March 2020 – Doing Life Together Everyday

Hey sweet friends, ever since this coronavirus pandemic has happened, all I have heard is so many people looking for hope. So, here is a snippet out of the second book I am writing—the only place you will ever find hope is in Him. I am praying for all my blogging friends that you to will find some comfort here today. Please feel free to share with others, Christie.

H – in hope stands for a Higher power. Jesus desires a hands-on day to day moment by moment, intimacy with us.

Romans 11:36 Living Bible (TLB)

36 For everything comes from God alone. Everything lives by his power, and everything is for his glory. To him be glory evermore.

He can do what we are not able to do on our own. For us to change, we need a smidgen of faith.

Matthew 17:20 New Living Translation (NLT)

20 “You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible. We would have change that would be able to move mountains of our hurts. We can find the courage to take hold of Christ’s hand so that we can face the present with confidence and the future with realistic expectancy.

O – in hope, stands for openness to change. Sometimes we’re afraid to change even if our past was painful. We may resist change because of our fear of the unknown. Or, in our despair, we may think we don’t deserve anything better than what we are currently experiencing. Hope opens the doors that despair has slammed shut. Hope discovers what can be done instead of grumbling about what can’t. Throughout our lives, we will continue to encounter hurts and trials that we are powerless by ourselves to change. But with God’s help, we can be open enough to allow those right circumstances to change us, making us better, not bitter. Our attitudes must always be changing for the better, and hope enables us to do just that.

Ephesians 4:22-23 New Living Translation (NLT)

22 Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.

Psalm 25:5New Living Translation (NLT)

5 Lead me to your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All-day long, I put my hope in you.

P – In hope, which stands for the power to change. We are not able to change ourselves, but God’s power can change us and our situation. The ability to change comes from God’s grace. Hope draws its power from a deep trust in God. Once we tap into that power, right actions and Christ-like actions will follow naturally.

Hebrews 11:6 New Living Translation (NLT)

6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. Without faith, it is impossible to please God.

E – Expectation to change. Don’t quit before your miracle happens. With God’s help, the changes we have longed for are just steps away. With God’s help, the changes we have wanted are only a few steps away. It is essential to keep the following in the forefront of our minds as we proceed. Life without Christ is a hopeless end, but with him, it’s an endless hope.

Let me just say “WOW” in my lifetime; I have never witnessed anything like this, as I have seen in the past few weeks. As I have watched the news, I have seen firsthand how fear and panic, has gripped the nation more and more each day. I, too, was one of the crazy’s last week that saw everyone buying up food and filled my buggy to the rim out of pure fear. I knew when I went to six different stores and could not find toilet paper; we were in trouble, my poor little mind started going bananas. Just like everyone else, I am concerned because I have a rare lung disease and certainly do not need to catch it, or it could be very devastating for me, sending me into even more panic.

I found myself telling my daughter, “go get food, go get toilet paper, find wipes for the baby.” Then telling my husband, “don’t go anywhere but to work and home, do not pass go, do not collect $200.00 (ha-ha).” I was calling my mom until she was the shopping fanatic online looking for toilet and water for days; I was just making myself crazy. Then, this morning because we could not go to church, we watched it online. The Pastor was sharing a scenario about a man walking by a house and seeing a BEWARE OF DOG sign. The sign made the man instantly have a fear of a big ferocious dog coming out and biting him. But, as he approached the house, a little 4-pound chihuahua runs around the house, wagging his tail happy to see the man, the man then breathes a sigh of relief. The man replied to the owner, “that dog can’t do a thing,” and the owner responded, “no, but the sign can.”

You see, just seeing that sign instilled fear, which is precisely what is happening all around us today. We see a sign by watching the news, looking on Facebook, listening to others, watching others, and their craziness in buying a store out. Then, that fear rolls over on all of us because we see everyone else in a panic, that “beware of dog sign.”

2 Corinthians Chapter 1: 2-11
2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. 3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 5 For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. 6 Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. 7 We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.
8 We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. 9 In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. 10 And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us. 11 And you are helping us by praying for us. Then many people will give thanks because God has graciously answered so many prayers for our safety.

We must understand that being “comforted.” It can also mean receiving strength, encouragement, and hope to deal with our troubles. If you are feeling overwhelmed, allow God to comfort you. Our Pastor this morning, shared these four things:

1. Fear breeds fear
2. Fear clouds our judgment (like going and buying out Walmart)
3. Fear re-directs energy
4. Convert fear into faith

I think that is the best advice ever, let’s convert our fear into faith. Do not let the sign CORONAVIRUS shake who we are in Christ. Let Jesus be the bigger story here and in your life, just sit back and watch how He takes care of all of those who believe in Him, and even to those who don’t.

Cling to the scripture, Matthew 6:26
26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?

We continue to pray for you and your family,
Ronnie and Christie Bruce

Keynote Christian Speaker and Author

Christie Musso Bruce

Hope Knows Your Name Ministries

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