Hope Is On The Horizon: How God Shapes Us Through Events In Our Lives

Devoting ourselves to prayer is our way of communicating with God. It reflects a relationship, a relationship which He desires. It is not simply something we do; it is part of who we are. It is more than making requests; it is honoring Him with our praise, our thankful hearts, and our trust. Whether begging for the healing of a sick child, the eternal rest of a parent, or the daily mundane and boring tasks that lay before us, prayer is the bridge of communication with One whom we love.

Developing a relationship with anyone takes time and effort, and that is true also of our relationship with our King of kings and Lord of lords. The most incredible thing about God and this number: It surpasses time and space. We are never put on hold. He listens every time and answers in His time and way. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God Ephesians 3: As teenagers, life appears hopeful and filled with wonderful ideas — most of the time.

As a young adult, we look forward to exciting new adventures, both in the workplace and in family life — most of the time. When middle-aged, we embrace watching our children move on into their teen and young adult years, so full of hope and challenges — most of the time. Upon retirement, excitement is generated as we think about those trips we always wanted to take and the freedoms we will enjoy serving the community, the church, and our grandchildren — most of the time. The challenges, the unexpected, and the uncontrolled often splatter our plans with colors on a canvas that were neither desired nor explained.

We wonder of its purpose. We may even wonder if at times God is really an ever-present help for us. As Christians, we want to believe that the plans, the wondering, and the unexpected things all center in the love and grace of Jesus Christ — that is, in His fullness. In the world you will have tribulations.

But take heart; I have overcome the world. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation as I learn more of Your fullness in the study of Scripture, especially when tests and trials add unexpected color into my life. In Your name I ask this. Life without Christ as its center does not make sense. In fact, it can appear hopeless. The opening reference in Ephesians 3: His victory over sin, death, and the devil is assured, and exposure to His fullness in us will expand and explode in each and every circumstance we encounter. In fact, it is beyond our imagination. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all that we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!

May the Holy Spirit open the windows of our hearts through His Word as we discover who we are in Christ and how, as a result, we possess His fullness. Earth has no pleasure I would share. And should my heart for sorrow break, My trust in Thee can nothing shake. Thou art the portion I have sought; Thy precious blood my soul has brought. I trust Thy Word. LSB , v 1. In the fullness of Christ, one of the blessings He bestows on us is the desire to love. His love in us overpowers the selfishness and egos, the greed and pride. His love requires commitment, determination, and hard work. His fullness of love views us as we can become.

Rather the Father views us as ones who have been washed in the blood of the Lamb and who have received His amazing love. The love of Christ that flows into and through us is not of our own doing. However, it is revealed in our hands- those that touch the untouchable, reach out to the homeless broken men and women on our streets, listen to the grieving heart, and serve when serving is the last thing we want to do.

It is an impossible love that reaches across the chasm of prejudice and preconceived ideas of humanity. Read 1 John 4: Then read Colossians 1: We are not the same as we were ten years ago, twenty years ago, or even more. Our attitudes have changed, our desires are different, and our direction in life focuses on serving others in ways altered from when we were younger.

As a result, our former sometimes-draining tasks now rest on the back burner as insignificant when viewed in the whole scheme of things. Because we better understand what it means to be made alive in Christ, our heart beats truer to His guidance and grace offered one day at a time, no matter who we are or what we still plan to achieve. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved Ephesians 2: In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him 1 John 4: A faith-filled life with Christ abounds in the realization of His wonders and finds joy in His presence.

But it does mean that when we are on our knees weeping and sobbing in despair, He is still carrying the heaviest part of the load and we are covered by His everlasting arms. Refer to the following verses to discover the joys and wonders of being alive in Christ. Living in Christ, in His fullness, means that we inherit eternal life today but only because He is in us. While its full reality will not be inherited until the moment of our death, He provides eternal blessings of His kingdom now.

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Now because of being made alive in Christ, we can be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God Colossians 1: As we gaze into it, we see not the beauty God created, but the flaws and undesirable conditions that contradict the TV version of what beauty is. Our value is determined by what others see and how that translates into worthiness.

Their beauty comes from within and brings about an unexplained radiance and peace. They are filled with a grace that flows from a heart received from Christ Himself, for He has clothed them with all His goodness and supplied them with His fullness. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, they have been able to make choices that reveal the resurrected life. Refer to Ephesians 4: Upon our Baptism, we became a new creation in Christ. Supplied with the Holy Spirit, we are provided with spiritual rivers of living water John 7: We not only have received the fullness of Christ, but have been clothed with Christ Himself.

With that thought in mind, review Philippians 4: As we continue to move through our lives of sanctification, sometimes we need to be reminded, it is not about us, but about Christ Jesus in us. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God … for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children as light for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true , and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord Ephesians 5: As a result of that light, that love, that fullness, we can reach out to others with unexpected results as we remember some very important truths.

For now, we have come full circle: All of this is because we are in Christ through our Baptism. As a result of His redemptive sacrifice on the cross and the resurrection, we receive freedom to live our lives for Him, filled with the measure of faith He grants to us. When we are mopping the kitchen floor, we are in Christ. As we transport our children to and from school and school activities, we are in Christ. Sitting at an office desk, overseeing an ailing or dying spouse or parent, we are in Christ. No matter the tasks, the trials, or the tests, we are in Christ and He is in us, and because He is in us, so also abide His love, His fruit, and His powerful presence — daily, hourly, in all places, and at all times.

His forgiveness is secure when we fail. His power is granted in our weakness. His amazing love never leaves us, even though we may feel more unlovable than ever. His grace captures us in our task-filled lives and assures us that all is understood and redeemed.

For love, Jesus died! For love, He allowed all our sins to be nailed to the cross and our punishment to be paid in full. That fullness is ours, for our sins were buried with Him when He was buried. Then united with Him in our Baptism, we live free, resurrected lives as we live to serve Him and others out of love. Dear Father in heaven, thank You for the fullness that I possess as a result of my Baptism. As I study Your Word, open my eyes daily to the incredible joy, peace, and power available because You are in me every day.

Blog Donate Shop. The heavens declare His glory. Christ for all, in all, and through all. Posted on November 18, 9: Christ for all, in all, and through all View printable PDF version. Posted on November 16, Posted on November 15, He used the introductory verse of the Ten Commandments as evidence!

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You shall have no other gods before me. God brought His people out of slavery and then gave them the Law. That turns all religion and human nature on its head. Serve because we are redeemed, not serve and hope for redemption in the end. I'm thankful that Ravi has written several other books for me to add to my reading list. Thank God for this faithful man who uses his gift to serve others. This was another audiobook loaned to me by my friend Jack. I was listening to it while doing other things, so I didn't give it the hearing it deserves. But it gives me an excuse and a motivation to read it sometime in the future.

On the other hand, listening it allowed me to enjoy Ravi Zacharias' unique speaking voice and style, which I've always enjoyed. A point that struck me on first "hearing" of this book -- and perhaps this seems obvious -- was Zacharias saying you need to establish what th This was another audiobook loaned to me by my friend Jack. A point that struck me on first "hearing" of this book -- and perhaps this seems obvious -- was Zacharias saying you need to establish what the purpose is for your life, and everything you do needs to be judged against that purpose.

He put it much better than that, and I'm retelling it in an overly simplistic way, but that's the essence of it. That simple point is causing me to do a lot of reflecting about what my purpose might be and how my life might be different if I judged everything according to that purpose. Feb 16, Ken rated it really liked it Shelves: I enjoy hearing Ravi speak more than reading his books, which is ironic, because he says he would much rather write than be in front of a crowd, speaking.

Still, this book addresses long-standing questions that most people confront. The premise of the book is that God is the Grand Weaver who gathers all the threads of our lives and makes a beautiful tapestry that makes sense. He talks about finding our calling as being like "hand in glove", which is something that has eluded me all my life.

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If o I enjoy hearing Ravi speak more than reading his books, which is ironic, because he says he would much rather write than be in front of a crowd, speaking. If only it were as smooth as Ravi suggests. I read and discussed this book with two friends, and it stirred plenty of helpful and challenging discussion of the applications of our faith. Sep 05, Donald Scott rated it really liked it. I appreciate Ravi's thoughtfulness and the precision of his exposition. He presents a solid case supported by scripture for what it means to live as a full spectrum Christian. There is warp and woof to all of human existence.

While the non-believer may be excused for thinking the pattern of life is simply chance or self determination, those who follow Christ must recognize and embrace our Creator's and Redeemer's absolute mastery and control over each and every element of His design in our lives I appreciate Ravi's thoughtfulness and the precision of his exposition. While the non-believer may be excused for thinking the pattern of life is simply chance or self determination, those who follow Christ must recognize and embrace our Creator's and Redeemer's absolute mastery and control over each and every element of His design in our lives.

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Apr 01, Susie rated it really liked it. I'm reminded of the fact that God is too kind to waste a hurt in our lives. Everything whether it happens because of discipline or Satan's attacks will be used by God to weave the tapestry of our lives. Ravi did a great job discussing the aspects of our lives DNA, disappointments, calling, morality, spirituality, will, worship, and destiny and how God is interested in each part.

I've read other reviews that didn't like the flow of this book, but I found it made sense. Jul 26, Jonathan rated it it was ok. While the right information and intent are present, organization of thought and clarity of proof are not. This is a good example of a book that could have been great but simply was not. Ultimately, it is not for failure of truth or attempt that the book becomes disorganized but rather as a result of poor analogy and not-so-tight writing.

Mar 02, Jesseca Wheaton rated it it was amazing. This book was really good. I think it's one of the very few non-fiction books that I actually looked forward to reading every morning. Ravi Zacharias writes and explains things in a way that makes it easy to understand without toning down the message. Definitely looking forward to reading some of his other books. Mar 22, Kristine rated it it was ok. I found myself wondering all through the reading of this book if the author was ever going to get to the main point.

There were a couple interesting stories that stood out, but I really didn't remember anything the author was trying to say about God as being the "Grand Weaver". Oct 17, Ryan Jankowski rated it liked it Shelves: I've always enjoyed Ravi. He seems to have an endless list of fascinating stories from his life's experience. This book is similarly filled with anecdotes, but it's hard to understand where he intended to go with it.

The book seems to lack and sort of structure or purpose. Dec 28, Keith Brooks rated it really liked it. Excellent book , especially when viewed from the perspective of vocation. I think this is better than Os Guiness' The Call. Ravi is at his finest here. Jan 15, Asif rated it it was amazing. God is the Grand Weaver who is weaving the threads of our lives into a beautiful tapestry even though we may not understand His choice of thread at the moment. Aug 24, Tim Baumgartner rated it really liked it Shelves: Notes from this book: I like how he starts out discussing the 'hiddenness of God' God has infinite power.

Why has He made it so difficult to see His presence and plan? Every time there is an emergency? Would we like to hear a voice every now and then, saying, 'Trust me? It turns out that when you are all-powerful, someone will always demand that you demonstrate the fact" What if a criminal had a ring like that? The body is both individual and identifiable. But it is more than that. On the left appeared a magnificent photo of the stained-glass rose window from Yorkminster Cathedral in Yorkshire, England The problem of pain has remained the single greatest question, not only for the skeptic who uses it as an excuse to doubt God's existence, but also for the believer who questions God's purpose.

The Grand Weaver: How God Shapes Us Through the Events of Our Lives

Ravi shared how he grew up In India and saw magazines from the West and wondered how beautiful life would be here. As he got older, God placed a lot of these people in his path, who lived out the American Dream and obtained numerous material successes. When he got one-on-one with them, the masks came off and they shared how they breathe the same sorrows and have the same longings. I believe we need to take three distinct steps in this journey before the pattern becomes visible and we begin to see the work of God. The first involves the heart an instant transference from thought to body There is no other way.

How could he earn such a description if he had not yet been subjected to the tests necessary for perfection? Perfection, then, is not a change in the essential character, but a completion of a course. This is precisely what Jesus must have meant [in Matthew 5: We can never be who God is, but we can complete the task he assigns us to do. You cannot always live on the mountaintop, but when you walk through the valley, the memory of the view from the mountain will sustain you and give you strength to carry you through.

Noah story, God provides SO many details but leaves out 2 things: Chesterton, 'If you were stranded on an island and could have just one book, what would it be? They tried to act as friends, but killed them in the middle of the night. See the song "The Massacre of Glencoe.

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The Lord is my Shepherd--that's relationship! A calling is simply God's shaping of your burden and beckoning you to your service to him in the place and pursuit of his choosing. One was large and rather fierce looking. The other was small, with a cheery face. Every day the father would carry out his worship rituals--placing fruit offerings before the idols and chanting hymns while the son watched with great curiosity.

Finally the son asked, 'Why are you talking to stones? One day the father went to work and the son smashed the small idol to pieces. Then he took the stick and placed it in the hands of the big idol. When the father came home he was stunned and yelled, 'Who did this? This infuriated the father, who said, 'he couldn't have done it! Because he is made of stone. There's no life in him! This is precisely the nature of spirituality today" The original revelation to Muhammad called for prayer fifty times a day, but he interceded and got it reduced to five.

How can we counter the charge, and how do we rescue ourselves from pursuing spirituality for spirituality's sake? Each has its own particular attraction and error. By far, the most important thread is truth--and yet the death of truth has been the single greatest casuality of our time. In no segment of our society can we survive without truth. In each of these ways of looking at reality, unfortunately, one thread dominated and obliterated the others. In rationalism it was reason above all else. In empiricism it was scientific single-vision. In existentialism it was the triumph of the will in the face of despair.

In postmodernism it was the absence of absolute truth as something that is possible to know. God remarkably gives each one its rightful place. Simpson was acquitted when asked, 'What do you think is the truth about that night, Bob? Shapiro would have felt the same emotional distance from the truth had his daughter been the murder victim. But it seems they have failed to remember Jesus' preceding words: Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free' verses Our society has struggled Jesus challenges this assumption.

It explains how people's willpower can be so completely strong and devoted. Certain keys to the will can unlock the huge potential God has placed within human power. Rightly understood, it yields humility; wrongly understood, it yields arrogance. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. Sever any ties but the tie that binds me to your service and to your heart. In this context, we learn that God really does reveal his will; and if we walk in the known will of the Father, he reveals aspects of his will not so easily known.

The hard part is to do that part of his will we already know. But they were told generations ago to avoid wine and buildings. God does this to show that if they do this for earthly fathers, why can't his people do that for Him? I must be this child in my own understanding. I am not my own. I belong to him. Resting in that knowledge, I know what it is to be his.

I should pursue doing God's will, then, and by his grace he will enable my will. It is something rooted so deeply in the conscience that to change a conviction would be to change the very essence of who you are. What if he reacted the same way when he saw Bathsheba. Chesterton once said that there are many angles at which you can fall and only one angle at which you can stand straight.

One by one, people sold off their property except for an old, stubborn man in the middle. He offered to double it, then again, but to no avail. Then one said, 'I hope he isn't telling you he owns the entire village because he doesn't. That belongs to me. This thread of worship binds together all the rest of the threads in the design of our lives. We cannot see the pattern if this thread goes missing. If this thread breaks, the whole design falls apart.

If this thread is absent, nothing holds the design together when it comes under stress or gets strained by tension. The term mysticism has been redefined lately because [Deepak Chopra] has been so influential. He says things like 'Your hands must be full and your head empty. Sociologist Daniel Yankelovich wrote an article on America's search for answers. He defined culture as "the effort to provide a coherent set of answers to the existential situations that confront all human beings in the passage of their lives.

Inside jokes come from this. We are also supposed to be a healing community. Think of Ravi's story of the nurse who hurt his back even more after his surgery. But he did similar things with words in the past. Thomas Merton said, "We cannot be at peace with others because we are not at peace with ourselves, and we cannot be at peace with ourselves because we are not at peace with God.

W can never find unity until we find the reason for the brokenness. Taking part in the Lord's Supper can renew fellowship with God, which then renews human relationships. Marriage is an expression of worship because the two become one. Merton also said, "I left the altar rail and went back to the pew where the others were kneeling like four shadows, four unrealities, and I hid my face in my hands.

In the temple of God that I had just become, the once eternal and pure sacrifice was offered up to the God dwelling in me. The sacrifice of God to God. Now, Christ born in me, a new Bethlehem, and sacrificed in me his new Calvary, and risen in me: Then he went to the th anniversary of the Welsh revival and people hadn't been to church in 25 years. The song of Evan Roberts whose preaching triggered the revival , "Here is Love as Vast as the Ocean," had replaced teaching and now most people had not been to church in twenty-five years. If you don't believe the arts of worship have replaced teaching, ask a teen to show you, using the Bible, the plan of salvation, and then ask them to cite the top songs.

They will likely feel more comfortable with the latter. Sometimes people come to others to pray, why not tech them to pray as well? To consume the best for yourself and give the crumbs to God is blasphemy. Hedonist Oscar Wilde wrote 'De Profundis,' in the darkness of his fears said something fascinating: Out from the mist, from the mist, I cry, Let not my soul in numbness die!

My life is furled in every limb, And my existence groweth dim. My senses all like weapons rust, And lie disused in endless dust. I may not love, I may not hate, Slowly I feel my life abate. Oh, would there were a heaven to hear!

Oh, would there were a hell to fear! Ah, welcome fire, eternal fire, To burn forever and not tire! Better Ixion's whirling wheel, And still at any cost to feel! Dear Son of God, in mercy give My soul to flame, but let me live! Wilde begged God not to take away his capacity to feel, even if it was just to burn To not feel is to be dead in the truest sense of the term. To feel is to be alive. Lewis masterfully expressed the longings of the human heart in his essay The Weight of Glory: In speaking of this desire for our own far-off country, which we find ourselves in even now, I feel a certain shyness.

I am almost committing an indecency. I am trying to rip open the inconsolable secret in each one of you--the secret which hurts so much that you take your revenge on it by calling it names like Nostalgia and Romanticism and Adolescence; the secret also which pierces with such sweetness that when, in very intimate conversation, the mention of it becomes imminent, we grow awkward and affect to laugh at ourselves; the secret we cannot hide and cannot tell, though we desire to do both.

We cannot tell it because it is a desire for something that has never actually appeared in our experience. We cannot hide it because our experience is constantly suggesting it, and we betray ourselves like lovers at the mention of a name. His legacy is 20 year after his death, 18 churches formed, amongst other things. O Thou who camest from above, the pure celestial fire to impart; kindle a flame of sacred love upon the mean altar of my heart. There let it for thy glory burn, with inextinguishable blaze, and trembling to its source return, in humble prayer and fervent praise.

Jesus, confirm my heart's desire to work and speak and think for thee; still let me guard the holy fire, and still stir up thy gift in me. Ready for all thy perfect will, my acts of faith and love repeat, till death thy endless mercies seal, and make my sacrifice complete. No exactamente lo que. Es mi primer libro que leo sobre este autor. Creo que en ocasiones se alejaba del del tema.