Today’s Reading: Psalm 23
Psalm 71:5 — For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth.
God promises true and certain hope. Recently, there has been news of famous people who have undergone what they call “deconversion.” Deconversion means “giving up Christianity in exchange for a different religion, spiritualism, or no religion, such as atheism or agnosticism.” Only God knows if these people were ever truly born again. But what happens to those who “deconvert” is they lose their hope in God.
Some of these people lose their hope because they feel hurt by God or the church. Some of them are uncomfortable with what the Bible teaches about moral issues, about the Bible’s truth claims, and about what they perceive as the Bible’s conflict with “science.” Because of their emotional experience and intellectual differences, they give up their hope in Christ and the Word of God.
In the parable of the four kinds of soil in Matthew 13:1-23, Jesus shows us the reasons why some people who seem to have faith may lose it. Some lack understanding. Some fall away because of trouble or persecution. Others may have their faith choked out by the cares of this life or the riches and pleasures of the world.
People may hear the Word of God, but if they do not allow the Word to put down roots deep in their hearts, they will not have a true and certain hope that nothing can shake or uproot. David had an unshakable hope in the Lord as His shepherd. Even when he went through dark valleys or was surrounded by enemies, his faith and hope and trust were grounded in the Lord.
When we let our emotions make decisions apart from truth, we will be shaken. When we let our finite human reason and understanding make decisions apart from truth, we are in danger of falling into error. Our hearts need to hear and obey the Word of God despite what feelings, natural sight, and human understanding tell us is true. The Word of God, Jesus Christ, is our living hope for every circumstance and situation. Be rooted and grounded in His love! Set your hope on Jesus.
…04/10/2024
Devotional
“Our hearts need to hear and obey the Word of God despite what feelings, natural sight, and human understanding tell us is true. The Word of God, Jesus Christ, is our living hope for every circumstance and situation.”
There was an election. A very close friend of mine has very different political leanings than me. But our friendship cannot change. My one wish is to meet again in the Lord. To hear and obey the Word of God despite what feelings, natural sight, and human understanding.
Praise the Lord!
04/10/2024
묵상
"우리의 마음이 어떤 감정과 인간적 시각, 인간의 이해로 우리에게 진실이라고 말하든 하나님의 말씀을 듣고 순종해야 합니다. 하나님의 말씀 예수 그리스도는 모든 환경과 상황에 대한 우리의 살아있는 희망입니다."