Devotion from Charles Stanley

Holding Onto Our Hope

READ | 1 Samuel 1:1-18

Hannah’s situation looked hopeless. She was heartbroken because “the Lord had closed her womb.” This alone was a source of great disgrace for a Hebrew woman. But Hannah suffered even more because of the deliberate provocation by her husband’s other wife, who was blessed with children.

Holding onto hope can be difficult when circumstances are miserable and show no signs of improving. For believers, this can be even more discouraging, because they know that God could fulfill their hopes and remedy the situation, but He hasn’t.

Hannah was a woman of great faith, even in the midst of her disappointment and pain. Year after year she kept going to Shiloh to worship the Lord. Perseverance is a quality that the Father highly values in His people. Endurance in trials leads to godly character and hope that does not disappoint (Rom. 5:3-5).

Great pain often drives us to the Lord. Hannah had faithfully worshiped God with all of Israel, but this time she went by herself to the tabernacle and prayed to the only One who could help her. Weeping bitterly, she poured out her soul before the Lord and offered Him a sacrifice of the very thing she valued most—a child: she laid her hope at His feet and promised that if He fulfilled her desire, she would give Him her son.

That which we strive to hold can be kept only by surrendering it to God. This biblical principle applies to our hopes as well as to our very life (Luke 9:24). Learn from Hannah’s example of faith, and pour out your heart to God. Lay your hopes before Him—the only One who can fulfill your desires or change them to match His will.

Peter's Miraculous Escape from Prison (Acts: 12-1-5)

It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belongs to the church, intending to persecute them. he had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to th be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.

So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.

I Pray......

禱告，因為我渺小；
禱告，因為我知道我需要明暸，你心意對我重要。
禱告，已假裝不了；
禱告，因為你的愛我需要；
你關懷，我走過的你都明白。

有些事我只想要對你說，因你比任何人都愛我；
痛苦從眼中流下，我知道你為我擦。
在早晨我也要來對你說，主耶穌今天我為你活；
所需要的力量你天天賜給我，你恩典夠我用。

All My Praise

This is a season when God is teaching me that He is a God who gives and takes away. Father God, give us strength to sing the words of the psalmist..."yet I will praise you..."

"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long "Where is your God?" These things I remember as I pour out my soul; how I used to go with the multitude leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the feastive throng. Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God." Psalm 42: 1-5

Leaving

Isn't it hard when your close friends leave you? For some it's going back home, for others it's moving onto their next step in life. Whatever it is, it's still hard. The church I attend is a very transient church. Some even describes it as having revolving doors...people come in and people come out. For the past 2 years I've said goodbyes to many close friends, brothers and sisters in Christ. The first one was the hardest and then it got somewhat easier, if that makes any sense. Through all this, I've noticed how by these close friends leaving I became open to others whom I wouldn't have been in the past. Their absense became opportunities to share my life with others. Amazing isn't it.

And while saying goodbye, it seems like we can never move on, the reality is we do. I remember when these close friends left, I felt very lonely at church and didn't want to stay for fellowship. But God brought in new people to fill the void. I also learned that though people come and go, my God Jesus still remains same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He is the true reason why I go to church.

Today's service was so sweet. The youths (high schoolers) led worship and we had a wonderful sermon. The thing that stood out the most from the sermon was when the pastor said that how rich you are is determined by how generous you are...it is much better to give then to be given. Interesting isn't it? Not how you would measure it in the world, where the last is not the first and fishermen do not become preachers.

Here are some pics for you to enjoy...

Eugene's birthday...at a Bali's restaurant!

Fellowship night

Oh Sakura.