Encouragement For The Downcast Archives

October 7, 2024October 8, 2024

Don’t Succumb

⁸ We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; ~ 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

There’s a show called Downton Abbey, and within this show, one of the main characters’ husband dies in a car crash right after she gives birth. He was on his way home to get the rest of the family to see their new baby boy, but he never made it home. That destroyed this main character. She was once strong and confident, but now she is scared and unsure of herself. She and her brother-in-law, who lost his wife (her sister) during childbirth, get into an argument of sorts one day, and this is what he told her:

You’re frightened of being hurt again. But let me tell you this. You will be hurt again, and so will I, because being hurt is part of being alive.

Pain is a part of this life. It was never intended for mankind, but it has become an unavoidable part of our lives since Adam and Eve were removed from the Garden of Eden. Pain is an unavoidable side effect of Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden. We can’t erase it. We can’t run away from it. It’s something that each one of us has to go through. We have to endure, lest it consume us, as it did the main character of Downton Abbey.

She gave up on work as well as love. She just gave up in life, completely. The fact of the matter is life is hard. It’s easy to give up. It’s easy to allow pain and suffering to consume us, but that’s not our destiny. That’s not what God has called us to. Yes, pain and suffering is unavoidable, but succumbing to them is a choice.

We, the Church, the body of Christ, are blessed and highly favored. We are the very bride of Christ. We may be struck down, but we are not destroyed. We may be persecuted, but we are not abandoned. We are in the hands of the Living God. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. He is the Good Shepherd who has given Himself for His sheep.

Therefore, when troubles come our way that begin to weigh us down and try to consume us, we have to lift the burdens off of us and lay them at the feet of Jesus. We have to cast our anxieties upon Him because He cares for us.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Don’t Succumb.

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Prepare Yourselves

¹⁸The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth. ~ Revelation 11:18

The Bible seems to indicate that God believes that His earth is being deliberately destroyed, and He will deal with those who are destroying it. The Scripture said that the time had come for God to destroy the destroyers of the earth. What does that mean, except that there is a time and a season for everything under heaven, and their time, the destroyers of the earth, will come?

I believe that all that is happening is fulfillment of the signs of the times and speaks of the late season that we are living in. In other words, it is past the eleventh hour. It is, in fact, ticking to midnight. These happenings and these signs herald the Good News that Jesus is on His way—He is coming back real soon. We need to encourage ourselves with this.

See, 2,000 years ago, when Jesus walked this earth during His earthly ministry, He Himself promised that “I’ll be back.” That did not originate with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Jesus Himself said, “I will soon return.” He further stated that the one who endures until the end will be saved (Matthew 24:13).

Jesus is coming back to judge the living and the dead (2 Timothy 4:1), and we need to be ready for His return. Although there is chaos in the world, let not your heart be troubled. Yes, things are happening around us that are way out of our control. Events and phenomena are occurring that are perplexing. Sometimes, it seems like all hell has broken out against us.

But let not your heart be troubled. You might feel alone, but here is the truth. Yes, Jesus was taken up into heaven, but that same Jesus who was taken up into heaven in a cloud on the day of Ascension over 2,000 years ago will return in like manner to get us so that where He is, there we shall be also (Acts 1:10-11). Therefore, we must be the voice crying out, “Prepare yourselves, for the return of the LORD is at hand, and His judgments are with Him, to repay good with good and to repay evil with evil.”

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Prepare Yourselves.

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Not One-Sided

7 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort. ~ 2 Corinthians 1:7

God did not promise us Christians a rose garden with continued sunshine, no rain, and no thorns. But Jesus plainly told us that in this life, we will have tribulation. There is no fine print that you need to scrutinize with a magnifying glass or have your lawyer read over. Jesus told us plain and straight that if we wanted to follow Him, we would have to pick up our cross daily and follow Him. It should not come as a surprise when we experience hardships for the kingdom of God. It’s not a one-time thing where we can hurry and get it over and done with and then breathe a sigh of relief, “Glad that’s over. Now clear skies and smooth sailing from here on out.”

On the contrary, if we want to share in the comfort, we must also be willing to share in the suffering. Christians cannot shrink back from persecution or from suffering. I believe the greater the suffering, the greater the reward. Now that is not to say that only those who suffer for the kingdom will receive a reward. Not at all, but what I am saying is that we must all be willing to share in the suffering and not shrink back or fully avoid it. Because Jesus is coming back soon, and the Bible says that His rewards are with Him.

Paul also was fully convinced that if Christians, not just the Corinthian Church, but if all Christians share in the suffering of Christ, they will also share in the comforts of Christ. He told them plain and straight that he did not want them unaware of the affliction that he and his companions experienced in Asia. He was not complaining; he was encouraging them that nothing they would experience here on this earth would be able to compare to the glories we would share with Jesus if we only held on to the very end and did not give.

So, I encourage you today, if you are going through a rough time or if you are being persecuted, however slight, just because you are a Christian, hold on; something better is on its way. Jesus is coming to get us to give us an inheritance that no eye has not seen, neither has ear heard nor has it entered into the imagination of man what He has in store for us.

So, let’s encourage each other as we hold on and wait for the redemption of our LORD Jesus. And remember, our faith and our suffering are not one-sided. We will be rewarded for what we have done and what we have gone through for the sake of the kingdom of God.

Heavenly Father, thank You that You do not forget what we have done, and neither do You withhold blessings from us. But You give to each one as he or she deserves and has earned. Thank You that sufferings and comforts are not one-sided but that You repay each one exactly what they have earned. Thank you, Father. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Steadfast And Immovable

⁵⁸Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. ~ 1 Corinthians 15:58

Paul is encouraging the Corinthian church to be steadfast, which means to be unchanging, as in a firm and fixed foundation. Then he reiterates with another adjective, immovable, which means basically the same thing: firm, unshaken, and steady. So, here we get the idea that Paul is really trying to emphasize something to them. He is trying to encourage the Corinthian Christians not to be weaving and swerving in their faith but to be steadfast as a sure foundation and as immovable as a Royal Palm that grows in the Cayman Islands.

Many years ago, there was an accident in the Cayman Islands where a car traveling at a very high rate of speed with four men in it hit a Royal Palm Tree. The car was actually broken in two, and three out of the four men were killed on impact. The tree, however, was not noticeably damaged. The next day, after all the wreckage was cleared, no one could even tell that there was a triple fatality there. Only a small brown spot, which could have been caused by anything, served to mark the spot, and you had to look closely to even notice that.

This is the steadfast, immovable faith Paul is encouraging the Corinthian Church to have. He is encouraging them to never let anything disrupt their faith. Just like that palm tree withstood the impact of an event that should have caused more damage than it did, they, too, must stand firm when all sorts of trials and temptations come against them.

Those words were not written to them alone, but, by extension, they were written for our benefit as well. We are to be steadfast, immovable, without swaying to the left or to the right, but with our eyes steadfast on Jesus, we are to run our course; we are to finish the race with all perseverance. It is not easy, or even possible, for us to do if not for Jesus, but through Jesus, all things are possible for us. Therefore, we can and will finish the race and win the prize as long as we stand steadfast and immovable in Jesus’ mighty Name.

When we are steadfast and immovable, things that would knock a regular person off their feet will only bounce off of the Christian whose hope and faith is in the LORD Jesus. He is our firm foundation and with Him and through Him all things are possible for us, and all adversities are overcomeable for us.

Thank you, LORD Jesus, that You are our firm foundation, and through You, we are overcomers. We are steadfast and immovable, just like Your great faithfulness and love, and the race is winnable. I give You praise, Almighty God, because there is none like You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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The Whole Earth

¹⁴For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. ~ Habakkuk 2:14

Can you imagine a time when peace will reign, and the glory of the LORD will Cover the whole earth, and Jesus Himself will be in charge to extend true equity to everyone? What a glorious day that will be.

God has not forsaken us, nor has He left us defenseless. He will come in our time of trouble, for He has promised that the whole earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

There is coming a time when the LORD will say enough is enough, and He will return for His people. Every tear will be wiped away, and every heartache healed in the presence of the LORD. Peace will reign, and Jesus will sit as king.

Here’s the thing, though, only those who choose to follow Him now during a time of chaos and tribulation will enter into this rest. This time of peace that is promised. So, don’t be discouraged by the times; they won’t last. They won’t be forever. Paul said that these are just light afflictions compared to all that God has in store for those who love Him.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Look For His Glory.

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We All Share In The Blessings

²³I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. ~ 1 Corinthians 9:23

Listen, the Gospel is not a selfish ambition or a one-sided effect where only one person benefits. Paul said that in a secular race, everyone runs the race, but only one person receives the prize. But it is not so in Christianity. Everyone shares in the blessings. Jesus said in Matthew 10:41 that if anyone receives a prophet because he is a prophet, that person will receive a prophet’s reward. To share in the prophet’s reward, all we have to do is to receive them. That is what Jesus said.

He even went on to say that if anyone gives a cup of water to a little child, they will receive a reward. So, the kingdom of God is about rewards and consequences. People only focus on the consequences. Oh, if God was so good, why would He send people to hell? Well, first of all, He doesn’t, it’s all your choice. You must choose to go there or not; it’s all up to you. Second, why not focus on the rewards and strive for those instead of throwing the baby out with the bathwater? I can’t serve a God who would do that. Well, how about serving a God who blesses and rewards everyone who participates? One who gave His very life so that you do not have to go to that awful place. Serve Him.

Far too often, even Christians will focus on the consequences instead of the unsearchable, unknowable, and surpassing good things that God has in store for those who love Him. God is not out to get you; if He wanted to get you, He would get you. Because who can deliver out of His hand? Or who can intercede for you against God? Therefore, let us focus on the good rewards, encourage others in the race, and share the Gospel with others, for there will be a great reward to share for those who win souls.

God is not a bad paymaster; He will give to each what they have earned because God is no man’s debtor. So, share the Gospel and so share in the blessings.

Thank You, Father, that You are not mean and stingy, but in fact, You are a generous God who loves to give good gifts that are pressed down, shaken together, and running over. Your blessings are exceedingly and abundantly more than we can even imagine. Thank You Father that You are kind and generous, and help me to always remember that so that I may grow to be like You, in Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Crucified With Jesus

²⁰I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ~ Galatians 2:20

Paul said he had been crucified with Christ, not at all meaning literally crucified, but spiritually crucified. His life now belongs to Christ, that is, all of his desires, his wants, and his ambitions. It is no longer his life because his old life had been crucified with Christ. He goes on to say that the life that he now lives is by faith in Jesus, the Son of God. And why? Because Paul is convinced that Jesus loves him and died for him, now he has no other choice but to faithfully serve Him.

Over this past weekend, I went to the grocery store with my wife to pick up a few items. I placed my phone and my glasses on the little stand next to the credit card machine. I thought to myself, I better not forget these here, and so said, so done. I walked right out of that grocery store, leaving my phone and my glasses sitting right there on the little stand.

When I went to drive out of the parking lot, the radio came on because it could not connect to my phone, which alerted me that I had left my phone in the store. I quickly parked again and ran inside. The nice lady who had checked me out had my phone and glasses, and when she saw me looking for them, she came over and said, “Are you looking for these?” I felt a real relief that she had found my phone and glasses and held them for me. I felt much appreciation for her kindness of holding them for me.

Have you felt indebted to someone? Paul is feeling that way. He said, I have chosen to be crucified with Christ by my own free will, and now He lives in me. Therefore, I no longer live for myself; I live to please Christ because He loves me so much that He freely chose to suffer and die for me, and because of that, He has given me eternal life.

Jesus did not just do that for Paul alone, but He did it for all of us as well. Each and every one of us. In turn, we must now live for Him.

Father, thank You for sending Your Son Jesus to die for me. Help me to live as if I have been Crucified with Christ so that He can live in me. Thank You for loving me and caring for me. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Just Be Still

¹⁰ Be still, and know that I am God. ~ Psalms 46:10

I was at a lost for something to post. I was up stressing at 5:10 am. So I got up to pray and ask, LORD, give me something meaningful … something that will be of encouragement to someone. I got nothing. Then it came to me … a life lesson.

Sometimes, we pray for something specific and don’t get an answer. We labor in prayer, yet God seems so far away. But know this: when God seems the furthest away, that is when He is the closest. For in our weakness, He is made strong. Be blessed today.

Heavenly Father, please make your presence real to us today. Help us to know the width, the height, and the depth of your great love. Carry those who are too weak to walk and guide those who seem to have lost their way. Encourage those who have almost lost hope and minister to each need today. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Keep Genuine

¹ Some time later, King Nahash of the Ammonites died, and his son became king in his place. ² Then David said, “I’ll show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent messengers to console him concerning his father. However, when David’s emissaries arrived in the land of the Ammonites to console him, ³ the Ammonite leaders said to Hanun, “Just because David has sent men with condolences for you, do you really believe he’s showing respect for your father? Instead, haven’t his emissaries come in order to scout out, overthrow, and spy on the land?” ⁴ So Hanun took David’s emissaries, shaved them, cut their clothes in half at the hips, and sent them away. ~ 1 Chronicles 19:1-4^CSB

David’s friend had passed, and his son had taken his place. So David sent his condolences to his friend’s son, but his advisors told him that they were spying out the land. He didn’t consider that David and his father were friends. He didn’t consider David’s integrity or loyalty. He only heard the lies of those close to him.

Today is no different. The Devil will try to make you out to be a villain regardless of how genuine you are. The Devil will try to twist your genuine actions in the eyes of the corrupted. See, when the LORD isn’t our foundation, we are corrupted and unable to see the Truth. So, the Devil can easily corrupt the innocent in the eyes of the already corrupted.

So, when your genuine actions or statements are met with aggression or defensiveness, don’t be discouraged. That is just the Devil trying to get to you. Though he may corrupt your actions in the eyes of the corrupted, he can’t corrupt your actions in the eyes of the LORD.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Keep Genuine.

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Hold Your Peace In The Storm

⁴⁵Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He dismissed the crowd. ⁴⁶And after He had taken leave of them, He went up on the mountain to pray. ⁴⁷And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and He was alone on the land. ⁴⁸And He saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, ⁴⁹but when they saw Him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, ⁵⁰for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” ~ Mark 6:45-50

Have you ever been in a storm and have been praying and seeking God, but He just can’t seem to be found? Have you ever cried out to Him all night but just didn’t feel His presence? Like He was nowhere around? Well this was the place the disciples found themselves in. But I’m here to tell you, when you feel all alone and feel abandoned when there is nowhere to run or no one to run to, when there is nowhere to hide, and Jesus doesn’t seem to be anywhere around, do not be dismayed, neither be discouraged but rather, be encouraged because the Scripture says He ever lives to intercede for us. Therefore, rest assured, Jesus knows where you are in your storm.

In your midnight hour, when you feel all alone, and no one is there. Family is not there; they don’t understand what you’re going through. Pastor is not there; he is not able to be in all places at once. Friends just don’t understand. They have their own problems. Co-workers, well … they don’t even believe in God or even care, some of them. Your Mama’s prayers just don’t seem to be working in this storm. Children aren’t much comfort either; the storm is too great, and maybe they themselves are the cause of your storm.

Let me encourage you today; Jesus sees you. He knows where you are in your storm. He sees you straining at the oars when the wind of this life is against you. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 7:25, “Therefore He, [referring to Jesus], is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them.” Jesus sees you in your storm and He is interceding for you, just like He was interceding for His disciples.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Hold Your Peace In The Storm.

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Category: Encouragement For The Downcast

Don’t Succumb

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