Reflecting on Recovery and Faith

First of all , let me say thank you for your thoughts and prayers that have been with me and have helped me over the last while tremendously . God has been good and although I'm a long way from being back to normal , I'm much , much better than I was .

The process is just much slower than any of us really would like , but as we look back on 2024 , I think for all of us there's things that we would like to leave behind us , things that we do not want to experience again .

For me , the stroke is the obvious one , but almost everybody has something they want to leave behind them , and many are making New Year's resolutions and promises of what they want to do and be with their lives in the year to come . Most of these things are things that we are hoping to happen .

We're making some plans for them , but they still are in the realm of hoping and wishing for Maybe they'll happen if we work hard enough or if we're good enough . So , as we're looking at that this morning , I want to bring to you a verse that has meant a lot to me . The last while . It's Psalm 130 , verse 5 .

It says I wait for the Lord , my whole being waits , and in his word I put my hope . That's a short verse , but it's a very powerful one . I wait , my whole being waits , and in God's word I put my hope . The most significant word in that whole verse is the word hope .

It comes from the Hebrew word kava , which means a strong rope , but also conveys a sense of eager anticipation and trust in God's timing and faithfulness . This is not passive waiting , but it actually means that we are expectantly looking forward to God's intervention and presence in our lives , and that suddenly becomes a much more powerful verse .

Let me read it to you that way I wait for the Lord , my whole being waits , and in his word I put my full expectation and trust that God is going to do what he has promised he will do . As we go forward into 2025 , we need to remember and hang on to the promises that God has already made to us .

He's given us promises of His power , of His grace , of His goodness , of His care and His provision , and we can hang on to those . I've got to tell you right now I can't put my faith in the doctors . I can't put my faith in the medical system . I can't put my faith in my job . I can't put my faith in the government for providing for me financially .

I can't put my faith in any of those things . My faith has to be first and foremost in the Lord , in what he has promised and what he has said , because I am His child . Now you may think that when I say that , I'm saying it because I believe I've been perfectly waiting patiently on God . I've been anything but perfect in my patience .

I've been very uptight . I've been perfectly waiting patiently on God . I've been anything but perfect in my patience . I've been very uptight . I've been angry , I've cried , I've beaten up the bed , I've been rude to my wife . I've done all those things out of impatience and imperfection . But in the midst of it all , god still loves me . He's still with me .

He's still guiding me and protecting me . I can wait expectantly on him and put my hope in him that he will do what he has promised . As we all look back over this past year , I'm sure that for you , there are many things too that you are still waiting for answers for . You are struggling with , maybe even starting to give up hope .

Let me just encourage you this morning Do not give up hope . Our God is the God of hope . He is the God of promises , he is the God of power and miracles , and we can trust Him . And when we trust Him , he will start to work , even when we don't see it happening . First thing he will do is He'll help to change our attitude .

He'll give us an attitude towards Him and towards others that will be significantly different . Suddenly , those things that we've been feeling overwhelmed by won't feel as monstrous . We'll be able to relax and trust that God knows what he's doing , even when we don't and even when we can't see the answers yet .

And in that peace and joy that affects the people around us too . It will affect your spouse , your children and the friends and family you have . They'll wonder how you can be so strong and peaceful in the midst of it . It's not because of who we are . It's because of who Christ is in us .

So , as we leave the year 2024 behind us , we may not leave all of the things we're going to leave behind there at the moment . We may carry some of those problems forward as we go into 2025 . But we can have a new start in 2025 , a new start that says God , I will put my faith and my trust in you .

I will put my hope in you , not just my wishes in you , my expectancy that , god , you will work powerfully and wonderfully for us to bring about your answers and your grace and goodness for us . Father , we put our faith and our trust in you . So , my friends , I encourage you this morning .

God has life for us , a life to the full , a life that means we can have joy and hope in the midst of every trial that we go through , and the promise that he will never leave us or forsake us . He is always with us . He will give us the hope , the strength , the peace and will guide us through every challenge that we face .

We can trust him , you can trust him , I can trust him , and God is always faithful . I hope you have a wonderful New Year's Eve , my friends . Be safe , enjoy it , celebrate the new year and I hope to be able to talk to you again in the new year .