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In times of uncertainty, Hope
22 Plays1 year ago
I talk about how God cannot break His word. He does what He says, and we can too. We can trust Him. It is impossible for him to lie- Hebrews 6:18 and He is our safe and secure anchor. We are made in His image- Genesis 1:27. His character need to affect our character. Thinking about a loyal person in the Bible, the book of Ruth came to my mind. We talk about this book, and the character of Ruth. In times of uncertainty, we can put our trust and our hope in God.
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Transcript
Introduction to the Podcast
00:00:01
fillingyouupwithhope
Hi, I'm so glad you're here today. It's Abby from Filling You Up with Hope. I have a podcast every week where we go through God's word and we we talk about
The Need for Hope in Uncertain Times
00:00:13
fillingyouupwithhope
it. We talk about mental health. We talk about um parenting, lots of things. And we're talking about in times of uncertainty, there's hope. That's what we're talking about today. And it's were it's so,
00:00:32
fillingyouupwithhope
It's so relevant times of uncertainty because there is so much uncertainty with politically what's going on, with the amounts of people who feel angry you know very anxious.
Biblical Verses on Trust and Hope
00:00:48
fillingyouupwithhope
And so I think that this is going to give us hope that we can be anchored in God. And we're going to go through verses that really help with that.
00:01:03
fillingyouupwithhope
And the verses start in numbers today because that's where we are. um And, but we're going to go through other verses throughout the Bible that really help with God was really understanding God's character. um So, and last week we talked about how we can trust God.
00:01:29
fillingyouupwithhope
and because he's different he's not like people who let us down sometimes his character is different and so this is kind of a continuation of that and I'm so excited because the verses are just there's so much hope in them and it starts with numbers 31 through 2.
Maintaining Promises like God
00:01:48
fillingyouupwithhope
Moses spoke to the leaders of the tribes of the Israelites this is what the Lord has commanded When a man makes a solemn promise to the Lord or swears a solemn pledge of binding obligation for himself, he cannot break his word. He must do everything he said. So that's kind of a continuation, like I said, of last week. He is trustworthy. This is God's character, right? So we need to have that character.
00:02:23
fillingyouupwithhope
We can't break his work our word. We have to do what we say that we're going to do. And we fall short, right? But God is our example, and he does it in this way. And going back to Numbers 23, 19, we talked about Balam, the prophet, a little bit. And this is what he's saying. God isn't a man that he would lie or a human being that he would change his mind.
God's Fulfillment of Promises
00:02:51
fillingyouupwithhope
Has he ever spoken or not done it?
00:02:53
fillingyouupwithhope
or promised and not fulfilled it. that feels me That fills me up and um fills up broken parts in me and many people that he he follows through. it He does what he what he says he's going to do. And we see this. We see this. you know He made a covenant with Abraham that you know that we know that um he's gonna have descendants like the stars in the sky. And Abraham's like, what? I am old. How is this gonna happen? I don't have any children. And yes, he, and he follows through, right? And in an Exodus three, he tells Moses, look, um I've seen the Israelites pain and I've come to rescue them and take them to a land of milk and honey.
00:03:49
fillingyouupwithhope
right? And it's really interesting because if you look back to that in Exodus three, um he says that the groups that are living there, um he doesn't say that this land of milk and honey is going to be vacant. He says the names of groups They're living there. So as we've talked about a couple of weeks ago, the Israelites are upset because they're exploring the promised land, this land of milk and honey that God's promised them. And there's people there. But should they really be surprised because that is what God told Moses. There are going to be these groups there. It's another example of God. God knows what's going to happen.
Hope as an Anchor in Jesus
00:04:33
fillingyouupwithhope
and he follows through in what he says he's gonna do. And that is why we can trust him. Hebrews 6, 18 through 19. So good. um So these are two things that God doesn't change because it is it is impossible for God to lie. Like we've all been lied to at some point in our life. How much hope is that?
00:05:02
fillingyouupwithhope
It's impossible for God to lie. And that also means, because this is his word, it is true, and it because he doesn't lie. And that's hard for a lot of us to take in who've been lied to, who have trust issues, like we talked about last week, but God doesn't lie, continuing on. He did this so that we who have taken refuge in him can be encouraged can be encouraged to grasp The hope that is lying in front of us. The hope, which is a safe and secure anchor for our whole being, enters the sanctuary behind the curtain. This hope, which is a safe and secure anchor. and In times of uncertainty, which is the whole human existence, right? How how do we go through?
00:06:01
fillingyouupwithhope
Right? We can go through nervous, anxious, depressed our whole lives. Many, many people do. But the cure to that is the hope there is in Jesus. It is a safe and secure anchor. Like, do you want a safe and secure anchor? We all want that, that foundation and the way, the way to have that, the only way.
00:06:31
fillingyouupwithhope
is by putting your hope in Jesus.
Truth and Trustworthiness in God's Image
00:06:34
fillingyouupwithhope
And he he doesn't lie, right? So just reading those words in Hebrews 6, 18 through 19, and just taking that in, because that's how to deal with uncertainty. Like, yes, these things are going on around me that are uncertain and and making me feel anxious. But wait a second. I don't have to focus on that.
00:07:00
fillingyouupwithhope
I can focus on my safe and secure anchor, my refuge, my place of safety. So so and and taking in that since it's impossible for him to lie, his word is true and this and that should change us and that should affect us and grow us because we are made in his image, right? Genesis 1, 27, we're made in his image. So if we're made in his image, and it's impossible for him to lie, and he is trustworthy, and he has these things, then our, that our character should change, right? And we should be trustworthy, and not lie, like what it says in Numbers 31 through two, like,
00:08:00
fillingyouupwithhope
because he is that way, we can learn from him and we can be that way, no matter what has happened to us. And a little side note, like our brains lie to us, right?
Counteracting Negativity with God's Promises
00:08:16
fillingyouupwithhope
So many people as a therapist that come in and have so many negative thoughts, so many untrue thoughts that they're just used to believing and taking in.
00:08:30
fillingyouupwithhope
But but right we need to know that our thoughts need to be rooted in him, in God, and his hope. and um And we have control over that. We have control over changing our thoughts. So if your thoughts are negative, like so many of us, and we all struggle with this from time to time,
00:08:55
fillingyouupwithhope
Like they don't have to lie or thoughts don't have to lie. We can, when we have the thought, we can think about, is this a thought from God? Is this a thought that he wants me to hold onto? Cause we know his promises and we know that he has a safe and secure anchor. And so would he be telling us like how stupid we are or, um, holding on to, to things that we don't need to be holding onto?
00:09:28
fillingyouupwithhope
Um, right. Cause we're forgiven. We turn to him. We repent when we make mistakes and we turn to him and take that in deeply. And we are forgiven and we can let go. We don't need to be holding on to lies. A lot of us are holding on to lies. Um, and we don't need to be doing that because we are made in his image. We are made in the image of our creator.
00:09:58
fillingyouupwithhope
And um so, but about this affecting our character, like who God is, Matthew 5, 37, let your yes mean yes, and your no mean no. Anything more than this comes from the evil one. So like, God is a man of his word, right? And we're we're made in his image. So we need to be people of our word, right?
Ruth's Story of Loyalty and Redemption
00:10:28
fillingyouupwithhope
and um And I was thinking about when I was like researching for this, I'm thinking about who's a person of ah that exemplifies this. right And immediately I thought of Ruth in the Bible. And so we're going to end today. We're going to go through ah some of Ruth.
00:10:58
fillingyouupwithhope
And I just hope that it that it just um gives you the joy that it gives me. um So like the hope, it it reminds me of the hope that we have, that God is trustworthy, loyal, and follows through. And that's, we see those actions in Ruth when we go through it.
00:11:27
fillingyouupwithhope
and Um, so, and it's just so much hope that we can believe his word and we can be loyal like Ruth is and follows through. So, but Ruth in the Bible, it's such a great book. Um, it's not, it's not a very long book. You can read it in one sitting and it, there's just so much goodness in these four pages.
00:11:57
fillingyouupwithhope
and And one of the things I love about it is that God's Word is alive and active. And ah and I feel that when I'm reading the book of Ruth, I can picture what's going on. And um it's a beautiful story. So it starts with Naomi, who is this woman who is in Bethlehem.
00:12:21
fillingyouupwithhope
but and she um She goes through pain and heartbreak. Her husband is a lamelec and he he dies.
00:12:35
fillingyouupwithhope
um And it's tragic, like they have two sons together. And so now um Naomi is left there with her two sons.
00:12:53
fillingyouupwithhope
And oops. So they start out in Bethlehem, and which and I'm just backing up a bit, which is interesting because beloved block who we talked about last week. um They, they are in Moab. And that's where Naomi and her husband go to, right? Because there's a famine. So, so I'm sorry. So when Naomi's husband dies. That's where they are. They're in Moab. And so they're in a different land. And she's there and with with her sons who get married to Orpa and Bruce. And then tragically more tragedy, Naomi's sons, both of them die. And so here she is in this different land.
00:13:49
fillingyouupwithhope
and with her and her daughter and her daughters in law and grieving and we can just feel that and imagine like the pain and ah and Naomi hears that God is providing food for his people in Bethlehem and she wants to go back there and ah And she says to Orpa and Ruth, like, you guys go stay here, go to your mother's households and may God provide for you. And it's just this emotional scene. And and they don't want to, but eventually Orpa um leaves.
00:14:42
fillingyouupwithhope
and But Ruth wants to stay with Naomi. and um And she's loyal to her mother-in-law. And it's a reminder of God's loyalty and love for us. And we can provide that to other people. Right? So this is Ruth 116. But Ruth replied, don't urge me to abandon you, to turn back from following after you. Wherever you go, I will go.
00:15:19
fillingyouupwithhope
and wherever you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die and there I will be buried. May may the Lord do this to me and more so if even death separates me from you.
00:15:41
fillingyouupwithhope
And like that is Ruth's loyalty. yeah And it's just an example such an example of how we all want to be. So I just recommend reading this book. So many of us have read it, and it's just beautiful. And what God says happens, right? And Ruth is loyal like that. And it happens. They they stay together, and Ruth remarries. um and And she has a son who is David.
00:16:18
fillingyouupwithhope
King David, his grandson. And so that's why this is like a story of grief, of loyalty and redemption. from They go from this horrible pain that they're going through and so many of us in different ways are going through this really strong pain. But we have redemption no matter what because we've we've given our hearts, our lives to Jesus and we have an eternal life with him. So we have this redemption, which is um the story of
Concluding with Trust in God
00:16:58
fillingyouupwithhope
Ruth. It's a story of of redemption, which is as Christians, it's all of our story. It's the prodigal son. um It's a story of lives changing. And so, and when our lives have changed, we can be
00:17:17
fillingyouupwithhope
loyal and we can follow through. Just like God is loyal and he follows through and no matter what we're going through that helps our uncertainty. The anxiety we may feel.
00:17:40
fillingyouupwithhope
um So I'm just going to end with um Beautiful hope in Psalm 91, one through two. Those who take shelter, sorry.
00:18:08
fillingyouupwithhope
So it's Psalm 91, one through two. Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord. He is my God and I trust Him. So if you're feeling, if you're living in uncertainty, feeling anxious, like reading that and and because David lived, David who wrote so many Psalms lived
00:18:44
fillingyouupwithhope
and was lots of uncertainty because he was running for his life. And so we can we can read this. He can trust God even though he's living with so much uncertainty and we can too. um So I just and just pray that you have that hope and that trust in the Lord, our savior.
00:19:11
fillingyouupwithhope
and And because of that, we can be people who follow through. So I just hope that your week is great. And I will talk to you next week. Bye.