Category: Encouragement For The Downcast

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Allow God To Comfort You

13 As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. ~ Isaiah 66:13

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted, and He comforts those who mourn. He even goes as far as to say that joy comes in the morning. Joy, comfort, and peace are all promised to us, but it’s up to us to accept and receive them. Even though something is promised to us, it doesn’t mean that we will automatically receive it.

So many of us miss out on joy, comfort, and peace because grief has a hold of us. It convinces us that we need to continue in our grief, or we’re betraying the one we’ve lost. It convinces us that we need to stay frozen and refuse to move on so that we can miss out on the plans God has for us.

Mourning should never last for more than the night. It should never be years of grieving and pain for all of those who belong to Christ; He will comfort us if we allow Him to.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Allow God To Comfort You.

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We Are Known And Loved By God

7 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. ~ Luke 12:7

We callously read this verse without actually thinking about what Jesus is saying here. Let’s just pause for a brief moment and ponder what our LORD is telling us. He says, “Why,” not asking a question, but making an almost unbelievable statement as in, can you believe this? “Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered.” Who does that? God does! He loves us so much that the very hairs on our heads are numbered and known to Him, and not one falls out without Him knowing.

If we can just grab hold of that concept, it should bring a sense, or a feeling of great joy and self-worth that Almighty God, Creator God, Father God loves us that much to take the time to know the number of our very hairs on our head. Jesus is striving to help us get a hold of what is important. It’s not this life or hardships; it’s not even about successes. It’s about eternity, and God wants us to spend eternity with Him.

He proves His love in several ways, and one is that He knows the number of hairs on your head, and not one falls out without his knowledge and re-tallying the sum. Now, if He knows that, then He certainly knows what is going on with us. What our needs and burdens are. Who is persecuting us? Our lack of daily adequate finances, and He cares. So, tell Him your troubles, your worries, your concerns. He cares for you. He loves you with an unfailing love.

Heavenly Father, please help us to understand this huge concept of Your great love for us. Help us not take Your great love for granted but to be overwhelmed with such great salvation that You have lavished upon us. Help us to stir up the eternity that You have placed in our hearts. In Jesus name, I pray, amen.

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God Is For You

20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. ~ 2 Corinthians 1:20NIV

All of God’s promises are yea and amen. Not one of His good promises has ever failed or will ever fail. God does not say yes now and no later. This is good news. The LORD promises to be a shield and a protection to you and your family.

He will give you insight and guard your way. He will rebuke the devourer on your behalf. If you’re going through a storm in your life, He will either break it up and bring a calm and a peace, or He will shield you and protect you as you go through the storm. Either way, God is your shield and your protection. He will never leave you nor forsake you.

God gives us personal promises that are sometimes long in coming. Don’t lose heart because of the length of time your promise is taking to come to pass. God has not forgotten you. He has not forgotten His promise to you. He will defend you, and He will defend your promise and bring it to pass in due season if you do not lose heart or turn back.

So, rejoice God is for you and not against you.

Father, thank You for Your great mercy. For Your protection and for calming the storm on my behalf. Thank you for You have not forgotten me, nor have You forsaken me. I will trust in You and place all of my hope in Your Son, Jesus Christ. For it is in His name, I pray, amen.

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Jesus Our Deliverer

6 Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. 7 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. 8 And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” ~ Acts 12:6-8

The Scripture doesn’t say how long Peter was in prison; we only know that it was during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Neither do we know how long after the death and resurrection of Jesus this took place, but we know it had to be at least a year since Jesus was crucified just before the Passover. So, Peter could have been in prison for several days waiting for the feast to be over or just one day.

But at any rate, it was the night before Herod was planning on bringing him out to do him harm as he had done to James, the brother of John. But Jesus sent His angel to deliver Peter. Why? Because the Scriptures tell us that the Church was in earnest prayer for Peter. Jesus is our deliverer; He will never leave us, nor will He forsake us.

You may be going through something, and it seems like you are at your wit’s end. You may feel like you’re bound with two chains, sleeping between two soldiers with sentries guarding the door, and there is no way out. Rest assured that what seems impossible for man is quite possible for Jesus. It may seem like you are out of time, but know this, Jesus has no time limits, for He holds time itself in His hand.

Don’t wait for your situation to change before you move. Peter’s chains did not fall off until he began to get up after being told to do so by the angel. The iron gate did not open until they approached it. We, as Christians, walk by faith and not by sight. Just because it looks like a dead end, just because it looks hopeless, just because we can’t see the end, doesn’t mean it is a dead end, or that it is hopeless, or that the end is obscure to Jesus. He will fight for you, and He will win.

Thank You, Father, for Your great deliverance. Thank You that You will never leave me nor forsake me and that I am always within Your reach; in Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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He’s Here

23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). ~ Matthew 1:23

One of my favorite Christmas songs is You’re Here by Francesca Battistelli. The song is from the point of view of Mary holding baby Jesus in her arms and singing to Him. In it, she sings,

You’re here, I’m holding You so near
I’m starring into the face of my saviour, king and creator
You could’ve left us on our own, but You’re here

Jesus could’ve left us on our own. He didn’t have to save us. He didn’t have to take this hard road, especially knowing that the majority of the world would reject Him, yet He still came. Even if only one person would be saved, and that one person was you, He still would’ve come because He loves us. He doesn’t desire that any perish, but all come to acceptance.

God loves us. When we messed up and corrupted ourselves, God left His throne, took on our form, and came to us. He desires that all of His creation be with Him, for His dwelling place is with us, and us with Him. That’s why He still feels with us to this day.

Dear LORD, thank You for not leaving me alone in the world. Thank you for not leaving me in darkness but shining your everlasting light upon me. Please soften my heart to the things of You. Help me not to be filled with anger, malice, envy, rejection, pride, sexual immorality, or any other stumbling block the devil throws in front of me to keep me from You. Please fill me with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Be Filled With Great Joy

8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” ~ Luke 2:8-12

Fear not! But how could they keep their hearts from racing, their hands from trembling, and their knees from quaking? This was a terrifying sight, but the words were comforting words. “Fear not, for behold, I bring you Good News of great joy…”

Good news of great joy is always good news, but this is even better because it was not just Good News for the Israelites or the Jews, the rich or the poor, white, black, Asian, Spanish, or any particular culture.

It was “Good News” for ALL “the people,” every single soul that will ever live and who has ever lived. It is Good News of great joy. But sadly, many people don’t find it to be very joyous. They are the Christ-haters. They hate the Name that is meant to bring great joy to everyone who hears that Name.

Why does it bring great joy? Because it’s the only Name that gives life and life more abundantly. It’s the only Name by which we can be saved. The birth of Jesus is good news of great joy for ALL people because ALL people can call on the Name of Jesus and be saved. That is the good news of great joy for all of us.

So, this Christmas season, remember that the Word of God became flesh to save you. Jesus didn’t just come for those whom the world deems good enough; He came for all people. He came for all of the world. You’re never too far gone for God to save and redeem you from your sins. All you have to do is ask and He will forgive you.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Be Filled With Great Joy.

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The Goodness of God

6And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. ~ 1 Samuel 30:6 KJV

The Scripture states that David encouraged himself in the LORD his God. It wasn’t somebody else’s God. It was his God. David knew Him personally, and God knew David personally.

Imagine, there is chaos all around him. There are men wailing and crying. But these aren’t just ordinary men; they are seasoned warriors. Confusion and sorrowing of heart and loud lamentations are charging the air. While everyone else was wallowing in their own despair and self-pity, David found strength or encouragement in the LORD his God.

Many of us today are feeling low. We’re feeling heartache, pain, depression, sorrow, etc. The very weight of the world feels as though it’s been laid on our shoulders, and it’s crushing us. This is when we remember what David did, and we follow suit. We bow our knees at the feet of Jesus, and we cry out to Him. We encourage ourselves in His love, mercy, promises, etc. We remind ourselves that God is good even when our world becomes difficult and taxing.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Remind Yourself of The Goodness of God.

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Our Creator God

15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. ~ Colossians 1:15-17NIV

Paul wrote that Jesus wasn’t just the beginning of God’s new creation, being the first to acquire the new eternal, perfect body that we so desire. The body that He received at His resurrection and the body that we will receive at the blowing of the last trumpet on that day when He comes back for us. Not only all of those things but all creation was created through Jesus and for Jesus. We weren’t created for no reason. We weren’t created just to be slaves to sin, fear, anger, lust, etc. We were created for Christ.

We have salvation that the angels in heaven long to even understand or grasp. We are a beloved creation. We are so loved that He spiritually seats us with Him so that we can overcome all things through Him. So that we might be able to fulfill our God-given call.

We weren’t mistakes. He intentionally created each and every one of us with a purpose and call. Not a single one does He desire to lose, but instead, He desires each and every one of us to come to acceptance through Christ Jesus. We are each loved and desired by our gracious Creator.

Dear LORD, thank You for creating me. Thank You for giving me a purpose. Thank You that I’m not alone, even when it feels that way, for You have never left nor forsaken me. Thank You that You’re a good, loving Father who only wants good things for me. Teach me to find those good things and follow Your good path for my life. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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We All Have A Gift

4 I always thank my God for you because of His grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in Him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— 6 God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. ~ 1 Corinthians 1:4-7NIV

Today, the Church is quite divided over spiritual matters. One says spiritual gifts were for a time; another says some spiritual gifts were for a time, while another says all spiritual gifts are for all times. Paul encouraged us that we don’t lack any spiritual gift. So, what does that mean? Paul listed multiple spiritual gifts later on in this same letter. That not only suggests but confirms that we aren’t lacking in any spiritual gift as we wait for the return of our LORD, Jesus Christ.

Spiritual gifts aren’t something God gave to us for just a season. It can’t be. Why? Because those gifts were given for the building up, strengthening, and empowering of His Church. If He took those away, we’re saying one of two things: either He weakened the Church, or the Church is perfect and doesn’t need His help in those areas anymore. Neither of these two things is true. The Devil is still on the earth, running free with much power and authority. He’s not a toothless lion; otherwise, he wouldn’t be someone we have to watch out for. That’s why Peter warned us that the Devil, our adversary, is prowling around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

To be on the prowl is to be on the hunt. It’s to seek out prey for food. This isn’t a toothless defeated lion that Peter is warning us of. Therefore, how can we say we no longer have the spiritual gifts that strengthen, build up, and uphold the Church? The very body that he is seeking to destroy. We can’t. That’s a lie from the enemy to weaken his adversary so that he might easier overpower and devour us.

Spiritual gifts, according to Paul and Peter, are given to each person. Paul even tells us to earnestly seek the greater gifts. Why? Because he wants us to be strong and not weak. He wants us to be prepared in every possible way, just as he was so that when we get to the end of our race, we can stand confidently as he did and say,

7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.

2 Timothy 4:7-8

Dear LORD, help me to be like Paul and seek out not only the spiritual gifts you have given me but the greater gifts as well. Help me not to live in fear or doubt that these gifts are for me. Help me to live in the confidence of Your Truth and not the truth of an individual with biases and opinions. I don’t want to follow man, but You and You alone. Show me how to seek out my gifts and the greater gifts. Teach me how to use my gift for the furthering of Your Kingdom. May it be for Your glory and honor and not my own. May it bring You praise and point the world back to You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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All Called

14 The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” ~ Judges 6:14

Gideon was the least of his family, and his family was the weakest in Israel, yet the LORD called him to be a mighty warrior. Today is no different. We’re each called to a very specific purpose, and sometimes we don’t feel ready for it. We don’t feel like we’re enough, but that’s when we have to remember we’re just the vessel God is using. He is the one who is in control.

See, we may be weak, but with God, we’re strong. We may be fearful, but with God, we’re brave and courageous. We may be young and inexperienced, but with God, we’re wise and prepared for whatever He has in store for us. All we have to do is trust in Him. We have to look at ourselves the way that God looks at us.

How do we do that? Through prayer, worship, and fasting. When our focus is on God and the things of God, our outlook on life and ourselves begins to change. Why? Because when we focus on Light, the darkness begins to fade away. Light will always overcome darkness, no matter how things look.

Dear LORD, help me to have faith that You have a call and purpose for my life. Help me to know exactly what that call is. Lead me in the way that I should go so that I might not stray from the plans that You have for my life. I know that You are good and that You are for me and not against me; please help me to also believe it with all that is within me. Teach me to see myself the way that You see me. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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