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  • Come to Jesus
  • Ministry Info
    • About
    • Prayer
    • Contact
  • My Journey with God
  • God Inspired Writings
    • Sharing & Caring Thoughts
    • A Heartfelt Moment with God
    • God Inspired Encouragement for Today Blog Posts
    • Writing thru Affliction
    • Sounds of Hope
    • A Journey of Thoughts from God's Heart to Yours
    • Sunday Inspiration
    • Daily Hope for the Hurting Heart Blog
    • Books
  • Words of Hope
    • Devotions to Produce Spiritual Growth
    • What are you feeling?
    • Inspirational Thoughts & Quotes from Above
    • Encouraging Scriptures
    • Free Graphic Quotes
  • Come to Jesus

It Doesn't Take Heaven to Experience God Right Now | Fri., June 24, 2022

6/24/2022

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​Bible Verse for the Day | Hebrews 11:1 & Matthew 28:20b
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
"…and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

Hello everyone…and a very happy and blessed Friday to you all! Well…this ends another week, which is hard to believe. I don't know about you; but each day and every week seems to be speeding by. I know that I'm a busy woman; but lately it seems like it's been more than just being busy. If you want my opinion…it almost feels as though the sand in the hourglass is moving a lot quicker these days.
You know…as I've been sitting here with you today, I've been thinking on how some of us must be very anxious to leave this world behind and enter a place called heaven. I can see why we would; because heaven is a place where we will no longer feel brokenness, pain…or any other thing that Satan may attempt to afflict us with…and this is truly something to look forward to; but at the same time, why does it take heaven alone, for us to feel better and more at peace, when the same God in heaven…is the same God that is available to us right now? Yes…heaven will definitely keep us eternally separated from these painful moments we are experiencing; but can't we experience that same power here on earth, until we reach that perfect place called heaven? We need to ask ourselves this question… "Could I be relying more on heaven than the powerful God that resides in heaven?
I remember a time in the past, when I would cry out to God, while facing some very desperate moments in my life…and I would actually beg God over and over again to bring me home with Him. Later, I came to see two things. First, I was actually seeing heaven at that time, as the only place where I could be made completely whole…and second, I felt that heaven would be the best way to escape what was hurting me at the moment. Over time, I came to see that I had placed my trust in heaven, rather than God. I guess that the reason why I had reacted to my problems in this way, was because I had hurt so much over my lifetime; that I just couldn't face one more thing…or even deal with one more thing. I think that sometimes, we don't always realize that when we react to a problem in this way; that we are limiting God, as to what He could do for us at this very moment.  Yes…we long so much for heaven…to meet Jesus and live eternally free from the pain and heartache that Satan afflicts us with; but we must remember that Jesus is already with us…and will always be with us to the very end. When we can allow ourselves to awaken to the thought that He can help and sustain us now; then I believe that this is when we will come to truly see that hope remains alive.
You know…the troubles we're facing in this world right now, can make us believe that life may become so bad…to the place where we just may not make it; but people, we already have the cure. There is no need to panic or attempt to escape these times; for the One that we will one day meet, is the One who is with us now…and He will be there to help us through these times, until the very end…so take hold of Him and let Him be the God that He so longs to be within your life right now.
Well…it's been another great week of visits! I sure hope that your heart has been blessed, as mine has. No matter what you're facing at this time…please always know that there is One who is greater than these times you're walking through…and that He will ALWAYS be there to help and sustain you, until the very end.
Have a great weekend…and ALWAYS know that you are never alone; for I am praying for you…and through those prayers, I KNOW that God is with you! Take good care…and please come back again on Monday and join me for another great God inspired visit! Many blessings on your day!
It's Always & Only Because of Him…
Diane
​*If you haven't yet accepted Jesus into your heart, I would like to invite you to check out… "Come to Jesus."

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​GET YOUR FREE E-BOOK COPY OF "TIME ALONE WITH GOD" HERE
GET YOUR FREE E-BOOK COPY OF "DEVOTIONS THAT WILL EXCHANGE WEAKNESS FOR STRENGTH HERE
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God is There, Even When He Seems Faraway | Thurs., June 23, 2022

6/23/2022

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​Bible Verse for the Day | Acts 17:27
"That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:"

Hello everyone…and a very happy and blessed Thursday to you all! I sure hope that your day is off to a good start…and that you will be blessed today, by what God longs to share with each of our hearts!
Last night, as I was sitting quietly in the presence of God, I began to think on how a circumstance can easily make us feel distant from His presence. It seems that as Satan afflicts us…he also attempts to use these moments to distance us from the One we need the most, which can make it seem even more difficult to overcome these moments that we're facing.
I remember a time in my life, when I was so distraught by everything that was taking place at the moment; that I began to feel as if I was walking alone…down a path that seemed to have quickly changed from light to darkness. The sunshine of God's presence that once shone so brightly down upon me, was now being hidden by a dark cloud of despair. It was a time when I struggled so much to feel God's presence, as the presence of evil was now attempting to take control…over a past that I was longing to let go of. As I continued to walk down this rugged path; the beauty that once surrounded me, had now become dead and dormant to me, which made me feel very much alone.
Later, I came to see that it wasn't because God didn't have enough power to break through these dark moments; but rather, it was His desire for me to learn new things along the way…and perhaps feel my way through the darkness of my despair to find Him, rather than what was attempting to keep me connected to the past.
Through these very hard and difficult moments, I did come to see that God wasn't really that far from me…like I first thought. It was just that the circumstance was attempting to make me believe that…by the way it surrounded me at that time. Another eye-opening thought that we must remember, while walking through moments such as these; is that we can never be that far away from the One who allows us to live, move and breath each day.
As I've walked through…what has seemed to be endless moments of pain and deep heartache in my life, I came to see that these moments we're meant to bring my life to an end; but rather, to rewrite the story of my life and make it what it was originally meant to be…before all these things took place; and through this time in my life, I also came to see that the darkness of despair couldn't keep me from the presence of God; for in the end, I found Him in a way that I never thought I'd find Him.
People, we must realize that God isn't a God who remains hidden from us, while walking down these rugged paths of despair….and He isn't the One who is hiding His face from us…or running away from the problem that He had allowed within our lives. It's just that Satan is allowing the dark clouds of despair to block our view of God…to make us feel as if the One we first trusted has now forsaken us, which can cause us to easily want to give up…which Satan truly longs for us to do. If we could only tell ourselves that these storms do pass…and the dark clouds will move on; then this will give us hope that God is truly not too far from any one of us.
One thing I can say to you today; is that these difficult moments of the past have truly opened my eyes to the ways of Satan; and when another storm moves in…and the dark clouds hide the sunshine of God's presence…I begin to once more feel my way through the darkness…knowing that my God isn't that far away from me.
I'll tell you…I just love my God so much! Even though Satan has tried many times to deceive me into thinking that my God has walked away from me; the powerful presence of God continues to shine forth through the darkness, as each stormy cloud attempts to keep me from His loving presence!
Well…it's been another great visit…and I hope that these words have awakened your heart and helped you to see that God isn't far from any one of us! As our visit comes to an end until tomorrow morning, I pray that you will also be able to see that God is truly there for you! Please take good care…and I hope you will join me again tomorrow, for another great God inspired visit! May God truly touch your heart with His loving presence!
It's Always & Only Because of Him…
Diane
*If you haven't yet accepted Jesus into your heart, I would like to invite you to check out… "Come to Jesus."

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​GET YOUR FREE E-BOOK COPY OF "TIME ALONE WITH GOD" HERE
GET YOUR FREE E-BOOK COPY OF "DEVOTIONS THAT WILL EXCHANGE WEAKNESS FOR STRENGTH HERE
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Encouragement for Times When You Feel Forgotten by God | Weds., June 22, 2022

6/22/2022

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​Bible Verses for the Day | Psalm 13
"How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? forever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? 2) How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? 3) Consider and hear me, O Lord my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; 4) Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved. 5) But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. 6) I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me."

Hello everyone! Welcome back to the blog, for another great God inspired visit! In these times that we're living in, we need to know that God is always close by…and my prayer today; is that we would truly experience His loving presence…in a way that would continually be a reminder to us; that He hasn't and will never forget us, during times such as these…Amen!
You know…before I truly came to know God in a very real way, I experienced moments when I had felt forgotten by Him. It was through these Bible verses in Psalm 13; that God truly began to draw me into His presence. Just like me…I'm sure that you too have had a moment, when you've cried out to God and said… "How long will you forget me?" These can not only be the times when we feel abandoned by God, but also unaccepted by God. 
I will never forget the moment when I felt as though God had not only afflicted me…but had also walked away from me. As I look back on those times, I now see that it was Satan who twisted up my thoughts and painted a different picture; then what God had actually planned for that moment…for he was attempting to make me believe that God had brought all of this upon me…and then abandoned me, when actually, God was allowing these moments to enter my life, as a way of strengthening me and changing my life forever. I have to admit that there were times, when I thought that the enemy (Satan) was going to win this battle. In fact, I don't know how many times I said to God… 'If you don't help me; then I'm not going to make it…never realizing at the time that God was controlling every moment that He had allowed to enter my life.
This morning, as I read Psalm 13 once more, I see how the verses within this chapter are very similar to our Bible reading (Psalm 6:6-10) from yesterday; because David once more cries out to God and pours out all his thoughts and hurtful feelings before God…thoughts that made him feel abandoned and forgotten by God. From there, David goes on to say that if God doesn't do something soon; then he will die, and the enemy will end up claiming the victory.
After David went through these moments of what appeared to be panic, doubt and fear; he begins to realize that the only way left to survive these times; is to let go and trust God completely. As he does begin to trust God; it's as though this way of thinking is now taking him out of the moments of discouragement…to now await the moment, when God will actually save him. In other words, David learns that when he isn't getting the answers to his questions; then it's now time to let go of those questions…to walk blindly with God and see where his steps of faith will lead him.
We also can experience moments that are very similar to what David went through. The problems we face can attempt to walk us down a road of darkness and despair…to the place where we fall apart and panic, as we cry out to God with a desperate cry and say… "Where are you God…have you forgotten me?" When these moments of panic and fear come to us…where are we turning from there? Are we still pressuring God to answer us, as we panic and fear these unknown moments…or have we decided to just throw in the towel and give up on God? If so; then maybe it's time to take the next step and continue on with God through the dark moments, while anticipating the time, when God will walk us out of the problem and save us…in His way and in His time? The way I see it; is that we might as well continue on; because we're not going to find God and the answers we so desperately need, by sitting down and giving up. Have you ever stopped to think that maybe God is remaining silent for a time, just so He can see what your next move will be? Through times such as these, I have personally come to see that God isn't out to torture us in this way; but to actually strengthen us and cause us to lean on Him even more, than before the problem first entered our lives.
Believe me when I say…moments when God remains silent, can be used by Satan to convince us that God has hurt us…and has left us alone for good; but on the other hand, when we choose to remain committed to God during these times; then we will be able to see these moments as an opportunity to continue on and trust God with every step we take. Even though these darkened moments can make us feel very much alone…a time of continually pursuing God, will relay a message to Him that we refuse to give up…and that we are not going to quit, until we find Him and the answers that can free us from these moments. In this way, we are being strengthened…and even more,  we are being drawn closer into the presence of God.
You know…we all have days, when nothing seems to be going right, while we wonder where God is. Instead of giving up…because you feel as if He has forgotten you; why not go looking for Him…and one thing I can say for sure…you will find Him.
Well…I don't know about you; but this has been a great visit for me, as I need these little reminders from time to time. I pray that as we end our visit together; that you will be able to let go of everything except for God…and that your desire to find the answers you so desperately need, will become a strength that will help you to continually pursue God. 
May God bless us all, as we go our separate ways…and my prayer as we close; is that you will be able to find the time again tomorrow, to come back for another great God inspired visit! God bless you so much!
It's Always & Only Because of Him…
Diane
*If you haven't yet accepted Jesus into your heart, I would like to invite you to check out… "Come to Jesus."

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​GET YOUR FREE E-BOOK COPY OF "TIME ALONE WITH GOD" HERE
GET YOUR FREE E-BOOK COPY OF "DEVOTIONS THAT WILL EXCHANGE WEAKNESS FOR STRENGTH HERE
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Words of Encouragement While Feeling Down | Tues., June 21, 2022

6/21/2022

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​Bible Verses for the Day | Psalm 6:6-10
"I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears. 7) Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies. 8) Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping. 9) The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer. 10) Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed: let them return and be ashamed suddenly."

Hello everyone! How is your Tuesday? I sure hope that your day is off to a good start…and that you will truly experience God in your day…especially as we spend this time together…Amen!
Sunday evening, as my weekend was coming to a close, I began to feel a little down. In fact, it seemed as though the past few Sunday evenings had felt the same. As I began to talk this over with my husband, I came to see the reason for these down moments…and that was because I'm already tired…and the thought of another week, was beginning to weigh heavily upon me.
Later, after my evening meal, I decided to get alone with God, while Keith was helping me with the dishes…and as I was looking for some hope that would lift me out of these down moments; God began to lead me to two Bible readings. The first one is found in Psalm 6:6-10, which is what we will be sharing together today…and then tomorrow, I will be continuing with the second Bible reference that God laid upon my heart, which is found in Psalm 13…so please come back for another visit tomorrow.
Anyways…last night, as I sat alone in the presence of God once more before bed, I was going over the verses for todays reading…and I don't know about what you may be facing right now; but I have moments when I feel so worn out…and it's not due to my work alone; but rather, it's the pain and the chronic illnesses that I experience throughout the day…that can sometimes bring tears to my eyes. Even as I look at myself in the mirror, while getting around in the morning, I can see what the pain has left behind in my eyes, as fatigue attempts to take over my body. There are times, when I have used the pain as a weapon against Satan, by getting an attitude with him; while at other times, I allow my tears to become a language that only God can seem to understand.
One thing I can say to you today; is that I do know that God is listening to my hearts cry; because the minute I begin to pour out my feelings before Him…something seems to shift these difficult moments, in a way that allows me to know that His presence has now entered the scene…and from there, the storm begins to calm within me.
You know…just like David in the Bible…we need to take some time and do 3 things…and the first one is that we need to pour out all the brokenness before God. Many times over the years, I remember hearing people say that we should never talk about our problems…and that we should remain strong; but all that I got out of that while growing up…were more struggles, as I tried to live with a stiff upper lip, while shutting everything deep within my heart…which only made my life much more difficult later. We need to realize that if we don't empty ourselves of the problem and let God take hold of it; then the problem is only going to get in the way and fester into more brokenness…to the place where there is no room for God to work.
The second thing we need to do; is to get an attitude towards the one (Satan) who afflicted us…and get stronger in the Lord, rather than closer to the problem. Wallowing in self-despair is only going to keep us in the muck and mire of despair; but when we can get an attitude with Satan, while turning to a God who is greater than the problem; then in this way, we are throwing the problem back on Satan, while leaving our hearts open to what God longs to do.
Finally, the third thing we need to do; is to turn the past moments of negativity into some positive thinking………..and begin to look for the good that God can produce through these tough times. In this way, we will come to see how God can send our enemy (Satan) back to hell, with all his evil deeds. Like I've said before…Satan longs to not only find a weakness to prey on; but I've also come to see how he longs to make our lives even more miserable than before the affliction began.
Throughout my Sunday evening, I came to see that these moments of tiredness, have only become a weakness for Satan to prey on, as I prepare to begin another week. The way I see it right now; is that even though these chronic problems can produce fatigue…I'm not going to be able to allow them to remain a weakness for Satan to prey on anymore. In fact, I can see that I'm going to have to turn even more in God's direction…to seek a strength that can once more take me above another weakness that Satan has attempted to put in my way.
No matter what we face…and no matter how disturbing it can be, I am learning more and more; that we should never remain there…stuck in the moments that Satan only longs to use against us. Now is the time for us to seek God, as to the reason behind these down moments; that we may be set free from a prison cell of despair…one that Satan had planned to continually use against us, while keeping us locked up within these miserable moments of bondage.
What hope God has given us all today. I don't know about you; but I sure have enjoyed our visit together…and I hope that throughout this time; you have truly come to understand what can help you to walk out of the darkness of a tough moment. May I encourage you today, as we close…to pour yourself out before God and get an attitude towards the evil one; that you may begin to see how God can move in and take full control, while sending Satan and his evil ways back to hell, where they definitely belong.
Now, as I move on into my day…and you into yours, I pray that each moment ahead will truly be filled with the presence of God…and that you will come back again tomorrow, as we finish this God inspired time together! Many blessings on your day!
It's Always & Only Because of Him…
Diane
*If you haven't yet accepted Jesus into your heart, I would like to invite you to check out… "Come to Jesus."

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​GET YOUR FREE E-BOOK COPY OF "TIME ALONE WITH GOD" HERE
GET YOUR FREE E-BOOK COPY OF "DEVOTIONS THAT WILL EXCHANGE WEAKNESS FOR STRENGTH HERE
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Encouragement for the One Who's Struggling to Make It | Mon., June 20, 2022

6/20/2022

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​Hello everyone…and a very happy and blessed start to this brand-new week! As I sit here today…visiting with you right now…I may not know what you are experiencing at this time, as you begin another day; but I can say that I understand what you may be feeling; because with the chronic issues I deal with from day to day; there can be moments when it's not always easy to jump into another new week, especially after leaving a difficult one behind.
Last night, as I was talking with the Lord, on how I've been feeling lately…I was also sharing my heart with Him…a heart that continually needs Him so much. While sitting there in His presence, I began to talk with Him about a song that I had been listening to for the first time on Saturday evening…and how some of the words in this song was talking on how there can be certain moments in our lives, when we just can't hold on any longer. From there it went on to say that this is the time to remove these moments from our own hands and put them into the hands of God. After sharing this with the Lord, I began to say to Him… "Lord, there are times when these struggles I'm facing can be too much for me to handle, so will you come close and let me lean on you." From that moment on…peace began to flood my soul, as if God had taken hold of me at that very moment.
I don't know if you realize this; but every night, as I spend time alone with God, I am not only praying for myself…but for you too; and one night as I was praying…I mentioned to the Lord, as to how some of you may be awake and hurting like me, while facing some kind of a broken issue in your life. It seems like these days, no one is able to escape these difficult moments of pain and hardship; but one thing I can encourage your heart with today; is that we can begin another new day…and even another new week; because there is a God who is greater than our problems…a God who can be the strength we need to hold onto, during difficult times such as these. In other words, He is One who is more than willing to let us fall into His arms and lean on Him, when we're just too weak to stand up and bear these burdens on our own. Just knowing that God is there for us in this way…truly gives us the hope and peace that we need, to help quiet these moments that can seem so out of control.
On a wall in my office, I have a powerful image of Jesus helping a young boy out of the darkness and into the light. Every time I look at this picture, it becomes a reminder to me that God can walk us out of any difficult situation; but only when we are willing to lean on Him, rather than trying to remain strong on our own.
Life may seem hard and almost impossible to get through at times; but I think it's only because we are the ones who are trying to figure out, as to how we are going to make it through. From there, these moments only seem to worsen with time, as each failed plan causes us to feel overwhelmed and out of control. One thing we need to remember; is that there is another alternative…One whose strength is greater than our own…and One whose strength we can lean on. Once we come to see this; that is when we begin to experience a hope that can truly replace the hopeless moments we once felt, which will help us to see that everything is going to be just fine.
Maybe today has already been a struggle for you…and you feel weak in spirit. Maybe it's been hard for you to just get out of bed and face another new day. May I encourage you to share this with God; for I have found that when we do; then He comes into these hard and difficult moments and lifts us up to our feet and says… "Fear not, I will help thee…just lean on me."
Praise God that He's there, when we need a strength that can overcome the weaknesses we face from time to time! As we close our visit today, I pray that God would enter whatever broken moment you may be facing…and that He will be the strength you need right now. May His presence surround you with a peace that will help you to see that you're not alone; but that He is there…waiting for you to fall into arms of love, so He can walk you out of these moments of darkness…Amen!!
Well, I don't know about you; but I've been inspired to keep going…and that is what I'm going to do right now. I hope that you will have a very nice and blessed day…and that you will return again tomorrow, for another great God inspired visit with me! Take care…and may God truly bless your heart!
It's Always & Only Because of Him…
Diane
*If you haven't yet accepted Jesus into your heart, I would like to invite you to check out… "Come to Jesus."

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​GET YOUR FREE E-BOOK COPY OF "TIME ALONE WITH GOD" HERE
GET YOUR FREE E-BOOK COPY OF "DEVOTIONS THAT WILL EXCHANGE WEAKNESS FOR STRENGTH HERE
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