A Deeper Connection

Today's Reading: Psalm 33; Proverbs 30:5, & Ephesians 1

Scripture:

"Our soul waits on the LORD; He is our help and our shield for our heart rejoices in Him, because we trust in His holy name." Psalm 33:20

Observation:

This chapter is an amazing revelation of what it means to know and trust God. The Psalmist recognized the sovereignty of God over all of the earth. He placed all his trust in God alone. God was more than a concept, thought or religion; God was his source of life.

Application:

There is more to God than I am experiencing.

Prayer:

Father my soul longs for a deeper connection with You. I can't put my finger on what that means or looks like but I crave to know You more. I ask this morning that the eyes of my heart be enlightened with revelation knowledge of the hope of my calling, the riches of my inheritance, and the greatness of Your power that were all made available to me in Christ Jesus.

I feel like I am living on the fringe of all that You have for me. I feel like my life is experiencing only a fraction of the mission that You have for me. I am tired of that. I have placed my hope in the hands of leaders. I have trusted my needs to be met by other people. I have given my soul over to things of the world looking for fulfillment. I have trusted my own plans as my means of deliverance. All of this is sin. I confess it to You this morning as being the dirty rags of my clothing.

Father, I can't comprehend You. There is no way that my mind can get around who You are. I ask that You empower me through Your Holy Spirit today that I might fully experience all that You have for me today. I want to know that I am walking in Your presence, power, and will. I want my soul to rest in You alone. I honestly do not have a picture of what any of this looks like or even where to start in pursuing it. I sit totally at Your mercy today. My only hope is that You do what only You can do in my life.

The God of Hope

Today's Reading: Proverbs 25, Proverbs 27, & Romans 15:1-13

Scripture:

"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy spirit." Romans 15:13

Observation:

Hope is the fuel of life. When hope is gone, so is the power to continue. It is important to realize that God is hope. To be with God means to be with hope. But what a person believes to be true of God, His word, His ways, and His love directly impacts experiencing hope.

Application:

There are many days when I feel as if my hope is fading. In those moments I often feel a compelling desire to reach out for something to find relief. Anything that contains a promise of relief, joy, or peace becomes tempting. This morning is a great reminder that my hope is in the LORD. It is the only place that it can be found.

Prayer:

Father, when it comes to my searching for hope You are often the last place that I look. I review the condition of my world and think about changing my season of life; pursuing a better income, looking for a more fulfilling vocation, finding a new hobby, or scheduling time away. Only after all these things fail do I turn back to You.

I need Your help this morning. I do not know how to find all of my hope in You. The world is so loud. It constantly screams at me to do something. The pace of life makes sitting still and waiting on You feel impossible. I turn to You but I struggle hard in waiting on You to answer me. If I do not sense relief in a hurry, I turn away and look for my hope elsewhere.

Hold me still today. Let me find Your rest. Challenge my beliefs and fill me with the truth about who You are and who I am in You. I confess to You that in theory I believe You are the God of hope but in practice I seek my hope in my own dreams, plans and abilities. Open up my eyes to truly experience all the hope You have to offer to me today.