Sealed Orders Day 1
“And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Romans 5:5
When I was a student at WMI in the 1983, I had just begun dating Shelley. Within a few short months, we were engaged to be married. Engagement brought an overwhelming sense of joy, peace, and expectation which built week after week until the day of our wedding 18 months later in June of 1985. There were two dimensions to that joyous hope. The first was initiated at our engagement. The second was experienced through the covenantal nature of marriage. At engagement and then in matrimony, we made promises to each other that were intended to last “forever.”
Both events- engagement and covenant- provide a parallel to Christian hope described in Romans 5.
Romans 5:5 speaks of God’s engagement with us through expressions of his love into our hearts. This relationship grows over time and provides the assurance and peace that allows the believer to overcome even the worst kind of shame and disappointment. While this first kind of hope is available to us in the “here and now,” there is a second kind of hope described in Romans 5:2. This second kind of hope has eternal implications. We are joined with God forever!
…And who is the guarantor of this hope, both now and for eternity?
We read in the passage that it is God the Holy Spirit. The passage describes the Holy Spirit as “pouring” God’s love into our hearts.
Shelley and I recently visited Niagara Falls. Niagara Falls has the highest water flow of any waterfall on earth. Every second, some 700,000 gallons of water cascades over the falls. Over the course of a year, the amount of water flowing over the falls could fill 36,000,000 Olympic sized swimming pools! The source for the falls comes from 4 of the Great Lakes- Superior, Michigan, Huron and Erie- a virtually inexhaustible supply of water.
We can take heart that God’s supply to us of love, forgiveness, peace, joy, and hope truly is inexhaustible. It flows from the endless wellspring of his power and character…and most of us need every drop! We come to God covered in shame; we bear the scars of disappointment. Indeed, the Bible reminds us in Romans 3:23 that “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” And yet, God’s love- and every other good gift from above- is available in overflowing measure to cleanse, empower, and heal us.
There are lots of places to put our hope these days- self, others, things- but the words of song 662 in The Salvation Army songbook remind us that we are wise to fix our hope on Jesus, the one sure foundation:
“My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness,
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand.
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
Embrace that hope today. Jesus’ blood has washed us clean. We are loved. We are forgiven. We have purpose. The Holy Spirit is the guarantor of these promises…and God always keeps his word.
Questions for Consideration
- What are the sources of shame that may be weighing me down today?
- In what or whom am I placing my hope?
- Will I receive the overflowing river of God’s love that he offers?
- For what do I need to place my hope and trust in Jesus Christ for the future?
A prayer
Dear God,
I come before you with expectant hearts eager to praise you as the creator, governor, and preserver of all things. I lift to you my adoration!
I repent of my sins and ask that you forgive me for anything I have done, thought, or said that may have been out of step with your will for me. Today, I confess my sin!
I acknowledge the many blessings that you constantly shower on me- particularly those of family, faith, and friends…I offer now my thanksgiving!
I ask, Lord, that you will continue to meet my individual needs, especially for your love to overwhelm any lingering feelings of shame and guilt. Replace those feelings with those of hope, in the present and for all eternity. I reach out with my supplication!
Finally, I proclaim you as Savior and Lord of my life. Help me to be faithful. Help me to be obedient. Help me to be responsive. Help me to place my hope in you.
I pray these things in the matchless name of Jesus, Amen.
Edward Hill, Colonel
Canada and Bermuda Territory
Sealed Orders Day 2
A Hope That Leads to Praise
Life is complicated. There is so much joy to experience, but also pain. Being a Christian doesn’t mean we won’t experience moments of intense isolation and discomfort, but it does mean that we can navigate them through the lens of faith. We love those “mountaintop moments” where we seem to soar in our faith, and then as we hit the ground we can find ourselves in disbelief to be there again…downcast, seemingly out of luck. Its so easy for us to think “Why me?!” in those moments, and you know what? Its normal to think that. We are human, after all! But, we need to remember that Jesus never promised us that life would be perfect. Yet, He certainly has made it possible for us to navigate the struggles of life through his power. It’s in these moments of turmoil and suffering that we can grow closer to God, if we choose to see them as an opportunity for growth and grace to take hold in our lives.
In Psalm 42, we see the psalmist David crying out during a time of deep spiritual depression. In this season of darkness in his life, he still recognizes the omniscience of God.
“Then I will say to my soul,
‘Don’t be discouraged; don’t be disturbed,
for I fully expect my Savior-God to break through for me.
Then I’ll have plenty of reasons to praise him all over again.’
Yes, living before his face is my saving grace!” (The Passion Translation)
When you study scripture, it’s clear that David’s life was far from perfect. He was the man God had chosen to lead his people, but that didn’t make him infallible. Infidelity, murder, pride…you name it, and David was guilty. His grief over these sins was great, yet in the midst of it he chose to cling to the truth: that God alone would give him hope. And because of that hope, he could still praise God.
James 1:2-4 says, “My fellow believers, when it seems as though you are facing nothing but difficulties see it as an invaluable opportunity to experience the greatest joy that you can! For you know that when your faith is tested it stirs up power within you to endure all things. And then as your endurance grows even stronger it will release perfection into every part of your being until there is nothing missing and nothing lacking” (The Passion Translation). The more we struggle, the more our spiritual endurance can grow.
One of my favorite songs in our Salvation Army songbook is called “O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go”, written by the hymnist George Matheson. Its lyrics can also be found in several Salvation Army brass band pieces, including William Himes’ “Procession to Covenant.” These powerful words have helped me to navigate many struggles in my own life, encouraging me to “trace the rainbow through the rain, and feel the promise is not vain.” Each stanza begins with a different reminder of who Jesus is to us: Light, Love, Joy, and the Cross.
O Love that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in Thee;
I give Thee back the life I owe,
That in Thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.
O Light that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to Thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in Thy sunshine’s blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.
O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to Thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain:
That morn shall tearless be.
O cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust, life’s glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be!
Whatever you might be facing today or will face in the days to come, remember that His promise is not vain. Place your hope in Jesus, and he will never fail you.
Lt. Laura Foley
Sealed Orders Day 3
Hope
“3 Blessed is God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One! Because He has raised Jesus the Anointed from death, through His great mercy we have been reborn into a living hope— 4 reborn for an eternal inheritance, held in reserve in heaven, that will never fade or fail.” 1 Peter 1:3,4 (The Voice)
There are basically just two kinds of hope. The first is the kind of hope everybody in the world has. It is built upon desire. Let’s call it “earthly hope,” for lack of a better label.
Earthly hope is stronger than a fantasy. It is based on possibility, but not on certainty. I don’t hope to become Queen of England someday. If I thought about that (which I don’t), it would be a fantasy, because there’s no way it could happen. I wasn’t even born in the right country. But I could reasonably hope to travel to Greece someday. That’s not out of the question. Still, unless and until it happens, it is a wish or desire; it is not promised to me.
In many ways, hope and birth are connected. You were born into a particular situation. You were connected to the socio-economic group of your parents. You were part of a certain culture and a certain race. You were born a citizen of a particular country. Some people are born into advantageous situations. Some are born into struggle. Even if you were adopted, it was because of the situation into which you were born that your parents were able to adopt you.
The kind of situation you were or are being raised in probably determines some of your hopes. In the movie Knives Out, Harlan Thrombey’s relatives had solid reason to hope that they would inherit some of his money when he died, largely because he had been generous with them in the past, and because he was very rich. But that’s not quite the way things went. Even well-founded hope is contingent on lots of variables.
The second kind of hope is really only found within the Christian narrative. This is the hope that we have in Christ, and it is not just a desire or a wish. The hope we have in Jesus is an absolute guarantee. As the old hymn says: “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness…on Christ the solid rock I stand.” He is a solid rock to us because the hope we have in him is based on fact, not wishes.
Your rebirth brought you things your first birth could never promise you, even if you won the genetic and economic jackpot. You were probably born good-looking, smart and musical. (After all, you’re part of “the pride of the West”!) But you also were born with a body that is going to decline over time and musical, theatrical or dancing talent that will just remain dormant if you don’t work it. More importantly, you were born a sinner. You were born, to be frank, hell-bound.
But your rebirth changed all of that. You possess a living hope, and it is this: because Jesus conquered death, you will do the same, and you will live in fellowship and happiness with him forever. Song #224 in our song book says this:
“I know that my redeemer lives,
What joy the blest assurance gives!
He lives triumphant o’er the grave,
He lives omnipotent to save.”
Our hope is that we will live forever in the presence of the God who loves us, in perfect joy and happiness and love.
I have a friend whose life situation could be viewed as completely hopeless. She’s very sick with an incurable disease. She is constantly in pain. Her body will not allow her to consume any solid food; her nutrition is all through a tube. The only way her life will be saved is if her liver fails, which will open up the possibility for a multi-organ transplant. Even if that happens, all of the organs she needs have to be available. But Cindy trusts in God and is at peace.
In a recent article about her life, Cindy said this:
“Sometimes I feel bad when people ask about my story. It’s not a story with a miracle in the end, or a story about healing. My story is about a God that is carrying me along a very difficult road. The rest of my journey is up to Him. It might end up with a miracle, or it might not.”
Cindy knows she may not live a very long life, and yet I would characterize her as a person who is full of hope. She says: “I’m not worried about what tomorrow may bring. God has me in the palm of His hand.”
Hers is a living hope. She understands that nothing can defeat God’s plan for her. If God wills her to live, she will live. It God wills her to die, she will march on up to the gates of Heaven to enjoy the eternal inheritance that’s been promised to her. There isn’t even any room for hopelessness, because either way she wins.
Maybe that’s the bottom line about a living hope. No matter what happens, you can’t lose. If death couldn’t defeat the Savior, what can defeat his beloved people? Even when it is our time to meet the Lord face to face, we will receive the inheritance that can’t fail or fade away! Winning!!
Whatever causes you stress or anguish or confusion, remember that you have a living hope because of your rebirth. Nothing can take that away.
Oh God, help me to understand that I have a true, lasting, living hope in you. Thank you for promising me an eternal inheritance, though I did nothing to earn it. Thank you for letting me born reborn and made worth through Christ the Savior. Amen.
Major Amy Reardon
Sealed Orders Day 4
How are you wired? Are you more about facts or feelings? When you have to make a decision, do you stop to analyze the details of both sides of the choice you have to make (facts) or do you just go with your ‘gut’ (feelings)? When you read an angry post online, do you take the time to check out the details of the story and the action before you respond (facts) or do you just fire back with an immediate and equally angry reaction (feelings)?
We are living through an extraordinary, unprecedented moment in time as our world wrestles with COVID19, deep-rooted issues of injustice and hate, and changes to plans in every aspect of life and well outside our control. We’re bombarded with opinions and soundbites, but the news is never good. Even a good cup of Starbucks or a Red Bull in the morning isn’t enough to guarantee a good day! Right?!
Depending on just our feelings right now isn’t enough. Life is really different; the rhythm of our day looks nothing like it did a few months ago. Hope for the future seems to be in short supply. But here’s the thing – hope isn’t about feelings. Hope is about certainties. It’s not about what I feel, it’s about what I know. So then, what do we know? Paul, in his letters to the believers in Rome, says this:
“Our hope is not one that will leave us empty. Our hope will bring joy and peace to our hearts through the power of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God lives inside of us and He reminds us of the joy and peace we have in Christ – daily!” (Romans 15:13)
Paul states it with certainty, whatever situation we’re in or whatever the circumstances around us, there’s still hope. It shows up as joy and peace, deep inside of us where all those feelings bubble and churn. The world around us might be angry, anxious and out of control, but we (as Christ followers) don’t have to be.
Someone once said, “I don’t know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future.” God’s the one! Hold onto that and hold onto Him! The peace Paul talks about is that sense of inner calm, I have my bearings, my feet are on solid rock even in the storm. Joy is brightness in our life that grows out of a sense of confidence in who God is and how I fit into His plan. That joy and that peace are found in a real relationship with Jesus Christ. Hold onto Him.
I believe the writer of song 691 in our Salvation Army songbook has it right:
WHEN you feel weakest, dangers surround,
Subtle temptations, troubles abound,
Nothing seems hopeful, nothing seems glad,
All is despairing, everything sad:
Keep on believing, Jesus is near;
Keep on believing, there’s nothing to fear;
Keep on believing, this is the way;
Faith in the night as well as the day.
If all were easy, if all were bright,
Where would the cross be, and where the fight?
But in the hardness, God gives to you
Chances of proving that you are true.
God is your wisdom, God is your might,
God’s ever near you, guiding aright;
He understands you, knows all you need;
Trusting in Him you’ll surely succeed.
Let us press on then, never despair,
Live above feeling, victory’s there;
Jesus can keep us so near to Him
That nevermore our faith shall grow dim.
Tune: Blessed Assurance
Lucy Milward Booth-Hellberg, 1868-1953
God, thank you for being a safe place for me today! Help me to rise above my feelings, to find total confidence in my relationship with you through Jesus Christ. And then give me the courage to let joy and peace and hope be seen in me today! I love you! Amen.
L.t Colonel Kelly Ponstler
Sealed Orders Day 5
JESUS NEVER FAILS
Earthly friends may prove untrue,
Doubts and fears assail;
One still loves and cares for you,
One who will not fail.
Jesus never fails, Jesus never fails,
Heav’n and earth may pass away,
But Jesus never fails.
Though the sky be dark and drear,
Fierce and strong the gale,
Just remember He is near,
And He will not fail.
In life’s dark and bitter hour
Love will still prevail;
Trust His everlasting power
Jesus will not fail.
Arthur A. Luther
© Copyright 1927. Renewal 1955 by A. A. Luther
The Answer to Our Hope: Jesus Never Fails
“Epic Fail!”
A phrase that has been made popular in recent years and which Urban Dictionary defines as “A mistake of such monumental proportions that it requires its own term in order to successfully point out the unfathomable shortcomings of an individual or group.” Maybe you’ve experienced some epic fails in your own life.
The song referenced for this edition of sealed orders tells us that “Jesus Never Fails.” Now, hindsight is 20/20, so we know that to be true when we look at Scripture. But I want you to imagine for a second that you were one of Jesus’ followers at the time of his death. You don’t know what is coming yet. You can’t see the redemption that he will make possible. What did it look like Friday after his trial? What about Saturday after his burial?
To these followers, in those moments, it probably looked like failure. It certainly didn’t look like what they expected. They were awaiting the Messiah that would come to set them free from the tyranny and oppression that had been placed on them by Rome. But that’s not what Jesus came to do. There was no earthly kingdom coming, no earthly ruler that would make Israel great again. To them, it probably looked like an epic fail.
The beauty of living post-resurrection is that we know it wasn’t. There was more going on and a much deeper plan than these followers had expected. God’s plan blew all of their expectations out of the water because JESUS NEVER FAILS.
Have you ever felt like those followers on the Friday or Saturday after Jesus’ death? Have you ever felt that you can’t see God’s plan even though you have been praying earnestly for him to reveal it? Maybe it has felt like Jesus has failed, or, at least we are tempted to believe that. When we find ourselves in these moments, we’ve got to remember that while our understanding may fail, Jesus never does. He is faithful, and his plan is greater than the ones that our minds can fathom. Just because you can’t see the outcome, doesn’t mean Jesus has forgotten about your concern. And this is where our hope stems from. We can hope for the future because of the assurance of God’s faithfulness. And faithfulness is in His nature. Just look at 2 Timothy 2:13.
“If we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.”
Since we know that God can’t break character, that he can’t NOT be faithful, we can trust Him with what’s ahead, knowing that He will never fail. And this gives us a hope that no one can ever take away.
Lt. Nick Helms