Your Hope

Did you know that besides the book of Psalms, the book of Job has the most verses with reference to the word hope?  The book with the most tragedy, the worst tale of a life gone bad, and the saddest of stories – is filled with hope beyond measure. 

Let’s look at the verses:

Job 4 says But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged; it strikes you, and you are dismayed.  Should not your piety be your confidence and your blameless ways your hope?

These are words spoken by a friend to Job, words that I suppose are meant well but are full of anything but hope.

Our hope in times of trouble are not our piety and blameless ways.  Our hope is always in Him.

If we are to only hope in the goodness in our lives that we think we have displayed, we will fail.  We all fail.  We get discouraged.  We suffer setbacks.  We go through hard times.  And these are not indications of our wrongdoing.  Yes, of course we sometimes bring things upon ourselves.  But either way, our hope is not in somehow being good enough or holy enough to sway God to act on our behalf.

He already acted on our behalf when he sent his son Jesus, and he is our hope.

We must remember that when we are in trouble, and remind our friends in trouble of the hope of Jesus, as well. 

Nothing more.

God-breathed

II Timothy 3 says All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Do you know why the words of the Bible are so powerful?  Because they are God-breathed.  

When God breathes, creation happens.  Dust responds.  Waters form.  Stars emerge.  Darkness and Light separate. 

The word of God is our tool for life to teach us, to rebuke and train us when we need it, and to equip us for every good work – much like the staff of a shepherd leads and guides the sheep to safety and not off the side of a cliff.

However, it’s up to us to respond to that breath of life, to go where the shepherd leads us, and to stay right in the crook of his staff.

And the scripture profits us nothing if we do not read it or believe it – fully.

God-breathed words.  I want to ingest them today so that I can live a full life for Him. 

A Vast Army

Ezekiel 37 relays one of the most awesome stories in the bible, that of the dry bones:

Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!  This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.  I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone.  I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’”  So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.

Wow.  Tendons, flesh and bones do not breathe.  It takes the breath of God for them to come to life.  In fact, it takes hearing the Word and responding to the Word with movement, and then receiving the word – the breath of God – so that life appears.

In fact, when all of that takes place, the body stood up – a vast army.

I know many, and I too have walked there, who are just flesh and bones with no life.  They have no purpose, no reason to live, and breath of life.

We can speak the word of the Lord over them, and over ourselves, and respond to his breath. 

Ask God to breathe on those you love who are only existing – not living.  And ask God to breathe upon you too – in the areas of your body that are merely dry bones.

Then receive his word and stand up and come to life.

Our Creator

Isaiah 42 says This is what God the Lord says— the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it:

Sometimes it’s helpful and downright necessary to be reminded of the breath we breathe, and where it comes from.  Scientists cannot create breath, and keep the heart beating, when death arrives at its door. 

However, the Creator of the heavens (which are vast and the stars are innumerable) is the one who breathes life into his people and everything that walks on the earth.

God in his loving kindness breathed upon man and gave him breath to breathe, breath to praise His name.

All of creation moves and responds to its creator.  The heavens light up with streaks of lightning, the sun causes flowers to bloom, the trees sway in the wind, and the oceans lap against the shore – all in perfect rhythm and at a specific beating – just like the breath of a baby when its fast asleep and then awakes with a scream.

Breath is amazing, isn’t it?  It’s something we should never take for granted.  If we’ve ever suffered with asthma, pneumonia or other respiratory illnesses, we know what it is to find it hard to breathe.  It’s painful and scary.

God gives us our breath, and before this lesson is over, we’re going to realize the opportunity and privilege every breath we breathe is – and we are going to respond to the Creator with a shout – a loud breath – that proclaims His name over all the earth.

Of His Lips

Isaiah 11 says He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.  Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

I’ve been in a courtroom where a judge is deciding the fate of those for whom I’m testifying, and it’s not a pleasant experience – because it’s quite scary handing your fate over to a judge who may, or may not, rule in your favor.

However, we have a righteous judge who is so eloquently and beautifully described here, one we can trust to bring about a just decision, one of good and not evil.

Look at this One, described here:

He judges in righteousness (and we are righteous because of His blood)

He makes decisions with justice (and we are the recipients of a just Judge)

He strikes with his words (His words live in us)

He breathes and slays the wicked (His breath is breathed in us)

He wears a belt of righteousness and his robe is tied with faithfulness (We belong to Him)

Any time we feel we are suffering unjustly, abandoned to be devoured by wolves, in great need of peace and joy – we can rest assured that we have a righteous judge who will send down a ruling that will be the absolute best outcome there could ever be.

Got breath?

Psalm 150:6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.

Isn’t this a funny directive?  Why doesn’t it just say “Let everything praise the Lord?”

Remember, we are studying the breath of God.  We just read how he spoke, and then he breathed.  Two different actions.

We are reminded in this verse that the breath of God has breathed upon us.  In fact, in his breath is life.  It’s the breath of God that breathed life into us.

Therefore, we who have been breathed upon by God himself cannot help but respond and praise him.

I have breath.  You have breath.  And as long as we are breathing, we are to be praising God.  And it’s usually more often that we’re complaining, offering up frustration, and sighing –instead of praising.

Let’s praise him together, today.  For he has done great things for us.

All the Host

Read Psalm 33:6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, And by the breath of His mouth all their host.

Isn’t this interesting, the separation made between the Lord’s words…and his breath.

When we speak, others can hear what we’re saying.  The words go into ears and sink down into hearts, whether good or bad, and they cannot be retracted.  Words are powerful.  God’s word is powerful – he made the heavens with his words.

But read on…

By the “breath” of his mouth he made their host.  In other words, the heavens were spoken into being, but then the stars that come out at night to illuminate the heavens were breathed.

There must be a distinction between breath and words.  Breath is only felt if we are near the one breathing.  One who breathes heavily near us is usually the one we love the most – our spouse or our children.

God is breathing near us.  Oh, he’s speaking too.  But his breath is illuminating the darkness.  All we have to do is sit still and let him breathe on us, and we will then shine and sparkle like the stars.

Pretty cool and something to think about today…