I HAVE A HOPE

2. I have a hope, serene and sure,
   That anchors past the veil;
   In all the storms it holds secure,
   Nor will it ever fail.
3. 
   
4. My hope is born of God’s own word,
5. And nourished by His grace;
6. His promise true my soul hath heard,
7. And hope beholds His face.
8. I have a hope that looks away
   From present woes and tears
   To heaven’s bright eternal day,
   Till sorrow disappears.
9. I have a hope that doth not fear
   The silent grave to view,
   Nay, doth not shrink though death appear,
   For I shall live anew.

THE MOMENT OF GRACE

When life stands still,

and dreams are memories afar,
when hope seems grim and
my strength is withered and worn.

i will run to Your hill,
i will walk Your path,

When fear waits to grip,
and worry hounds to sap,
when faith seems impossible,
and my soul wants to tap out

i will crawl to You,

i will wait for You,

i shall stand in praise,

in Your embrace.

CHORUS

For when all seems lost

and waste seems abound,

when my soul wants to praise,

but finds not words,

i find Your moment of grace

when all will turn and

day shall shine bright

and my soul will win over the night

BRIDGE

for in my weakness You are made known,

in my frail being, Your strength comes into its own

may i love You Lord now and forever,

may i stand for Jesus through it all.

Watching and Waiting at the Doorposts

“Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.  For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord.”  Proverbs 8:34-35 (KJV)

What a beautiful picture!   Imagine the scene of a dear soul watching and waiting for Jesus.  Standing inside the door of a lovely house, hoping to catch a glimpse of Jesus, this dear one’s eyes are fixed.  If one were to ask “who’s coming?”  We would hear, “the Master is coming.”

We watch and wait for Jesus in so many ways.  When we lift up our prayers, we wait for His answer, refusing to take action until we hear from Him.  His Word promises that He is faithful to hear our prayers in 1 Peter 3:12.

“For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers:  but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.”

We can wait with assurance that an answer will come from Him.  He will not leave us hanging indefinitely.

Waiting is so hard!  We long for instant answers and quick fixes, but sometimes we must labor fervently as Epaphras did…

“Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.”  (Colossians 4:12)

If you’ve been praying for a lost loved one, don’t give up.  Hold on.  Pray fervently.  Watch and wait for our Lord to act.  Pray that this dear one’s heart will be softened, ready to receive from Him His precious gift of salvation.

In these times of uncertainty and trouble on every side, we watch and wait for our Lord’s return.  We carry on our day to day lives, but inside, there is expectancy.  Is it time yet?  When will He come?

Our bridegroom, our betrothed, will come for us in His time.  He has gone to prepare a place for us and will soon return.  We must be ready at a moment’s notice.

“…I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”  John 14:2b-3

Many will come to lure us away, but we are to steadfastly remain at the door.  Enticements abound to distract us from our post, but they shall be found wanting, pale by comparison.  Nothing outshines Jesus.  No one is more worthy.  Nothing can pull us away.  We are prepared to wait as long as it takes, for He is life to us.

“Lead me in thy truth, and teach me:  for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.”  Psalm 25:5

Content and photo are copyright © 2011 by Linda Hull, Words of Encouragement