Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Hopson Carol-Trusting God in Time of Trouble
THE OTHER SIDE
God is weaving day by day
A pattern full of color,
Full of twists and turns galore,
That doesn't match another.
It may look like a big mistake
When glancing at it here,
With knots and loose ends dangling,
Making patterns quite unclear.
Sometimes hopeless it may seem
Because it doesn't fit
With what you thought 'twas all about
And what your life would knit.
But Sovereign God designs your days
When in Him you abide.
And someday when you see His face,
You'll see the other side.
-Carol Hopson
COME AND DINE…
1. Does your suffering take your eyes off of your Savior,
or does it make you focus on Him much more?
2. What should our suffering and trials bring about in
our lives? (Read 1 Peter 1:6-8; Psalm 119:67, 71-72.)
3. Look again at the five choices David made while in
the emotional and physical desert, and then write them
out in your own words and make them applicable to
your own situation.
4. Feast on all of Psalm 63 and write out all of the
praises and truths David declares.
As a "partnership publisher," we partner you with a team of professional editors , typesetters , cover design and printers to create a high quality product and then we work with you to help market and distribute your book in today's rapidly changing marketplace.
God is weaving day by day
A pattern full of color,
Full of twists and turns galore,
That doesn't match another.
It may look like a big mistake
When glancing at it here,
With knots and loose ends dangling,
Making patterns quite unclear.
Sometimes hopeless it may seem
Because it doesn't fit
With what you thought 'twas all about
And what your life would knit.
But Sovereign God designs your days
When in Him you abide.
And someday when you see His face,
You'll see the other side.
-Carol Hopson
COME AND DINE…
1. Does your suffering take your eyes off of your Savior,
or does it make you focus on Him much more?
2. What should our suffering and trials bring about in
our lives? (Read 1 Peter 1:6-8; Psalm 119:67, 71-72.)
3. Look again at the five choices David made while in
the emotional and physical desert, and then write them
out in your own words and make them applicable to
your own situation.
4. Feast on all of Psalm 63 and write out all of the
praises and truths David declares.
As a "partnership publisher," we partner you with a team of professional editors , typesetters , cover design and printers to create a high quality product and then we work with you to help market and distribute your book in today's rapidly changing marketplace.
Mrs. Carol Hopson- Trusting God
4. "Because your lovingkindness is better than life, my
lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live"
(vv. 3-4, NKJV).
David now realizes that nothing…not kingdoms,
palaces, power, earthly security, or anything else…compares
to God's loving-kindness, which will never leave
him. Oh, how he must have loved God to come to this
realization while fleeing to the desert. Because he truly
believes it, he says, "My lips shall praise you. Thus I will
bless You while I live." He wants to spend his last hours
praising the Lord, not fighting for what he thinks is fair.
He was willing to leave all in the hands of "Him who
judges righteously."
5. "I will lift up my hands in Your name" (v. 4, NKJV ).
As an Old Testament posture of prayer, lifted-up hands
were a picture of sending prayers up to God, as well as
a readiness to receive that which God gave back to the
believer. It was an outward evidence of putting one's
trust in God alone, and that is what David is doing here.
He also must have realized that God would be the
Righteous Judge of all the wrong that was done to him,
so he didn't have to seek his own revenge. That's what
we were reminded of in the opening verse…that Jesus
kept "entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously"
(1 Peter 2:23).
Are you facing troubled times right now? Does life seem
unfair? I've certainly been there. I have felt that God surely
wasn't seeing what was happening to His child. But that
is never truth! "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously
look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen
you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My
righteous right hand" (Isaiah 41:10). God is still in control,
and all He allows is for my good and growth. I pray that in
today's problems, as well as in future trials, I will be ready
to seek Him first, that I will long for His presence to fill my
mind and heart, that I will eagerly spend my day praising
Him for His loving-kindness, and finally, that I will willingly
lift my hands in a prayer of surrender to and acceptance
of His will for my life.
As a "partnership publisher," we partner you with a team of professional editors , typesetters , cover design and printers to create a high quality product and then we work with you to help market and distribute your book in today's rapidly changing marketplace.
lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live"
(vv. 3-4, NKJV).
David now realizes that nothing…not kingdoms,
palaces, power, earthly security, or anything else…compares
to God's loving-kindness, which will never leave
him. Oh, how he must have loved God to come to this
realization while fleeing to the desert. Because he truly
believes it, he says, "My lips shall praise you. Thus I will
bless You while I live." He wants to spend his last hours
praising the Lord, not fighting for what he thinks is fair.
He was willing to leave all in the hands of "Him who
judges righteously."
5. "I will lift up my hands in Your name" (v. 4, NKJV ).
As an Old Testament posture of prayer, lifted-up hands
were a picture of sending prayers up to God, as well as
a readiness to receive that which God gave back to the
believer. It was an outward evidence of putting one's
trust in God alone, and that is what David is doing here.
He also must have realized that God would be the
Righteous Judge of all the wrong that was done to him,
so he didn't have to seek his own revenge. That's what
we were reminded of in the opening verse…that Jesus
kept "entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously"
(1 Peter 2:23).
Are you facing troubled times right now? Does life seem
unfair? I've certainly been there. I have felt that God surely
wasn't seeing what was happening to His child. But that
is never truth! "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously
look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen
you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My
righteous right hand" (Isaiah 41:10). God is still in control,
and all He allows is for my good and growth. I pray that in
today's problems, as well as in future trials, I will be ready
to seek Him first, that I will long for His presence to fill my
mind and heart, that I will eagerly spend my day praising
Him for His loving-kindness, and finally, that I will willingly
lift my hands in a prayer of surrender to and acceptance
of His will for my life.
As a "partnership publisher," we partner you with a team of professional editors , typesetters , cover design and printers to create a high quality product and then we work with you to help market and distribute your book in today's rapidly changing marketplace.
Mrs. C. Hopson- Trusting God
2. "My soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for you in a
dry and thirsty land where there is no water" (v. 1,
NKJV).
Next, David longs for the comfort of God's presence as
you would long for a drink in the dry desert. This truly
shows the heart of someone who loves the Lord above
all. It is no wonder that God called him a "man after
God's own heart." You might think that David would cry
out for God to restore his position and undo all the
unfair, hurtful situations he was facing. But David
knew that above all else, the most important thing in
life was to be in God's presence, because that's where
true joy was found. "Thou wilt make known to me the
path of life; in Thy presence is fullness of joy…" (Psalm
16:11).
3. "So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your
power and Your glory" (v. 2, NKJV).
David is now asking God that he would be able to see
Him and worship Him in the desert, without the ark of
the covenant, as he did in the tabernacle. He now knew
that God's presence wasn't limited to buildings or certain
times of formal worship. So he asked to see God's
power and glory right where he was. Isn't that what we
need to do when we are in a desert?
As a "partnership publisher," we partner you with a team of professional editors , typesetters , cover design and printers to create a high quality product and then we work with you to help market and distribute your book in today's rapidly changing marketplace.
dry and thirsty land where there is no water" (v. 1,
NKJV).
Next, David longs for the comfort of God's presence as
you would long for a drink in the dry desert. This truly
shows the heart of someone who loves the Lord above
all. It is no wonder that God called him a "man after
God's own heart." You might think that David would cry
out for God to restore his position and undo all the
unfair, hurtful situations he was facing. But David
knew that above all else, the most important thing in
life was to be in God's presence, because that's where
true joy was found. "Thou wilt make known to me the
path of life; in Thy presence is fullness of joy…" (Psalm
16:11).
3. "So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your
power and Your glory" (v. 2, NKJV).
David is now asking God that he would be able to see
Him and worship Him in the desert, without the ark of
the covenant, as he did in the tabernacle. He now knew
that God's presence wasn't limited to buildings or certain
times of formal worship. So he asked to see God's
power and glory right where he was. Isn't that what we
need to do when we are in a desert?
As a "partnership publisher," we partner you with a team of professional editors , typesetters , cover design and printers to create a high quality product and then we work with you to help market and distribute your book in today's rapidly changing marketplace.
C Hopson-Trusting God in Times of Trouble
David was certainly no stranger to suffering. At the end
of his reign, David's sons rose up and rebelled against him,
causing great pain in his last days. His son Absalom, who
was eventually to take the throne, sought out some of his
followers and persuaded them to overthrow David.
Absalom also sat outside the city gates and pretended to be
a very caring leader who would understand people's struggles,
and gradually he gained quite a following. Then,
David's nephew and favorite counselor turned on him and
joined with Absalom and his followers to overthrow him. At
this point, David had to leave all of his comforts and beautiful
palatial surroundings to flee to the desert when he discovered
that Absalom, his own son, had planned to take his
life. Can you even fathom this kind of pain and betrayal?
It was when he was hiding out in the desert that he
penned Psalm 63. Let's look at the choices David made
while in the midst of great suffering.
1. "O God, You are my God; early will I seek You…" (v.
1, NKJV).
First of all he recognizes and reaffirms that "You are my
God." He was stating his personal relationship with and
commitment to Almighty God no matter what his circumstances
were.
Secondly, David knew that he had to begin his day seeking
the Lord, focusing on Him and not on how unfair his
situation was. That would only bring him down, so he
chose to wake up and seek God's direction. He didn't
waste time in self-pity and destructive thoughts; he
went to the only One who could give him comfort.
As a "partnership publisher," we partner you with a team of professional editors , typesetters , cover design and printers to create a high quality product and then we work with you to help market and distribute your book in today's rapidly changing marketplace.
of his reign, David's sons rose up and rebelled against him,
causing great pain in his last days. His son Absalom, who
was eventually to take the throne, sought out some of his
followers and persuaded them to overthrow David.
Absalom also sat outside the city gates and pretended to be
a very caring leader who would understand people's struggles,
and gradually he gained quite a following. Then,
David's nephew and favorite counselor turned on him and
joined with Absalom and his followers to overthrow him. At
this point, David had to leave all of his comforts and beautiful
palatial surroundings to flee to the desert when he discovered
that Absalom, his own son, had planned to take his
life. Can you even fathom this kind of pain and betrayal?
It was when he was hiding out in the desert that he
penned Psalm 63. Let's look at the choices David made
while in the midst of great suffering.
1. "O God, You are my God; early will I seek You…" (v.
1, NKJV).
First of all he recognizes and reaffirms that "You are my
God." He was stating his personal relationship with and
commitment to Almighty God no matter what his circumstances
were.
Secondly, David knew that he had to begin his day seeking
the Lord, focusing on Him and not on how unfair his
situation was. That would only bring him down, so he
chose to wake up and seek God's direction. He didn't
waste time in self-pity and destructive thoughts; he
went to the only One who could give him comfort.
As a "partnership publisher," we partner you with a team of professional editors , typesetters , cover design and printers to create a high quality product and then we work with you to help market and distribute your book in today's rapidly changing marketplace.
Carol Hopson-Trusting God
BREAKFAST #14
Preparing the
meal…
ARE YOU WILLING TO SUFFER FOR ME?
For you have been called for this purpose, since
Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example for
you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin,
nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while
being reviled, He did not revile in return; while
suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting
Himself to Him who judges righteously.
-1 Peter 2:21-23
In all of my counseling over the years, this seems to surprise
people the most…that God says we have been called
to suffer. Many Christians believe that when they become
part of God's family, they receive a ticket to a pain-free life,
and then they are discouraged, distraught, or even devastated
when difficult trials come their way. We don't always
know the purpose of our suffering, but God does give us
clear direction as to how we are to handle it. We are to
"commit no sin" when wronged or when enduring trials,
and we are told to "utter no threats" because we can entrust
ourselves and our situation to God, who will be the
Righteous Judge. For me, it has been incredibly freeing to
realize that God will make everything just in His time, so I
don't need to be bitter or take my own revenge. Trusting in
my trials is entrusting all to Him…my life, my reputation,
my character, my future, my pain…and accepting how He
decides to handle it.
As a "partnership publisher," we partner you with a team of professional editors , typesetters , cover design and printers to create a high quality product and then we work with you to help market and distribute your book in today's rapidly changing marketplace.
Preparing the
meal…
ARE YOU WILLING TO SUFFER FOR ME?
For you have been called for this purpose, since
Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example for
you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin,
nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while
being reviled, He did not revile in return; while
suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting
Himself to Him who judges righteously.
-1 Peter 2:21-23
In all of my counseling over the years, this seems to surprise
people the most…that God says we have been called
to suffer. Many Christians believe that when they become
part of God's family, they receive a ticket to a pain-free life,
and then they are discouraged, distraught, or even devastated
when difficult trials come their way. We don't always
know the purpose of our suffering, but God does give us
clear direction as to how we are to handle it. We are to
"commit no sin" when wronged or when enduring trials,
and we are told to "utter no threats" because we can entrust
ourselves and our situation to God, who will be the
Righteous Judge. For me, it has been incredibly freeing to
realize that God will make everything just in His time, so I
don't need to be bitter or take my own revenge. Trusting in
my trials is entrusting all to Him…my life, my reputation,
my character, my future, my pain…and accepting how He
decides to handle it.
As a "partnership publisher," we partner you with a team of professional editors , typesetters , cover design and printers to create a high quality product and then we work with you to help market and distribute your book in today's rapidly changing marketplace.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Trusting God-C. Hopson
PLEASE HELP ME, LORD
Dear Lord, sometimes it's difficult
To follow where You lead.
It seems that my plans differ so
And I know what I need.
But that is selfish arrogance
Since I belong to You.
O help me, Lord, to see things from
Your heavenly point of view.
And help me keep an open mind
For what Your love can do.
And as I trust Your perfect plan
I know You'll see me through.
-Carol Hopson
COME AND DINE…
1. What hinders you from finding joy in your trials?
2. Look at a recent trial or difficult time, and write out
how you could have grown in your faith if you had trusted
God with it. (If you did "rejoice" in your trial, explain
what God brought into your life to mature you.)
3. Read 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12, and write down why
we need to be obedient in this area of rejoicing in the difficult
times God allows.
4. Feast on James chapter 5, and write out all the
promises you find in this chapter; then spend time
thanking God for them.
As a "partnership publisher," we partner you with a team of professional editors , typesetters , cover design and printers to create a high quality product and then we work with you to help market and distribute your book in today's rapidly changing marketplace.
Dear Lord, sometimes it's difficult
To follow where You lead.
It seems that my plans differ so
And I know what I need.
But that is selfish arrogance
Since I belong to You.
O help me, Lord, to see things from
Your heavenly point of view.
And help me keep an open mind
For what Your love can do.
And as I trust Your perfect plan
I know You'll see me through.
-Carol Hopson
COME AND DINE…
1. What hinders you from finding joy in your trials?
2. Look at a recent trial or difficult time, and write out
how you could have grown in your faith if you had trusted
God with it. (If you did "rejoice" in your trial, explain
what God brought into your life to mature you.)
3. Read 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12, and write down why
we need to be obedient in this area of rejoicing in the difficult
times God allows.
4. Feast on James chapter 5, and write out all the
promises you find in this chapter; then spend time
thanking God for them.
As a "partnership publisher," we partner you with a team of professional editors , typesetters , cover design and printers to create a high quality product and then we work with you to help market and distribute your book in today's rapidly changing marketplace.
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