Several of you have written to ask about jumping back into “Studying the Bible and Loving It.” And since I’m oh so highly organized and ponder my blog posts a grand 2.3 seconds before writing them, this morning I decided why not.
Let’s tackle another book of the Bible. Colossians.
There is something amazing about reading a book written by a man in prison. Paul was in a horrible, filthy, stench filled, and terrifying place while writing this book. I would also imagine he’s hungry, cold, and extremely lonely.
And yet when we read Colossians it’s filled with the sweetest reminders of Jesus and rich encouragement to continue to follow after Him wholeheartedly.
Y’all. I try and picture myself writing this blog from prison. And try as I might, I think some self pity would surely leak through. I can feel sorry for myself and whine with the best of them.
Just yesterday I had a little pity party when drove my daughter to the bus stop at 6:45am and something went terribly wrong. After my daughter got on the bus, I tried to put my car in drive and mosey on over to Holly’s house for our usual morning run. But my car would not go in drive. It would only go in reverse.
And don’t you think I didn’t toy with the idea of driving over to her house in reverse- because I did. I even practiced driving down the street in reverse for a little ways. But eventually my better judgement took over and I backed off to the side of the road and started frantically calling every human in my family to come rescue me.
Long story short, Holly was the only human answering her phone at 6:45am so she came to get me. Of course when she tried to put the car in drive, it slipped right into gear and drove forward. Hmffff.
I saw no purpose in this little delay.
I only saw aggravation.
I have a lot to learn from Paul.
He found purpose in his delay. He only saw Jesus even amongst circumstances that are so much worse than my little daily aggravations.
Colossians 1:23 talks about us being established, firm and not moved from the hope held out in the gospel.
I want that.
I want to be “not moved from the hope.”
Despite how other people act and react today, I want to be not moved from the hope. Despite the circumstances that come that will bump and jostle me, I want to be not moved from the hope. How might my day look if I determine to be not moved from the hope?
Not moved from the hope.
That’s a great little nugget for me to tuck in my brain and repeat over and over today. Whether I’m driving forwards or backwards or somewhere in between. Have mercy.
What verses jump out at you from Colossians 1? How differently might your interactions and interruptions look today if you determine to not be moved from the hope?
……… And for those of you interested in the She Speaks scholarship blog contest I mentioned yesterday, it will be a very simple contest where you’ll link your blog to mine. I’ll post more details tomorrow.
Tuesday, March 16
Not moved
Discussion
Trackbacks
-
[...] 1. Refuse to be moved from the hope. [...]
Good Morning Lysa! Your writing this morning reminded me of a verse the Lord impressed on my heart yesterday, "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:23.
Not moved from hope. Holding unswervingly. Or…like it says in Zechariah 9:12, being a "prisoner of hope".
This is not a prisoner to wishful thinking. Our hope is a reality. A guarantee. Hope is a confident expectation based on God’s promises. It removes doubt, dismisses chance, clings to faith. When there appears to be no possible release, we see a key and believe we won’t be held enslaved forever.
A prisoner of hope is imprisoned for life, to life. They never stop believing that God can. The opportunity for intervention could be at any time. It’s a complete trust in the unseen. At any moment the sound of footsteps approaching their cell could be heard and their hearts could be free of the burden that convicted and desired to sentence them to endless days of worry, disappointment, agony and despair.
When we place our hope in Christ, it is secure because it is in One who never changes. He is certain. Complete security. He is our hope.
"That by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have strong encouragement, we who have fled for refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both steadfast and sure and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order Melchizedek." Hebrews 6:18-20.
A prisoner of hope lives in freedom.
Holding on to hope,
Joy
PS…Forgot to tell you…"holding on to hope" I registered for "She Speaks" yesterday. Praying that somehow the Lord is going to supply for ALL my needs!
Lysa,
I will try to remember today that phrase from Colossians, "not moved from the hope" when I feel myself being moved far away from The Hope. I feel as if I have been walking around with a dark cloud right above my head. I feel as though the enemy has high-jacked my mind and keeps filling it with lies. I am ready to be "not moved".
As I read Col. 1, verses 9-12 jumped out at me as just the medicine I need right now:
Colossians 1:9-12 (New International Version)
"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you[a] to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light."
Thank you for being faithful to give me wisdom from God's word to think about and something from your life to laugh about. Laughing with you, of course…
Blessings,
Pam
Lysa:
Yesterday was a painful day for me. Knocked down again by life's blows and I was having a pity party myself. Sad and feeling all alone for most of the day.
Then an amazing thing happened. The Lord led me into the Psalms, which says:
But you are a shield around me; Lord, my Glorious One, who lifts up my head. Psalm 3:3
I love that phrase "lifts up my head." I've been focusing on that now instead of my temporary circumstances. Lifting my head to the Lord in praise and thanksgiving.
Long may it last!
lysa,
awesome post. my mommy van is acting up so i can totally relate to driving backwards. every time i turn the key to that van i will try to not be moved from hope.
yvonne
Oh Lysa, this is what I love about you. I can just picture you driving your daughter to the bus stop . . . in reverse! Maybe you should try wearing your clothes backward too, and your day would seem quite normal.
Thanks for the laugh. And for the perspective.
It is so funny that you should post this today! I am a youth group teacher for middle school age kids and Sunday night I decided to make up my own lesson and teach them about Paul's letters (all 13 of them). We talked about where Paul was when he wrote each one of them and how he was frequently imprisoned and beaten for spreading the word of God. At one point, he was even stoned and left for dead. I'm sure he felt discouraged, but he just kept on getting up and going out and spreading God's word. Somehow, I think I needed that lesson as much as the kids did!
Hey Girl – Loved your post this morning. When you were telling your story about your car, the only thing I could think of was that your car was getting back at you for running over that tree and making it drang it all over town. LOL Hope you have a better day today. Amanda.wood@fescoinc.com
Hi Lysa, I was wondering what happened with the bible study series too. Glad to see your post today. And don't be shy, please post more video blogs. I am encouraged to see and hear you speak God's truth. Have a great day, Lysa. Hope your car is ok.
The entire chapter applies to my life RIGHT NOW! But Verses 20-22 are the most prominent. "evil thoughts and actions" is what I used to have but God is renewing my MIND and I am just amazed!
Hi Lysa,
I love your words about not being moved from the hope. I cling to this and encourage the women of "Mommies with Hope" to cling to the hope found only in Christ. When you've experienced loss as these women have, it's tempting to let circumstances move you away from the promises of God. Thats why we are "Mommies with Hope" – clinging to the promise of the gospel found in Christ alone. I love John 16:33 when Jesus says "In this world you will have trials, but take heart, I have overcome the world." That is our hope.
Bless you,
Teske
Lysa,
Love this post! The first chapter of Colossians contains one of my favorite prayers.
I once heard Dr. Charles Stanley preach about how to pray for others when we have no idea what to pray for them. He referenced this particular verse:
"…we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding." (v. 9)
He explained that if we are unsure of how to pray for someone, this is a perfect prayer! We pray that they would be filled with the knowledge of God's will! I loved that and have since prayed that many times for others AND for myself!
Have a great day
Amy
Oh, and also when I was reading your post, "I Will Not Be Moved" by Natalie Grant started playing in my head and is now stuck there! That's like my theme song! I WILL NOT BE MOVED! No matter what happens in life, I will not be moved!
Hi Lysa! "Not moved from the hope" is my desire and heart cry too!
I love this part of Colossians 1 where it reminds me that I don't have to do things in my own strength to be qualified to serve my Savior with victory! It gives me lots of Hope.
Colossians 1:11 and 12a
….being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has QUALIFIED you……
I so very much want to participate in the SHE SPEAKS SCHOLARSHIP CONTEST. I'll tune in tomorrow for more details.
Thanks Lysa.
Lee Ann
I read a devotional yesterday with the scripture from Romans 5:3-4.
Rom 5:3 – And not only [so], but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
Rom 5:4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
These verses speak to me that through all our tribulations and trials we gain patience, experience and HOPE. Hope, in knowing that the God that has brought us through so many times before – will do it again and again.
Praise the Lord!
Need to go re-read Colossians 1 now! But wanted you to know my sweet friend sent me "Becoming More…" for my b-day and I just started it. LOVE IT! Thanks;)
You're little car problem made me think of mine last week…
My car wouldn't move and I was already late for work.
The break jammed!
The garage had to come and pick it up.
They repaired the jam but accidently found another problem…a big and dangerous problem!
If I would have been driving that morning I would most probably had a major accident at the highway!! The garage man wouldn't even take the risk of driving my car home.
The problem was easily fixed (only not the bill
and my car is perfectly alright now.
All I could do is thank God that my breaks jammed, it made me think of Bileam's donkey!!!
So maybe your car wouldn't cooperate to prevent you from an accident if you would have driven that time?!
Love
Wendelijn
"Not moved from hope…" and what is that hope?
Col 1:27, "God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."
Christ in me… what God has revealed is phenomenal! There should never be a time when hope has "moved" from me, because Hope dwells in me… where I go, so goes my Hope.
These verses remind me of Natalie Grants song "Our Hope Endures"…Our hope endures the worst of conditions/it's more than our optimism/let the earth quake/our hope is unchanged. This is exactly what my hope in Christ is. He is my hope. He endures. He is more than just being optimistic. Let the earthquakes come. He is the same yesterday, today and forever…unchanging.
I started reading Colo. just Saturday, when I started reading your book.
You know it's interesting that you wrote on this. I was just telling my mother how my FEELINGS have been hurt by many Christians, especially, my church. People look at my husband and I and see us moving along, not crying, whining, or down about the fire; therefore, they assume we are OK. Just yesterday, my mother was looking over one of my articles and commented, "Your walls weren't demolished in the fire, where they?" To me she acted as if she thought I was lying so I pulled up a picture that my son had sent me on my phone of the house. "My God Angie," she said, "I had no Idea. I thought you just had water damage."
"Our house caught on fire, mom," I said. "For some reason God has carried me in (us) in such a way where we've been able to accept this from His hand and move on. But make no mistake—it's hard. But since I know He loves me and has the best for me. I accept and I trust that He knows what He's doing." Then I thought, "Maybe I should be shedding snot and tears, looking down and all, and maybe people will SHOW some love."
The Lord has really kept me, and that poem footprints in the sand has become real to me. I'm going to go through this book Colo (can't remember how to spell it. Smile)and keep in mind what you posted today while going through the book. This, I know, will give me an even better perspective.
Love your writing and thanks a bunch. I'm in Houston! I so wish I would have know ahead of time that you were going to be in the big D. I sure would have stopped by.
Best to you Ms. Lysa. Smile.
The verse that speaks to me on this beautiful Spring morning would be
Colossians 1:10 "And we pray this in order that you may LIVE a life worthy of the Lord & may please Him in every way; BEARING FRUIT in every good work, growing in the knowlege of God."
You're story about driving backwards totally just cracked me up! I could see me doin that physically & spiritually lol! I know sometimes in my walk with the Lord I just feel like my wheels are just spinnin & goin nowhere. Then other times, I feel like I'm abiding in Him(John 15) & bearing His fruit(Gal.5:22) in my life. He're lately however, I've just been feeling that I'll take a couple steps forward & have to back up because I'm trying to get ahead of Him. I also have been feeling stuck too. There was a comment you made in your book "What happens when Women WALK in Faith" that always stuck with me. It was…HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED THAT NATURE DOESN'T RESIST GOD?
What a profound question. God has been teachin me that I have to let some things just die out of my life before I can move forward. I'm crying as I write this because I can't tell you how hard this has been for me. But I know that with it comes LIFE(fruit) & His sweet presence. He has carried me. He has also given me HIS STRENGTH & just enough light(Psalm 119:104-105)to take the next step(& boy has it been a wobbly one I might add.)
I praise Him today that He strengthens me with all power according to His glorious might so that I may have great endurance & patience, jofully…(Col. 1:11) I pray this for you & all these precious ladies on here as well.
Love & Prayers
)
Thanks again! He is my only Hope!
L & P
)
Thanks Lysa~ I liked what jumped out at me in The Message version. It ties right into what I've been seeking lately. Not necessarily providing answers, but was comforting and reassuring.
Col 1:5 The lines of purpose in your lives never grow slack, tightly tied as they are to your future in heaven, kept taut by hope.
I love your P31 devotionals and your daily blog. I just had to comment about your opening statement today. I have always studied that Paul wrote Colossians while he was in Rome. In Acts 28:30 "For two whole years Paul stayed there(Rome)in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him." NIV. I know Paul spent a lot of time in prisons, but with his last imprisonment, trial, and stay in Rome he was treated well.
Donna
Oh, Lysa. I needed to read this today! Thank you so much for this! I want to look towards my inconveniences (minor as they are) as opportunities to meet with Jesus and learn from Him rather than whining about the inconvenience itself!
Happy Tuesday to you!
Dear Anonymous Donna…
Colossians (along with Philippians, Ephesians, and Philemon) is called a prison letter because Paul wrote it from prison in Rome.
(NIV study Bible commentary)
Thanks for asking…
While reading Colossians 1, there were a couple of things that stood out to me. The first of which was Col 1:13. NKJV uses the word "conveyed" to describe the method the Father uses to lead us into salvation. When I looked up conveyed, it is defined in a couple of ways, but I liked "carried." Our Father gently carries us into the Kingdom of His Son. Aren't we lucky he doesn't pull out a lasso and rope us around the neck and yank us back into the Kingdom? He is gentle and sweet and tender and merciful in His approach, not harsh. I love that. He pulls us up, into His arms, snuggles us, and gently walks us into the right path.
The next thing that really stood out to me was in Col. 1:19-20. I really couldn't grasp a solid understanding of it, so I cast my eyes to the bottom of the page to read the Study Commentary portion. The description lead me to this conclusion. I wrote it like this in my Bible. "The human part of Jesus is equally important as the divine part of Him."
It is the human part that makes His sacrificial death so tender. He was NOT without the pain. It was present in every moment of being beaten and thrashed and in every moment of being nailed to a cross and being hung up for all to see. Through the pain, He kept His focus on WHAT this was all for. It was for His Father's beloved children. That we may have a path to know our Father.
His divine self was equally important. That importance is signified in the Resurrection. Jesus defeated the ONE tool Satan had left. Death is defined as separation. With Jesus having conquered death without sin, He made a way for us to escape eternal separation from our Father and to live forever with our Daddy. I am glad He did.
Lastly, I LOVE the end of Col. 1:28. It states "…, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus." Perfect means mature and/or complete. It DOES NOT mean flawless. I love that; it comes straight of out my Study Commentary. I read that, and it all made sense. Jesus wants us to be able to stand up next to Him in Heaven, having perfection in the eyes of God. Not perfection as this world has defined it, but perfection of the Spirit. To be as mature as is possible. And to be complete in knowing that Jesus will be there for us. He will be testifying on our behalf, all because He loves us that much.
PRAISE God!
Love,
Diema
rLrdnw426@yahoo.com
Oh, I like this! – "He (Paul) found purpose in his delay. He only saw Jesus even amongst circumstances that are so much worse then my little daily aggravations" Wow! I want to see Jesus like that in my little delays in life!
Thank you for this post! It is very encouraging!
The verses that stuck out most to me are verse 3, when he says, "We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you," which is one of my all time favorite verses!!
And then again in verses 10-12, I feel like there is some major purpose for my life!
Thanks for a great challenge today!
Hmm. only in reverse, huh? I had the same problem a few yeats ago. Transmission. Be prepared to get a new one.
These last few weeks your words have been a sort of life line to me. I have been moved from the hope of Christ… oh, but I want to be firmly established and steadfast so I will not be moved again. Thank you, thank you for your words of truth!!!!
Lysa, you have the funniest stories!! Thanks for the laugh about driving backwards…and the encouragement…
Hi Lysa I’m new to your blog but was “moved” to click on this message when I subscribed to your 21 day challenge, “Made to Crave.” I laughed when I read about your car because I drive a 20 year old car and wonder everyday what will go wrong. I realized after reading this I have been driving my spiritual car in reverse…always looking back… to afraid to put it in drive and move forward. I had removed myself from hope through fear, instead of being moved by hope through faith and action. For today I’ve learned that what ever my destination is I will not be moved from hope…I’ve given the keys to my car to God.
Jesus offered me hope today when I read your story! I couldn’t help but to think about your car only going in reverse. I do this… except not with my car. I do it with my thoughts and my emotions. It seems like some days backwards is the only direction my mind will take me… then it takes a sweet friend who is the only one up at 6:30 in the morning to help get me going forward again. Just a reminder of how thankful I am for those 6:30am friends.
God is good. He cares for us. Even when all we can do is go in reverse.
Hi Lysa, This is my first time on a blog
. Thank you for your encouragement on Waiting on the Lord & Not being moved. I have been looking to return to the workforce, but all roads lead back home. Somewhere deep inside, I know God was trying to guide me. BE STILL & TRUST ME was an reoccuring message confirmed form the left and right. The Lord has continued to close doors for that past two years. He knows my deepest desire is to know him more inimtately, so he’s slowed everything down, so I could become someone Jesus could reach, teach and speak to. Thank you for demonstrating Jesus as a reality in your life to encourage the rest of us to Not Be Moved.
Lysa, I have been going in reverse in my hope for a couple of weeks now and your words of truth, sent by God for me to read, helped me today. My fear takes over and I have a hard time getting the gears of my thoughts to go forward. This story has done that for me thanks be to God. I read a daily quote that said, “do not look back to the past, unless you plan to go there”…how true for us as Christians. Sometimes I have a hard time forgiving myself, so I wonder why would God. But, today I am moving forward in Hope. Thanks for your words.
You asked what words from Colossians 1 moved me. Our pastor (who is ministering a series call “Paul’s Blogs” and is reviewing his epistles), took us to Colossians Wed. Yesterday morning I was reading Colossians in the Message version and verses 11-12 stuck out to me: “We pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy”. NOT THE GRIM STRENGTH OF GRITTING YOUR TEETH. Holy-moly, that just jumped out of the page to me, because with challenges at my job, that’s what I’ve been doing…gritting my teeth. So I need to unclench and lean on the glory strength God gives, stir up the joy in me through the Holy Ghost and let that spill over. Pray for me as I purpose to remember thisprecious revelation-Hallelujah!
I think I am stuck in reverse. Because every time I try and go forward it sounds like the gears are striping. And I hear them grinding to a halt. I have two options – 1 turn the car around and go forwards backwards ( which makes no sense) or stop park and ask Jesus to un-stick me and get me headed in the direction He wants me to go in. The only other option which isnt an option is to stay put and watch as everyone passes me by- and that’s not a very good option.