Help and Hope Are From The Lord

(from "Parents of Prodigals: Biblical Guidance for Parents of Gender Confused Children" )

Building Up Your Hope In Christ 

Too many can live life as if Christ was a pair of work jeans, put on when life is about to get messy; He is not a weather app, to refer to when the storms are headed your way; He is/can be your constant companion, Lord, and Father, to walk with every day, depending on Him, because He cares for you and that He loves you dearly.

"Where Does My Help come from? My Help Comes From The Lord, The Maker of Heaven and Earth." (Psalm 121:1b-2)

Hope is the anticipation that Christ has all the answers or solutions to our problems. 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ….Therefore, gird your mind for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:3).

He saved you and gave you hope in Christ for salvation. He can give you hope in this new crisis in your life as well.  He is the same God and can be completely trusted with this problem.  You have trusted Him with your never dying soul, trust Him in this area too. See also Col. 2:6-7.

And now, Lord, For what do I wait for? My hope is in Thee (Psalm 39:7).

Can you say with the psalmist, OK Lord, my hope is in You? Your time spent with this group isn’t the source of your hope or help.  There isn’t any hope or help we can give you. All hope is found in Jesus and in his Word, the Bible.

If you need hope today, we have been praying that the Holy Spirit will help you to seek the Lord, and that you will find the hope and help you have been looking for in the midst of this storm.

May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13).

Hope comes from God. We grow in hope through the power of the holy spirit. God can bring you peace and joy, as you go through this dark valley, believing all the Lord has promised you.   

My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him.  He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be shaken. On God my salvation and glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.  Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us (Psalm 62:5-8).

Hope comes through trusting in who God is, what He desires for you, and how He has been faithful to you in the past. Hope comes as we wait on the Lord and contemplate His goodness and faithfulness to us.  The more time you spend with Jesus, the more hope you are going to have in Him.  The opposite is also true.  

Finding Help In The Word of God

When we try to self diagnose, it’s like going to google to look up what could be causing your symptoms - it can bring a bit of anxiety.  When we go to the Great Physician, we get the Truth and find the perfect help, and the right prescription for what is ailing us (Psalm 147:3).

Bible verses that relate:

God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, and the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; (Psalm 46:1-2).

I lift my eyes to the hills, From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip - He who watches over you will not slumber; (Psalm 121: 1-2).

The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; The Testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgements of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more to be desired than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter than honey and the dripping of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; In keeping them there is great reward (Psalm 19:7-11).

So many ways the Word of God is our help.  

We need to look to what the Lord says and in it we will find restoration, wisdom, gladness, direction, strength, a right path, and be warned as well as be rewarded, as we hear from God and trust Him as He instructs us from the Bible. 

Truth to Confess/Repent

Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Ask the Lord to show you: “Lord, Am I trusting you?” “With all of my heart?” “Am I leaning on my own ideas?” “Am I acknowledging you in this situation?” “Do I want to leave the path I’m on and have You place me on the safe one?”

Profess / Growth

“Lord, I’m going to trust you now with my life.” “I’m going to stop listening to what I think is best, and start acknowledging what you have told me is best.” “I’m going to seek you and your word so that I will be on a straight and safe path that will bring you honor and praise.”

The more and more you live your life taking these steps, you will find yourself growing in your relationship with Jesus and growing in His word. The outcome will be a great hope in the Lord Jesus.

Unity With My Spouse

It is so important to be of one mind with your spouse when going through any trials.  So how do we get there? How do we maintain hope as a couple?

1. Pray together daily, being dependent on God (Psalm 40:16-17)

2. Submit your lives, marriage, and family to the Lordship of Christ (James 4: 6-8)

3. Submit yourselves to the word of God (Deut 6:6-9)

4. Examine your positions and choices, comparing them to what God says in the Bible (Romans 12:2)

5. Commit as a couple to bring “every thought” into line will what God has told us in the Bible (2 Cor. 10:4-5)

We will be going into greater depth in weeks to come. Hope to deal with marriages where only one spouse is following Christ.  There will be a lot here to talk about, and we will get there. 

Memory Verse

Choose a verse from the “Hope” or “Help” section to memorize this week (Why do we do this? Read Psalm 119:11

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