'In his word I put my hope'

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.

-Psalm 130:5

Hope. My hope. Your hope.

We've all been there, haven't we - waiting, even reluctantly, in hope? Maybe you're waiting now in hope.

Lately, I've had some disappointments and concerns. Knee still bothers me. Other strange, unexplained lower leg pains, twinges and cramps. A friend seems to be having serious personal issues - yet to be explained. And more.

There's only so much I alone can do about any of these or others. Instead, I wait; my whole being waits. In hope.

'Seek the Lord while he may be found'

Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.

-Isaiah 55:6 

We're all been there: Lost, seeking or calling. It might be in your work life. Or your personal life. Marriage. Family. Spiritual life.

When and where have you sought God?

Lately, I've been listening to audio versions of Old Testament books while running. Right now, I'm on 2 Kings, a time when many leaders looked away from God - not seeking God.

Isaiah was on the scene at that time, and his words from that time period were relevant then and can be relevant now: Get near and seek God.

'Give thanks to the Lord'

Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

-Psalm 106:1

Here in the United States, today is Thanksgiving Day.

Today, I am thankful for:

• Being alive.
• The notes and feedback from readers of this blog.
• A church home.
• The ability to work and exercise.
• Family and friends.
• And so much more.

Thankful to ...? Many people deserve thanks. But God is the ultimate source of all the blessings I've received, all the people who have come into my life.

And for that, especially on this day, I give thanks to the Lord.

What are you thankful for?

'The Lord gives strength to his people'

The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.

-Psalm 29:11

Strength and peace.

In human history, those two terms have been at odds at times - you could easily cite examples of those in power with strength who have been anything but peaceful.

But we're not talking about human examples. Strength from God - that inner strength - is the perfect complement to God's inner peace.

So many times, I've needed strength and peace. It's difficult - and I'd say impossible in the final analysis - to find those things in the quality of God's strength and peace.

How does he provide this? Note the words - God "gives" strength; he "blesses" people with peace. We don't purchase or earn these things. God freely gives them. To you. To all.

'Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart'

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

-Psalm 27:14

My guess is most people don't like to wait. We're living in a cell phone-microwave-Internet world, and waiting doesn't sell.

Still, sometimes we are forced to wait. If you're in those circumstances, remember these words from Psalm 27. We're not always on a human schedule - but in God's schedule. So be strong and take heart.

'He delivered me from all my fears'

I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

-Psalm 34:4

Fear. Sooner or later, we all face fear. On behalf of a loved one. Our own well-being. The unknown.

This Psalm reminds us that despite all our fears, God can help us move past them. Notice, too, that the writer "sought" God in response to fear.

So seek him. Seek his answer. Know that God is with you despite your fears.

'My help comes from the Lord'

I lift up my eyes to the mountains —
    where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.

-Psalm 121:1-2

Need help?

Or rather: Who doesn't need help? Sometime, somewhere, somehow.

Personally, I need all the help I can get, every day. The struggles might change - health, family, work, even just getting from one place to another.

Have you ever had a struggle, seeking help? When I had my stroke, God helped me. During my recovery, my help came from the Lord. Every day, that help continues.

When you get help from people, is it always the help you thought you needed? I'm guessing the answer is no. Same is true here - God is indeed where your help comes from. Often delivered by humans. And God gives you the help he knows you need - just lift up your eyes to the mountains. Trust and accept that help.

(Photo from the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism; text added by author)

'... Who takes hold of your right hand ...'

For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.

-Isaiah 41:13

Since my stroke and recovery, I've always had a soft spot for this verse in Isaiah. "...I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand ... ."

What a message for someone who - even temporarily - loss the use of his right hand! But thinking further, no matter what my weaknesses might be, God is there to grasp me, with support and strength.

God does grasp the hands of stroke survivors - no matter the level of recovery in this world. Let him grasp you. Let him help you. He will lead you with love.

'I will not be shaken'

I have set the LORD always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.

-Psalm 16:8

Lord knows - and by that, I really mean that the Lord knows - people run into situations where they can be shaken.

One of our challenges is to keep in mind that the Lord is always before you. When events come around to shake your world, grasp God and don't let go.

'Your love, O LORD, supported me'

When I said, "My foot is slipping,"
your love, O LORD, supported me.


When anxiety was great within me,
your consolation brought joy to my soul.

-Psalm 94:18-19

The readings from Psalm are so often comforting and supportive. When we slip (both in spirit and physically), when we suffer, when we seem lost.

The words in Psalm are here for us. So for the next few postings, you'll see some favorite Psalm passages. Use them to remind you of God's presence and support. Share these words to those who need them.

God indeed loves you.

'Nothing is too hard for you'

Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.

 -Jeremiah 32:17

Comforting words from Jeremiah for those who are struggling. Have faith. Look at all what God has done. You are important to him - and nothing is too hard for him to accomplish.

Yes, it might or might not take the form you expect. But he is there beside you. With his outstretched arm.

'Walk humbly with your God'

He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

-Micah 6:8

In the Sunday School class I attend, we're studying the book of Isaiah; parts of that book goes over time after time the failure of leaders to "walk humbly" with God - or anyone else, for that matter.

Time after time, the leaders walked away from God, leading the people astray to worship all those things - that is, the man-made objects that were idolized and worshiped - that do not deserve worship. And time after time, after human decisions went horribly wrong, people realized the errors.

We know that continues to this very day. How many things do we needlessly idolize? That we set in high priority?

While I'm not a language scholar, I'll go out on a limb and say that Micah didn't necessarily mean to "walk" literally. In this Holy Week, keep yourself in the presence of God. "Walk" in that presence. What a week it can be.

That one little word: in

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.

-Ephesians 6:10-11

As Palm Sunday approaches, an important word to remember: "in."

That small word - "...be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ..." - packs some punch. Those two little words remind us that true strength is found in God.

Stroke recovery can be lonely and difficult. But remember, you are in God's strength and in his power. Rest in his love and strength.

'Lord is my strength'

The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights. ...

-Habakkuk 3:19

Well, I didn't exactly feel like a deer but was able to finish a race.

Almost a dozen years ago, I couldn't even walk. Last Saturday,  I ran 13.1 miles in a half marathon in Sedalia, Mo. No records set, but God enabled me to hit my own height that day.

Stroke survivors recover at various levels. All require strength. This verse reminds us the source of that strength.

'Qualities in increasing measure'

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

-2 Peter 1:5-8

A logical chain of growth - you take one step, master one level, move on, continue to climb.

Stroke recovery is often that way. For years after mine, from time to time, I felt something changed from time to time, like another piece clicked into place.

And faith is a matter of progress - sometimes, slow progress - as well. Let it happen, even slowly. In your stroke recovery, in your faith journey.

'The Lord is my strength'

The LORD is my strength and my shield;
       my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.
       My heart leaps for joy
       and I will give thanks to him in song.

-Psalm 28:7

There's physical strength - important. Then there's strength of faith in God - even more important.

A stroke can weaken muscles, no doubt. In this Lenten season, take some time to take your strength of faith to a higher level. Read his word. Pray. If you are able, attend church services - and if you don't have a church home, it's a perfect time to find one.

A good church home if you happen to live in or around Columbia, Mo. - Community United Methodist Church.

Lent ends not on the day that Jesus died on the cross, but with his resurrection. Talk about strength!

God, through health professionals, can often help with physical strength in stroke recovery. One recent study adds to the discussion:

There is some controversy surrounding strength training in stroke patients, as some rehabilitation groups feel that strengthening stroke-weakened muscles will also increase spasticity and pain. But that's not what Dr. Janice J. Eng and Dr. Jocelyn E. Harris, of University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, found.

They pooled results from 13 studies that recorded how strength training exercises, versus no strengthening intervention, affected overall arm strength and function in 517 stroke patients with mild to moderately impaired movement of the upper limbs.

On average, strength training lasted for about one hour on 2 to 3 days a week for 4 weeks, although some of the training periods extended as long as 19 weeks. Most interventions used small weights, resistance bands, and gym-type pulley weights to build muscle.

The combined results suggest, "strengthening does not increase spasticity on a permanent basis," Eng told Reuters Health in an email. Rather, strengthening may actually reduce muscle spasticity, she added.

 (Image from Printables 4 Scrapbooking)

Sounds like a downer until you think about it

For, "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever." And this is the word that was preached to you.

-1 Peter 1:24-25

At first reading, Peter sounds like he's giving us a reminder of our own mortality. But think further.

Yes, grass and flowers wither - and they must be. Without withering, renewal cannot take place. The glory of renewal would never be known.

God's word is his promise - accept him, and you, too, will see the ultimate renewal in the proper time. And that's a great word.

(Photo from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources)

Placing your trust in the Lord

Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.

-Isaiah 26:4

We've all had days of frustration, anger. When words fail. When we are physically exhausted. When the system seems to be working against us.

Fact is, there is little to this world we can trust, in the ultimate sense. Human inventions and conventions fail; humans make mistakes; people can be thoughtless.

But read the words from Isaiah - despite human shortcomings, we do have an ultimate Rock to trust with our very souls. So when those days of frustration come, remember these words. You will still find trials in this finite world, but as Isaiah wrote, trust in God can carry you past it.

'Your love ... endures forever'

The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
your love, O LORD, endures forever—
do not abandon the works of your hands.

-Psalm 138:8

God's purpose for you doesn't require perfection. God's purpose for you doesn't require superhuman skills. God's purpose for you requires only acceptance - leave the rest to God.

You are works in God's hands, and you are held with that promise.

(Image from www.heartlight.com)

'Joyful ... patient ... faithful'

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

-Romans 12:9-12

"Be joyful in hope ... ."

Paul went through some dreadful, awful, torturous experiences during his ministry. But again and again, he wrote about hope.

I can't imagine the life Paul had - he turned turned from society's "in" crowd and took the path of the often persecuted. Perfect? No. But that was not required for Paul and it's certainly not required for Christ followers.

So when human afflictions seem overwhelming, I hope you can find comfort in Paul's writings. He, too, was afflicted but found peace.