Prisoner of Hope ~

 Prisoner Of Hope

"If we have hope in this life (only) we are of all men most miserable"

1 Corinthians 15:19

Years ago there was a secular song out titled  "I Won't Live In A World Without Love". God created us for love - to love and to be loved.  This world's love is sorta short lasting and this world's  hope is sorta shortsighted, but the love and the hope of God and Christ our Lord is everlasting. 
  I received a card in the mail this week from a dear friend  whose husband of 30 years just went home to be with the Lord.  One thing she said in her note which blest me was......."Years ago when we all  said I do  till death do us part"  we never really believe that day would come, thank goodness as Christians we are so comforted by the hope and fact we have  that death is not really a parting, but only a brief separation to once again be reunited eternally, I do take comfort and hope just as you do in God's great love and mercy and in His promise of eternal life".    We have this hope knowing to live is Christ and to die is gain and so shall we be forever with the Lord and our loved ones.
Never again to endure  parting, pain or separation.
.........................
A Little Boy's hope.......
A store clerk notices a six year old little boy standing at the bottom of an escalator for at least an hour or so;  the young boy was intently watching the handrails going round and round, when asked why doesn't he step on the escalator or was he lost?  The little guy said "nope, I just keep waiting for my chewing gum to come back"   The little fellow was standing still, firm, fixed and patiently hoping his chewing gum would come around. he still had hope..

(a prayer of hope)

Thank you O' Lord

For all you have given me

For all you have taken from me

and

Thank you O' Lord 
For all you have left  for me

Author ___  unknown

My understanding  many times is shortsighted....  

I cannot know and understand joy until I know sorrow

I cannot know faith until I have been tested and tried

I cannot know peace until I have endured conflict and chaos

I cannot know trust until I have been betrayed and .....
I cannot dry another's tears, unless I have wept....
I cannot know hope until all else is sinking
around me and when
all  grasps and props have been stripped away.

Thomas used to say so many times when all of life was upside down, "Dodi, when you come to a point in life when the Lord is all you have, then  you finally realize he is all you need"  When all of life's foundations have been shaken and everything crumbles  and then you have that which remains and cannot be taken away. 

The Lord's hope makes a difference

His hope opens doors where despair  closes them

His hope "lights a candle" instead of  "cursing the darkness "
His hope blows upon the flickering candle, to ignite the flame
which has almost gone out.
His hope promises not extinguish the smoking flax

The prophet Zechariah says.... those who turn to their stronghold
become prisoners of  hope will receive double blessings -

Turn you to the stronghold,

ye prisoners of hope; even

today do I declare that I will

render double unto thee.

Zechariah 9:12

 

Is Zechariah saying .... for us who turn to the Lord whose hope and stronghold  is in him,   and when fixing our hope in him, he will give us double grace and  double supply?  Double signifies anything in abundance, large or sufficient, plenty of blessings,  temporal or spiritual,   will he give us a double measure of grace, a double measure of strength, a double measure of peace and joy.   We who turn to him as our stronghold - and we who are  prisoners of hope he will render double to us.  To become a prisoner of something or someone is to be totally held captive with an unchanged focus.  We can be held captive and prisoners to our sorrows, our griefs, wrong relationships, wrong priorities or choose to be as Apostle Paul and Zechariah  turning to our stronghold and  become prisoners of hope.
A hope that is unchanging, unmovable and unshakable,  a hope which is the anchor of our souls, a hope with a promise of never to disappoint.

 "The Lord is good to those who hope  in Him" ....

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