“Sustain me, my God, according to your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed.” Psalm 119:116 NIV
There was a time a few years ago when I was discouraged and heartbroken.
I didn’t know how we were going to make it.
We were living in Las Vegas and our neighborhood edged the Red Rock desert.
One morning I got up early and took a walk.
With worship music loaded on my iPod, I set out to pray and breathe in the presence of God.
The sun was just rising over Red Rock Canyon and it was so beautiful that I almost dropped to my knees. As I turned the corner out of my neighborhood and onto the desert road behind it, the song “Great is Thy Faithfulness” began.
I heard God’s whisper in my heart, “Hold on. Your hopes are not lost. I am faithful to complete what I have started in you. I will sustain you through this and strengthen you in it. My faithfulness knows no end.”
It was a turning point for me.
I carried that promise through a time that got harder long before it got better.
Hold on, my friend, your hopes are not lost.
Jesus is faithful to complete what He started in you.
“This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply.” Matthew 6:7 MSG
What is causing you to panic right now?
Panic is defined as sudden uncontrollable fear or anxiety.
All kinds of things can cause panic to rise within you and when it does, I am going to ask you to pause.
To wait before you react.
To take a moment to take a deep breath in and out.
To pray and ask God for His perspective.
He is your Father and He knows you.
He knows what is happening and why it’s causing you to panic.
He also knows how to lead you down the right path, not just the first one that presents itself.
He knows how to calm your heart and clear your mind.
When you go to God with your panic, He will give you the wisdom and guidance you need to deal with it.
I remember a time a few years ago when I was discouraged and heartbroken.
My hopes had been swept away by a flood of circumstances fueled by other people’s choices and actions. I chose integrity but no one else saw it that way. My character was questioned. My reputation was shredded and I could do nothing about it.
I could only walk forward into a future that I had not anticipated or imagined.
I clung to Jesus. I grabbed hold of the promise that He would never leave me or forsake me. I tried to trust that He could redeem the circumstances as I watched everything we had built crumble around us. I tried and failed. I couldn’t find trust or hope within my soul, only heartbreak and fear.
Psalm 119:116 became the words I held onto:
“Sustain me, my God, according to your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed.”
One morning I got up early and took a walk. We were living in Las Vegas and my neighborhood edged the desert by the Red Rock. With worship music loaded on my iPod, I set out to pray and breathe in the presence of God.
As I turned the corner out of my neighborhood and onto the desert road behind it the song “Great is Thy Faithfulness” began. The sun was just rising over Red Rock Canyon and it was so beautiful that I almost dropped to my knees. I heard God’s whisper in my heart, “Hold on. Your hopes are not lost. I am faithful to complete what I have started in you. I will sustain you through this and strengthen you in it. My faithfulness knows no end.”
It was a turning point for me. I carried that promise through a time that got harder long before it got better.
Hold on, my friend, your hopes are not lost.
Jesus is faithful to complete what He started in you.
I remember a time a few years ago when I was discouraged and heartbroken.
My hopes had been swept away by a flood of circumstances fueled by other people’s choices and actions. I chose integrity but no one else saw it that way. My character was questioned. My reputation was shredded and I could do nothing about it.
I could only walk forward into a future that I had not anticipated or imagined.
I clung to Jesus. I grabbed hold of the promise that He would never leave me or forsake me. I tried to trust that He could redeem the circumstances as I watched everything we had built crumble around us. I tried and failed. I couldn’t find trust or hope within my soul, only heartbreak and fear.
Psalm 119:116 became the words I held onto:
“Sustain me, my God, according to your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed.”
One morning I got up early and took a walk. We were living in Las Vegas and my neighborhood edged the desert by the Red Rock. With worship music loaded on my iPod, I set out to pray and breathe in the presence of God.
As I turned the corner out of my neighborhood and onto the desert road behind it the song “Great is Thy Faithfulness” began. The sun was just rising over Red Rock Canyon and it was so beautiful that I almost dropped to my knees. I heard God’s whisper in my heart, “Hold on. Your hopes are not lost. I am faithful to complete what I have started in you. I will sustain you through this and strengthen you in it. My faithfulness knows no end.”
It was a turning point for me. I carried that promise through a time that got harder long before it got better.
Hold on, my friend, your hopes are not lost.
Jesus is faithful to complete what He started in you.
I remember a time a few years ago when I was discouraged and heartbroken. My hopes had been swept away by a flood of circumstances I could not have forseen. I could not go back to where I was before and I could not stay where I was at. I could only walk forward into a future that I had not anticipated or imagined.
I clung to Jesus. I grabbed hold of the promise that He would never leave me or forsake me. I tried to trust that He could redeem the circumstances as I watched everything crumble around me. I tried and failed- I couldn’t find trust or hope within my soul. Only heartbreak and fear.
The following verse became the words I held onto:
“Sustain me, my God, according to your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed.” Psalms 119:116 NIV
One morning I got early and took a walk. We were living in Las Vegas and our neighborhood edged the desert. With worship music loaded on my iPod, I set out to breathe deep and breathe in the presence of God. As I turned the corner out of my neighborhood and onto the desert road behind it, the song “Great is Thy Faithfulness” began. The sun was just rising over Red Rock Canyon and it was so beautiful that I almost dropped to my knees.
I heard God’s whisper, “Hold on, your hopes are not lost. I am faithful to complete what I have started in you. I will sustain you through this and strengthen you in it. My faithfulness knows no end.”
It was a turning point for me. I carried that promise through a time that got harder long before it got better.
It is in the midst of the hardest of times that you discover God’s faithfulness. It is through the darkest of times that God sustains you when you can’t sustain yourself. It is when you don’t feel like you have any faith left that His faithfulness carries you.
Hold on, your hopes are not lost. Jesus is faithful to complete what He has started in you. He will sustain you through this time and strengthen you in it. God’s faithfulness knows no end.
Death and taxes- isn’t that how the saying goes? There aren’t really too many sure things in life.
And yet.
There is one sure thing you can count on if you are in a relationship with God: He finishes what He starts.
He started something in you.
A good thing.
A precious thing.
A powerful thing.
A change.
A transformation.
A glimpse of His purpose.
He started it- He will finish it. He will develop it, perfect it and bring it to full completion.
Because beside death and taxes, it is a sure thing that God will complete what He started in you.
“And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.”(Philippians 1:6 AMP)
You don’t have to worry or strive, work or manipulate.
Rest. Worship. Trust. Focus on God. Jesus is greater.
“The Lord isn’t slow to keep his promise, as some think of slowness, but he is patient toward you, not wanting anyone to perish but all to change their hearts and lives. “(2 Peter 3:9 CEB)
Slow down, my friend.
I know you are tired and God knows it too.
In the pursuit of the abundant life, we can mistake more for better, busy for important.
What is important is to slow down and take a deep breath. The Lord isn’t slow in keeping His promises and your effort doesn’t hurry it up. He is faithful to complete that which He starts.
In fact, sometimes the very best thing to do is rest. Trust. Slow down and look around.
We may be impatient to see change, impatient to see the result we desire when we want to see it.
Slow down, put yourself and what is weighing heavy on your heart into His Hands.
He is patient with you (and with others) because He sees more than we do, His reach extends ours and His knowledge is not hindered by time or eternity.
God knows real change takes time and He is willing to wait.
Rest in Him today and give yourself permission to stop worrying about things you can’t control. In music, the rests are as powerful as the notes to create music.
Have a great day pursuing God’s best and God’s rest.
P.S. I just wanted you to know how much I love to hear from you as you pursue God’s plan and purpose for your life. I love and appreciate each comment, text and word of encouragement I receive. Thank You!
In the city at night, you can almost count the stars on your hands. The deeper you are in the city, the harder it is to see the stars, much less count them.
In the mountains at night, you can lift your eyes to see a canopy of stars filling every inch of the sky. More than you could ever possibly count and deeper than you could ever comprehend.
“He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.”
Psalm 147:4 NIV
God knows exactly how many stars are there, the ones you can see and the ones you can’t.
He knows each one by name, even the ones so far out that our most advanced technology has not discovered them yet.
If God can hold the number and name of each star in the universe, He is able to hold you. To knows you. To take care of the things you see and the things you can’t see.
God is able.
Rest in the wonder of His love.
When you need to be reminded of God’s power and majesty-look up at the stars.
Cindy Grasso 