One thing that God has been continually burning into my soul is this…there is ALWAYS hope!
Hope does indeed spring eternal, straight from heaven our forever home. I ran across this scripture in Proverbs that reinforces our old staple of Jeremiah 29:11…
There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. Proverbs 23:18
There you have it! Our hope is sure and will NOT be cut off. I’ve read and heard much debate about how Jeremiah 29:11 was a specific promise for a specific people….and even though God has specifically spoken that promise over me as a today (Rhema) word, I now have this gem from Proverbs to back it up. God never changes. His desire to give us hope and a future remains the same. You can rest in this. You can cling to it. You can use it as a star to guide you through dark times.
Over the last week, God has been constantly telling me that He is releasing joy within me. He is giving me fun. Several times, I have been in a situation and wondered, “God, is it ok for me to do (this or that)?” and He has said, “I want you to have some fun!”
What a relief!! Especially after years and years of feeling the weight of being responsible. The pressure of shaping and molding the next generation has left me, at times, feeling that I needed to highlight self- control so much that fun fell to the wayside. It wasn’t intentional, but the business of raising kids is intense. I gave myself over to it completely, but God never intended that I lose my fun-loving spirit. Here’s a secret about me…I LOVE TO HAVE FUN!!!
So many times, I will say to my husband, “I just want to go have some fun!”
Life can feel heavy. Obligations to family and daily needs can feel overwhelming. What if we began to learn how to embrace the joys God places in our lives? What if we remember how to have fun?!
Prayer Moment: God, remind me how to have fun. I ask that You lift off the burdens of this world and give me time to breathe in Your goodness. Teach me how to walk in joy and fun! Give me the grace to embrace and enjoy life. Help me to be a joy to others. Teach me to embrace joy so that my children can walk in the strength of joy. God, I love You. I enjoy You!! I adore You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Psalm 51:10-12
“For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 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 seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord. Jeremiah 29:11-14a
365 Days in the Presence 