Walking in the Midst

Posted on October 3, 2012 by Kate

~Psalm 46:1-3 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

There isn’t anything more comforting to me than to look at the beauty of God’s creation. Mountains are especially one of my favorite things to behold! What majestic beauty which shows just how marvelous are His works! The same God who created this work of art is also the same God who helps us in times of trouble. He doesn’t take a breather or time out to rest. He’s always there – always present in our time of trouble! Praise the Lord for His mercy and staying power! Notice the end of verse 3? It ends with “Selah.” That means “rest or pause” to think about what was just said. Wow! Meditating on these three verses can bring the weariest soul up from the quagmire of life!

~Psalm 138:7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.

Sometimes our troubles seem so insurmountable that we feel there is no escape. However, the Lord promises to revive us and give us strength to make it through.

~Psalm 37:24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.

Do you need to be lifted up this morning, dear Christian? Our Shepherd waits to hold you up with His hand! Dive into the Scriptures and find rest in Psalms. I’m so thankful that God saw fit to put this book in the Bible! He knew how frail and weak we are. He knew that we would need this mountain top experience on a daily basis sometimes. If you’re suffering today, encourage your heart because your Heavenly Father stands ready to give you strength and hold you up! He won’t give you more than you can handle – Psalm 37:24a promises that!

God’s Strength and Power

Posted on September 12, 2012 by Kate

~Jeremiah 32:27 Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?

I want to instill in you that when you read God’s Word, you are constantly reminded that He is your Creator, your Comforter, your Teacher, etc. Nothing is too hard for Him. Neither is your discouragement or any of your problems too hard for Him. My friend, you remain discouraged because you wish to.

Take your eyes off you and your circumstances and place them on the Lord. He has been where you are. Don’t you think Jesus was discouraged when He was in the desert for 40 days and nights? He hadn’t eaten – He was being tempted of Satan – He was so physically tried that the angels attended to Him afterwards. Jesus understands, Christian! He understands every detail of your situation and wants to help you. Don’t you want to help your children when they are in trouble? Surely you would not sit idly by and watch your child suffer, would you? Of course not! All the more for your Heavenly Father!

~Hebrews 2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

I love how God used the word “succour” here! What an absolutely perfect word! Noah Webster defines succour as:

Literally, to run to, or run to support; hence, to help or relieve when in difficulty, want or distress; to assist and deliver from suffering; as, to succor a besieged city; to succor prisoners.

Isn’t that encouraging to you? The Lord desires to run to our side, to support us, and relieve our distress! He wants to deliver us from our suffering! That doesn’t mean He will remove our physical issues but He promises to deliver us, to help us through the hard times! I don’t know about you, but this characteristic of God reveals a compassionate and loving Father! Allow Him to succour you, my friend! Submit to Him and allow Him to heal you from within!

Look Up, Christian!

Posted on September 11, 2012 by Kate

~Psalm 121:1-5: [A Song of degrees.] I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. (1) My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. (2) He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. (3) Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. (4) The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. (5)

Do you have days where the hurdles just put such heavy burdens upon your shoulders? What do you as a result? Do you run to the Rock that is higher than you? (Psalm 61:2) Or do you plop yourself on the couch and have yourself a pity party?

You must realize that discouragement is the devil’s tool, not God’s. Christ promised us that His burden was light in Matthew 11:30. The Psalmist must have been experiencing such burdens of weight. So much so, he lifted his eyes toward the hills because he knew that his help was coming from there. Don’t you get that feeling each time you see such beautiful scenery as today’s picture? I’ve always loved photography! The beauty captured is a wonderful depiction of the Creator’s handiwork!

The help you’re looking for, dear friend, cannot be in the form of friends and family. Verse 2 clearly says that the Psalmist’s help came from the Lord! God knows your burdens and will come to the rescue! If you are in the Word, you will believe this and your faith will cling to that very hope. However, if you’re not in the Word, it is easy to take your eyes of those “hills from whence cometh your help”!

Take comfort, dear Christian! This same God who will give you exactly what you need, is the Creator of heaven and earth! Is anything too hard for God? (Genesis 18:14) When your burdens overwhelm you, go to the One who is able to alleviate those burdens. (Matthew 11:28) Our God is our keeper, the Psalmist says. He is our Watch Tower! Be encouraged!

Discouragement – A Tool of the Devil
By: Author Unknown

Once upon a time it was announced that the devil was going out of business and would sell all his equipment to those who were willing to pay the price.

On the big day of the sale, all his tools were attractively displayed. There were Envy, Jealousy, Hatred, Malice, Deceit, Sensuality, Pride, Idolatry, and other implements of evil display. Each of the tools was marked with its own price tag.

Over in the corner by itself was a harmless looking, wedge-shaped tool very much worn, but still it bore a higher price than any of the others. Someone asked the devil what it was, and he answered,

“That is Discouragement.”

The next question came quickly.

“And why is it priced so high even though it is plain to see that it is worn more than these others?”

“Because, replied the devil, It is more useful to me than all these others. I can pry open and get into a man’s heart with that when I cannot get near him with any other tool. Once I get inside, I can use him in whatever way suits me best. It is worn well because I use it on everybody I can, and few people even know it belongs to me.”

This tool was priced so high that no one could buy it, and to this day it has never been sold. It still belongs to the devil, and he still uses it on mankind

Was Blind But Now I See

Posted on September 10, 2012 by Kate

~Psalm 19:8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

What are cataracts? According to Webster, cataracts are:

A clouding of the lens of the eye or of its surrounding transparent membrane that obstructs the passage of light.

If I was too look at today’s picture above on a bright sunny day, it would be easy to see through the trees for hundreds of feet. However, on a foggy day, my vision is clouded. It’s much like having cataracts. Both my parents had cataracts and had to have surgery. Once the patches were removed, they saw so clearly

Do you have spiritual cataracts? When you are discouraged, your spiritual eyes become clouded. Why do I say that? If you suffer from discouragement, look at your Bible reading life. ARE you reading?? Chances are you are not because you do not feel motivated to read. Cataracts are progressive. One does not develop them overnight. In fact, many times one does not know that they even have them until their vision is really clouded. It’s the same with your spiritual eyes, dear friend. You allow discouragement to come in bit by bit and then deep discouragement has arrived! What’s the remedy?

~Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Confess your sin before God and tell Him you’ve failed and have allowed your spiritual eyes to become clouded. Ask Him to create in you a clean heart and to renew your spirit! What is the result of such a prayer?

~Psalm 51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

God will restore your spiritual sight as well as your joy. Don’t you love that? Noah Webster defines the word “uphold” as: To support; to sustain; to keep from falling or slipping. The Lord will keep you from falling and slipping with His free spirit! How? If you stay in the Word and allow the Word to cleanse you from the inside out, the Lord will clean your heart, renew your spirit and restore your joy, and will keep you from falling!

Oh Christian, isn’t that a beautiful picture of the love of our Heavenly Father? Won’t you put aside your blinded vision? You can – with the Lord’s help.

God’s Power

Posted on August 31, 2012 by Kate

~Jeremiah 32:27 Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?

I want to instill in you that when you read God’s Word, you are constantly reminded that He is your Creator, your Comforter, your Teacher, etc. Nothing is too hard for Him. Neither is your discouragement or any of your problems too hard for Him. Therefore, if you remain in you stay discouraged, it is not because the trial is too great for the Lord. My friend, you remain discouraged because you wish to.

~Hebrews 2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

I love how God used the word “succour” here! What an absolutely perfect word! Noah Webster defines succour as:

Literally, to run to, or run to support; hence, to help or relieve when in difficulty, want or distress; to assist and deliver from suffering; as, to succor a besieged city; to succor prisoners.

Praying for Relief!

Posted on August 29, 2012 by Kate

~James 5:13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.

Affliction … this word packs a punch. It doesn’t reflect a minor issue in life. Rather, it reflects an ongoing, difficult battle. A friend encouraged me to cover the first part of this verse and elaborate on it a bit. As we review the first part of the verse, let’s rest on the word afflicted for a bit. Noah Webster defines the word as:

AFFLICT’ED, pp. Affected with continued or often repeated pain, either of body or mind; suffering grief or distress, of any kind; followed by at, by or with; as, afflicted at the loss of a child, by the rheumatism, or with losses.

We can see that the state of discouragement is covered in this definition. So what does one do when one is discouraged? David’s solution to this was prayer. The Bible says it is to your benefit!

~James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Confess your discouragement to God and to dear saints who will pray on your behalf. [On a side note, this does not mean to confess our "sins" to someone else. Only Christ has the power to forgive sins (Luke 5:24).]

Once you’ve done this, do a moral inventory – confess sins to the Lord so your prayer life is not hindered. When you send a letter to IRS, you send it certified mail and return receipt requested to ensure that it gets there. Your prayer life will be hindered if you have unconfessed sin.

~Psalm 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

Your prayers will go unanswered if you have unconfessed sin. Someone once said “Keep your accounts short with God.” That is good advice. Now you can lift up your needs before the Lord and be healed from your discouragement. The latter part of James 5:16 states that a righteous man (covered by the Blood of Jesus) who prays specifically for his needs before God with fervancy (such great desire) will profit much! God desires to answer our prayers, my friend.

Once our heart is clean before the Lord, we can go before Him with boldness knowing that all hindrances have been removed and His ear is at our mouth.

~Ephesians 3:12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

Discouragement is the result of a lack of trust in God. The Father will hear our prayer because our righteousness lies in Christ; and now we can go before the Father with boldness knowing that He will provide encouragement to our heart. He does not see our sin but the righteousness of His Son covering us. This is why we can boldly before Him.

Sometimes it is easier to encourage others than ourselves. Oh how true this statement is! But encouraging ourselves is do-able! David encouraged himself in the Lord (I Samuel 30:6). That’s is why James provided the latter part of today’s verse. Reading Psalms is a wonderful way to encourage your spirit. Also, surround yourself with saints who will encourage your heart and pray for you!

Discouragement

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Kate

Romans 5:3-4 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; (3) And patience, experience; and experience, hope: (4)

Have you ever noticed that discouragement is not brought on by happy times? Nor does discouragement appear in our lives while we are having a sweet walk with the Lord. Discouragement always comes when we are in the midst of some kind of trial. These trials come in various forms: long-term physical problems, relationship problems, work-related problems, family problems, money problems, etc. There is not a human being that has ever lived who has not been through trials or tribulation.

How, then, can we overcome these trials? Not everything in life has quick solutions. Nor are there answers to every question. However, the Bible says in Romans 5:3-4 that we should glory in our tribulations. I remember reading this and thinking to myself, “Is Paul nuts here?” There is no way that I can glory in this trial! I do not believe that Paul is asking us to do that. We must read the entire verse to fully understand what Paul’s intentions were. I believe Paul was telling us that we can glory in our trials because trials work patience in our lives. Why patience?

Let’s take the trial of being over weight and dieting. Dieting is not an overnight success. It’s an arduous and difficult thing to do. The weight loss is gradual and at times painful – especially when exercise must be done Because of the amount of time it takes to lose weight, we can safely say that we have learned to be patient with the fact that we will not lose 20 lbs overnight. Many trials help us in the patience department.

I think of being persecuted by unbelievers at work as being a trial. Our patience with our co-workers will be a testimony to them when they think about how we did not fight back when we were criticized or when they poked fun at our christianity. There’s also the trial of being married to an unbeliever. The saved spouse surely learns patience as he/she tries to live harmoniously with that unbelieving spouse. That patience, again, is a testimony to the unbeliever.

Another difficult trial for the believer is the one of waiting on the Lord to answer our prayers. God does not always answer yes or no, or even answer quickly. If your trial today fits under this category, remember to trust the Lord. The first blog on “discouragement” touched on this. If we get discouraged because God has not answered our prayer yet or He did not answer it in the way we wanted, we are saying that we do not trust Him. Any of you who have children would be heart broken to see your child in a state of discouragement only to find out it is because he has sat up worrying or wondering if you were going to take care of him! Wouldn’t your response to your child be “You can trust me, honey.” My friend, your parenting skills cannot surpass the Lord’s parenting skills. How much more will He care for you?

Then Paul says that patience brings about experience. Experience, in my opinion, is the best teacher. Throughout my 26 years of salvation, I have seen God’s hand in each trial. You’ve heard the saying, “Hind sight is 20/20.” This should be true in the life of the believer. We should look back after each trial and recognize God’s hand in that trial. We should give Him the glory and honor for bringing us through it. When we recognize His work in our lives at the time of each trial, we form a pattern of history, if you will. Then when the next trial comes, we know through experience that God will take care of this one as well. How can we be discouraged if we know through experience that God will take care of us during this trial?

Paul ends the verses saying that experience will bring hope! Oh what a wonderful word! Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Heb 11:1

We hope in the fact that God will take care of our trial. We can’t envision how He will do it, but He will do it. If we have no hope, the Word says it is because we are not in our Bibles. So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Rom 10:17 )

You shouldn’t have to wait on your Pastor to preach to you. The Holy Spirit should be preaching to you daily through your Bible reading. The only way to build your faith according to Romans 10:17 is by the Word of God. Do you have little faith? Then get in the Word, my friend. Faith is like a muscle, it must be exercised through the reading of the Word. Little faith equals little reading of the Word. Strong faith equals much reading in the Word. You will get what you put into it and more according to the Word. It is similar to the sowing & reaping teaching. You plant one kernel of corn and you reap a stalk with 3-4 ears of corn with about 800 kernels per ear. You sure do get a lot more reaping than what you have sown! God cannot be out done. If you trust Him, He will bless you. He will not leave you nor forsake you! Heb. 13:5

There are many Christians who are able to overcome trials and they do so because they are in the Word faithfully. They do not neglect the Word when times get rough. Going to God only when you’re in “need” is not the way to build your faith. It’s like only getting fuel for your car once you’re stalled out on the road. By that time, it’s too late. The problem is at hand. You get fuel before the fuel light comes on and avoid running out of gas on the side of the road. It’s the same with discouragement. Don’t turn to God only at the time of discouragement. You should be “fueling” yourself in the Word of God every day. This will prevent you from getting to that point where you feel like you can’t go on. Wouldn’t you hate it if your son or daughter only spoke to you or came to you when he/she was in trouble? On top of that, that same child would not trust you to be able to handle the problem? Again, the Lord is a much better parent than you could possibly ever be.

If you have a problem with discouragement, my friend, then the best scriptural advice I can give you is to get into the Word faithfully. You, too, will be able to say, “But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.” (Psa 73:28

Resting in Psalms – Day 15

Posted on February 24, 2012 by Kate

~Psalm 30:4 Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

How often do we give thanks for all that God has done throughout the ages, even in our own lives? When I look back at God’s hand in my life, I can’t help but rejoice! In the middle of my darkest hours, my heart has led me to His word and encouraged me. Discouragement happens – there’s no getting around it. However, what we DO with discouragement is the key, amen? This separates the nominal Christian with the disciple (the disciplined Christian). (2 Timothy 2:15)

Who knows me better than me? If I allow myself to wallow in self-pity or discouragement, I won’t have the desire to seek the holy things of God. I won’t have the desire to remember what He has done for me. However, if I train myself to recognize discouragement and immediately start praising God, I will see the rain cloud dissipate. A grateful heart and a thankful heart does not have room for discouragement.

What does God say about discouragement? If you search the word of God for the words “discourage, discouraged, discouragement,” you will see that they appear a total of seven times – six in the Old Testament and only once in the New Testament. Numbers 32 reveals exactly what God thinks of discouragement and of those who lead others into it. Some discouraged the children of Israel so much so that those above the age of 20 were not allowed into the Promised Land, except Joshua and Caleb (Numbers 32:9,11). Those are serious repercussions for what some think is a small thing. God obviously does not consider discouraging others a small matter.

Let’s look at the consequences of discouragement. Discouragement is an insult to God! It tells God that you are not satisfied with His provisions in your life and that you can do better. But let me ask you this: How is that discouragement working out for you? Aren’t you miserable? Furthermore, you are not acting alone. You’re dragging others down with you – especially your family members for they can see you as you really are. The unsaved who come into contact with you on a daily basis interpret your discouragement as your God’s lack of power. What a horrible testimony to the Living God!

Psalm 30:4 encourages us to sing and to give thanks! If you can’t even come up with one thing to be thankful for, I believe you have more serious issues than discouragement. This type of thinking is selfish and self-centered. Life is not about you, no matter what you think! Life is about Christ and what He has given to us and done for us! The first thing we have to be thankful for is salvation! Even if nothing else ever happened in the Christian’s life, thanking God for his salvation should be enough to keep him busy! Our time on this earth is so short compared to eternity! Our lack of thankfulness here will be reflected there! Don’t you see that?

Make full use of all that God has done for you in your “singing”! You have a roof over your head; you’re not going hungry; you have clothing; you have people who care for you. There is always something for which to be thankful! Always!!! Make a list if you have to – but do it. Watch that discouragement melt away as you sing praises to the King of kings and Lord of lords! God is faithful and loves you! Acknowledge Him and be thankful for all that He has done.

Great is Thy Faithfulness (Thomas O. Chisolm)

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with thee,
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not,
As thou has been, thou forever will be.

Refrain:
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above;
Join with all nature in manifold witness,
To thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.

(Refrain)

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own great presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside.

(Refrain)

The picture above was taken by a sweet Christian lady, Connie Wentworth and used here with her permission. Her pictures are mostly taken in the State of Maine and depict God’s glorious creation! Thank you, Connie, for allowing me this opportunity to use your work!

Bible Journal – Storms of Life

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Kate

~Matthew 14:23-32 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. (23) But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. (24) And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. (25) And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. (26) But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. (27) And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. ( 28 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. (29) But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. (30) And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? (31) And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. (32)

What a great account relating to the storms of life this is! Some are so great that we need to step back and think things out. It is then that we need to exercise our faith in the Lord as we try to figure things out.

Peter found himself in this situation. He started out well, but life’s circumstances got in the way and doubt crept in. Am I so different? Absolutely not! I have been guilty of this as well. As a result though, I have come to realize that God was right there with me and there was no need to fear. I cannot point a finger at Peter because I have so been there! Haven’t you? Peter saw the Lord and wanted to join Him on the water. I can just picture myself in this same scenario. Had I seen Jesus Christ walking toward me on the water during a horrible storm, I think I would have been excited to see Him there! I think I would have wanted to be right there by His side because I would have known that it was the safest place to be.

Peter was the only one willing to exercise his faith. The Scriptures do not show any of the others willing to walk on the water. With the storm still raging about him, Peter had enough faith to make that first step out onto the waters. Peter loved the Lord and must have known that Jesus was greater than the storm itself. He started out well. He had enough of that faith to get him started. I have heard it said that many Christians start out well but they do not end well. I surely do not want to be counted in that latter number. I want to finish well in my service for the Lord!

Peter’s faith was strong enough to make that first step onto the water. Just think about it… he was alone in this! Yes, Peter started out well. I have been in those shoes. In my early years as a new believer, I would start out in a trial and I would exercise my faith and believe that God would bring me through it.

But let’s see what happened next to Peter. The moment he saw the huge waves about him and the storm raging, he became afraid! It stands to reason that Peter could only see the waves because he took his eyes of Jesus. Had he kept his eyes focused on Jesus, the waves would not have been the center of his concentration and, therefore, seemed so terrifying. Instead Peter would have seen the joy in Jesus’ eyes because His child was trusting in Him. He would have been encouraged to continue on.

However, before we point a finger at Peter and boast of our own strength, could we actually have done any better? Have we done any better during our own trials? I know that I have failed miserably in this same area. I began my trial knowing the Lord would take care of me. However, the moment the fire was turned up a little, I took my eyes off the Lord and turned them upon my husband or a friend to help me through.

I love how this account ends. In desperation and fear, Peter cried out to Jesus and immediately Jesus rescued him (verse 31). Jesus didn’t wait for Peter to go down for the third time. Christ responded at Peter’s first cry. How many times have I waited to cry to the Father to help me? I can’t even count them all. Instead, I depended on others to comfort me during my trial when I could have gotten the perfect solace from my Heavenly Father! When we learn to turn to the Lord right away, we keep ourselves from getting discouraged because we have received His goodness and His grace.

God has given us these examples in Scriptures so that we may use them to teach us. As we read this beautiful depiction of man’s weakness and God’s grace, it should minister to us and teach us how to exercise our faith in God. When a trial comes our way, cry to God first. We need to allow the Lord to minister to us during our trials. God will respond but we must hear Him. Many times we allow ourselves to be distracted and we miss His still small voice; or we overlook a path that He has set before us and we choose the wrong one. However, if we listen intently – if we follow God’s direction, it builds our faith. God may use others, He may use His Word, He may use the Pastor as he preaches his message. But the bottom line is that God will respond when we cry out to Him.

How blessed we are to have such a compassionate God to serve! We are not alone in our trials. In the footprints of life, we will see God’s footprints ahead of us; or we will see His footprints beside us; and at times He will be carrying us. But we will never see our own footprints all alone. He will never give us a burden so heavy that we cannot carry it.

~Matthew 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

The picture above was taken by Carol Meyers and used here with her permission. She has traveled to some of the most beautiful places in the world and has captured so many pictures which depict peace and tranquility. Thank you, Carol, for allowing me this opportunity to use your work!

Bible Journal – Rescue Me!

Posted on January 18, 2012 by Kate

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions.

But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened. Everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger.

“God, how could you do this to me!” he cried.

Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him.

How did you know I was here?” asked the weary man of his rescuers.

“We saw your smoke signal,” they replied.

It is easy to get discouraged when things are going bad. But we shouldn’t lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering.

Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the ground, it just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace of God.

For all the negative things we have to say to ourselves, God has a positive answer for it.

You say: It’s impossible
God says: All thing are possible (Luke 18:27)

You say: I’m too tired
God says: I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28-30)

You say: Nobody really loves me
God says: I love you (John 3:16 & John 13:34)

You say: I can’t go on
God says: My grace is sufficient (II Cor.12:9 & Psalm 91:15)

You say: I can’t figure things out
God says: I will direct your steps (Proverbs 3:5-6)

You say: I can’t do it
God says: You can do all things (Phil 4:13)

You say: I’m not able
God says: I am able (II Cor.9:8

You say : It’s not worth it
God says: It will be worth it (Romans 8:28

You say: I can’t forgive myself
God says: I forgive you (I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)

You say: I can’t manage
God says: I will supply all your needs (Phil 4:19)

You say: I’m afraid
God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear (II Tim. 1:7)

You say: I’m always worried and frustrated
God says: Cast all your cares on ME (I Peter 5:7)

You say: I don’t have enough faith
God says: I’ve given everyone a measure of faith (Romans 12:3)

You say: I’m not smart enough
God says: I give you wisdom (I Cor 1:30)

You say: I feel all alone
God says: I will never leave you or forsake you (Heb.13:5)

~Author Unknown~

Maranatha!

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Ps. 119:105

Tag Archives: Discouragement