We’re Prisoners of Hope, Not the Joy-Police

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Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH We're Prisoners of Hope, Not the Joy-Police SCOTTY SMITH "I pray you come to enjoy and rest in the hope to which God has called you" (Eph.1:13). For God gave us "new birth into a living hope" (1Pet.1:3). And our "hope will not disappoint or shame us, because God poured his love into our hearts" (Rom.5:5) In face, Abba has made us "prisoners of hope" (Zech.9:12)—that's how certain our hope is. Therefore, "be joyful in hope, patient in trouble, constant in prayer" (Rom.12:12)."May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope" (Rom.15:13).   Lord Jesus, it's one thing for us to have hope, but quite another for hope to have us—to live as those who have been captured, "imprisoned," made to abound in hope. May it be, Lord, let it be indeed. What would that look like? Thankfully, it wouldn't mean we'd be on an emotional high all the time, for that would be exhausting for us and scary for others. Neither would it mean we'd pressure friends to "see the silver-lining in every cloud" or "make lemonade out of all lemons." Indeed, the hope you give us doesn't turn us into joy-police—giving out warning citations, then tickets to the downhearted and melancholy. Good heavens no. Literally, as heaven is good, hope won't make us dispensers of hype, but conduits of your kindness and compassion. The more hope we have, the more patient we can be in our troubles (Rom.12:12) and the more present and caring we will be with our friends' heartaches, suffering, and struggles. After all, "bruised reeds and flickering wicks" loved it when you came close (Matt.12:20: Isa.42:3). May the same be true of us, Jesus. So Very Amen.     Wish you had a roundup of our best content? Subscribe to our weekly Update. SIGN ME UP! The Gospel Coalition  PO Box #1637    Columbia  MO  65205    You received this email because you are subscribed to Scotty Smith's Blog: Heavenward from The Gospel Coalition. Update your email preferences to choose the types of emails you receive. Unsubscribe from all future emails.

Delight and Despair Are Not Mutually Exclusive

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Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH Delight and Despair Are Not Mutually Exclusive SCOTTY SMITH If and when there are no "fig buds, grapes, olives, sheep, or cattle… even then I will rejoice in the Lord; I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength…" (Hab.3:17-19). Indeed, Abba's "joy is our strength" (Neh.8:10), "Jesus' righteousness" is our peace (Rom.3:22), and the "Spirit's sealing" is our guarantee of an eternity of beauty and perfection "beyond what any eye has seen, ear has heard, or mind has imagined" (Eph.1:13; 1Cor.2:9)   Heavenly Father, thank you for making this so clear in your Word: Between Jesus' resurrection and return, we will experience both "inexpressible, glorious joy" (1Pet.1:8), and circumstances that make us loudly cry, "How long, O Lord?" We shouldn't be shocked at how wonderful and how hard life can get—sometimes in the same week, or day. Delight and Despair are not mutually exclusive. You began a "good work" in us—and all creation, that you will complete (Phil.1:6). Until then, nothing will separate us from your love, catch you off guard, or alter your eternal plans for any-and–everything. So here's our Habakkuk-like prayer: When grace doesn't feel sufficient and life is harder than the Gospel is sweet—we will worship and trust you, Abba. Though people fail us, evil laughs at us, and your timetable makes zero sense to us—even then, we will love and look to you. When our own brokenness and weaknesses mock us—especially then, we will listen to your Spirit telling our spirits we are "belovedly" yours (Rom.8:16) In the seasons when "mystery" is riding shotgun in the passenger's seat, and our "peace" is buried somewhere in the trunk—we will collapse on Jesus, "inwardly groan, and eagerly wait" (Rom.8:23).   SO VERY AMEN         Wish you had a roundup of our best content? Subscribe to our weekly Update. SIGN ME UP! The Gospel Coalition  PO Box #1637    Columbia  MO  65205    You received this email because you are subscribed to Scotty Smith's Blog: Heavenward from The Gospel Coalition. Update your email preferences to choose the types of emails you receive. Unsubscribe from all future emails.

Abba Gives Us Care, and Catches the Cares We Cast

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Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH Abba Gives Us Care, and Catches the Cares We Cast SCOTTY SMITH "When my "heart-cares"—my anxieties and stressors are many, your deep empathy and comfort delight my innermost being." Ps. 94:19   Heavenly Father, we carry many types and sizes of "cares" in life—small, mid-size, and large ones. We have cares related to our vocations, the future, our favorite sports team, weather fronts—we can turn anything into a care. But the most critical cares we have are "heart-cares"—the situations and stories that impact our innermost being. As our Father of compassion and God of all comfort (2Cor.1:3), no one is more committed to giving us the care we need, and catching the cares we cast (1Pet.5:7). Thank you, Abba. Your empathy and comfort bring us delight like oxygen "delights" gasping lungs, water "consoles" dehydration, and sunlight "encourages" the darkness. In other words, Abba, you're not an add-on but our everything. On this January Thursday, we cast every heart-care we possibly can on you. For the ones we have a hard time letting go of, Abba, pry them from our frozen grip. For the ones just too heavy for us to lift to your throne of grace, send the right sisters and brothers poised with burden-bearing love. Just like "this is the day you have made," 2025 is the year you have made. It's yours to orchestrate, not ours to vex about. You aren't nervously pacing from afar, you are peacefully making all things align with your purpose and will (Eph.1:11).  You are so loving, faithful, sovereign, and kind, Abba. Hallelujah, thank you, and So Very Amen.   Wish you had a roundup of our best content? Subscribe to our weekly Update. SIGN ME UP! The Gospel Coalition  PO Box #1637    Columbia  MO  65205    You received this email because you are subscribed to Scotty Smith's Blog: Heavenward from The Gospel Coalition. Update your email preferences to choose the types of emails you receive. Unsubscribe from all future emails.

What We DO Know

Heavenward. Read the latest from Scotty Smith's blog.

Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH What We DO Know SCOTTY SMITH   Best news ever … God is at work in all things for the good of those who love him—and we love him because he first loved us, giving Jesus as a sacrifice for our sins. We became his loved ones because of a plan he made before the world began—a plan that includes making us completely like Jesus one Day. He has already called us and justified us, and our glorification is so certain it is spoken of in the past tense. Because Abba gave Jesus to us and for us, certainly trust him for everything else we really need. (Paraphrase of Rom.8:28-32)   Abba, Father, we have no clue how all things are going to work out, but we DO know you are working in all things for our good and your glory. Make this truth more powerful, peace-giving and precious to us than ever. We don't know to what degree broken relationships will be healed before we die. We don't know how much redemption you're going to bring before we enter heaven to our messiest stories, heaviest heartaches, and most painful scenarios. But we can be certain—because you don't lie, that nothing in our past, present, or future is excluded from the glorious affirmation of Romans 8:28. You are at work in "all things"—not in "some things," "most things," or in all things except the bad things we brought on ourselves. All means ALL—just like Jesus' promise to make ALL things new. Abba, we will continue to pray, work, and hope many things will work out well and wonderfully. But keep freeing us from making our peace and joy more contingent on outcomes than on you. Though a lot separates us from having control, nothing can separate us from your love. So Very Amen.       Wish you had a roundup of our best content? Subscribe to our weekly Update. SIGN ME UP! The Gospel Coalition  PO Box #1637    Columbia  MO  65205    You received this email because you are subscribed to Scotty Smith's Blog: Heavenward from The Gospel Coalition. Update your email preferences to choose the types of emails you receive. Unsubscribe from all future emails.

Eternal Encouragement Becoming Daily Encouragement

Heavenward. Read the latest from Scotty Smith's blog.

Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH Eternal Encouragement Becoming Daily Encouragement SCOTTY SMITH   "May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word" (2Thess.2:16–17).   Lord Jesus, by your reckoning, there are two things we can't get too much of all the way Home—encouragement and hope. And the best new is, you and Abba are tenaciously committed to giving us both of these graces all the way Home. Our first major "installment" of encouragement and hope came when you saved us, Jesus—when you raised us to newness of life in yourself. You gave us a new heart and your perfect righteousness, the assurance of our salvation and heavenly citizenship, a place in God's family and a place in your Story—and that's just 6 of uncountable grace riches. So how does our eternal encouragement become fresh and daily encouragement? How does the good and sure hope of heaven become functional and powerful hope for today? As so clearly revealed in these two verses—it's through intentional fellowship with you and Abba (1Jn.1:3). There is no substitute for time and heart investment in walking with you, Jesus—contemplating your truth, goodness, and beauty (2Cor.3:18)—surrendering our thought-life to you, and the heart-enflaming wonder of the Gospel (2Cor.10:5; Rom.12:1-2; Phil.4:8). Help us. Free us, Lord. For you intend to give us the same kind of glorious "heartburn" you gave those you walked with just after your resurrection. We usually read these words with envy, help us pray them with anticipation, Jesus: "Weren't our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?" (Lk.24:32). Through the Word, by your Spirit—grant us the same Jesus, that we might live and love to your glory. So Very Amen.       Wish you had a roundup of our best content? Subscribe to our weekly Update. SIGN ME UP! The Gospel Coalition  PO Box #1637    Columbia  MO  65205    You received this email because you are subscribed to Scotty Smith's Blog: Heavenward from The Gospel Coalition. Update your email preferences to choose the types of emails you receive. Unsubscribe from all future emails.

Whole-Heart, Ramped-Up, Undivided Love for Jesus

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Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH Whole-Heart, Ramped-Up, Undivided Love for Jesus SCOTTY SMITH    Paul to believers in Corinth: "I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God himself. I promised you as a pure bride to one husband—Christ. But I fear you are being led away from your whole-hearted, undivided devotion to Christ, just as the devil successfully deceived and seduced Eve."  (Paraphrase of 2Cor.11:1-3)   Lord Jesus, that you are jealous for our love is humbling and astonishing, and it is gloriously true. For you have made us your bride by the price of your life, and delight in us with a passion beyond the limits of our imagination (Isa.62:45). No surprise Satan perpetually seeks diminish, divert—even destroy our love for you. When our hearts drift and our love cools, every other aspect of our lives loses. We start thinking of ourselves too often—too highly or too lowly, but definitely too much of the time. We judge quickly, listening poorly, and forgive reluctantly. We spend less time in fellowship with you, and more money and anger on ourselves. Compliments taste like fudge and helpful feedback feels like an insult. We medicate our pain in unhealthy ways and busy ourselves with things that really don't matter. Non-eternal concerns preoccupy our hearts and ordinary irritants get supersized. And that's just for starters. Have mercy on us, Lord. Keep rescuing us from our self-staring monologues and the seductions of Satan. By the Word, Gospel, dear friends, and your Spirit, may 2025 become a year in which we're not just quoting a verse when we declare, "To me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." So Very Amen.     Wish you had a roundup of our best content? Subscribe to our weekly Update. SIGN ME UP! The Gospel Coalition  PO Box #1637    Columbia  MO  65205    You received this email because you are subscribed to Scotty Smith's Blog: Heavenward from The Gospel Coalition. Update your email preferences to choose the types of emails you receive. Unsubscribe from all future emails.