Laurie Hopkins

For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. Romans 15:4

The Bible is not an obsolete text.  

It is an active and living Word that reveals itself to us even as we read.  

Patience = hypomonē=steadfastness, constancy, endurance.

Comfort= paraklēsis=a calling near, summons, (esp. for help), importation, supplication, entreaty, exhortation, admonition, encouragement.

The Scriptures, in their steadfastness and summons for us to draw near, provide hope.

We are busy.  

Life is busy.  

Society is busy.  

The Church is busy.  

When we are busy, we have to learn to prioritize our time.  

Often, our Bible reading doesn’t make it to the top of the list.  

We believe we will get to it later on and later on seldom comes or comes sporadically.   

We forget that in the Scriptures all things that were written were written for our learning and to foster hope.  

What do we need most of us in this day and age?  

We don’t need more time; we would just fill that up too.  

What we need is hope.  Hope to see beyond today.  

Hope to see where we are going.  

Hope to understand the very love of Jesus that is ours if only we receive it. 

Are you spending time in that hope?  

If not, it is time to dig out the Scriptures, put them in a prominent place in your home and begin penciling your reading time in as a top priority.  

God will redeem that time.

We are a society that is easily offended.  

We are offended when we drive, when we shop, when we go out into the community. 

We are offended by people we know. 

We are offended at home by our families, our spouse and our children.  

We are offended at Church. 

We are offended at work.  

We are offended by people we don’t know. 

We are offended on social media, by the news and by what we read. 

The Word of God clearly says that we are not to sit in offense. 

First we need to learn that everything isn’t about us.  

If everything isn’t about us, then we don’t have a reason to be so easily offended by everything and everyone we encounter.  

If we are offended because something happens to actually be about us, we need to speak up.  

Not to the world around us, but privately and directly to the one that we believe has caused the offence.  

Then we need to forgive and move on.  

And if this happens more than once you must continue to forgive and move on. 

Offense causes broken relationship between us and other people and also between us and God.  When we are sitting in offense and our relationships are broken, we cannot live and move in the abundant life Jesus has called us to.  

Are you offended?  

Is it actually about you?  

Do you need to go and speak to someone privately? 

Do you need to forgive someone and move on?  

Whatever step you are at today, make a move. 

Right relationships and abundant living are waiting.

Vision= chazown =a divine vision or dream; especially a vision from God regarding future events; divine revelation. 

We often find ourselves moving fast in a particular direction however we are not always clear on where we are heading! 

To successfully get anywhere, you must know where you are going.  

Otherwise you will never arrive.  

“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” 

When we don’t have a clear view of where we are going it is very hard for us to focus in and ensure that all things that we are involved in are working towards the same goal – 

and not cancelling each other out.  

When we don’t have a clear view of where we are going it is hard to bring others along with us.  When we don’t have a clear view of where we are going it is difficult to recognize and celebrate small victories along the way. 

Where does this vision come from?  

When we are in the Presence of the Lord, seeking His Word and asking Him to guide and direct our steps, 

He will not only reveal Himself to us, 

He will reveal the great and mighty plans He has for our lives.   

If we line our vision up with His vision for us, His mighty Hand will be strong upon us.  

We will be able to focus in on what we need to do, who we need to take along with us and we will clearly see the everyday victories which will fill us with “joy unspeakable and full of glory.” 1 Peter 1:8 (KJV).