In His Name...

We hope in a lot of things. Every year I hope my Auburn Tigers will do well. Right now it's not football season, but after going 13-0 this past year I can hardly wait for next season to begin. You probably find yourself hoping for a lot of things. We hope we'll get that new car on our 16th birthday. We hope that he or she will notice us. We hope that people will like us. We hope that people won't laugh at us or make fun of us, but will accept us. We hope in a lot of things. We hope in the name of appearances. We hope in the name of popularity. We hope in the name of our own intellegence.

But you know, it's just a fact that some days are harder than others. Not every day is filled with sunshine. Sometimes it rains. That's just the way life goes. And in those moments, in those times when you look out the window & the clouds are rolling in, when you just don't feel like getting up & facing the day...in those moments, I want to remind you that there is hope. There is hope that the clouds will soon pass & the rain will soon be gone. The same Jesus that said, "Peace be still" can be the Prince of Peace in your life & quiet any storm that comes your way. There is hope. And it's in His name.

Matthew gave us a hope that is above all others. In Matthew 12:21 he tells us, that "In his name the nations will put their hope." There is no sweeter hope that we have than the hope that we have in the name of Christ. Paul tells us in Romans 10:13 that if we simply call on the name of the Lord He will come to our rescue. I belive there is power & there is hope in the name of Jesus. We call on a lot of people who are powerless to help. We rely on a lot of things that always fall short. And often times we depend on our sheer will power to overcome only what can be accomplished through the name of Christ. There is hope in His name.

Who is Jesus to you? What is his name? Maybe you call Him Lord. Maybe Healer. Perhaps Savior, Redeemer, Friend. The names Counselor, Helper, Confidant, & Forgiver may be close to your heart. In every name, in every way that you identify Christ in your life, do you hear in that name the overtones of hope? Can you see that in every situation hope is His ready offering.

Trust Jesus. Put your hope in Him. People fail you & let you down. Even those with the best of intentions will at some point disappoint you. But put your hope in His name, for He will never fail you. In His name is hope.

It's Not About Me...

This morning I was already having one of those days, actually...it's been one of those weeks. I'll spare you the details, but you've been there too. You know, when it seems that things just aren't going your way. So this morning I was driving into work & having a conversation with God that I'm sure was confusing even Him. I was driving over this mountain through the fog & trying to make some analogy about how I was ready to clear the fog & move into the sunlight & for life to be the way I thought it should be. Now don't get me wrong, I have a great life. I was just having one of those moments. Then, I round the corner close to the church where I work & I see this elderly man walking his dog, & he had on a sweatshirt with a picture of his dog on it! It got me laughing. I'm sure that will be me one day. Then, I pull into the parking lot & there is this woman & her son standing by their car. They had a flat tire & were having trouble putting on the spare. So I jumped out & began to do what I could to help them. I called my dad & together we changed this lady's tire in no time. We sent them on their way & already, my day felt better.

That's when I had the not so profound revelation, more of a reminder, that this life isn't about me. The world doesn't revolve around me. The universe is not dependant on me. I am here for a much greater purpose than myself. I am here for God's glory. And I'll serve Him & play any part in His story I can. Steven Curtis said it this way in one of my favorite songs:

I want to make much of You Jesus
I want to make much of Your love
I want to live today to give You the praise that You alone are so worthy of
I want to make much of Your mercy
I want to make much of Your cross
I give You my life take it & let it be used to make much of You.

I pray that today you too will make much of Jesus in your life.