Hope-Full Living

What is bliss for you? A juicy steak? A day spent fishing? Your grandchild’s giggle?

Jesus is called “Lord of Bliss” in the hymn, “What Wondrous Love Is This” (LSB #543) — a reminder that God’s promises include “pleasures forevermore.” The “feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow” in Isaiah 25:6, and the “good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over” in Luke 6:38, speak of the riches our generous God has in store for us.  

Even in our most troublesome days, we are given hints of bliss: receiving our Lord’s body and blood in Holy Communion, raising voices in song with fellow believers, and walking with friends on dark days. Best of all is the bliss of living daily in God’s rich and abundant grace.

“If your baby is late enough, you might get the bird done,” my doctor teased, seeing the crewel embroidery I was stitching before my obstetric appointments. I finished the bird, but life as a mother of five crowded out frivolous stitchery. The project gave way to more practical tasks, a reminder that “Life is fragile; handle with prayer” is outlined in daily experience rather than colored yarn. Forty-five years later, I have resumed work on the embroidery project. I know myself too well to think that I will outlive all my unfinished projects, but this one is near completion. I suspect that few of us have all our loose threads neatly tied in our projects, much less our lives! How comforting it is to know that “He who began a good work in [us] will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Having completed the work of our salvation, He continues to conform us to His “pattern” — with no loose threads!

When connecting with others who appear in our lives, we love to see them as God’s children and care about them. We look into their eyes and listen attentively to their story. We ask questions and express genuine interest and concern. We pray for the Lord to help us be kind and compassionate. We do our best to refrain from judgment; we must remind ourselves that judging is God’s purview. We understand that when others “know that we care, they may eventually care what we know” — about Christ and His love. We strive to follow Christ’s model in loving others, and we can always engage in this ministry no matter what our age or stage in life.

The roll call of the faithful saints is listed in Hebrews 11. These are the men and women who persevered and experienced God’s faithfulness despite trying and uncertain circumstances. Joseph was sold by his brothers and enslaved in Egypt, yet ended up saving many lives during a famine. Job lost his children, wealth, and health, yet was blessed with double of what he had lost. David was hunted by his own father-in-law and plagued by sin, yet remained “a man after [God’s own] heart” (Acts 13:22). Paul was imprisoned, shipwrecked, and beaten. Despite that, he remained a faithful apostle who led many to faith. 

God’s promises. That is what sustained all these saints through their challenges in life. We have the same God as they had. His same promises remain just as true for us, as they did centuries ago.

My image of the “great cloud of witnesses” in Hebrews 12:1 used to be everyone I’d ever known cheering me on in a long, grueling race. Then I noticed the word “therefore” and realized the author of Hebrews was connecting this chapter to the one that came before. Hebrews 11 is like a “Great Hall of Faith” of biblical heroes who remained firm in their belief that, even in adversity, God is faithful to His promises. God had asked a great deal of them, and they were commended for their faith. These heroes of faith are among our great cloud of witnesses, urging us on in our race of faith. They did not yet know that God would send Jesus, but they believed and embodied how “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).

Despite the extra hour of sleep I get when we turn back our clocks an hour each fall, I don’t like the time change that brings the darkness earlier each evening. Less light in the evening, even one hour, dampens my spirits and reminds me that we will soon fall back into the season of winter when — where I call home — bare trees, gray skies, and bitter cold will prevail.

The same is true in my spiritual life. My spirit is often darkened by recollections of failures or worries about the future. I fall back into fear, a slave to my sinful nature. Yet, because of Jesus, my future doesn’t lie in the bitterness of winter, but in the eternal spring of new life in Him — a place in His family bathed in the warmth of His light.

Why is it so easy to remember the things we want to forget? We try very hard to put our sins and failings out of our minds, but those thoughts come crawling back in. A psalmist named Asaph was also troubled. His “soul refuses to be comforted” (Psalm 77:2b). Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Asaph solves the problem of remembering the wrong things. He remembers all the right things! He meditates on the mighty deeds of the Lord. When our sins overwhelm us, we can follow the psalmist’s wise counsel and remember the wondrous deeds of the Lord. We turn our hearts and minds to Jesus’ death and His triumphant resurrection. Instead of dwelling on our sins, we remember that God will not remember: “I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more” (Jeremiah 31:34b). 

In my retirement, I spent 12 years doing hospital visitation for a chaplaincy service. That required me to spend time with people in their final hours. I discovered something as I ministered to them and their families: Christians face death differently than the rest of the world.

We are always people of hope. We know that ultimately, Jesus will deliver us from death, and we will live again with Him in eternity.

That is reassuring, especially for those of us who are aging. Jesus’ unfailing love allows us to live each day confidently and courageously. Our bodies might be in decline, but our faith remains strong. That allows time to share the hope that has sustained us.

God promises that we will discover good when we give thought to His Word. But how do we do this in our everyday lives so that we can grow in our trust in the Lord?

A dedicated time for Bible study and prayer each day is a good start. Yet, for years, I’ve discovered more goodness by meditating on a single verse throughout the day. I write a verse in my planner and frequently look at it. The more I think about the verse and its application, the more goodness I discover, and the more I trust in God.

Try carefully pondering a verse of God’s Word this week. Pray it, write it, and sing it to help you remember it. You’ll discover good as you do so.

Topics for conversation become limited as we age. The usual invitation to converse is something like, “Hi. How are you doing?” — sometimes accompanied by a strategic exit before one can compose an answer. Of course, the alternative is an honest, lengthy account of every ache and pain.

Know that the situation changes if Jesus asks, “How are you doing?” Jesus has dealt with sin and sinners. He knows everything about what ails you. Sin has many manifestations — and He has paid the consequences for every one of them.

So next time you’re asked how you’re feeling, maybe you should answer, “Forgiven and happy.”