Enduring Hope

"I hope so" is not my foundation and my anchor in daily life.  My anchor is in what Christ did- His obedience, His love, His power, and His trust in His Father are what gives me endurance and continuous HOPE.  I am not naturally a persevering, determined person, (in a few areas, but not in very many!)  but when I found out that Jesus Christ has endured before me and continues to pray for me as my High Priest, I found real rest and joy.  It's not that He doesn't call me to obey and "work out my salvation" but it is that He will love me no less if I fail Him, and I cannot "do more" for Him in order to make Him  love me more.  He chose before the foundation of the world to love me with an everlasting love and I cannot change that by my losing ground, or by disobeying, or by having a faith that is as small as a mustard seed.   In fact He said that if our faith is as small as a mustard seed, we can move mountains.  What a strengthening word that is.  I'm finding out that by giving Him my failures~by confessing my self-centeredness, my wanting my own way rather than His, (and one of those ways is my wanting to control my husband,) He is willing and able to cleanse me continuously, to help me continually, and to lift my eyes and heart to Him, to "lead me in paths of righteousness."  When our sin gets too big in our own eyes, it blinds us to see what He did for us on the Cross.  When we look to His work on the Cross, our sin doesn't overwhelm us, but can be placed on Him and we, like the thief dying next to Him, can know with assurance that He will save us from our sins, and He promises that we will be with Him in Heaven.  What ENDURING HOPE that is!  The joy of this hope is deep down and lasting- I have nothing to fear because of what He's done.  And to think that He prays for me every day, that my faith would be strong, as he prayed for Peter!  Hallelujah!