Tag: Encouragement For The Downcast

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Depend On God

9 My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. ~ 2 Corinthians 12:9NIV

We often try to hide our weaknesses, thinking they disqualify us from being used by God. But Paul reminds us that it’s in our weakness that God’s strength is most visible. Instead of striving to appear strong, we’re invited to lean on His grace. God doesn’t need our perfection—He works powerfully through our dependence on Him.

Simply humble yourself before Him. Remove all the masks and disguises you keep on for the world, and let God hold you and heal you.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Depend On God.

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Hold Fast To His Plans

11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” ~ Jeremiah 29:11NIV

When I was a kid, I had a teacher, at a Christian school, once tell me that God doesn’t desire to save everyone. Some people He created simply for Hell because He didn’t want them. When I quoted Jeremiah 29:11, she said that that verse is only for the exiled Jews. She then refused to let me respond and just continued speaking over me.

But I want you to think about this for a second Peter tells us in 2 Peter 3:9

9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Therefore, that teacher wasn’t just wrong but blasphemous as she told such a bold-face lie on God. So, then is Jeremiah 29:11 also for us today? Yes, of course it is. Does God not have plans for us? Does He not want to prosper us? Does He not want to withhold harm from us? Does He not have plans to give us hope and a future? Of course He does. These are our promises as well.

Yes, they were spoken to the people of Judah when they went into the Babylonian exile, but we, as God’s people, can claim them as well because no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly (Psalms 84:11b).

In his message from God, Peter assured us that God does not show partiality to any people, what He has for one, He has for all. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither male nor female when it comes to God’s great promises, and access to Him (Colossians 3:11). We are all the same. With the same opportunities. The same blessings. The same plans. There is no: This is for one but not the other.

The Jews were under the same erroneous understanding. They thought that salvation was only for the Jews, and God’s great promises were for them alone, since the promises were given to them. Paul also corrected that misunderstanding when he iterated the very same thing in Romans 2:11. Listen to me, God loves us. He wants what’s best for us. He will never leave us nor forsake us. God is our defender and our provider. We all have a call and plan for our lives. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Hold Fast To His Plans.

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Be Transformed

Genesis 1:31

[31] And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

When God looked at all of His creation at the end of that last workday, He said, “It is good.” Everything God created was good. Including mankind. Then we corrupted ourselves. So, what was God to do, leave us to our own demise? No. He put the salvation plan into motion.

On the day of Pentecost, God’s salvation plan took a big step as He sent His Holy Spirit. His Holy Spirit dwelling in us and with us, transforming us into the original plan of the Image of God.

2 Corinthians 3:18

[18] And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Our God did not abandon us, even though He could have. Instead, He made a way for us to be forgiven and redeemed from our past. To be saved from our iniquities. To be transformed into exactly who God originally created us to be.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Be Transformed.

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Desire

27 And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” 28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, “My lord Moses, stop them.” 29 But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put His Spirit on them!” 30 And Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp. ~ Numbers 11:27-30

16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: 17 ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; 18 even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.’ ~ Acts 2:16-18

The Day of Pentecost came around 1200 to 1400 years after Moses. It took almost 1500 years for Moses’ prayer to be answered. His prayer that all people could have the Spirit of the LORD on and in them. Moses was long gone, but the desires of his heart were fulfilled. God didn’t forget about Moses’ prayer. He didn’t forget about his desire. God fulfilled it on the Day of Pentecost when He poured out His Spirit on all flesh.

Your prayers may not come to fruition in your lifetime. You may not see them come forth, but they aren’t forgotten. They haven’t been thrown out or discarded. God has never forgotten us. He has never abandoned us. When we delight ourselves in the LORD, He gives us the desires of our hearts.

If God remembered Moses’ desires and brought them to fruition almost 1500 years after he was gone, how much more will He fulfill the desires of His Church? Those whom He dwells with and through. Those who He has washed in His blood and redeemed for His purposes.

Pentecost isn’t just about the founding of the Church. It’s about promises being fulfilled and God’s never-ending love and devotion to His people.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Desire.

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Be Available

All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. ~ Acts 2:4

For ten days 120 people went into the Upper Room and spent time with the LORD in unity. They waited together with one goal in mind, to wait for the promised Holy Spirit. These 120 were the first official members of the body of Christ, yet they weren’t all named. Matter-a-fact, the majority are not named. These weren’t high society overly important men and women, these were just common people.

God doesn’t just use the important, influential, high society men and women. God uses willing hearts who are obedient to His call. We don’t need a huge bank account, important name, or large platform in order to be used by God. You don’t need to be extraordinary—you just need to be available.The Spirit will do the rest.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Be Available.

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Be Grafted Into His Vine

20 And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the LORD for the priest. ~ Leviticus 23:20

In the Law of Moses, the LORD gave seven feasts for Israel to keep year after year. During the Feast of Weeks, the is directing the Israelites to wave all the other required offerings along with the two loaves of bread of the firstfruits. Why does this matter to us today? The Law of Moses foreshadowed the coming of the good things fulfilled in Christ Jesus.

The loaf, or the bread, waved as a wave offering is always a representation of the body, or the spiritual body. To take it a step further, the wheat represents the Church. Therefore, the two loaves that were waved by the priest were made from the wheat harvest and are representative of the Church as firstfruits of the wheat harvest.

Jew and Gentile together form the Church as a firstfruits of His creatures. Even though Israel is the LORD’s chosen people, He made a way for all people to be grafted into the vine. He made a way for all people to be saved. Why? Because we are all His creation and He loves each and every one of us. How do we know this? Because Jesus died for all, Jews and Gentiles alike, in Him there is neither Jew nor Gentile, but one Church in Christ Jesus.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Be Grafted Into His Vine.

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Seek Refuge In Him

1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. ~ Psalms 46:1

The Psalmist encourages us that no matter what is going on in our lives, we’re not alone because God is our refuge and strength. A lot of the time it may feel as if the entire world is crashing in on you and you can’t keep going. It may feel like all Hell has broken loose against you and you have no defense. It may feel like you have a target on your back and nowhere to hide. But these are just the feelings the Devil and his kingdom throw at you so that they can overcome you. Why?

Because if they can get you to believe you are defeated, then you’ll give up, give in, and allow them to win. The enemy has no victory over us unless we choose not to fight. Not to keep going. Not to try.

Each day is a new opportunity from God to try again. To keep going. To overcome. Don’t allow the enemy to discourage you. Don’t allow his lies to pollute, corrupt, and overwhelm your soul. Your God is for you, so who can be against you?

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Seek Refuge In Him.

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Embrace His Joy

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ~ Hebrews 12:1-2NIV

Paul tells us that Jesus endured the cross and all that came with it for the joy set before Him. What was the glory set before Him? I never really used to think about it. Before, I always kind of wrote it off as His throne, Glory, title, Heaven, etc. but then the other day, it randomly hit me out of nowhere. Jesus didn’t need to endure the cross for those things. He already had all of those things prior to the cross prior to creation. In fact, He set those things aside for the cross. So, what was that joy set before Jesus that kept Him going and gave Him the willpower to endure the cross? Us. We were the joy set before Him.

Jesus got off of His throne, set aside this Godliness, and willingly endured pain, share, mockery, hatred, refection, and every form of disrespect for us. We were once separated from God. In fact, we were once enemies of God doomed to an eternity apart from Him, but Christ showed His love for us by enduring the cross.

Whenever you feel unloved, rejected, alone, and unwanted, remember Jesus endured the cross for you. He endured the shame, ridicule, and mockery for you. He could have easily taken Himself off of the cross. He could have easily shown them who He is. He could’ve shed that weak, broken, hurting, aching human body and picked back up His Godliness at any moment in time, but He didn’t. One reason and one reason alone, you. You are His joy, and He is ours. The joy of the LORD is our strength. The joy of the LORD is you. He endured everything for you, so lean on that strength, and encourage yourself in the knowledge that the LORD loves for you and will do anything to protect you.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Embrace His Joy.

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Prepare For His Return For Us

18 The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor. ~ Luke 4:18-19

Jesus is The Way, The Truth, and The Life. That is who Jesus is, and He has done all of that for us. We are living in the year of the LORD’s favor, which speaks of the fiftieth year—the year of Jubilee, because of Him.

Jubilee was the year when all was forgiven. All debts were canceled, slaves were set free, and all property, the inheritance, reverted to its original and rightful owner … And it was Jesus who accomplished all of that for us. But He didn’t leave it at that; He gave us even more …

Eternal life with Him in blissfulness. No eye has seen. No ear has heard. No mind can imagine all that God has in store for us. He’s coming back to get us one day. The day that the Apostles and the early believers called the ‘Blessed Hope,’ or our ‘Blessed Hope.’ So, be encouraged. Kindle your flame. Build His Kingdom.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Prepare For His Return.

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Buried With Him

We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we will certainly also be united with Him in a resurrection like His. ~ Romans 6:4-5 NIV

Yesterday, we celebrated Easter, proclaiming, “He is risen!” Jesus, who was pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities (Isaiah 53:5), rose from the dead, defeating sin and death. The empty tomb isn’t just a Sunday story—it’s the power for every day, including today, Monday. Romans 6:4 reminds us that because Jesus lives, we too can live a new life, united with Him. His Resurrection means your past doesn’t define you, your failures don’t bind you, and your future is secure in His love. 

As you step into this week, the demands of work, family, or struggles may feel heavy. But the same power that raised Jesus from the grave lives in you. His wounds brought your healing, His rising your freedom. You’re not just surviving Monday—you’re living as a child of the risen King. Let the truth of the empty tomb shape your attitude, decisions, and interactions today. Where you’re tempted to give in to worry or sin, remember: Jesus is alive, and He’s with you, calling you to walk in His new life.

Why don’t you take a moment this morning to name one blessing and thank Jesus for it. Then, identify one challenge you might face this week—perhaps a task, a conflict, or a personal struggle. Pray and ask Jesus to fill you with His truth, faith, and grace. Then, choose one small action to reflect His love today: offer a kind word, forgive someone, or pause to thank God for His presence. When you feel overwhelmed, whisper, “Jesus is risen,” and let that truth steady your heart. And remember, the tomb is still empty, and Jesus is still alive. Live this Monday in the light of His victory, for He suffered and rose for you.

Dear Heavenly Father, as I come to You, I ask You to search me and see that there is no wicked way in me. Thank You, LORD Jesus, for the cross and for the empty tomb. I pray for the strength to overcome all challenges and all obstacles. Lead me now with Your grace, and with Your wisdom, in Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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