HOPE

I sat and wondered what I should write to you about at Christmas time and for the New Year. Fore some reason the word “Hope” kept coming up. At first I thought I probably needed to pray for my friend’s dog named Hope, because she is sick. Then I received an e-mail from someone on my other website, Have A Heart for Companion Animals. It was from a very sad and hurting person who just got out of the army. He lost so much and now has to give his dog up. At least he is not giving it over to animal control since they really don’t find homes for these pets but destroy usually 70% of them. He wants to find a really good home and not destroy his dog because of his bad circumstances. How wonderful of him. One thing he did say was he has lost hope because of all that has happened.

Well, what do you do when you’re a Christian? You pray for people, at least that is what I did in my return e-mail. Hope…that is what we all need. To lose hope puts you in a very bad place. It says in the bible “Hope thou in God”. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not yet seen.” Seems to me that you have to demonstrate faith in God, which becomes the substance you need hope for, in the things you don’t see. Hummm.

We all have to have hope or we become unhappy, depressed, lonely, and want to give up. That’s not a really good place to be. Jesus came so that we could have hope in God. The little baby Jesus was placed in a manger in a stall where animals were. Isn’t that odd to you? You would think, why there? It must be because of the mean innkeeper …I mean, why didn’t he give up his bed and sleep in the stall? Instead, he let a very pregnant women stay in a stall for the night. How ungentlemanly is that? But, you know, God knew what was to take place.

Jesus was right there where God wanted him and the animals rejoiced and had a lot of company as well. Imaging the angels… they saw and the shepherd’s when they arrived …wow. God even cared about the animals knowing about Jesus’ birth. Could you imagine what it would have been like if the innkeeper let Mary and Joseph have his room? He would have tried to keep everyone out that wanted to see God’s only Son, Jesus. But, God had his angels make an announcement to many and they needed to come to see what God had done.

Did you lose hope …well some things don’t work out the way we think they should but, don’t lose hope, in fact, God has a better way for you. Hope in God and he will strengthen you. He will uphold you with the right hand of his righteousness. It says in the bible “Your word is a lamp unto my feet and light unto my path”.

Thank you God for placing a star in the sky to light the way many years ago to lead them to your only Son, Jesus “the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us”. Thank you that your Word still speaks to us today, guiding us and directing us and being a light for us to walk in.

Until Next Time,
God Bless You All.
Rev. Marilyn Marinelli