There are two things that plunge us into a place of hopelessness. They are regret about the past and fear of the future.
Each of these are dangerous places to live. They ground us to the present and we lose hope of the future God has planned for us.
Isaiah 61 carries the scripture that Jesus quotes from when He starts His public ministry. You can read Jesus doing this in Luke 4.
This scripture in Isaiah talks about relieving peoples “Heaviness!”
This has nothing to do with our weight problems but every thing to do with our depression, or a deep sense of hopelessness, feelings of hurting yourself, or even suicidal thoughts and the like.
God wants you out of all that.
This scripture says God wants to give “a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” Isaiah 61:3.
There is an exchange that takes place here.
You make a decision, “I am going to take off this garment of heaviness and I am going to put on the garment of praise!”
This does not mean that your simply going to walk around singing praise and worship songs all day although not a bad idea!! It means I am focusing my eyes on God. I am walking my life focused on His Love and His Purpose for my life and future. I am going to become a person living my life for His honor and turning my life over to Him who has promised never to leave me or forsake me.
When I first came to live in America I had to virtually learn to drive again!
I mean you have the driving wheel on the wrong side of the car! You sit the wrong side of the car to drive! To cap it all, you drive on the wrong side of the road too!
I had to learn the basics all over again.
One of the things I learned was that I could not drive my car by continually looking in my rear view mirror. If I did I would end up in the ditch.
Neither could I just focus on where I was right now or I would never get anywhere.
I had to focus forward down the road. I needed to know that there was a destination I was heading too.
You will never get anywhere in your life focusing on the past regretting and trying to relive the past. Now, as I drove my car I had to now and again check my review mirror to make sure no one or nothing behind would effect me as I sought to go forward but only a glimpse now and again. And in life we need to remember some of the past as we learn not to repeat the past by ignoring what happened back there…
But forward is our focus.
Determine that you’re not going to sit where you are in fear of moving forward.
Determine that God has a future He is calling you to.
Get your eyes on Him and His future plan for you and determine to move forward towards that plan.
Because HOPE Focuses on the future.
So lets get our Praise on. Lets Focus on God and His future plans for our lives. Lets get up and move forward Hoping in the future. Love always hopes.
Prayer:
Lord I am not focusing on the past or my present condition! I am focusing on living my life for your Glory and I am moving forward into the future you have planned for me . . . I am getting my Garment of Praise on!
This guest post was written by Pastor John King, who is the Senior Pastor of Riverside Community Church in Peoria, IL. My husband John and I lived in Peoria and Riverside was our church home during the first 3 years of our marriage. Pastor King has had such a huge influence on our spiritual life and walk with the Lord. He is a man of integrity and passion for Jesus, and I’m honored to have him at TrueLoveDates.com today!! If this post encouraged you, leave a comment for him below!!
Catch up on the ENTIRE #LoveIs Series as we unpack the traits of love from 1 Corinthians 13, by clicking on the photo below or subscribing to my blog!
