Living in the Last Hour

, ,

Oh, the love of God… A Story of Hope

Published by

Irm

on

Oh, the love of God… A Story of Hope

Sometimes we live our lives as if the universe revolves around only us.  Moreover, those most giving and helpful are quickly tossed aside and forgotten, until another need arises, beckoning their remembrance.  I am a selfish person.  I stay to myself, so my little world has not expanded much.  Looking back at just the last few years, I have been so insensitive. I have taken much from precious ones, and have reciprocated with devastation, disappointment, and pain.  Though they and God have granted forgiveness to me, I long for a different memory, one full of light and less regret.  I realize that life waits for no one.  I have learned and appreciate that the people in our lives are our very lives.  Moreover, how we regard them in thought and character and what we convey to others about them matters most to the Lord.  How gracious the Lord has been with me.  How gracious that with every new baby born, He assures us all that He has not given up on us.

I observe my children endeavoring to make it on their own with little assistance from me. The loss of a parent continues to influence their life choices and I have yet to help them navigate that dark tunnel to recovery.  I see them downtrodden, bewildered and questioning what action, or thought could have provoked God to unleash on them such incredible sorrow.  Too often, their hearts are too heavy for me to carry.  I struggled myself but with the Lord’s help, I have finally taken some real breaths of relief and freedom from sadness.  I still weep for my babies.  I know families and friends have really helped them through the years.  Each one is so different and special.  Moreover, every heart is at a different walk with God.  Time seems to be stealing away the promised joy they should be enjoying.  Intercession will see the dawning of a fresh day for all of them because the Lord is kind.

Without the precious Lord that has constantly been my source of hope, I would be so dark inside and lost and surrounded by the shadows that feed the fears.  He has been the light of my life, the protector of what is important, and the hope that a sunset is the start of the new day.  He has become the very song that draws my soul upwards.  He has attached wings to my spirit and has taught me how to fly to His Holy Mountain.  And in times of weakness when the beast, without explanation, sometimes my own doing, once again has left me in shreds, this most gentle God scoops up the remains and mends me back to strength.  He has created in me a clean heart and a right spirit.  This clean heart longs for His love and this right spirit longs for His presence.  Slowly my whole life has come to a place of wanting to be nothing but a pleasure to Him.  To know that I could be someone that He would want to draw close to.  Someone He would share what He has never shared with anyone before.  This is the Holy One of Eternity, the one that is ok with being my best friend; and though I have betrayed His trust in the past, He never mentions that and continues to invite me in; closer and next to Him.  His voice is always filled with encouragement and care.  He never talks down to me though we both know I am dust.  He makes me quiet inside as I come to understand that He is in total control of everything including me.  He has made my soul content knowing I belong to Him.

I’m learning what worship means as He lets me see how He loves all of us, even the wicked, which is all of us.  Now I am learning, as I am living this thing called life, that I want to love Him only.  It is all through my whole being now; a sense of wanting to belong to this kindhearted, precious and lovely One that loves me and all of us no matter what.  His unending compassion toward a hurting heart, He calls a sparrow, His ability to develop love out of the darkness of all our circumstances, and the forgiveness that has no sign of ending. He builds where only ruin has been. He forms a destiny out of hopelessness.  He sparks life into dead places.  He adds peace to everything He gives.  This is the Lord Jesus, the Christ of Life, the keeper of all that is good about Life.  Today I understand …that He completes me.  ~ Stay tuned.

Lamentations 3:22-23

Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.

Leave a comment

Hello,

I’m Irma

Welcome to my little corner of the blog world. Here, I share my thoughts on Christianity, the things of God, and the ways He has shaped and guided my path through life. My journey with the Lord has been long and transformative, marked by moments of peace and joy and periods of uncertainty. I write, first and foremost, for myself—to process what the Lord so graciously reveals to me in Scripture. Sharing some of these truths has become a mission of sorts, via blogging. His word urges us to bear witness and encourage one another.

As I reflect on my own transformation, I can say that the church itself has transformed over the years and not necessarily for the good. I speak about my own experiences with the church. One lesson the Lord impressed upon me this year is that “truth is not always truth.” What do I mean by that? There have been times when I’ve shared a biblical insight, only to realize that other faithful believers interpret the same passage differently. In that instance, I find that the Lord reveals according to our understanding. When I share the need for a Damascus experience understandings diverged sharply. Believers that have been raised in the church do not feel that such an extreme experience is necessary for spiritual maturity. Our faith is truly shaped by our backgrounds. Spiritual journeys are not for everyone. This taught me that early socialization deeply colors our grasp of faith; what’s true for me may not resonate in the same way for someone else.

Similarly, lately I considered how “ignorance of Scripture was its own blessing,” I remembered my early walk with Christ. I had a blind faith. I knew little of doctrine or debate. I trusted the pastor. In those days, my faith and trust in the church and church leaders was simple—I accepted what was taught from the pulpit without questioning. I did not have the knowledge needed to question any teaching. There was a peace in not knowing all the controversies or complexities. As I grew and studied the scriptures, and did some additional research, as the Lord gave understanding, I found myself questioning everything I had been taught. I did not question my faith, or the existence of God. That ignorance, while limiting, protected me from confusion and doubt, allowing me to rest in childlike faith.

The church itself has seen many changes over the decades. Self-proclaimed prophets have introduced new doctrines, some bordering on heresy, while believers wrestle with their flesh and what it means to follow Christ in a society with so many freedoms. I remember a time, more than thirty years ago, when I trusted every word spoken in church. Now, I understand how easy it is to accept teachings that stray from biblical truth. The Scriptures warned us this would happen in the last days.

2 Timothy 4:2-4 (NKJV) “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.”

Current events—like the 2024 Election—have exposed deep flaws in American Christianity. Yet, through it all, Scripture assures me that God is sovereign. No wall built by human hands can withstand His judgment; no scheme crafted in darkness escapes His light. These lessons have become more real to me as I look back over my journals, filled with stories of God’s faithfulness during trials, tribulations and abundant grace. By sharing I hope those the Lord leads here will desire to seek God wholeheartedly, to find comfort knowing that He is always at work in our lives—often in ways we never considered.

Check out my books on Amazon for the Kindle App or in print.

Check out my latest title: Where are my Sheep? Available in Print & Kindle

The Diary of A Christian Woman

A Father Takes All: Four Generations of Growing up in Single Mother Homes – Grace Abounds

I Will Not Be Afraid: Living in the last Hour – Reflections of a Christian Woman

The Journey Endured: The Path to Meet God

Praise the God of the heavens!