Last week I received a phone call before leaving America for Uganda. Godfrey & his wife, Irene had given birth to a new baby girl! The surprise was they asked if I would be the one to come with a name and speak it over her. That was a very humbling request. They said with all we have walked through and endured, he wanted me to be the one to give her the name the Lord lays on my heart. I asked if he wanted to name before I came. He said, “No. We want you to hold the baby and look into her face. Then you name her with the name the Lord puts on your heart.” I was concerned that the baby would be nameless for a whole week! But I honored their request and began seeking the Lord. He did put a name on my heart, but I wanted for the confirmation until I saw her face.
Something happened that only has happened when I first looked upon the face of our own daughter, Kiana. I got a glimpse, a small glimpse of what the wise men must of felt when they first looked at the face of baby Jesus. There was awe and wonder at this little one who was sound asleep. Something just leaped inside of my heart. I already had a name but it was confirmed. I looked at her face and thought, “Hope for the Nations.” The newest baby, the first baby in our new home...HOPE.
There was absolutely rejoicing when I introduced HOPE for the first time to the children! As we prayed over this baby, all the voices raised over her as she slept was beyond what any words can describe. Then as I closed in prayer I recognized that not only is she HOPE for the nations, but she is a symbol of the HOPE that all our children are for the world. The Raining Hope children are HOPE for the nation. You are helping them achieve their dreams. God is using them to change the world. HOPE will be a continual reminder of the HOPE we have in Jesus.
I shared these thoughts with them as part of the confirmation of the name...I
“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.” Romans 5:3-4
HOPE - The biblical definition of hope is “confident expectation.” Hope is a firm assurance regarding things that are unclear or unknown. “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen. It gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” Hebrews 11:1
The righteous who trust or put their hope in God will be helped “The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.’ (Psalm 28:7),
and they will not be confounded, put to shame, or disappointed “Kings and queens will serve you and care for all your needs. They will bow to the earth beforey ou and lick the dust from your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord. Those who trust in me will never be put to shame.” (Isaiah 49:23).
The righteous, who have this trustful hope in God, have a general confidence in God's protection and help “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
and are free from fear and anxiety “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge.” (Psalm 46:1-3)
Along with faith and love, hope is an enduring virtue of the Christian life. “Three things will last forever - faith, hope, and love - and the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13),
and love springs from hope “For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all God’s people, which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News.” (Colossians 1:4-5).
Hope produces joy and peace in believers through the power of the Spirit “Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying....”I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
(Romans 12:12; 15:13).
HOPE FOR THE NATIONS ~ Each one of you ~
“I'll stand with arms high and heart abandoned - In awe of the one who gave it all
I'll stand my soul Lord to you surrender - All I am is yours”
HOPE,
mama eydie
No comments:
Post a Comment