his workers heat the furnace, which had just days before melted the metal for his immense statue, to seven times hotter than it had been for that purpose. At a hundred yard he could feel the intensity of the heat. He had his royal guards take the men up the ramp to fueling side of the furnace to throw those vile villains into the flames. His own guards couldn’t even take the heat and perished on the way. The three bound men were momentarily on their own. Knowing that their fate lie in the depths of the melting pot, they jumped in.
Despite losing his best men the king’s fierce anger was momentarily abated when the bound prisoners leapt into the blazing inferno. He expected there to be shrieks of exquisite torment as their flesh melted off their bones.

The Bible is full of stories where something happens to someone and that someone expects something, but that something never materializes. Instead, something else entirely happens and that someone is required to adjust their expectations. And as they do, God begins to do some marvelous things.

Joseph served his master well. But still all did not go well. He landed in prison and was forgotten by “friends”. He could have given in to despair and just quit living altogether. But he wasn’t your average joe. From the time he had his first dreams where his brothers and father bowed down to him, Joseph had some pretty high expectations of God. With no idea how God would pull it off, he served where he found himself whether in Potiphar’s house or in prison. He kept his high expectations of God and God lived up to those expectations. He ended up being the number two person in all of ancient Egypt! That was unexpected.

Moses noticed that the bush was not consumed. The time it took him to walk over to the bush should have seen the bush reduced to embers – at least. In the brilliance of the flames, the old man could still make out the smallest of branches and every leaf. The wonder of the burning bush drew him in. Cautiously, he approached. He didn’t want that kind of fire on him! And then it spoke! That was unexpected. Moses went on to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Along the way he learned to follow God’s instructions and developed a habit of adjusting his expectations. He had to. With each of the plagues he expected God to set his people free. By the time the Israelites got to the Red Sea Moses was beginning to get it. He raised his expectations to the level God could act, and entire army was annihilated and a nation saved.

Not believing his own eyes, Nebuchadnezzar saw not three prisoners but four, and none of them bound, none of them shrieking, none of them harmed in any way! Not only that, but the forth man was glowing so bright that the fire seemed pale in comparison. That was unexpected.

Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah met the fourth man in the furnace. Immediately, they knew they had to adjust their expectations upward. Before going in they were confident in God’s ability to save. But what now? Obviously, it had to be great. That kind of saving doesn’t just happen every day does it? Nebuchadnezzar no longer demanded people worship him, he changed his tune and gave praise to God. The course of the nation changed. That was unexpected.

The world would tell you, “Lower your expectations so you don’t get hurt.” Or “I can’t live up to your expectations, and you can’t live up to mine, so we just shouldn’t have any.” God, on the other hand, wants us to raise our expectations of Him. He wants us to expect great things from Him. All too often our problems lie in the fact that we don’t have high enough expectations and God doesn’t want to – no, won’t - meet those low expectations. He wants us to have high enough expectations that He can meet them without compromising Himself in the process. If He met your less-than-spectacular expectations (which may be high enough for you), what would that be saying about Him? Oh, ye of little faith. Go beyond the normal expectations – that which merely should be – and reach for more. Expect the unexpected! Expect God to do what only He can.

No, you’re circumstances shouldn't be overwhelming, they should be overwhelmed!
Your circumstances are merely a platform on which God can perform!
​That sounds dangerously close to HOPE!  Well, that was unexpected.

Living Word:
Jeremiah 29:12-13 - Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

Word In Motion:
​I am here. I am listening. Do you hear me? Is the world that much of a distraction? Can you remember who I am? I am knocking. Is anyone going to answer? 

I am seeking the ones who are passionate about life. Not the life the world gives but the life I give. Don't let the flame go out, due to discouragement or unforgiveness. Don't let the fire go out due to pride and anger. Don't let the spark go out due to fear. Fan the flame by Remembering Me!

​I am the one who saves. I am the one who redeems lives. I am the one who heals. I am the one who restores what is broken. I am the one who loves unconditionally. I am the one who passionately cries out before God on your behalf. I am the one who gave all to have all with you. I am the way, the truth, and the life. I AM! 

Come to me all who are weary, broken, lost, confused, heavy burdened,
And I Will, give you rest, strength, and wisdom. (Mt 11:28)

by Cindy Geyer

The Living Word:
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God...    Psalm 46:1-3, 10a

The Word In Motion:
It was just quiet. Quiet BUT not silent… I knew God was there with me. A lot of people think the quiet is that, God is missing. “Where are you God?” is the question that gets asked. It may be quiet but I promise God is still there – He’s still here. It is quiet, but He is not silent. He is still with me and directing me during this time. I am not alone. He has not abandoned me. He was the flagger on the road saying, “take this detour.” He directed me to this path. The destination is still the same, just a different route.  
 
So now I’ve developed this cough that won’t quit. I have had bronchitis and pneumonia before, but this cough was worse. When I started coughing I could not stop. I also had this pressure on my chest that made it hard to breathe. So went to my primary care to see what was going on. They took an x-ray and told me that they wanted me to get a CT scan. While waiting for them to schedule that appt., my chest pressure/pain, my voice ( I could barely talk) and my breathing were getting worse. I called the nurse and she said for me to go to ER. They did the CT scan and then sent me to pulmonology. At the same time that this was going on, my doctor had my blood tested for pneumonia and tuberculous. They came out negative, but the CT scan showed some masses in my chest. When I got to the pulmonologist he said that they needed to do a biopsy of the lymph nodes and the granulomas that were in my lungs. He felt it was either lymphoma or a disease called Sarcoidosis. So a biopsy was scheduled for the next week. 

• I know that I am not done yet.  God still has a plan for me. 

I was told that after the biopsy I would be down for a week and I could not lift anything over 3 lbs for 4 weeks. So there I was in pain from whatever I have raging through my body and now dealing with incisions in my side and the pain from the surgery. Also, it was the holidays. So how am I supposed to cook Thanksgiving? How do I get my house ready for Christmas? How do I shop for my family and do all the traditions we have fun doing? 

• I know that I am not done yet.  God still has a plan for me. 

I struggled with these questions a lot. Why this detour God? What is the purpose for this? People quote Jeremiah 29, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. I know He has all this in His hands and he will not leave me. But Papa God, do you realize all that my life, as a mom, entails, especially during the holidays? 

It is hard as a mom to come to a place where you cannot do anything. I was sitting watching my family moving and carrying on, but I was stuck on the couch in pain. I couldn’t even cook dinner. Help me, God, to see the good in all of this. 

Well, after Thanksgiving the diagnosis came back. You do not have lymphoma, but you do have Sarcoidosis. I praised God when they told me I didn’t have lymphoma. I didn’t have cancer.  

Now at this time I felt very relieved, I don’t have cancer and many others said the same thing to me. Almost responding with “its only Sarcoidosis.” But as I am learning more about Sarcoidosis… I’m not sure that it is any better.  I have been diagnosed with a hyper-immune disease. Here is  some information to help explain this disease. 
 
Sarcoidosis - is a rare inflammatory disease that affects multiple organs in the body, it causes heightened immunity, which means that a person’s immune system, which normally protects the body from infection and disease, overreacts, resulting in damage to the body’s own tissues. It causes abnormal masses called granulomas. These granulomas may alter the normal structure and possibly the function of the affected organ(s). The disease can and usually does affect others organs, too, including (but not limited to) the skin, eyes, liver, salivary glands, sinuses, kidneys, heart, the muscles and bones, and the brain and nervous system. 
 
No one knows exactly what causes Sarcoidosis – and there is no cure.  
 
I have the granulomas in the lungs, and the lymph nodes in my chest are so swollen they are pushing against my aorta (hence the chest pain). This has them very concerned.  
So treatment is “immune suppression therapy”. Remember earlier when I mentioned that I felt I shouldn’t take prednisone in the beginning? Well, my pulmonologist was very glad I didn’t take it. It would have masked my symptoms and they wouldn’t have been able to find out what was wrong. I would have just gotten worse until I was in a chronic state. Praise God, I listened to that still small voice! (Quiet but not Silent). But now that they know… prednisone is the main part of the treatment.

They suppress the immune system to reduce swelling and stop my immune system from hurting me.  I am on several medication to help me with this. The side effect is, I can get sick easier. So have to be very careful when I go out and who comes over. The decision to take the medications that I needed, was very hard for me. I don’t like meds or the side effects of them. The doctor put it very directly to me: “Cindy, you have a disease that is very serious and you can die from it, if we don’t do this. We have to get the inflammation down in the lymph nodes. They are pushing on your aorta and the granulomas will keep growing.” This kind of helped me with my decision. (You think?) I still had to wait the 3 weeks for my biopsy incisions to heal before I could even start this regime and get some relief. This made the holidays very interesting needless to say. 

So... this therapy is a wait and see therapy. At some point they will lessen the meds and we will wait to see if the Sarcoidosis has calmed down.  This will not cure it, it will only calm it down. We don't know what will trigger it to activate or even where in my body it will become active. And so we wait.

The detour is a different path to my destination, but is it a bad path? I never knew I would be in this situation. I didn't plan for this. Sometimes I am unable to move or help my family with simple daily things. I can’t go out due to the immune suppression. We were told, that if I got sick I would probably end up in the hospital. Basically I don’t have a working immune system. People are always recommending all these things to help me, but with this disease if my body sees it as a foreign substance it will attack it and then it will attack me! So everything needs to be carefully studied before I can breathe it, ingest it, or use it. I have moved into the twilight zone of Sarcoidosis. 

In Lamentations 3: verses 18 through 26, it says 
So I say, “My splendor is gone and all that I had hoped from the Lord.” 
 I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. 
 I well remember them,  and my soul is downcast within me. 

This is a time that I could wallow, be discouraged, and even angry. As Solomon so succinctly says, “I well remember my affliction: and my soul is downcast” Yes, I do get discouraged and frustrated but I refuse to wallow. I want to do what Solomon does next… He says YET!   Yet, this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: 

What does he call to mind? What does he remember that gives him hope?

I need to remember what he calls to mind, because now there is a concern that the Sarcoidosis has become active in my heart. 
 
More to follow - look for part 4

by Cindy Geyer

The Living Word: I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the
                    gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call
                    to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not
                    consumed, for his compassions never fail.  Lamentations 3:19-22

The Word in Motion:
Little did I know how long this detour was going to be.
 
As I entered the conference room that Sunday morning, the only thing I could think of was that God had called me for a purpose. He had me in the palm of His hand. “Be at rest, Cindy, and trust Me in the fire.” The conference was amazing but by the end of the day all my symptoms had increased in intensity. It is hard to explain the pain I was in. On Monday morning, I could barely walk the pain was so intense. My ankles and feet were so swollen. The rash was unbearable. Every joint in my body hurt. My husband said, “That’s it, we are going to the doctor.” We went to the doctor and he wasn’t even sure what was going on. His first thought was that it was an allergic reaction to something. So the blood tests began. My doctor gave me every kind of blood test he could think of. He even called infectious disease to see if there was anything that they thought I should do. When he exhausted his thoughts, he sent me to dermatology about the rash and granulomas that were growing on my hands and feet. The dermatologist did a biopsy and checked out the rash. It was not skin cancer, praise God. She called it erythema nodosome. She then referred me to rheumatology. Rheumatology checked out the swelling of the joints and the rash, it was not rheumatoid arthritis, but my inflammation markers were extremely high. He wanted to start me on prednisone. This is where I said “No.” I knew the side effects and the risks with diabetes. I wanted to know what was going on before I threw meds at it. He did agreed with the dermatologist that the rash was erythema nodosome. He wasn’t exactly sure what the swelling was though. So, he sent me home saying it may go away on its own. He told me to keep taking the Ibuprofen every 6 hours for pain and to touch base with him if my symptoms got any worse.
 
This journey wasn’t just a detour. It also had a giant stop sign. I was now in a position that I couldn’t walk or get up on my own. I had to have my husband and boys lift me from the couch or my bed to go to the bathroom. I couldn’t even use my hands. No cooking, cleaning, typing, writing, I couldn’t even crochet. It was pitiful. The swelling, the granulomas and the pain made it impossible to do things on my own. I was not eating much and losing weight fast. All of these things concerned us and the doctors, but no one knew what was going on.
 
The strange thing during this time (2 long months) was… I wasn’t afraid. I was in pain and frustrated with my body -- but not afraid. I knew God was there with me. I was sure He was the flagger on the road saying, “take this detour.” Does this mean I was at peace and calm? No, this was one of the hardest and most painful times in my life. It was rough on my family, also. It was also a very lonely time. How do you explain to people what is wrong when you don’t even know?  People would ask me, “Well, God must be speaking to you during this time then. What is He revealing to you? Anything profound?” I was not hearing anything profound.  It was just quiet. Quiet BUT not silent. I knew He was there. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me!” Psalm 23.

I had this profound sense of peace. Yes, I would get emotional and, at times, even angry, but my spirit and my mind were assured of God’s purpose in all of this.

You know how you desire to come to a place where you just trust and not fear? But, normally when things happen you go to the worry and complaining stage instead, even though you really want to arrive at that place of trust. Well, this is what I was experiencing:  that place of trust. Kind of the calm in the eye of the storm.

Then the severe coughing started and I was having a very hard time breathing. I had pressure on my chest that felt like a weight pressing down on me to smother me. This time I got sent to Pulmonology.

The detour has now turned into a gravel road with pot holes and sharp turns. It is getting a lot harder to navigate and I don’t know if I want to be on it anymore. I just want to go home.
​
What now God? What is wrong with me?


​
More to follow: look  for Part 3

by Cindy Geyer

Living Word:  
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.”  Hebrews 10:23

​The Word In Motion:
When we say, “I hope” what are we actually saying? Do we really express it in the way it is supposed to mean? No, we tend to express it like a wish. "I hope so - but I'm not sure",  "Maybe things will get better", "I hope I can", etc...  we express it weakly like a dream.  I know in my life I have expressed it weakly. But I have learned a new and renewed meaning of hope.  That it is a positive attitude! An assured profession of faith!
 
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.”  Hope is not a wish in this verse. It is positive assurance. We are told to hold onto it with a grip that will not let go.  To know, that you know, He who promised is faithful and to express that faith in Him as a positive expression of HOPE. My hope is in Him. He will not fail. No wishful thinking, just positive attitude. For He is my HOPE.
 
Zechariah 9:12 declares: “Return to the fortress, O prisoners  who have hope;  For this very day I am declaring that I will restore double to you.”  Return to your refuge? What or where is my refuge?  
 
“God is my refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1 
Return to your place of security. Return to the God who is our deliverer, our provider, our strength, and our peace. Hope is being certain of these things. It is where we rise above our doubts and fears and declare with absolute understanding that “He who promised is faithful!” 
 
"Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength” Isaiah 40.31. 
Our hope grows stronger through the trials we face, not weaker turning into a wish. Romans 5:3-5 states,  And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
 
Our struggles “produces perseverance, character, and hope.”  This hope does not disappoint us, BECAUSE God has poured out His unfailing love. Hope should dispel fear and worry not entwined with it. I hope so, Maybe, I wish....are all statements with worry mixed in and hope is weak, Deferred. “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.” Proverbs 13:12a
 
So how do we change our weak hope to be positive assurance and not wishful thinking? 
 
Remember: Hope is absolute confidence in the Eternal God. He is HOPE.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose....so what then shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with his son, graciously  give us all things? “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No IN ALL THINGS we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us!!!” Romans 8:28-39 (emphasis added.)

I say it again: Hope is absolute assurance, confidence, and understanding that God will do what He promises. WOW!  
 
A few of years ago our lives were in a place of "what do we do now?" (My husband was laid off, we were losing our home, no money for bills even at times food. We were in a bad car accident, I had cancer, my oldest son was in a bicycle accident with a severe concussion and loss of memory, broken...) I could go on and on. It was a very discouraging and fearful time, and the Lord keep asking me, “In whom/in what do you trust? In whom/in what do you place your hope?”  He led me to Laminations 3:17-25.  I love these verses because it described my heart perfectly.
Woe is me!
“I have been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is. So I say my splendor is gone and all that I hoped from the Lord.  I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall.  I well remember them and my soul is downcast within me.” 
 
This is where God was gently reminding me of how well I remember them, all day, every minute, actually coming to a place of complaining and whining. A place of wishful thinking. Then He said read on: “Yet…” This is the point where I knew I was going to have a heart change. Every time God uses “YET,” it means my perspective has to change. 
“Yet, this I call to mind and therefore I have Hope! Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassion's never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.’ The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord!” 
 
Wow! He turned my tears of sadness, worry and complaining into words of hope and absolute confidence. Yet, this I call to my mind and therefore I HAVE HOPE! He is faithful!!! 
 
Closing: Do you need a perspective change, too?  In what or in whom do you place your hope? Hope is not wishful thinking. Hope is positive assurance. It is where we rise above our circumstances, our doubts and our fears and declare with absolute certainty and with attitude, that God is faithful to all His promises, and we hold unswervingly to that hope that we profess!
 
My prayer for you: “May the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  Romans 15:13

The Living Word:
Come let us worship and bow down. 
Come let us kneel before the Lord our maker. Psalm 95:6
 

The Word In Motion:
There are many confused ideas of what worship is: A lot of us think of it as a Sunday morning song service. The music time before the sermon. We tend to categories each part of our daily time with God as worship. But....Singing songs of praise alone is not worship. Prayer alone is not worship. Testifying alone is not worship. Listening to the Word is not worship. Listening to preaching is not worship. It is true that all of these ought to produce worship. For when we pray we sense the wonderful presence and nearness of God, when we testify we are sharing about the awesomeness of Gods presence,when we read the word it is His living word. All of these do lead us to a place of adoration and reverence...BUT worship is more that just these things.

So what is worship? First we need to define the two acts of worship.


1. Worship as a community - where we come together to lift up songs in unity and exalt, praise, and worship the Lord our maker. This encourages and strengthens the body of Christ. It unites us in purpose. It is the sound of heaven here on earth.

2. Worship as a lifestyle. This is the focus of our teaching today.

The definition of worship is the act of paying divine honor, showing reverence in all things, respect, adoration, intense love, awe and fear. It is a heart felt reaction to knowing God & experiencing His grace, mercy, and love in our lives.

The heart of worship isn’t just singing, dancing music etc... It is a lifestyle. All the time.
 It flows from the heart, from deep within. It is not just an emotional experience alone, it is also a disciplined decision to walk in reverence; to live a life of reverence, respect, and obedience to Him from the rising of the sun to its setting. It is giving God the reverence and honor that He deserves in all we do, say, and think. It is living life for the honor of one!

The Heart Of Worship -  when you are worshiping (giving respect, awe and honor) from the heart, in all you do, that is the sweetest noise that reaches the heart of God.

Worship flows from three parts of our being
               1. The Mind - knowledge of who God is
               2. The Heart - our experiences with a loving God 
               3. The Body - our physical response to his amazing grace.
 
    To you alone does my spirit yield. Lord, I long to worship you with all that I am.

One of my favorites scriptures to help explain how to develop a heart of worship is
Romans 11:33-36 and 12:1 it reads:

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unreachable His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been His counselor?
Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.
 To Him be the glory forever! Amen! Therefore, I urge you, brothers, In view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - This is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but e transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will.

 Let’s look at this passage we just read and apply each part to our lives.
 “Spiritual act of worship.” What does that look like? Sacrifice -  to give yourself unreservedly to Him - a free will offering – Releasing all claim - All right to it - not dead but living. Holy Free from sin - set apart - not divided but complete- offered in repentance and righteousness.
 Pleasing For His honor and glory. In spirit and in truth
This is your spiritual act of worship!!! Sacrifice, holiness, pleasing God. “Living your life for honor of One.

A lifestyle of worship. We are His own . We dwell in His presence continually. Does He not live in us and breathes in us?  We are His living temple. So worship should flow from within at all times, in all circumstances. A life of reverent awe, wonder and fear. AT All TIMES.

He knew we couldn’t dwell in His presence. His very heart cry was to have relationship with us, so He sent His only son to die for our sins so we can come into His presence.
 So In view of His mercy offer yourself as a living sacrifice this is your spiritual act of worship.

Worship in the fullness of who God is. Abandon yourself and rights and honor Him in all you do. 

Renew your mind and be transformed - I’m coming back to a heart of worship and its all about you.  A spiritual act of worship.
We have to sacrifice ourselves daily. Our flesh reactions and attitudes. We cant just put God in a box and take lightly His presence in our lives. We bare a responsibility to honor Him in all we do, what we say, how we react, and what we do.  Do you honor God in all you do?
 
A living sacrifice - laying down self in all things to give God honor and respect due Him.
Place Him first.  Be transformed and renewed. 
Offer your life to Him and live as one who dwells in the presence of a holy 
God. 


In all things give Him honor and reverence. Stay away from what is 
forbidden, 
Do not conform to this world. 
Practice and learn His character in all things - take off old self put on new self created in the image of Christ. 


Know Him intimately. 
Put aside yuurself to honor Him.
 
Recognize the fact that you dwell in the presence of a holy merciful, loving, good God. 
In all you do give reverence to Him. Worship Him in the splendor of His majesty, in the view of His mercy. 


                                                   In reverence will I bow down before you. 
                                  By your great mercy will I come into your presence Psalm 5:1

The Living Word:
Ezekiel 37:1-11
   The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”  I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”
   Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
   So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.
Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.


The Word In Motion:

A valley dry bones. A valley full of death and despair. Bones scattered around like carnage in a battle. Bones exposed to the sun. They were dry, bleached, and broken. A forlorn and hopeless sight.

But how does this story relate to us? This is a story of redemption and restoration.
The world is like a valley of dry bones, ugly in its despair and wickedness. Helpless in its confusion and sin. Sin causes death. All sin, there is no differentiation.  Sin separates us from God. The soul separated from God can not live. It is death. 

Yet, Christ has come to give “New Life”. He comes to us in our most degraded, desolate, despairing condition and brings life.  REDEMPTION.

So here are these dry bones, scattered all about the plain, insensitive to everything.  They lie unaffected by any occurrence nor do they initiate any movement. 

God brings Ezekiel to the valley and shows him the dry bones.

You see God has called Ezekiel to preach God's truth and redemption to an obstinate and stubborn people. These people have turned from their God. They have compromised their belief. They are worshipping idols, worldly pleasures, till they are in a place of despair and discouragement. All, that made them a distinct people is gone. Tithes, worship, temple worship, priesthood, Passover celebration, scriptures, All has disappeared, forgotten. They are fast becoming, in language, habits and occupations like the world around them. They have turned away from God and his promises and are reaping the punishment for this. Even the ones that have remained faithful to God are sinking into despair.  There is only death.The sense of right is dead, heavenly inspirations are dead, hope is dead, all that is left is despair and death. These people that have been God's chosen are now a forlorn and hopeless nation. As if dead but not buried.
“Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.”

You see sin reduces us to a place of dry bones.
It separates from God - in thought and life and it leads us to a place of selfishness. When sin has done its worst -  we find ourselves down to the abyss,  in such a state of helplessness and spiritual death that all recovery seems impossible. As impossible as a mass of dry bones being raised to life.

God asks Ezekiel, "Son Of Man? Can these bones live?"

Ezekiel sees the despairing sight and the desolation. He doesn't see carcasses. He sees scattered bones, dry brittle bones. bleached by the sun.  Vultures and scavengers have picked the bones clean, torn them apart and left them scattered. They have been at work among them ruthlessly tearing them apart, pulling, picking, mixing them up. A scene of hopeless, confusion and despair. As he looks at the bones and he starts to see the parallel that God is revealing to him. He has heard the despair of the people. He has felt their obstinacy. He has experienced their stubbornness. He has seen there hopelessness. So He answers the Lords question not out of his experience with the people, but with the faith he has in the Lord. 

"Lord, Only You Know!"

He speaks out of faith, realising that all things impossible to man are possible to God. 

God tells Ezekiel speak to the bones..“Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!  This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.  I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

The bones begin to come together. The ground shakes, the bones rattle, they come together, sinews are restored, blood, skin, muscle. Till they are men standing. 

God says “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’”  

So Ezekiel spoke as God commanded and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army. A living army.

Life only comes by God’s spirit!
In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind. Job 12:10

A restoration such as this, in order for it to be real, must be accompanied by a new heart, a new endeavor and new obedience.  We must turn away from the world, repent of our sin, and develop a new devotion to God.

 You see God has a divine purpose. He intends to exercise his divine power on our behalf.  That which is dead is made alive in Christ. He revives us and gives us new life. 
A resurrected life

God does hear the cry of the hopeless. God sees and understands our low estate. He stoops down to save us. God will not desert us, however low our condition and in whatever sense we may be hopeless, we can count on his grace and mercy. We can depend on His gracious and timely help.

He can make these bones live again and breathe new life into our souls.

Breathe on Me, O God! 

I will put my spirit in you and you will live!  John 3:8

By Don Geyer

The Living Word
 1 So Bezalel, Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the LORD has given skill and ability to know how to carry out all the work of constructing the sanctuary are to do the work just as the LORD has commanded." 2 Then Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the LORD had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work. 3 They received from Moses all the offerings the Israelites had brought to carry out the work of constructing the sanctuary. And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning. 4 So all the skilled craftsmen who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left their work 5 and said to Moses, "The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the LORD commanded to be done." 6 Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: "No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary." And so the people were restrained from bringing more, 7 because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work. Exodus 36:1-38

The Word In Motion
We often look at the Israelites in a negative light. When they left Egypt they grumbled and complained about everything – water, food, enemies, you name it. Sometimes we joke about it and when someone around us starts complaining about something we say they have Israelitis. But let me ask you this: When was the last time you went to church and the pastor had to ask the congregation to STOP giving offerings? That they had given too much? These guys were bringing it in “morning after morning.” Yet we complain about bringing anything in even weekly.

What were Jesus’ words? “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Just a thought.