Overcoming Discouragement

In this world of unrest, eminent financial collapse, uncertainty and abuse, there is little to encourage us. Many hearts fail them for fear and they resort to suicide (Luke 21:26), which is nothing more than a permanent solution for a temporary problem.

Jesus gave us the best solution for the fear and anxiety if life. He advised us not to allow our heart to be troubled, but to put our hope and belief in Him (John 14:1).

He is not only preparing a permanent dwelling place for us (John 14:2), He also gives us His Peace (John 14:27). His peace transcends our circumstances and removes our stress over life.

God manifests His glory in our life in so many ways. They are often so subtle and unobtrusive that we take them for granted and never really recognize them.

Our answered prayers are contributed to coincidence or we do not even realize that He answered them. Little hugs, which God gives us throughout our day, go unnoticed.

The shape of a cloud, numbers on the clock, a bird's song, a cool breeze at just the right moment, a stranger's smile, a sale at the grocer, an encouraging note from a friend are all hugs from God.

God floods our life with light in the darkness all around us; yet, we continue to focus on the darkness and allow it to rob us of our joy in the Lord (John 1:5; 1 John 1:7).

Focusing on the truth of God's Word will keep us in peace as we live life one moment at a time. I ask myself, "How am I doing in this one moment of time?" "Truly blessed", is my usual assessment. No worries…just be happy in the Lord.

Prayer:

Father God, even in trials and tribulation, we can count even trials as joyous, because we are learning patience, which will eventually perfect us (James 1:2-3; John 17:22-23). If we keep our focus on our trying circumstances, fears and world issues, our hearts fail us (Proverbs 3:5-6). Yet, if we change our thoughts to focus on You, You keep us in perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3).

Help us to watch for Your little hugs throughout the day, so that we can be assured of Your love as they comfort us in whatever situation we are experiencing at the time. Remind us to spread Your love, encouragement and joy to everyone we meet during each of Your divine appointments.

Thought for the Day:

Jesus, the Light of the world, continually shines in our life.

- John 1:5-9

Facing Life's Challenges

Since life happens without any warning, I got into the habit, at a very young age, of breathing in shallow breaths. This is detrimental, because my body does not receive all of the oxygen it needs. My blood pressure went up, since I was hyperventilating all of the time. My mind kept my body in high alert. My soul does not react well to the uncertainty of life.

Inwardly, I felt fearful and insecure all the time. The environment in which I lived was unreliable and unpredictable. In my childhood, I grew up with emotional distance, unpredictable anger and physical aggression, which caused dread and instability. Throughout my life, I lived with repeated unsettling circumstances and unexpected changes.

For instance, I moved way too often in my early married life, and had to start over too many times. Eventually, my former husband decided he needed to move on without me, so I lived through divorce. I also experienced two car crashes in which I totaled both cars. The first accident left me with emotional turmoil and the second inflicted extensive physical trauma.

All of my life, I tried to control life to keep it manageable and safe. Of course, I failed miserably at this endeavor. We cannot harness life no matter how many safety valves we provide. I still do not like surprises and I have to remind myself to be more flexible, but I have learned some valuable life lessons.

Over my years as a Believer, I learned to keep my focus on God, to surrender everything to Him in prayer, to have faith in God’s faithfulness and to be more in tune to His Spirit (Isaiah 26:3; Philippians 4:6; 1 Corinthians 1:9; Romans 8:14). God taught me to cast my cares on Him, because He really does care about me.

Walking in the Spirit moment by moment keeps me prepared for the unexpected (1 Peter 5:7; Psalm 77:14; Romans 8:28; Galatians 5:15-21). God also taught me that He places a seed for a miracle within every trial. With each lesson I learned, I started breathing more deeply because the feeling of impending doom disappeared.

Prayer:

Father God, You have a perfect plan for our life (Ephesians 2:10). Remind us to seek Your direction for each task You planned for our day, and then to seek Your face for guidance on how to do what You instruct us to do. Consumed by Your Spirit, there is no room for negative emotions. As we face new situations in life, which cause us injury, unrest and indecision, we can wait on You and face the circumstance with Your courage from within us. You strengthen us from the inside out to meet every new challenge (Psalm 27:14).

Thought for the Day:

Trusting totally in God and surrendering to His will for my life gives me His joy and serenity, which trying to control life never did.

The Joy Set Before Him

Read: Genesis 29:15-29

“So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her.” Genesis 29:20 NKJV

In a world of sure uncertainty and increasingly threatening peril right in my own backyard, courage and peace often elude me. Although Paul promises these trials are simply "light and momentary afflictions" (2 Corinthians 4:17), they feel heavy and insurmountable to me while I am experiencing them. I try focusing on eternal promises rather than on my current issue, but sometimes I struggle to walk in hope.

According to Genesis 29:20, Jacob had more faith than I do. He was able to fix his attention on the prize, rather than on the process. He worked seven years to earn Rachel for his wife. Instead of focusing on the time and labor ahead of him, he allowed their love to comfort him. The promise of his true love gave Jacob the optimism and consolation, which he needed to persist through the pain and burden of the years of hard labor. This made fourteen years pass like days.

I love this verse. What an amazing love story we have here with Jacob and Rachel. In the rest of the Biblical account of their life together, and even after death, their love persisted. Jacob preferred the children he fathered with Rachel to his children by Leah and their concubines. His desolation at Joseph’s demise almost killed him, but Benjamin came along to console him during his later years without his beloved. Seeing Joseph again in Egypt brought him great comfort and joy. It renewed his feeling of pure love, since Rachel died in childbirth with Benjamin. 

Jesus also gave us an example of how to endure tragedy, when He faced the prospect of his daunting death on Calvary’s Cross. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He wrestled with the horrific torture he would face that very night (Luke 22: 41-44). He eventually surrendered His will to His Father’s and focused on the glory set before Him in Heaven, rather than considering the coming pain of the process of His death. Once He did, God sent an angel to strengthen Him.

Today, God promises all mankind the gift of a personal, eternal relationship with beloved Son. The love Jesus has for each one of us rivals the love story between Rachel and Jacob. It starts the moment we turn away from our sins and ask Him to save us. He moves in by His Holy Spirit and resides within us, giving us heaven on earth. The Spirit starts working in our lives – manifesting His fruit in our thoughts, words and deeds (Galatians 5:22-23). His love makes it easier for us to lay aside our fears, foibles and temptations and to look forward to His eternal promises instead. 

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for loving us, even when our faith fails us. Help us to focus on the joy that You set before us. Remind us that You have a higher purpose for all of our days and that You work out even the negative things in our lives for our good (Romans 8:28).

Thought for The Day:

God jealously wants you all to Himself. He longs to draw you into His loving embrace and to live within you throughout your lifetime.

The Joy Set Before Him

Read: Genesis 29:15-29

“So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her.” Gen 29:20 NKJV

In a world of uncertainty and peril, courage and comfort often elude me. Although Paul promises they are simply "light and momentary afflictions" (2 Corinthians 4:17), my trials often feel heavy and insurmountable. I try focusing on eternal promises rather than my current issues, but sometimes hope fades away.

Jacob worked seven years to earn Rachel for his wife. Instead of focusing on the time and labor ahead of him, he allowed their love to comfort him. His bliss made the time pass like days. The promise of Rachel gave Jacob the courage and comfort he needed to persist through the pain and burden of the years of toil.

Even though Jacob ended up working fourteen years for Rachel, he endured the time with joy in his heart and he trusted God to bless him financially as well. When Jacob felt God’s call to return to the Promised Land, he took with him more wealth than he left behind. God always gives to us abundantly, if we trust in Him.

Jesus also changed His focus in order to endure the suffering of the cross. He put his mind on the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2) instead of the pain. Jacob and Jesus and even Paul, who changed his focus from the earthly realm to the eternal, give us examples of how to change our focus and live in joy.

Jesus promises us a personal, eternal relationship with Him, which starts the moment we confess our sins and ask Him to save us. He moves in by His Spirit and resides in us, giving us heaven on earth. The Spirit starts working in our lives – manifesting His fruit in our thoughts, words and deeds. (Gal 5:22). His love makes it easier for us to lay aside temptations, to have hope in our trials and to look forward to His great and true promises. 

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for loving us, even when our faith fails us. Help us to focus on the joy that You set before us. Help us to be faithful with a little so that You can bless us with much (Matthew 25:23).

Thought for The Day:

God wants you all for Himself.