{"id":11258,"date":"2023-07-09T07:37:38","date_gmt":"2023-07-09T12:37:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/joanndownsalo.com\/?p=11258"},"modified":"2026-07-03T09:34:56","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T14:34:56","slug":"hope-for-your-helpless-heart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?p=11258","title":{"rendered":"Hope For Your Helpless Heart"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Someone may need reminding today \u2014 <em>that Jesus Christ overcame the grave<\/em>. Hearts may break, the seat at the table may stay vacant, weeping may endure for a night \u2014 <em>but joy comes for those in Christ.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Psalm 10:8 clobbered me yesterday: &#8220;His eyes are secretly fixed on the helpless.&#8221; It took a moment to catch my breath, but do you realize what this means? Everyone walking without Jesus. . .&nbsp; is targeted by Satan, and they don&#8217;t even know it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>There&#8217;s only One who ever fought the devil and won<\/em><\/strong><em>.<\/em>&nbsp;Trust me, I&#8217;ve tried. Haven&#8217;t we all? At one time or another we presumed ourselves able to navigate a safe existence apart from Jesus. But here are some cold, hard facts about human beings: we&#8217;re easily deceived, we think more highly of ourselves than we ought, the wisest of us is a fool before God. All our thoughts and intentions sound&nbsp; good to us, but when weighed by God, we&#8217;re really only out for ourselves. We suppress the truth, and lie to ourselves more than anyone else. <em>Without the Holy Spirit in us, revealing the truth about us. . .&nbsp; we&#8217;re sitting ducks.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>There has always been one way to safeguard your helpless heart. <\/strong><strong>&#8220;I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though they may die, they shall live.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Regardless of your circumstances, whatever your losses or gains \u2014 <strong><em>remain confident in Jesus<\/em><\/strong>. Call upon His one-of-a-kind name, meditate in the holy Scriptures despite your thoughts and feelings. Like the apostle Paul, we will discipline our bodies, bring it into submission, and though it&#8217;s not pleasant at present, but in fact painful \u2014 nevertheless, <em>peace is promised.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end.&#8221; (Hebrews 3:14)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Someone may need reminding today \u2014 that Jesus Christ overcame the grave. Hearts may break, the seat at the table may stay vacant, weeping may endure for a night \u2014 but joy comes for those in Christ. Psalm 10:8 clobbered me yesterday: &#8220;His eyes are secretly fixed on the helpless.&#8221; It took a moment to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":143625079,"featured_media":11288,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20816],"tags":[773157865,773157852,194461,773157876,12529],"class_list":["post-11258","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hope","tag-hope","tag-jesus","tag-redemption","tag-salvation","tag-sin"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pacmrQ-2VA","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":12187,"url":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?p=12187","url_meta":{"origin":11258,"position":0},"title":"A Word About Tradition","author":"Jo Alo","date":"December 8, 2023","format":"image","excerpt":"It seems the older I get the fewer traditions I keep. Life is becoming more about the moment, ya know what I mean? Less fuss. Your face is what I'm wanting most. It's more about the person right in front of me, than the ones I may not have the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;The Bible&quot;","block_context":{"text":"The Bible","link":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?cat=54418"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/benjamin-davies-Zm2n2O7Fph4-unsplash.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/benjamin-davies-Zm2n2O7Fph4-unsplash.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/benjamin-davies-Zm2n2O7Fph4-unsplash.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/benjamin-davies-Zm2n2O7Fph4-unsplash.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/benjamin-davies-Zm2n2O7Fph4-unsplash.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11309,"url":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?p=11309","url_meta":{"origin":11258,"position":1},"title":"&#8220;For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.&#8221; 1 Corinthians 4:20","author":"Jo Alo","date":"July 17, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The world is all talk. Jesus\u00a0is all power. The easiest thing in the world is to counter attack, consider ourselves experts, act like we have all the answers. Human behavior takes no extraordinary power. But when reviled, how will we ever keep loving? When persecuted, where can we find peace?\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Holy Spirit&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Holy Spirit","link":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?cat=33380"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/anuja-tilj-je1mquo0-ie-unsplash-4.jpeg?fit=913%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/anuja-tilj-je1mquo0-ie-unsplash-4.jpeg?fit=913%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/anuja-tilj-je1mquo0-ie-unsplash-4.jpeg?fit=913%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/anuja-tilj-je1mquo0-ie-unsplash-4.jpeg?fit=913%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11730,"url":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?p=11730","url_meta":{"origin":11258,"position":2},"title":"&#8220;The new self.&#8221; Colossians 3:10","author":"Jo Alo","date":"September 23, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"\"We were trying to find ourselves,\" said the aging dad to his adult son in an 80's sitcom on the television set. I remembered trying too. Was I my big sister's best friend? Someones' daughter? David's girlfriend? Am I mother? A wife? A poet? A writer? What am I? Who\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;identity&quot;","block_context":{"text":"identity","link":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?cat=10679"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/erik-karits-jmdbsglvt8e-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/erik-karits-jmdbsglvt8e-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/erik-karits-jmdbsglvt8e-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/erik-karits-jmdbsglvt8e-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/erik-karits-jmdbsglvt8e-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":17145,"url":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?p=17145","url_meta":{"origin":11258,"position":3},"title":"How Do You Know You&#8217;re Born Again?","author":"Jo Alo","date":"October 9, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Jesus is clear. You must be born again or hell will become your permanent home. It sounds harsh, but it's absolute compassion. These are actually the most gracious words your ears will ever hear. People ask, \"How do I know if I'm really a Christian?\" I would suggest these five\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;born again&quot;","block_context":{"text":"born again","link":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?cat=115369"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/aaron-burden-atduyurmjiu-unsplash-e1759892167269.jpeg?fit=794%2C1058&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/aaron-burden-atduyurmjiu-unsplash-e1759892167269.jpeg?fit=794%2C1058&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/aaron-burden-atduyurmjiu-unsplash-e1759892167269.jpeg?fit=794%2C1058&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/aaron-burden-atduyurmjiu-unsplash-e1759892167269.jpeg?fit=794%2C1058&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10802,"url":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?p=10802","url_meta":{"origin":11258,"position":4},"title":"WHEN IT FEELS LIKE DEATH IS THE ONLY THING ANY OF US ARE LIVING FOR","author":"Jo Alo","date":"June 1, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Walking the path outside back door through newly sprouting fields, I came upon a fallen bird lying on a patch of gravelly ground. It\u2019s featherless form barely survived more than a couple hours. Looking to bury it, I hadn\u2019t any tool for digging, and the soil stiff as cement. I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;The Bible&quot;","block_context":{"text":"The Bible","link":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?cat=54418"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/cemetary.jpeg?fit=612%2C406&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/cemetary.jpeg?fit=612%2C406&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/cemetary.jpeg?fit=612%2C406&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13751,"url":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?p=13751","url_meta":{"origin":11258,"position":5},"title":"Even When We Can&#8217;t See One Reason for Hope","author":"Jo Alo","date":"August 17, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"I've been stuck in my lack of performance. When this happens, the devil comes at me like a mortician\u2014able to drain the blood right out of me.Depression can feel like that.God made promises. And He's never broken one of them. Me, on the other hand, can't seem to keep a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;hope&quot;","block_context":{"text":"hope","link":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/?cat=20816"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/patrick-hendry-jd0hs7vhn_a-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/patrick-hendry-jd0hs7vhn_a-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/patrick-hendry-jd0hs7vhn_a-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/patrick-hendry-jd0hs7vhn_a-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/patrick-hendry-jd0hs7vhn_a-unsplash.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/joalo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/ayom-rohmansyah-0ieffv5ju-i-unsplash-2.jpeg?fit=3000%2C2957&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11258","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/143625079"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11258"}],"version-history":[{"count":28,"href":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11258\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19426,"href":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11258\/revisions\/19426"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/11288"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11258"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11258"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joalo.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11258"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}