Hope for Life Blog

The Creator of the Universe wants to be in a relationship with us! He doesn’t want to live in some temple somewhere. He wants to walk among us. He wants more than just religion; He wants a close, loving relationship.

There’s no expiration date on God’s love. There’s no time limit, no “redeem before” date on our salvation. God’s love endures forever!

God has chosen us. He’s called us. He’s made us His people. And He will never forsake us.

One of our favorite stories in the Bible is the story of Noah and the ark. God decides to cleanse the world and start over. He chooses Noah and his family to carry on the human race. Noah is told to build an ark, a huge wooden boat. He is also told to gather representatives of all the different kinds of animals and to load them on that ark. Together, they are saved from the flood that God would send to cleanse the earth.

I remember seeing pictures of Noah’s ark in my storybooks when I was a child. The animals are on the deck with Noah. They’re smiling. Noah’s smiling. His family is smiling. Everything is clean and shiny.

Whoever drew those pictures hasn’t spent much time around animals. I like animals. I have three dogs and a cat. But I also know what it would be like to be trapped on a boat with a bunch of animals for more than a year.

Can you imagine the noise? Can you imagine the insects? Can you imagine the smell? It would be4 enough to drive you crazy.

Is it any surprise that the first thing Noah did when he got off the ark was kill some animals? “Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it.” (Genesis 8:20) I don’t know that sacrificing an animal was a pleasant experience, but if anyone ever enjoyed it, I bet Noah did.

So why would he put up with the noise and the smell? Why would he live that long in the middle of a bunch of animals? Because the only alternative was death. The ark was where life could be found.

Like it or not, the church can be that way. It’s not always easy putting up with other people. While the noise and smell may only be figurative, life in the church can be exasperating at times. But we have to remember that, like it or not, it’s in the church that life can be found.

When you think you can’t take it anymore, remember Noah. When the donkeys are braying and the stalls need shoveling, think about what the alternatives are. If we can put up with the hard times, we may find that the sun shines again and the rainbow comes out.

If you haven’t found an ark, I mean a church, in your area, let us know. Choose “Contact Us” from the top menu, then fill out the form, indicating that you would like help finding a church.

When we remember that the man who heard these words was hiding in a hole at the time, we see the wonders of God’s promises. God can look at us, full of fear, and see mighty warriors. Not because of who we are, but because of who He is.

Sometimes simple statements can contain profound truths. Here Jesus sums up the guideline for dealing with everyone around us: just do to them what you wish they would do to you. No excuses. No rationalizations. Just treat people the way we’d like to be treated.

When God told his people to go to Jerusalem to worship, He promised them that no one would steal their land while they were gone. It took a lot of trust to believe that promise. Are you willing to put your absolute trust in the Lord?

It’s not like I’m scared of the dark. But I’ve felt that fear, when I’m in a strange place and there’s no light around. Even the smallest light is a welcome relief. It’s comfort to know that God’s light is always there for me.

Part of me doesn’t like being called a sinner. However, that’s better than being told I have to be perfect for God to accept me! Jesus came to look for people like me, people who aren’t perfect. Does that describe you as well?

There’s a part of us that should be tired, that should be sick of living in this world. If you feel that weariness, there’s a promise: the promise of rest.