Rejoice!

Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. ~ Romans 12:12

Have you sensed the shift?  Now is not the time to fall back, nor to give up.  Now is the time to stand up in our confident hope in the Lord, in all that he is, and all that he has promised us.  We can be sure that he will not abandon us, nor let us down.

As we stand firm, we can see our King Jesus, radiant in glory, leading the way to victory.  The weapons we fight with are peace, compassion and joy.  He tells us to be vigilant, not to let our guard down, and to keep praying and moving forward.  He has the strategy to release us from discouragement, trauma and pain.  He is the God of all comfort (2 Cor.1:3) who wraps our wounds and releases us from the grief of what and who has been lost.

We are told not to stay focused on the battle around us, but the join Jesus in making smooth the Highway of Holiness (Isa.35:8), removing the rocks and boulders so others can follow us out of the Valley of Weeping (Ps.84:6) into a place of refreshing abundance and blessing. 
 
Use your spiritual eyes to see what God has prepared for us who believe.  It is radiant with new life, hope and joy.  And it is ours, as we stay focused on Jesus and invite others to join in the triumphal procession (2 Cor.2:14).
  
As we go, let us choose to sing a new and joyful song of praise to him who loves us and saved us. (Ps.33:3)

Dear friend, may you be filled with confident hope as you meditate on all that Jesus is and has promised.  Rejoice as you join others of like heart and mind and see what the Lord is preparing!  Amen.
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Mary Sumner, July 19, 2020