Dec 15.97: Light For The Day - "HOPE"

"Why are you cast down, O my soul, 
and why are you disquieted within me? 
Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him,
my help and my God."
-- Psalm 42:5 (RSV)

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"HOPE"

The longest lane
must have a turning;
The darkest night
gives place to day. 
Somewhere bright stars
are always burning
Hope's rainbow
spans the future way; 
The fiercest storm
has soonest ending, 
The dreariest winter
heralds spring
With sunshine blossom 
fragrance, blending-
To bring new joy to everything. 
-- Selected
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C. H. Spurgeon once wrote: "The path of the
Christian is not always bright with sunshine;
he has his seasons of darkness and of storm." 

There are many who have rejoiced in the
presence of God for a season; they have basked
in the sunshine in the earlier stages of their
Christian career. They have walked along the
"green pastures." by the side of the "still waters." 

But suddenly they find the glorious sky is clouded;
instead of the promised land, they have to tread the
sandy desert; and they say. "Surely, if I were a 
child of God, this would not happen."

Oh, say not so! The best of God's saints must drink
the wormwood. The dearest of His children must
bear the cross. Perhaps the Lord allotted you at
first a smooth and unclouded path, because you
were weak and timid. But now that you are
stronger in the spiritual life, you must enter upon
the riper and rougher experience of God's fullgrown
children. 

We need winds and tempests to exercise our faith,
to tear off the rotten bough of self-dependence,
and to root us more firmly in Christ. The day of
evil reveals to us the value of our glorious HOPE.

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"HOPE"

HOPE sings to me a cheerful song --
The way may seem both dark and long,
But days are passing one by one,
And all is glory farther on.

And HOPE has wings as well as song,
And when she spreads her pinions strong,
My thoughts soar up and dwell upon
The heavenly glory farther on.

And HOPE has eyes that pierce the gloom;
She looks beyond death and the tomb,
And thrills as though already shone
The deathless glory farther on.

HOPE, Blessed Hope, abide with me,
Still sing thy cheerful melody,
Till, clouds and tears for ever gone,
I reach the glory farther on. 

-- J.T. Mawson
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"Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart
take courage; yea, wait for the LORD!"
-- Psalm 27:14 (RSV)

"For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is
seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 
But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for
it with patience." -- Romans 8:24,25 (RSV)

"We know that in everything God works for good
with those who love Him, who are called according
to His purpose." -- Romans 8:28 (RSV)

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