Month: March 2026

Posted in Lamentations, Romans

The God of Hope

Posted on by Tom Flaherty

“This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope, the Lord’s mercies never cease, for His compassions never fail, they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:21-23

The nation of Judah was in the midst of the worst trial of its history when Jeremiah penned these words. If he relied on outward circumstances he would have been tempted to despair, but instead he recalled to his mind the character of God. He preached to himself, “God is still love and He loves me; He is still merciful and wants to show me new mercies every single day; God is still faithful and has not abandoned me even when He’s not doing what I want Him to do as fast as I want Him to do it.” These truths, Jeremiah said, were his reason for hope.

What’s happening in your life today? In the nations there is fear of terrorism, recession, global warming, and a disillusionment with government and man’s ability to solve big problems. The secret to hope is getting our eyes off of people and circumstances, and putting them on the God who promises to be with us and to work “all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28) All things are not good, but when given to God, they can be worked for good and actually serve as aids to our growth.

We have hope because nothing can hurt us without God’s permission, and we know that if we trust God, we will always outlast our problems. God wants us to overflow with hope so that others will trust Him as well. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)

Posted in Matthew, Psalms

Faith Inspired by Joy

Posted on by Tom Flaherty

“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” Matthew 13:44

How’s your joy? Strong faith is inspired by joy which is why Nehemiah said “the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (8:10) According to this passage in Matthew our joy is related to how much of the hidden treasure we have seen. I did a youth retreat a few years ago and heard a 16 year old girl testify about an experience she had with the Lord during one of the altar times. It was revealed to her that she was in rebellion against her mom, so she repented before the Lord and asked for His forgiveness. Then she said a joy came into her heart that she hadn’t felt in a long time. This young lady beamed not just that night, but the rest of the weekend. She had a glimpse of the treasure of forgiveness and intimacy with Christ and was now filled with the joy of His presence.

Sometimes we’re in this field called church going through the motions and we assume that that’s all there is. Wrong! There is a hidden treasure that requires a heart that will truly seek God and not just do the duty of religion. One young man who was radically touched by the Lord at the retreat told us the next evening that he had led someone to the Lord that afternoon. He just couldn’t contain what God had done, so he found someone to share it with and they wanted Jesus too. No wonder David said, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation; then I will teach transgressors your ways and sinners will be converted to You.” (Psalm 51:12)

Has your faith become tired?  Why not take a moment right now and ask God to restore your joy?

Posted in Exodus

Experiencing the I Am

Posted on by Tom Flaherty

“God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am.’ And He said ‘Say this to the people of Israel, I am has sent me to you.’ “ Exodus 3:14

To experience God’s presence we have to live in the present. He is not the “I was,” so if we live in the past, dwelling on yesterday’s regrets, we will not find Him there. He is not the “I will be,” so if we live in the future worrying about how things are going to turn out, we will not find Him there. He has given us promises for the past and for the future, so we can give both to Him.  Then we can experience His embrace in the present. He shed His blood so that our past could be clean of sin, shame, and guilt. He has assured us of the Father’s love and care for even the details of our lives, so we don’t have to worry about our future. Will we trust Him and enter into His presence right now?

God has revealed Himself as the great “I am.” He is right now. His embrace is for right now. His acceptance is for right now. His peace is for right now. Jesus wants to have His life revealed in us, not at some future time, but right now.

In the words of the late Henri Nouwen, “The real enemies of our life are the ‘oughts’ and the ‘ifs.’ They pull us backward into the unalterable past and forward into the unpredictable future. But real life takes place in the here and the now. God is a God of the present. God is always in the moment, be that moment hard or easy, joyful or painful… Jesus came to wipe away the burden of the past and the worries for the future. He wants us to discover God right where we are, here and now.”