- Details
- Written by: Don Goulding
And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13)
A wealthy father had three beautiful daughters. He named them Faith, Hope, and Love.
The winsome lady, Hope, now waits in the garden of my mind.
She calls to me, “Why cower in the shadows with the hags, Fear and Doubt? Turn your back on those weeds and be my friend. I want to bring promises to your remembrance.”
Hope’s conversation energizes weary bones. She has the bounce of youth, and I love to explore the depths of her wit. In fact, my most pleasant hours are spent in the sunshine with Hope.
It’s fun to say her name, Hope. The definition of hope is, “A desire of some good, accompanied with an expectation of obtaining it.”
The Apostle John wrote, “Dear friends, we are Godʼs children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that whenever it is revealed, we will be like him.” To be like Jesus is surely our “desire of some good.” It’s our expectant hope.
Hope retells how Jesus came to rescue me, and how much God cares for lost ones. Her timbre rings with laughter as she recounts what will be in paradise. Her poise and grace make me realize how well their Father raised these sisters.
It’s refreshing to spend time with this effervescent friend, and if I ever get bored with Hope, she has two engaging sisters ready to talk.
It really does matter whom I choose as garden friends.
Prayer: Jesus, help me think worthy thoughts.
- Details
- Written by: Don Goulding
… have mercy on others, coupled with a fear of God, hating even the clothes stained by the flesh. (Jude 1:23)
Dani and I hunkered over a tea candle as another blast shook the house. Our eyes widened in awe of the wind’s power. Cyclone Winston was the largest in South Pacific history. The eye passed between the islands but we felt the wrath of radiating bands of horizontal rain. Every tree was shredded, many buildings collapsed, even brave hearts trembled.
Sin is like a cyclone. It shreds life. No one escapes the devastating consequences. Sometimes we are caught in the eye, where the source of our suffering is clear. A drunk driver runs over a toddler. The sin of drunkenness destroyed a child.
Other times, bands radiate from sin to cause general misery. A father is addicted to alcohol, and his children inherit the curse down to the third generation. Abuse, codependency, and addictions haunt the extended family. The source of the pain goes undiagnosed, and is absorbed into the morass of a dysfunctional planet. It’s the radiating bands of hardship, and we’re not sure of the exact epicenter.
Whether it’s the natural consequences of a specific sin, or the general trials of life in a cursed world, every sin results in suffering. Even my petty gossip and callous indifference cause anguish for myself and others.
It’s time for me to weep over the devastation around me. To weep for the suffering souls I know, to weep for my own hurts, and most of all, to weep because I’m part of the problem. I have to recognize the terrible results of sin and hate rebellion even as God hates it.
A spiritual cyclone is destroying those I love, and this life is my only chance to do something about it.
Prayer: Mighty Christ, let me stand against the cyclone of sin.
- Details
- Written by: Don Goulding
Holy Father, keep them safe in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are one. (John 17:11)
Denise stood behind the counter of her Bible bookstore in Auburn, California, while a woman hurled curses. Denise distributed as many prayers as she did books, and this customer was in sore need of intercession. In fact, the Holy Spirit made it known the crazed woman carried a demon that hated God, his children, and the literature of the Way.
Denise thrust an arm into the air. “In the name of Jesus, be silent.”
The woman went mute, fell to her knees, then stumbled out the door.
This event is reminiscent of when the soldiers came to arrest Jesus. In response to their inquiries he proclaimed, "I am He." He invoked the name God had given to himself, “I Am that I Am.” The soldiers drew back and fell to the ground.
There is awesome power in the names shared among the Trinity. Generally, an entity contains all its life and strength, while the name is merely an external label. But God is so mighty that power sparks from his name when it’s invoked.
As the passage above informs us, when we wear the name of Jesus, we join the unity he shares with Jehovah. His supernatural protection surrounds us. Our decaying flesh isn’t always preserved, but the real person inside can’t be touched by destruction, demons, or death.
Jews don’t pronounce the name Jehovah because it’s too holy. They’re right. Those who speak the name as an expletive or in casual speech don’t fathom the depth of their folly. Nevertheless, once I slip the garment of Jesus’s holiness over my head, I’m entitled to reverently speak, own, and hide in the name of God.
Prayer: Holy, awesome, mighty Jehovah, I bear your name.