I have delivered workshops on Time Management.  As I say to participants, time is finite, and therefore, managing time is not possible.  It is about managing your attitude and your behaviour that will ensure you are able to be as productive as you can be, in the time allowed for the tasks you have to complete. 
​
In recent times, I took on some new challenges in my work life, to expand my knowledge and understanding of a different area of work, while still maintaining a portion of my substantive work role.  I felt I was competent to undertake this, and still do feel it is something I have the capacity to do.  I had been thinking about how I can tackle multiple, sometimes competing tasks, to ensure I can be as productive as possible, and can tick off my task lists, of which I maintain 2.  All this, while still trying to maintain a semblance of balance between work and home life.

The truth has hit home.  I don’t really want to be able to do ‘more’ in a day, rather I want to do ‘less’.  What I want more of, is meaning and purpose in my life, and this will then create less stress.  So, my challenge now is to find clarity and simplicity, and let God guide me to do what is needed with passion and purpose.  This will bring more focus to how I balance my work and life, as I take back control and live my life with peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.     

​When someone tells us they are getting married, we may find ourselves asking questions like: where will you be holding the ceremony; will it be traditional; how many bridesmaids; and so on.  And so the wedding preparations begin.  Sadly, the preparations for the wedding day often override the efforts put in to preparing for the actual marriage, the life together.  The wedding can be a simple ceremony with few people, or something more lavish with no expense spared.  The future bride may be intent on creating her fairy tale, and the future groom on just getting through the day.  Whichever way you look at it, the focus can easily slip into it being all about ‘self’.
We are hearing a lot lately about ‘love is love’, as a statement that ‘love’ is all that is required for a solid marriage.  Marriage is about commitment to each other, and about building the relationship together to be about the interests of the other, and not just about feelings.  It’s not just placing rings on each other’s fingers, or signing a piece of paper.  It is far more and requires consistent attention to detail, and to each other.
When children are born into a marriage, we often find they become the entire focus.  The parents, or one parent, will put everything in to trying to make their children ‘happy’.  While this is important, raising children is more about helping them to become responsible, emotionally intelligent adults, and not just ‘happy children’.  A barrier can easily be created between a healthy marriage and simply focusing on raising the children.  Eventually, there will be an empty nest and an empty marriage, or the nest never empties, and the marriage still does.
Commit to your relationship.  Create a marriage with the person you really want to spend the rest of your life with, the person you will live through hard times and good times.  Spend quality time together and your relationship will deepen over time and not become shallow.  Turn from your ‘screens’, so they don’t become the only way you communicate.  Talk with each other; smile, laugh and, find real joy in each other’s company.  Generate a marriage for life, and not a wedding for just a day.

Proverbs 14:11
 
11 The house of the wicked shall be overthrown: but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish.
 
What happens when someone does wrong by you?  I know the natural response is to want to “get even” or to “make them pay”.

I think that’s what most of us feel when we’ve been hurt or cheated or let down by a friend or family member, an individual, a company or even by a government.  And for most of us, we don’t have the power to extract the revenge that we feel we so rightly deserve so we end up adding frustration to the hurt we already feel.  Unfortunately, there are a few that decide that nothing will stop them from getting that revenge and this often leads to violent acts completely out of proportion to the original wrong.

As Christians, we have another way.  Sure, we still get let down and hurt by people.  We still have that natural urge to get back at people.  But true followers of Jesus Christ not only don’t act on those natural urges, we put them completely out of mind.  Without Jesus, that wouldn’t be easy.  But He allows us to “turn the other cheek” by going to Him in prayer and leaving it with Him to deal with.
 
We remember that God sees the big picture.
 
He sees the end from the beginning.   Isaiah 46:10
 
10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
 
Not only does God know the end from the beginning, He not only sees the Big Picture – he is in control of it.
 
That's the reason I can declare Proverbs 14:11 is certain, because God’s Word never fails.
 
THE CERTAINTY OF GOD’S WORD
 
Sometimes we let doubt creep in – we start to wonder if and when something that God has said either to us, or through preaching we’ve heard or through His written Word will ever happen.
 
More Certain Word
 
During the reign of King Joram a terrible time of famine struck Samaria as the result of a siege of Sa­maria by the Syrians.
 
Through the prophet Elisha, the Lord made a declaration:    II Kings 7:1
 
1 Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the Lord; Thus saith the Lord, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.
 
3. Doubters put forth arguments as to why this could not possibly happen, but that did not prevent fulfill­ment.    II Kings 7:2
 
2 Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.
 
What do you think?   Who was going to be right?  Elisha, a man speaking the words that God had promised or a man who thought he was smart, a man in a position of closeness to the King of the land?   Only one of them could be right.       II Peter 1:19
 
19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed
 
THERE WAS A BIG PROBLEM IN SAMARIA
 
Trying to figure out the solution was not man’s job; if God declares something, it is certain to come to pass.
 
This story begins with the siege of Samaria by Ben-Hadad, King of Syria.
 
One of the tactics of siege warfare is to starve the residents of a city, forcing them to surrender.
 
II Kings 6:25
 
25 And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver.
 
When people doubt they often blame God, but aren’t willing to wait on Him and believe on Him.     II Kings 6:33
 
33 And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the Lord; what should I wait for the Lord any longer?
 
But faith declares: …………………… Just wait and see.
 
If the Word is from God, it will come to pass.
 
In God’s Time
 
Prices were guaranteed to drop by the following day and food would be plentiful because the Lord said so.
 
It is not man’s job to figure out how it will happen, but to wait expectantly on the One whose words are certain to come to pass.
 
The world will talk about Impossibilities
 
It is the impossible that provides the opportunity for a miracle.
 
The servant on whose arm the king leaned questioned the veracity of the prophet:
 
II Kings 7:2   As we read before
 
2 Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.
 
He could not imagine that over the period of one night everything would change.
 
His worldview was missing one key factor—the God Factor.
 
We see and hear the Word of God and sometimes we can’t see how it could happen – but it will and we need to stand strong in that.
 
Luke 18:27   Jesus said
 
27 And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.
 
A prophetic utterance had flowed through the lips of Elisha.
 
How it would come to pass would be up the Lord.
 
No one would have predicted that four outcasts living outside the gate of the City of Samaria would have played a role in the fulfillment of Elisha’s prophecy.
 
II Kings 7:3-4
 
3 And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die?
 
4 If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.
 
The lepers decided they were going to die anyway so why not go and plead for mercy from the Syrians, maybe they would be given food.  When they got to the Syrian camp it was deserted and all the food and belongings of the Syrians had been left behind. 
 
The city had been under siege for a long time.
The lepers had been outside the gate for all that time.
Why did they finally choose that night to seek mercy from the Syrians?
God’s perfect plan and perfect timing!
 
Within twenty-four hours, the very words spoken by the prophet Elisha were fulfilled.
 
THE FATE OF THE WICKED
 
The Bible declares that in all Israel, there was never a king as wicked as Ahab.
 
I Kings 21:25
 
25 But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.
 
His wife, Jezabel, urged him on.
 
AHAB WAS SELFISH
 
Ahab desired Naboth’s vineyard.     I Kings 21:2
 
2 And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money.
 
The offer seemed reasonable and fair.
 
The problem was, he was self-centered and wouldn’t take “no” for an answer.  Naboth didn't want to sell and said no to the king.
 
I Kings 21:4
 
4 And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.
 
BEWARE OF THE INFLUENCE OF WICKED PEOPLE      I Kings 21:5-15
 
5 But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread?
 
6 And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard.
 
7 And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.
 
8 So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth.
 
9 And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people:
 
10 And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die.
 
11 And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them.
 
12 They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people.
 
13 And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died.
 
14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead.
 
15 And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead.
 
IT IS A FACT—THE WICKED WILL BE DESTROYED
 
He who sees the end from the beginning doesn’t miss any details.
 
God just happened to have a prophet nearby to come and declare Ahab’s fate.
 
I Kings 21:17-19
 
17 And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
 
18 Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it.
 
19 And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.
 
Even if the wicked don’t receive their punishment today, tomorrow or next week, rest assured God does not forget.
 
Don’t worry about getting even; that’s not your job.     Romans 12:19
 
19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
 
It may take a lifetime, but God’s Word is certain.
 
I Kings 22:37-38
 
37 So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.
 
38 And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armour; according unto the word of the Lord which he spake.
 
And don’t worry, Ahab’s wife Jezebel didn’t get away with her wicked ways.  Just as the Prophet Elijah had said, Jezebel met with a violent death.  She was thrown out of a window and her body splattered on the ground, she was trampled on by horses and by the time people came to gather her body to bury there wasn’t much left, the dogs had feasted on her remains.
 
WE HAVE AN ASSURANCE:   Remember the opening text   Proverbs 14:11
 
11 The house of the wicked shall be overthrown: but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish.
 
REMEMBER JOSEPH’S DREAMS
 
Josephs' dreams seemed like complete fantasy.    Genesis 37:5
 
5 And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
 
Genesis 37:9-11
 
9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
 
10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
 
11 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
 
What could these dreams mean, and how could they possibly be realised?
 
His wicked brothers desired to kill him, and fully intended to do so.
 
Reuben had enough sense to want to send him back to his father.
 
Judah came up with a plan to sell him into slavery.
 
This was a horrible experience for Joseph.   To be treated so badly – and by his own brothers.
 
If he survived this, Joseph would have plenty of reason and justification to get even.
 
Joseph’s story could have been one of shattered dreams.
 
He was sold to Potiphar.     Genesis 39:2-3
 
2 And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
 
3 And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand.
 
But to get Joseph where God wanted him would require more shattered dreams.
 
He would be falsely accused and sentenced to prison.     
 
Genesis 39:20-21
 
20 And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.
 
21 But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
 
He helped someone in prison, but was forgotten.    Genesis 40:14
 
14 But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house:
 
Genesis 40:23
 
23 Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him.
 
It may have seemed so unfair, but God sees the big picture.
 
The most difficult time for us is the time of waiting.
 
THE UPRIGHT WILL FLOURISH
 
Joseph’s time was coming.
 
The way God would bring His plan to pass was so unbelievable, when he met again with his brothers and his father they were speechless.
 
Just as Peter thought he was dreaming as he was being delivered from prison, Joseph must have felt the same when he was in prison.
 
We must cling to the promises of God.    Hebrews 13:5
 
5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee
 
God sees the big picture.
 
Before Joseph was sold as a slave; before Joseph was falsely accused and sentenced; before he was for­gotten in prison; God saw him as a ruler in Egypt.   
 
Genesis 41:41
 
41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.
 
CONCLUSION
It is a guarantee that just as “the house of the wicked shall be overthrown” the  “tent of the righteous will flourish.”
 
We must stand fast on both of those promises and have faith in God and in His Word.
 
Hebrews 11:1
 
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

In today’s world, most people see hope as wishful thinking, like when someone hopes they’ll win the lot­tery.
 
However, the hope that Christians have is far greater than this.
 
Biblical hope is something that is certain. Our hope is a confident expectation that God will help us in our daily struggles, and also take us to Heaven one day.
 
Our hope is certain because it is based on what God has said He will do.
 
WHAT IS HOPE?  WHAT IS IT TO BE LIVING IN HOPE IN A CHRISTIAN SENSE?
 
(Romans 15:4)
4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
 
Patience:  knowing that God’s Word will come to pass, no matter how long we must wait
Comfort of the Scriptures:  That the more we read God’s Word, the more we know it’s true and that its promises are for us – that is great comfort
 
The world needs this hope that is available only through Jesus Christ.
 
WHAT IS HOPE?
 
HOPE BRINGS COMFORT
The hope of Jesus’ glorious appearing should bring comfort.
 
I Thessalonians 4:15-18
 
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
 
If the thought of Jesus returning brings fear, we are not in a right relationship with Him.
 
If the thought of Jesus returning causes us to grieve over leaving things behind, we have too strong of an attachment to this world.
 
WE HAVE A LIVING HOPE
 
 I Peter 1:3
 
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
 
The “living hope” to which Peter referred is the living Christ Himself.
 
Believers do not place their hope simply in a historical Jesus, but in a living Lord who is able to speak personally to them.
 
In fact, if you have not already experienced His presence, you can experience it today.
 
HOPE PURIFIES US
 
 Titus 2:11-14
 
11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
 
 I John 3:2-3
 
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
 
No soap and water, nor any amount of fasting and ritual, can purify the soul.
 
Only the blood of Jesus can cleanse a guilty, sin-laden soul.
 
This gives us great hope.
 
HOPE IS A POWERFUL THING. 
 
In the German and Japanese prisoner of war camps of World War II, it was observed that the only prisoners who survived were the ones who had hope. This hope was seen in many forms, namely, some prisoners were busy planning an escape, or expected to be set free one day. Others had a strong will to live or became too angry to quit trying. Still others swore they’d get even with their captors one day. Whatever their reason for living, those who had hope survived, and those who lost hope eventually died.
 
We have hope in something far greater than these men did.  Our hope is not in a thing, or an event, or a time – but in Jesus.
 
The persecution experienced by early believers gave ample opportunity for them to exercise hope.
 
Their endurance was inspired by the hope that the gospel had brought to them.
 
Instead of a persecuted church wilting and dying, it flourished through the hope of what was to come.
 
 Romans 5:1-5
 
1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
 
B. Hope Leads to Salvation
 
As Christians, we have much to be hopeful about. We have God’s love for us, His provision for our daily needs, and His forgiveness of our sins.
 
We are saved by hope in the Lord.
 
 Romans 8:22-24
 
22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
 
The most exciting hope a Christian should have is the hope of Jesus’ soon return.  As we read before:
 
 I Thessalonians 4:14-18
 
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
 
III. HOPE OF THE RESURRECTION
 
Longing for Everlasting Life
 
Since the fall, man has longed for a better place than this sin-cursed world.
 
Job 14:14
 
14 If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.
 
 Hebrews 11:10  Talking about Abraham
 
10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
 
Abraham was not alone in his belief in a better country.
 
 Hebrews 11:16  Talking about all the Hebrew Patriarchs
 
16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
 
Their faith in God’s promise would carry them through this world and into another.
 
B. The Pitiful State of the Unbeliever
 
Many years ago, the psalmist describes the plight of the atheist and the modern-day humanist.
 
Psalm 49:11-15
 
11 Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.
12 Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish.
13 This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah.
14 Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.
15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.
 
 I Corinthians 15:19
 
19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
 
Paul knew that if all he had in life was the persecutions and ridicule, people trying to kill him, being chased out of cities, thrown in prison – if that was all there was – what a terrible life – but Paul knew the promises of God and the hope that lay before Him. 
 
In Philippians 3:8 - The apostle Paul said that he lost everything for Jesus Christ, but he rejoiced and said he considered it ALL DUNG that he may win Christ!
 
 Ecclesiastes 2:10-11
 
10 And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.
11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
 
Solomon had untold wealth, many, many wives and was the most powerful ruler over the most powerful kingdom – but in the end, he knew that it all counted for nothing.
 
C. Hope in a Physical Resurrection
 
Long before Jesus walked upon the earth, and long before the declaration of the victory of the resurrection, Job put his hope in a bodily resurrection.
 
 Job 19:25-27
 
25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:
27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.
 
I Corinthians 15:55-56
 
55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
 
If you are lost in sin, Jesus is your hope.
If your life is without meaning, it’s probably because you don’t have Jesus in your life.
If your relationships are strained or damaged, Jesus is your hope. He can restore those relationships.
 
Jesus is our Living Hope

Forgiveness does not come easy for most of us.  Our natural instinct is to recoil in self-protection when we've been hurt.  It is not natural for us to feel mercy, grace, and forgiveness when we've been wronged.  Forgiveness is a conscious choice, and one that, for me, is motivated by being obedient to God.  Forgiveness brings peace to my life, and helps me to understand and appreciate that others deserve peace as well.

Most times forgiveness is a slow process, but we must not make it conditional.  When we forgive others, we should not feel that we are just doing somebody else a favour.  Nor should we continue to remember the misdeeds of others, or we will become critical and judgemental.
 
Forgiveness can be one of the most powerful things we do.  Forgiveness can be complicated.  Our ability to live our lives with love and generosity is impeded when we don't forgive.  Everyone deserves forgiveness.   Everyone has made mistakes.  Some mistakes are hurtful and some not so much.  None of us is perfect.  We all need to be forgiven and deserve to be forgiven.

I have come to know I deserve forgiveness.  God accepts me as I am.  This is the reason everyone else deserves forgiveness as well.  God accepts you just as you are.  Luke 6:37 says, “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven.”  

Hope is an emotional state which can promote a belief in a positive outcome for events and circumstances in your life.  Hope can be what sustains you in the face of despair in your life.  It is not simply a desire for things to be better, but is the unseen change that can come about from your belief the change can occur.

Hope can give you the energy to strive to move away from the demands of those things in your life that cause you despair.  It is unique, as you are and your own tenacity can help keep you connected to hope.  Hope is that confident expectation that a particular desire you have will be fulfilled.

Hope is the belief that what is needed can be had and enables you to cope while giving you a reason to carry on.  In praising the Lord hope is not lost as these verses say.
 
Psalms 16:9 (KJV) “Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope”.

Psalms 38: 15 (KJV) “Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee”.

Proverbs 6:19 (KJV) “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil”.
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Proverbs 19:18 KJV) “Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying”.

Christianity believes and teaches that the Bible alone is the revealed Word of God.  Even though it was written by men, the ultimate author was God Almighty. This claim was not invented by the Church, but is the claim the Bible makes for itself. 
 
“BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURETH FOREVER. (1 Peter 1:25). “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Timothy 3:16). “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:21). 
 
Over 2,000 times in the Old Testament alone there are clauses such as, “And God spoke to Moses,” “the word of the Lord came unto Jonah,” and “God said.” Moreover, the Bible claims to be a record of the words and deeds of God, thus the Bible views itself as God’s Word. 
 
The mere fact that the Bible claims to be the Word of God does not prove that it is such, for there are other books that make similar claims. The difference is that the Scriptures contain convincing evidence as being the Word of God. 
 
One reason that the Bible is different from other books is its unity. Although this book was composed by men, its unity reveals the hand of the Almighty. The Bible was written over a period of about 1,500 years by more than forty different human authors. These authors came from a variety of backgrounds, including Joshua (a military general), Daniel (a prime minister), Peter (a fisherman), and Nehemiah (a cupbearer). 
 
The authors of the various books wrote in different places, such as the wilderness (Moses), prison (Paul), exile on the Isle of Patmos (John). The biblical writings were composed on three different continents (Africa, Asia, and Europe), and in three different languages (Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek). 
 
The contents of the Bible deal with many controversial subjects. Yet, the Bible is a unit. From beginning to end, there’s one unfolding story of God’s plan of salvation for mankind. This salvation is through the person of Jesus Christ (John 14:6). Jesus Himself testified that He was the theme of the entire Bible. 
 
“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. . . . For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?” (John 5:39, 46, 47). 
 
Jesus said in another place: “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself’ (Luke 24:27; see also Luke 24:44). 
 
The Old Testament is the preparation (Isaiah 40:3). The Gospels are the manifestation (John 1:29). The Book of Acts is the propagation (Acts 1:8). The Epistles give the explanation (Colossians 1:27). The Book of Revelation is the consummation (Revelation 1:7). The Bible is all about Jesus. 
 
The entire Bible is a unity with each part needing the others to be complete. Dr. W. F. Albright puts it this way: “To the writers of the New Testament, the Hebrew Bible was Holy Scripture and they were the direct heirs of its prophets. It is, accordingly, quite impossible to understand the New Testament without recognising that its purpose was to supplement and explain the Hebrew Bible. 
 
“Any attempt to go back to the sources of Christianity without accepting the entire Bible as our guide is thus doomed to failure” (cited by Roger T. Forster and V. Paul Marston, That’s a Good Question, p. 67). 
 
Lest anyone think this isn’t something marvellous, we’d like to give you this challenge.  Find ten people from your local area having similar backgrounds, who speak the same language, and all are from basically the same culture. Then separate them and ask them to write their opinion on only one controversial subject, such as the meaning of life. 
 
When they have finished, compare the conclusions of these ten writers. Do they agree with each other? Of course not. But the Bible did not consist of merely ten authors, but forty. It was not written in one generation, but over a period of 1,500 years; not by authors with the same education, culture and language, but with vastly different education, many different cultures, from three continents and three different languages, and finally not just one subject but hundreds. 
 
And yet the Bible is a unity. There is complete harmony, which cannot be explained by coincidence or collusion. The unity of the Bible is a strong argument in favour of its divine inspiration. 
 
The unity of the Scriptures is only one reason among many which supports the Bible’s claim to be the divine Word of God. Others which could be explained in detail are the testimony of the early church, the witness of history and archaeology, and the evidence of changed lives throughout the centuries, as well as fulfilled prophecy to name but a few. 
 
These factors led the great archaeologist, W. F. Albright, to conclude, “The Bible towers in content above all other religious literature; and it towers just as impressively over all subsequent literature in the direct simplicity of its message and the universality of its appeal to men of all lands and times” (The Christian Century, November 1958). 
 
The Bible is special. It is unique. No other book has any such credentials. No other book even comes close. “England has two books, the Bible and Shakespeare. England made Shakespeare, but the Bible made England” (Victor Hugo). 

Words spoken to us and through us, can be extremely powerful.  If you are going through some challenges or changes in your life whereby you need some encouragement, then I believe there is a way.  I have been through my fair share of challenges and changes in my life, and if there is one thing I have learned is to never give up.  Because I have been blessed with the will to encourage, I feel it is important to try to be an inspiration to others and an encouraging force.
Encouragement can be described as words or behaviour that give someone confidence to do something.  I believe it is also about support and hope, to develop something inside you that is more than just feeling good about yourself.  Encouragement is not about just saying nice things about someone, rather it can be about challenging someone to be empowered to change what they don’t like about themselves.
There are many verses in the Bible about encouragement.  1 Thessalonians 5:11 says “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.” KJV, or “So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.” NLT

One of the great blessings that God gave to mankind was a free will - man is able to make his own choices.

The consequences of this was that man chose to disobey God right from the very start.  Adam and Eve, in the Garden of Eden, were given free choice of everything in paradise, with only one rule - in Genesis 2:16-17 we read

16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Firstly Eve, and then Adam chose to disobey the only rule that God had placed in their lives and the result of that decision was a seperation from God - a spiritual death as God had warned them about.

Which begs the question.  God, who has all knowledge of all things throughout all time, would have known that Adam and Eve would disobey.  So, why did He give them a choice and why did He put that tree in the Garden of Eden.  Was He a cruel God wanting to trap man so He could punish them?  None of the evidence of His previous or subsequent actions points to that conclusion.

What was the alternative, what could God have done differently?

The obvious answer is that God could have made man to obey his every command and not given him either the coice or the opportunity to disobey and enter into sin.  The result of that would be a very different world than the one we have today.  But what would that be like for mankind, for you and for me? 

Have you ever wanted to be a robot?  With no choice about what you do each day, with no choice about anything in your life or to have any dreams about your future.  The life of a robot would be very, very sad and boring.

But what about God?  He would have had a race of people that obeyed His every instruction and followed His every command.  Sound pretty good if you were God?  And while God would want us to obey His Word, the thing that He most craves for is that we do it out of a willing heart, making the choice to obey Him and to spend time with Him and to love Him.  Not because we have be programmed with no other option, but by our free choice.

So, while man's foolish decisions and choices have caused him great heartache, distress, sickness and death and grieved God - how much more does God rejoice when a man or women makes that conscious decision and turns away from all the foolish, evil options the world presents and choices, of their own free will, to turn back to God and seek to re-establish that right relationship with God that Adam and Eve had before they chose to disobey.

In Luke 15:4-7, Jesus says:

4   What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
5   And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
6   And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.
7   I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

Have you had enough of making bad choices and decision?  Jesus is not only calling our for you as a lost sheep, but He and all the angels in Heaven are just waiting to rejoice over your return to the place where you should be, in a loving relationship with Him.

JOB 1:1-12
 1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.

2 And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.
3 His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.
4 And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.
5 And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.

7 And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
8 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
9 Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
12 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.

WHAT IMPORTANT THINGS CAN WE LEARN FROM THE LIFE OF JOB?
 
1.)  Bad things happen to good people .
The book of Job opens in verse one by telling us that Job was a blameless, upright man who feared God and turned away from evil.  Then…his life unraveled.  Job’s suffering didn’t come because he was bad or had done bad things but rather because of his unwavering faithfulness to God. (Job 1:8)
2.) In the midst of suffering, we must never lose our hope in God.
One of the greatest statements of faith in all of scripture is found right in the middle of Job. chapter 13:15 Job says: “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in Him.”  No one and nothing can steal your joy or your peace when your hope is in God.  Never lose your hope in God!
3.)  Our friends may fail us in the midst of our misery but God never does.
Job’s friends were not good to him.  Job said of his three friends:  “Miserable comforters are ye all!” (16:2)  Job proclaims where his deep strength flows from:
Job 19:25-27
25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:
27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.


One day – we will see with our own eyes our Redeemer!  He is alive today and forevermore and because He lives – we can face tomorrow with victory!

4.) Even in the midst of God’s silence, His presence is with us.
Job wrestled and wrestled with God’s silence in the midst of his suffering.  Over 25 times he asked the question “why?” and he continually asked for the opportunity to hear from God.  Job had entered the fiery furnace of suffering.
Job says:
Job 23:10-12
10 But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
11 My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.
12 Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food. 
5.)  Wisdom comes from fearing God and turning away from evil.
Humility is key.  Pride can interfere with us following the wise ways of the Lord.  And when pride interferes it clouds our vision, and before we know it – we are on the wrong path towards evil.  Job explains in Job 28:28:
 ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.’
6.)  God is with us in the midst of our storms.
The Lord is our good shepherd and He never leaves our side.  He walks with us through the valleys.  He restores our soul when we are weary.   He leads us to the path of righteousness when we have lost our way.  He gives us courage when we are scared and he comforts us when we are hurting.  Our God is the God of the storm.
7.) God is in control.
God is the creator of the universe. He is mighty and powerful.  We can trust Him with our lives.  We see in Job chapter one, that nothing came into the life of Job which did not first go through the hands of his loving God.  Every page of scripture points to a sovereign God – from the creation account in Genesis to the return of Christ in Revelation, our God is in complete control.
8.) Sometimes, in the midst of our suffering, we sin.
God accepts a humble and repentant heart. In Job 42, we see Job surrender to God and repent.  Job recognized that God is the creator and he is just his creation.
“Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”
~Job 42:6
9.) Sometimes we sin against our friends.
Job’s friends not only failed to be there for Job in a supportive, loving way but they gave poor advice based on their misunderstandings of God.
The Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.”
~Job 42:7
10.)  After repentance and forgiveness comes blessings.
In Job 42, Job made a burnt offering for his friends and prayed for them as God commanded Him to do.  God accepted Job’s prayer for them and THEN Job’s fortunes were restored WHEN he prayed for his friends!
Isn’t this an interesting connection?  Job forgave his friends BEFORE he knew how blessed he was about to become.  It was Job’s prayer that released blessings!
“So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses..”
~Job 42:12  He also had 7 sons and 3 daughters – there were none so fair as the daughters of Job and he gave them equal inheritance among their brothers.  Job lived another 140 years and saw 4 generations of his offspring.  He lived a full and happy life.

Final Conclusion
When we are feeling stressed and frustrated and wounded by this world we should step back and take a look at all of God’s creation.  Get outside under the big sky and remind yourself who your God is.  Then, get into His word and learn more about God’s love for you.  Trust that if he can create and sustain the entire universe, surely He will take care of you.
Jesus said in Matthew 6:25-34
25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
 
God is still in control and is worthy of our trust in all things.