Comments on: MARCH 4 – WORDS OF HOPE, NOT DESPAIR http://www.goshen.edu/devotions/hope-not-despair/ Advent and Lenten devotions by Goshen College students, faculty and staff Tue, 02 Apr 2013 01:56:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Mercy http://www.goshen.edu/devotions/hope-not-despair/#comment-85 Mercy Wed, 22 Jul 2009 02:03:07 +0000 http://blog.goshen.edu/devotions/?p=95#comment-85 The first three sentences of this devotional have meant more to me than you will ever know. Thank you. The first three sentences of this devotional have meant more to me than you will ever know. Thank you.

]]> By: Maria Thomas http://www.goshen.edu/devotions/hope-not-despair/#comment-84 Maria Thomas Thu, 05 Mar 2009 19:46:45 +0000 http://blog.goshen.edu/devotions/?p=95#comment-84 You are the first gentile I have heard say that Jesus' words were words of hope. I wonder if the Father turned away not because He couldn't stand to look at sin but because He didn't want to watch Jesus die? Was Jesus telling the people what was to come when He quoted that Psalm? I think maybe He was. You are the first gentile I have heard say that Jesus’ words were words of hope. I wonder if the Father turned away not because He couldn’t stand to look at sin but because He didn’t want to watch Jesus die? Was Jesus telling the people what was to come when He quoted that Psalm? I think maybe He was.

]]> By: Pam Harrison http://www.goshen.edu/devotions/hope-not-despair/#comment-83 Pam Harrison Wed, 04 Mar 2009 21:05:22 +0000 http://blog.goshen.edu/devotions/?p=95#comment-83 On Monday it started to rain and then to freeze, by Tuesday we were declaired a disaster zone. Some elderly folks trapped in their homes with frozen doors. I just returned home from the hospital with a lady who was without heat in her home for two days, we found her this morning and realized she had not eaten. SOme suffer more than others. THe sun on the frozen trees is beautiful and makes the world twinkle - God's glory. At the same time in all this beauty there is sorrow. Life is about balance. The balance of the joy of helping others and the receiving help. The balance of too much and too little. We have 15,000 homes without power and more service trucks than we have ever seen. THe trucks are a sign of HOPE. We don't know the drivers but people wave and say thank you - hospitality to strangers. THis is God's responce!!! Vicki - your story takes courage to tell. God bless you. Pam On Monday it started to rain and then to freeze, by Tuesday we were declaired a disaster zone. Some elderly folks trapped in their homes with frozen doors. I just returned home from the hospital with a lady who was without heat in her home for two days, we found her this morning and realized she had not eaten. SOme suffer more than others.

THe sun on the frozen trees is beautiful and makes the world twinkle – God’s glory. At the same time in all this beauty there is sorrow. Life is about balance. The balance of the joy of helping others and the receiving help.

The balance of too much and too little. We have 15,000 homes without power and more service trucks than we have ever seen. THe trucks are a sign of HOPE. We don’t know the drivers but people wave and say thank you – hospitality to strangers. THis is God’s responce!!!

Vicki – your story takes courage to tell. God bless you. Pam

]]> By: Kathy http://www.goshen.edu/devotions/hope-not-despair/#comment-82 Kathy Wed, 04 Mar 2009 16:36:55 +0000 http://blog.goshen.edu/devotions/?p=95#comment-82 Vicki--Thank you for sharing your story. What profound loss you are experiencing. Thank you for your courage and hope! Vicki–Thank you for sharing your story. What profound loss you are experiencing. Thank you for your courage and hope!

]]> By: Vicki http://www.goshen.edu/devotions/hope-not-despair/#comment-81 Vicki Wed, 04 Mar 2009 15:09:36 +0000 http://blog.goshen.edu/devotions/?p=95#comment-81 Five weeks ago my seemingly healthy, extremely strong husband died in his sleep: I have uttered, screamed, wept, groaned these words of "despair" almost daily despite my faith we shall be reunited. I never connected them to their psalm of origin and find great comfort in your having done so, especially as I read in a new way the final words of Psalm 22. One of our future generation, a long-awaited grandson, would have been born the week before "Big Jim's" death. I now see him holding that unborn baby in his huge (not quite Yao Ming) hand. Though too ridden with genetic problems to survive half a pregnancy, that child, too, was witness to our faith, and like our other grandchildren can be held in his PopPop's single "paw" or close to his chest. I have been an avid Advent/Lent reader for years and so appreciate this wonderful daily devotion your school provides, but never more so than today! Energy is not destroyed once created, right? So our friend reminded our son, the baby's father, from his walks when both taught at Princeton with absent-minded Al who always forgot his umbrella on rainy days. At 10, my son, now a chemical engineer, said, "That was Albert Einstein, wasn't it, Dr. Piet?" and everafter was able to mesh his scientific and faith beliefs. That anecdote is for the scientist you! Five weeks ago my seemingly healthy, extremely strong husband died in his sleep:
I have uttered, screamed, wept, groaned these words of “despair” almost daily despite my faith we shall be reunited. I never connected them to their psalm of origin and find great comfort in your having done so, especially as I read in a new way the final words of Psalm 22. One of our future generation, a long-awaited grandson, would have been born the week before “Big Jim’s” death. I now see him holding that unborn baby in his huge (not quite Yao Ming) hand. Though too ridden with genetic problems to survive half a pregnancy, that child, too, was witness to our faith, and like our other grandchildren can be held in his PopPop’s single “paw” or close to his chest. I have been an avid Advent/Lent reader for years and so appreciate this wonderful daily devotion your school provides, but never more so than today! Energy is not destroyed once created, right? So our friend reminded our son, the baby’s father, from his walks when both taught at Princeton with absent-minded Al who always forgot his umbrella on rainy days. At 10, my son, now a chemical engineer, said, “That was Albert Einstein, wasn’t it, Dr. Piet?” and everafter was able to mesh his scientific and faith beliefs. That anecdote is for the scientist you!

]]> By: Peter http://www.goshen.edu/devotions/hope-not-despair/#comment-80 Peter Wed, 04 Mar 2009 15:00:53 +0000 http://blog.goshen.edu/devotions/?p=95#comment-80 When my 14 week old granddaughter named Faith is still in neunatal intensive care perhaps requiring a high risk transplant, my faith is stretched; and yet there is hope in the midst of the stretch. When my 14 week old granddaughter named Faith is still in neunatal intensive care perhaps requiring a high risk transplant, my faith is stretched; and yet there is hope in the midst of the stretch.

]]> By: Fremont Regier http://www.goshen.edu/devotions/hope-not-despair/#comment-79 Fremont Regier Wed, 04 Mar 2009 13:45:26 +0000 http://blog.goshen.edu/devotions/?p=95#comment-79 Hi, and Thanks, Carl, and thanks Goshen. I needed this today. Hi, and Thanks, Carl, and thanks Goshen. I needed this today.

]]> By: Renee http://www.goshen.edu/devotions/hope-not-despair/#comment-78 Renee Wed, 04 Mar 2009 12:50:13 +0000 http://blog.goshen.edu/devotions/?p=95#comment-78 Thank you. Thank you.

]]> By: Rob http://www.goshen.edu/devotions/hope-not-despair/#comment-77 Rob Wed, 04 Mar 2009 09:57:07 +0000 http://blog.goshen.edu/devotions/?p=95#comment-77 I so appreciate the devotionals that the college faculty, staff and students provide at different periods of the year. Thank you. I appreciated today's devotion on Psalm 22 that begins with the words from the cross which could be translated HELP....and concludes with words of encouragement and HOPE..... The Psalms are always timeless and inspirational. I so appreciate the devotionals that the college faculty, staff and students provide at different periods of the year. Thank you. I appreciated today’s devotion on Psalm 22 that begins with the words from the cross which could be translated HELP….and concludes with words of encouragement and HOPE….. The Psalms are always timeless and inspirational.

]]> By: Bill Postma http://www.goshen.edu/devotions/hope-not-despair/#comment-76 Bill Postma Wed, 04 Mar 2009 09:31:31 +0000 http://blog.goshen.edu/devotions/?p=95#comment-76 Thanks for this timely reminder of Hope as I start the day. I've been reading "The Audacity of Hope" by Barack Obama. I pray that all people, especially our leaders, may see that our hope lies not in our stock portfolios but in Almighty God. May we be obedient and accept His grace. Shalom! Bill Thanks for this timely reminder of Hope as I start the day. I’ve been reading “The Audacity of Hope” by Barack Obama. I pray that all people, especially our leaders, may see that our hope lies not in our stock portfolios but in Almighty God. May we be obedient and accept His grace.
Shalom!
Bill

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