HOPE HOUR
05Aug2020 Wednesday
THE TRUTH ABOUT SHADOWS
* One of the common sources of stress is loss.
* You can lose your job, your health, your money, your reputation, or a loved one.
* And the coronavirus pandemic is most likely amplifying the stress.
* When people go through loss, there are two common reactions.
* One is fear, and the other is grief.
* Grief is good.
* Grief is the way we get through the transitions of life.
* In fact, if you don't grieve, you get stuck!
* Grief will not kill you if you let it out.
* Fear, on the other hand, can be a bad thing. Not once in the Bible does it say, "Grieve not," "Sorrow not," "Weep not," or "Cry not." What it does say is "Fear not."
* And it says that 365 times!
* Because grief doesn't paralyze us, but fear does.
* In Psalm 23:4, David says, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me" (ESV).
* David knew shepherds always carried a rod and a staff to protect their sheep.
* And he knew God had the power to protect him.
* So David trusted God, even in the darkest valleys.
* We're collectively going through a dark valley right now, and we can choose to trust God—even in the shadows, where it doesn't make sense and when it can seem like a long way out of the valley.
* But, here's the good news to remember about big, scary shadows.
* You can't have a shadow without light.
* If you see a shadow, that means there is a light shining nearby.
* So the key when you're going through the valley of the shadow is to turn your back on the shadow and look at the light.
* Because as long as you keep your eyes on the light—Jesus, the Light of the World—the shadow won't scare you.
* Just like David, trust God in the dark valleys, and pray, "When I am overwhelmed, you alone know the way I should turn" (Psalm 142:3 NLT).
PRAYER
Father God, when I am overwhelmed, You alone know the way I should turn. Thank You, Lord. Amen.
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God is my Fortress and I am his Vessel 💚
RomanceThis is all about our relationship with God. It's mixed with my memory verses in my journal and also my notes that I get from listening to Jesus the Living Gospel Church during this quarantine. Hoping this can help you because it helped it a lot😊 s...
