H.O.P.E. Devotional
Within her father’s gentle grasp, her small hand felt secure. She looked to him as he led his delicate daughter forward, coaxing her with gentle, loving words. Hand in hand, he acted as a protective shield. Trustingly she followed the tall figure beside her, safe and confident. Sunlight spilled brightly onto the dirt path, illuminating the swaying grasses. Though the path was unknown, each step was taken in faith, her hand in her guide’s.
Her mind buzzed with a mix of anticipation and wonder as they traveled. Where is he leading? she wondered. Is this the path to a pond filled with elegant swans, smoothly gliding on sunlit glistening waters? Or would he take her to a pond teeming with ducks, where she could scatter bread on the water, just as she loved to do? With growing excitement, she trusted his guide, knowing he always revealed something beautiful!
Take hold of your Savior’s hand, trusting completely that He will guide in beauty. His path may sometimes be brightly lit, while at other times it may be dark and treacherous. But be confident that every path He leads on will ultimately lead to beauty. He is the very essence of beauty, its Author and the Beautiful One! In the person of Jesus Christ, His Son, God bestowed upon His followers, the ultimate gift: everlasting life in the eternal beauty of heaven, our eternal home.
Jesus of Nazareth paid the ultimate sacrifice for your sins and mine. Accepting this and believing in Him, we are called to follow His guide wherever He leads.
In Matthew 4:19, Jesus calls His first disciples, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” In John 8:12 Jesus said “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” In John 10:27-29 Jesus spoke to Jews in the temple; “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” In Luke 9:23,24 Jesus said “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”
Following Jesus often leads us down difficult paths. He himself endured trials, betrayal, suffering and even death. The Heavenly Father and Holy Spirit guided Him throughout His earthly journey.
Luke 4:1 ESV states “And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil." Hebrews 12:2-3 Amplified Bible states “[looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work]. Just consider and meditate on Him who endured from sinners such bitter hostility against Himself [consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
While Jesus guides us along glorious paths to joyous mountain top experiences. It is on the challenging dark paths of trials, discipline, and testing that we truly grow. Through this refinement, we become strengthened and enabled to grasp the true beauty of His character. Just as the prophet Hosea prophesied in Hosea 2:14-23, Isreal, through a time of severe discipline, gained a deeper understanding of God’s compassionate love, even in their unfaithfulness.
Hosea 2:14 New Living Translation “But then I will win her back once again. I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her there.” The Lord guides them to a stark desert place. Where they hear His tender loving words coming to know His beauty and embracing Him. Hosea 2:15,16 “I will return her vineyards to her and transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope. She will give herself to me there, as she did long ago when she was young, when I freed her from her captivity in Egypt. When that day comes,” says the Lord, “you will call me ‘my husband’ instead of ‘my master.’
Yes, Jesus guides His followers on bright joyous roads and also down barren wilderness and stark desert paths. Trustingly hold His hand, traveling each pathway under His direction and follow His beautiful lead!
From the Heart,
Phyllis
