Category Archives: Hope

The Promise of God’s Enduring Mercy

Posted on by
Reply

As we enter into 2021, there are challenges that loom ahead, but we know we can rely on the Holy Spirit and God’s Word by which we’re fed.

It’s GOD’S MERCY that endures forever, and His steadfast love will never fail. Remember Emmanuel, God is with us, and His mercy endures through any stormy gale.

P. A. Oltrogge

“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” Matthew 1:23 KJV

“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:21-23 RSV

“Then he (Jesus) arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace, be still!’ And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.” Mark 4:39 NKJV

“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.”
1 Chronicles 16:34 NKJV

“(Thanksgiving to the Lord for His Great Works of Deliverance) Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” Psalm 107:1 NKJV

“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Let Israel now say,
‘His mercy endures forever.’
Let the house of Aaron now say,
‘His mercy endures forever.’
Let those who fear the Lord now say,
‘His mercy endures forever.’”
Psalm 118:1-4 NKJV

Thanksgiving to God for His Enduring Mercy

“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.

Oh, give thanks to the God of gods!
For His mercy endures forever.

Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords!
For His mercy endures forever:

To Him who alone does great wonders,
For His mercy endures forever;

To Him who by wisdom made the heavens,
For His mercy endures forever;

To Him who laid out the earth above the waters,
For His mercy endures forever;

To Him who made great lights,
For His mercy endures forever—

The sun to rule by day,
For His mercy endures forever;

The moon and stars to rule by night,
For His mercy endures forever.

To Him who struck Egypt in their firstborn,
For His mercy endures forever;

And brought out Israel from among them,
For His mercy endures forever;

With a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm,
For His mercy endures forever;

To Him who divided the Red Sea in two,
For His mercy endures forever;

And made Israel pass through the midst of it,
For His mercy endures forever;

But overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea,
For His mercy endures forever;

To Him who led His people through the wilderness,
For His mercy endures forever;

To Him who struck down great kings,
For His mercy endures forever;

And slew famous kings,
For His mercy endures forever—

Sihon king of the Amorites,
For His mercy endures forever;

And Og king of Bashan,
For His mercy endures forever—

And gave their land as a heritage,
For His mercy endures forever;

A heritage to Israel His servant,
For His mercy endures forever.

Who remembered us in our lowly state,
For His mercy endures forever;

And rescued us from our enemies,
For His mercy endures forever;

Who gives food to all flesh,
For His mercy endures forever.

Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven!
For His mercy endures forever.”

Psalm 136:1-26 NKJV

Celebrate Life

Posted on by
Reply

Celebrate the gift of life today—
don’t let troubles steal away your joy.
Jesus offers us abundant life,
while the devil only seeks to destroy.

There’s so much good to appreciate;
open your eyes to the blessings you’ll find.
And don’t let past disappointments cloud
today and your future that God has in mind.

P. A. Oltrogge

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” John 10:10 NASB

“The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of your hands.” Psalm 138:8 NKJV

“The Lord will work out his plans for my life—
For your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever.
Don’t abandon me, for you made me.” Psalm 138:8 NLT

“But now, O Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You our potter; and all we are the work of Your hand.” Isaiah 64:8 NKJV

“‘For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’” Jeremiah 29:11 AMP

“Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” Philippians 4:8 NKJV

For great encouragement, see https://www.jerrysavelle.org/2021word/

Join the New Year’s Eve celebration this evening at 8:00 p.m. ET on http://www.govictory.com

The Strength of United Prayer

Posted on by
Reply

Have you read about or heard of a story…regarding a tough situation,

where prayer turned things around with a kind of heavenly litigation?

It’s good to remember such times, of great breakthroughs coming about,

when believers joined their faith in prayer, effectively driving out doubt.

This can also be likened to a soldier in battle–weary from fighting hard,

when suddenly fresh troops come to his aid, to relieve him and stand guard.

It’s wise to make declarations of faith when traveling down a difficult way;

but often we need our family in Christ, to join together with us to pray.

P. A. Oltrogge

“Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:19-20

“Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.” Acts 12:5

“So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying.” Acts 12:12

“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints–” Ephesians 6:17-18

“Be kindly affectionate to one another, with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer, distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.” Romans 12:10-13

“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

You Must See Victory

Posted on by
Reply

Keep your eyes upon the victory, though the miracle shore seems far. That’s what you need to do when you’re at “where you are.”

Don’t let your eye of faith become for you, instead, an eye of fear. Nearby winds and waves distract–especially when victory is near.

A double-minded person is, himself, like a wave of the sea–driven and tossed by the wind, giving attention to adversity.

So focus on the victory “lighthouse” that’s beaming out for you. Give it greatly your attention, and the Lord will see you through.

That lighthouse, you recognize, is God’s unfailing Word. It’s the light unto your pathway, and on which you’ve believed after having heard.

P. A. Oltrogge

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.” Hebrews 11:1-2 NIV

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17 NKJV

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” James 1:2-8 NKJV

“My son, give attention to My words; incline your ear to My sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.” Proverbs 4:20-22 NKJV

“Your Word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105 NLT

“Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.

“Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.’ And Peter answered Him and said, ‘Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.’ So He said, ‘Come.’ And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.

“But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!’ And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’ And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, ‘Truly, You are the Son of God,'” Matthew 14:22-33 NKJV

After reading the above poem, you will not want to be lost at sea, so to speak, in situations of life, but you may be encouraged by reviewing the true account, “Lost at Sea” in the archives of this blog–a story in which the speaker found herself with very little hope but for God’s intervention.

Blindness “Wall” Falls at Jericho

Posted on by
Reply

While Jesus, His disciples, and a great multitude were going out of Jericho, a beggar was there sitting by the side of the road.

He was Bartimaeus; and though blind, his hearing was fine to have heard of how Jesus’ healing ministry had flowed.

So, when, that day, Bartimaeus heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, Himself, who was passing by…

“Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!” became his earnest and heartfelt cry.

Many, among the crowd, told him to be quiet, as if, for him, there could be nothing in store.

But his plea of “Son of David, have mercy on me!” he kept shouting out all the more.

So Jesus heard Bartimaeus, then stood still, and commanded that he be called.

The persistence and “prayer” of Bartimaeus had caused the pace of Jesus’ journey temporarily to be stalled.

Bartimaeus was now beckoned, instead, with words of encouragement, “Rise, be of good cheer; He is calling you.”

Throwing aside his garment, he got up and came to Jesus, who asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” Victory was breaking through…

At that point, Bartimaeus said, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight!”

“Go your way, your faith has made you well,” Jesus said; and immediately his world turned from darkness to light.

Walls had fallen down at Jericho through faith in God in an earlier, historical Biblical story.

And a “wall” of blindness fell at Jericho for Bartimaeus, when by faith in God’s mercy, he saw the Lord’s glory.

The account closes with Bartimaeus following Jesus down that outer Jericho road…

He had been confident of mercy and grace through Jesus Christ—from whom God’s marvelous light had flowed….

and still does today!

P. A. Oltrogge

(Based on the account from Mark 10; Referenced is the story of Joshua and the walls of Jericho at Joshua 6)

“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days.” Hebrews 11:30 NKJV

“But you are a chosen generation, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9 NKJV

God’s Love for you, Deeper than any Sea

Posted on by
Reply

There are times when it seems difficult for us to offer praise…

when we’re experiencing problems that are affecting our days.

But if we can just envision being held in Jesus’ loving arms,

we will be more confident that He will shield us from what harms.

Those same arms were outstretched for us on Calvary’s cross

in order to pay sin’s penalty, so that our souls would not be lost.

Life is not without its challenges, but an overcomer is who you are.

Jesus overcame the world–He’s our Bright and Morning Star.

Keep walking by faith and give to Him all of your worries and cares.

Praise Him for His love and promises to answer your prayers.

The Lord is fully aware of every concern that’s on your heart.

He’s the mighty God of Israel who caused the Red Sea to part.

If it seems that “pharaoh and his army” are ready to overtake you,

praise God for His powerful love and that He will not forsake you!

P. A. Oltrogge

“In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 NKJV

“I, Jesus, have sent My angel, to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” Revelation 22:16 NKJV

“Never worry about anything. But in every situation let God know what you need in prayers and requests while giving thanks. Then God’s peace, which goes beyond anything we can imagine, will guard your thoughts and emotions through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 GW

“Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” Hebrews 13:15 NKJV

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” (from 1 John 3:1-3) NKJV

“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world–our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” 1 John 5:4-5 NKJV

“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge–that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:14-19 NIV

“The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms….” Deuteronomy 33:27 NKJV

“Give thanks to him who parted the Red Sea. His faithful love endures forever.” Psalm 136:13 NLT

“…He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.'” Hebrews 13:5 NKJV

By His Grace

Posted on by
Reply

Jesus…

I’ve come to a situation that’s difficult to face,
so I ask of you, Lord, to sustain me with your grace.

Send down your grace…much of it may be needed
before this problem’s “flooding” will have receded.

But if it’s prolonged, I’ll keep drawing from your supply
of divine grace upon grace to help me get by.

Thanks for bountiful grace, poured into my being.
I’ve found it’s your grace that is absolutely freeing.

P. A. Oltrogge

“From his fulness we have all received, grace upon grace.” John 1:16 NRSV

The Powerful River

Posted on by
Reply

6E48E8CE-EA8E-4217-9069-63FE508FDC7B

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear…” 1 John 4:18

Are you at a point where fears are trying to dominate your thinking?
Or are you in a situational “boat” that makes you feel as though you’re sinking?

Then let this scripture permeate your thoughts, to make things perfectly clear,
that “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.”

God’s perfect love surrounds you like pleasant views down a wilderness river.
Knowing you’re afloat on the river of His perfect love has great power to deliver.

P. A. Oltrogge

“And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:16-19 NASB

“How precious is Your lovingkindess, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of your wings. They are abundantly satisfied with the fulness of Your house, and You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures. For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light.” Psalm 36:7-9 NKJV

“…and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fulness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:19-21 NASB

“There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, The holy dwelling places of the Most High…The Lord of hosts is with us, The God of Jacob is our stronghold.” Psalm 46:4 and 7

further encouragement:
http://www.moorelife.org “Faith in the Power” series
(Click on “Word Supply,” “Series,”
and then “Alphabetical List”)

Photo/Unsplash

A Word of Encouragement

Posted on by
Reply

A66ADD41-D0B0-4984-9AC5-66CEDDA55A2F

“And He (Jesus) said to them, ‘What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?’ And they stood still, looking sad. And one of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, ‘Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?’” Luke 24:17-18

“And beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.” Luke 24:27 (NASB)

(from the account, after Jesus’ death and burial, of the walk to Emmaus by Cleopas and another, who met the risen Lord on their walk, verses 13-32)

There’s nothing like ENCOURAGEMENT when the way seems hard–
There’s nothing like its bolstering to keep a day (or life) from being scarred.

A word of praise can be depended upon to keep enthusiasm or creativity flowing,
causing a downcast countenance to be one that’s actually “glowing.”

There’s nothing like a caring friend who sends a note or gives a call.
There’s nothing like an encouraging word to keep us from a downfall.

There is an enemy in the world, who wants to ruin God-given potential,
which is why a word of praise from someone is often vital and essential.

Cleopas, while on the road to Emmaus, was talking with his friend
about the recent discouraging facts–on Christ’s life having come to an end.

Then later, when they were joined by Jesus, the Lord opened up their eyes
to the truth of His resurrection–likewise, we need the truth that God supplies.

Of course, the Lord is always there for us, speaking by His Spirit and His Word–but through friends or even strangers, He can also often be “heard.”

So, as you look around to start your day, be attentive if God is showing to you
someone who needs encouragement–let His supportive words be flowing through you.

P. A. Oltrogge

Like the wind that fills the sails of a boat, enabling it to glide upon the sea, a word of encouragement in our lives is so important to you and me.

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

“Yet in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:31 and 37 (NKJV)

Painting/Robert Zund

Your Stronghold in Times of Trouble

Posted on by
Reply

0777BB17-2107-4C1B-A0FD-506DF813CA65

If a dream of your heart has fallen apart, and you can only see the rubble,
remember the Lord is a refuge for you and a stronghold in times of trouble.

Hold firmly to Christ, your Redeemer, who Himself was resurrected.
Regarding that which concerns you, God has promised it will be perfected.

As a Christian, you have a covenant with God, by the blood of His dear Son. Give the matter over to Him, in faith, knowing that His resurrection power has begun.

P. A. Oltrogge

“The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.”
Psalm 9:9 NIV

“The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, oh Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.” Psalm 138:8 NKJV

“Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” Hebrews 13:20-21 NKJV

“…being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ….” Philippians 1:6 NKJV

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV

“The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you.” (the believer) from Romans 8:11 NLT