One day I was visiting my neighbor, who recently moved to a new place. She was in pain after broken hip surgery, had yet to take her ibuprofen, and so I suggested ice, simple ice… She remembered that she had a bag of frozen peas. She hates peas, but she had them, not for eating but for pain. Frozen peas are the perfect ice pack that contours easily. Yes peas also refreeze. A simple solution to pain. Remember that we have something to reach for. Keep it just in case. Basic pain relief. Ahhhhh…. My neighbor was visibly relieved. Didn’t need the hard medicine stuff quite yet, just frozen peas…

HOPE. Hope is a simple complex thought that we often have. Hope IS what we remember we should tap into and do actively reach for. Hope could be a specific prayer request we have or a general feeling that God will intervene. Hope comes in all sizes, we can keep it in the freezer, refresh it, use it again. Hope is the belief God will act and the witness that He has already, so many times.

We have rough times and we have good times. Before, after, in between all we have God who does not change and is listening.  In our remembering of His existence, in our reaching out to Him and in towards Him, we need to remember not just Him but remember how POWERFUL He is. And remember God is the Temple as well as being Whom we praise in the Temple. He is the Owner of both the strong bird wing that we hide under and carries us as well as the still air giving the bird flight. 

He is the Hope as well as Whom we hope into. God is All. 

David in Psalm 16 remembers our Lord God is the portion AND the cup. God is the Joy AND the One Who fills us with JOY.

We ALWAYS need to remember He IS available.  GOD IS. Reaching for God is kinda (well much much more) like remembering the frozen peas, reach for Him, and apply… God IS in the reach as well as the relief.

The application of HOPE is prayer. The result of prayer IS HOPE. 

The existence of God is also His Power. The Power of God is He exists. 

Amen 

…

A bag of peas and a Psalm of “pleas” and “please”

Psalm 16 NIV of David.

Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge.

I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.” I say of the holy people who are in the land, “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.” Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more. I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods or take up their names on my lips.

Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.

I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. 

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.