Tag: Encouragement For The Downcast

⁵ Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. ~ Psalms 126:5^NIV

For 7 years I’ve cried and mourned the death of a very close loved one. Her heavenly birthday became a day of deep dark depression that would turn into a week-long. If not longer. But this year, I just feel different. The sadness of missing her is still there, but the heaviness isn’t.

I think I’ve allowed myself to actually mourn. To finally allow myself to let go of the pain. Pain is a really weird emotion because it often comes with a lie. The lie that if you don’t give into pain, then somehow you aren’t honoring their memory. If you keep moving forward in life, then you’re somehow acting as if they don’t matter. But that’s not true. Life is never supposed to solely revolve around those who have passed. Yes, we are to remember them. But life is for the living. It’s for us to do as much as we can while we can.

We’re all born to die. That’s the path of this life, but when we have Christ, it doesn’t end there. It doesn’t end with just death. To die is to gain, because we are united to our LORD, Savior, our God. We are also reunited to saved loved ones who have gone on to be with Christ before us.

Yes, mourning is necessary, but prolonged pain and suffering isn’t. It’s okay to move forward with your life. You’re not forgetting them. They wouldn’t want you frozen in time with them. They’d want you to live out your life following the plan God has for you.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Keep Moving Forward.

[1] Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. [2] For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. [3] For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, “As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest,’” although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. [4] For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.” [5] And again in this passage he said, “They shall not enter my rest.” [6] Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, [7] again he appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” [8] For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. [9] So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, [10] for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. [11] Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. ~ Hebrews 4:1-11

The author of the book of Hebrews says that Joshua, though he led the people into the promised land, he never actually gave them their day of rest. See, when before they even fully entered the promised land they had to go to war with those in the promised land. Why? The people occupying the promised land at that time had corrupted the land. They were sacrificing their own innocent children to their demon gods. They were polluting the land with innocent blood and the LORD God said He had had enough of the senseless bloodshed. So, when Israel went into the land, they had to remove the wicked who were occupying that land and polluting it with their wickedness.

So, never did Joshua usher the people into a day of rest. They never had the pleasure of enjoying that promised day of rest, so what then? Is the promise forgotten? Is it too late? By no means. This day of rest will come for all who believe and follow Jesus the Messiah. That is what we are working to. The second coming of the Messiah when He will gather us to Himself and then at the very end of the age establish His throne on this earth and rule for 1000 years. That will be our day of rest. A time of peace when our God literally comes down to us and rules the earth from His throne.

So, how can we be sure that we will one day enjoy His promised rest? By working for Him today. We are to pick up our cross and follow Jesus. We are to build the Church by encouraging each other, helping each other grow, and winning souls for Christ. That is our work. We aren’t to keep Christ secret and tucked away in our hearts. He, the Light of Men, is to show through us every single day and lead others out of darkness and to Him.

So, this Labor Day, as you rest from your physical work on this earth, I want you to think about your spiritual work and that promised day of rest. I want you to truly think about and judge whether or not you are truly working for Christ. Are you building His Church? Are you winning souls? Are you discipling? Are you working?

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Work To Rest.

[8] Cush fathered Nimrod; he was the first on earth to be a mighty man. [9] He was a mighty hunter before the Lord. Therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the Lord.” [10] The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. [11] From that land he went into Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and [12] Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city. ~ Genesis 10:8-12

Nimrod is often labeled or painted as an evil tyrannical dictator who forced the people of his time to build the Tower of Babel in rebellion against God. The Bible, however, gives us an entirely different man. In Genesis 11, it states that all the people came together and decided to build the Tower of Babel. Nowhere in Scripture does he say or even hint that Nimrod forced anyone to build the Tower of Babel. His one crime? The city was the beginning of his kingdom, which was never finished.

So, if it’s the beginning of his kingdom, that’s now his jurisdiction that he will be held responsible for. What I find interesting is that after their languages are confused and they disperse, Nimrod goes and builds cities in the land of Shinar and Asshur (Assyria). See, these lands are more filled with men and women who don’t speak the same language as Nimrod. God had just confused their languages and they now cannot communicate with each other.

Nimrod, however, is still used by God to be the great bridge, if you will, between the language barrier. See, Nimrod was a mighty hunter before the LORD. To be before the LORD is to be in His favor. To be His, just as Isaac was before the LORD. Now, Nimrod’s kingdom, was like a bridge across the land of Shinar and Asshur (Assyria).

See, even when the LORD punishes us, He doesn’t remain angry. He always creates a way to fix everything. See, God didn’t necessarily want us divided, but He wanted us to go throughout the earth He created for us in order to populate it and keep it. The earth was created for man and man for the earth. When we gathered in one spot attempting to break into heaven, that’s where the LORD drew the line, but He gave us a way to still communicate. We know this because Nimrod built up these important major cities of the ancient world in land that weren’t his.

Just because you mess up doesn’t mean God’s finished with you. If you have a willing heart, God will use you. We all have a past. But we all have a future as well. God knows the plans He has for you. Plans to give you a hope and a future.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Leave The Past For The Future.

Genesis 1:26-28,

[26] Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” [27] So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. [28] And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

The idea of creation dates back to the very beginning of recorded history. There isn’t a single ancient culture that did not believe in a creation story. What’s interesting to me though, is that all of those creation stories lack something our creation story doesn’t, love. See, the ancient Babylonians believed they were created after a war, from the blood of the slain god to be slaves. The Canaanites believed that humanity was created almost accidentally without clear intent as a byproduct of gods at war. Even the ancient Greeks saw no clear purpose for mankind. This is where the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is different.

See, our God, spoke everything into being in a specific order, on specific days, to foreshadow different things for us. Then He gets to man and He doesn’t speak, He molds him from the dust of the earth with His own hands and breathes His own breath into the man’s nostrils. God molded that very first man in His own image and His own likeness.

This is vastly different from every other ancient belief. They all have wars, chaos, destruction, and even slaves, but our God creates out of order and love. He sets man and woman as rulers of the earth, not His slaves. Not mistakes, accidents, or just the byproduct of the main event. Our God, instead, created us with intent, purpose, and love. He created the entire earth for us. The Earth is ours to keep, take care of, and enjoy.

Dear LORD, thank You for showing us Your love from the very beginning. Thank You for giving us another chance to redeem ourselves and fulfill Your purpose for our lives through Christ Jesus, our LORD and Savior. Please help me to never give into the lie that I have no purpose, that I am a mistake, or that I am not created by design, for I know that I am fearfully and wonderfully made by my loving creator, God, and Savior. Thank You, LORD. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth (Psalm 46:10).

In the busyness of life, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by responsibilities, worries, and distractions. Life can hit you full on going 100 miles an hour. There are days when if it rains, it pours, and you think that if it wasn’t for bad luck, you wouldn’t have no luck at all.

These are the times when our God invites us to pause and find rest in His Presence. Be still, is His instruction. Now, this phrase, “be still” is not just a call to physical stillness but an invitation to quiet our hearts, our souls, and our minds, trusting that our God is in complete control.

When we surrender our anxieties and focus on His sovereignty, we find a peace that surpasses understanding. Today, take a moment to be still, reflect on God’s faithfulness, and let His Presence renew your strength. Spend some time in silence focusing on that Presence. Reach out to Him in spirit and feel Him draw near.

Heavenly Father, help me to slow down and rest in Your Presence today. Quiet my heart and mind, and remind me of Your unchanging love and power. Let me find peace in knowing that You are God, and You hold all things in Your hands. Guide my steps and fill me with Your strength. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might He increases strength… but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:28–31).

Life wears us down. Even the strongest among us grow weary, and even the most faithful may feel faint at times. But Isaiah reminds us of two unshakable truths: our God never grows tired, and His understanding never fails.

The promise is clear: those who wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength. Waiting is not weakness—it is faith in action. It’s not idly doing nothing, but actively trusting—like a servant watching the master’s hand, ready to respond at the slightest signal (Psalm 123:2).

Think of an eagle. It doesn’t frantically flap its wings to soar; it waits for the wind, and then it rises high with little effort. So it is with us—when we wait on the LORD, His Spirit lifts us beyond our weariness if we will wait upon the LORD.

Sometimes the hardest thing is waiting: for healing, for provision, for direction. Saul failed because he wouldn’t wait for Samuel (1 Samuel 13:13–14). The disciples on the road to Emmaus lost hope because they couldn’t yet see God’s timing (Luke 24:21). But Scripture assures us—waiting is never wasted time. It is God’s workshop, where He renews our strength, aligns our hearts with His will, and prepares us for His perfect timing.

What does it really mean to wait on the LORD? Too often, we confuse waiting with inactivity or passivity. But in the biblical sense, waiting is active trust. It’s holding on to God’s promises with expectation, even when circumstances tempt us to give up.

Waiting requires humility. It forces us to admit that we are not in control—that the timing of our lives belongs to the One whose understanding is unsearchable. For many of us, this is the greatest struggle. We want God to move when we ask, in the way we envision, according to our schedule. Yet waiting reminds us that God’s ways are higher than ours, and His timing is always perfect.

Waiting also develops perseverance. When Isaiah says, “They shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint,” he is not promising a life free from difficulty, but a life sustained by God’s strength in the midst of it. The road may be long and tiring, but those who wait on the LORD find a strength that human effort cannot produce.

Consider how many biblical figures had to wait: Abraham waited decades for the promise of a son. Joseph waited years in prison before seeing God’s plan fulfilled. David waited to become king, though he had already been anointed. And the disciples waited in Jerusalem until the promised Holy Spirit was poured out. In every case, waiting was not wasted—it was preparation.

The danger of not waiting is seen in Saul’s impatience. Rather than trust God’s timing, he took matters into his own hands and lost the kingdom (1 Samuel 13:13–14). Impatience can rob us of God’s best. But those who wait discover renewed strength, revived hope, and deeper intimacy with God.

So where do you find yourself today? Are you weary in prayer because the answer hasn’t come? Are you tempted to give up on a promise God made long ago? Or are you so burdened by life’s weight that you feel ready to collapse? Remember this: waiting is not wasted. In the waiting, God is shaping you, strengthening you, and preparing you for what is ahead.

Heavenly Father, teach me to wait upon You. Give me understanding that I might know Your ways. Guide my steps that I might follow You. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

2 Corinthians 4:7-12^NIV

[7] But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. [8] We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; [9] persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. [10] We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. [11] For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. [12] So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

Often times, we take Paul saying “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” As strictly spiritually, but I believe Paul intended that to be our axiom for every aspect of our life. Because in life we will face challenges, disappointments, obstacles. We’ll become discouraged, depressed, anxious, if we don’t hold true to Paul telling us that “Yes, you’re struggling. Yes, you’re discouraged. Yes, things don’t look good right now. Yes, you’re not where you want to be, but God has not abandoned you.”

It’s easy to get caught up in all that’s going on and miss all that’s going right. It’s easy to forget the blessings, miracles, and favor God has given you over the years when your hard-pressed on each side. Paul isn’t tell us not to acknowledge the struggle. Paul is telling us to not disregard the victory. Don’t focus on what feels like defeat. Not every battle is won in one try. Some battles take all night. Some battles need the sun and moon to stop so that you have more time to fight.

The one thing you have to do, is keep going. That’s it. Because when you keep going you are actively putting your faith in God to carry you to the end. You’re actively saying “I know the LORD has good plans for my life and I won’t miss them because life is hard right now.” Paul understood obstacles, just like we do today, if not even more so, but the difference between us and Paul, is that he didn’t focus on the obstacle. Paul focused on the one who got him through that obstacle.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Change Your Axiom.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:2-4).

Imagine a blacksmith forging a sword. The raw metal, rough and unyielding, must endure the fire’s heat and the hammer’s blows to become strong, sharp, and useful. Without the fire, it remains brittle; without the strikes, it lacks form. So it is with us. Life’s trials—whether a harsh word, a betrayal, or an unexpected loss—are God’s forge, shaping us into vessels of His glory. James challenges us to count it all joy when these trials come, not because they’re pleasant, but because they produce steadfastness, a resolute faith that anchors us in God’s promises.

Consider Sarah, a single mother who faced relentless criticism at work. Her new manager constantly belittled her efforts, tempting her to lash out or quit. Instead, she prayed, choosing meekness over anger, trusting God to vindicate her as He did Moses when Miriam and Aaron spoke against him (Numbers 12:3). Like David, who endured Shimei’s curses while fleeing Absalom (2 Samuel 16:10-12), Sarah refused to retaliate, leaving room for God’s justice. Over time, her steadfastness shone through; her manager noticed her grace, and coworkers rallied to her side. Her trial forged a stronger faith, proving God’s refining work.

We often “zig” with frustration or “zag” with self-defense, feeling entitled to anger. Yet, James calls us to a higher standard as a “peculiar people” (1 Peter 2:9). Trials test our ability to love unconditionally, as Christ loved the Church (Ephesians 5:25), and to live out the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:37-40). When we embrace trials with joy, we allow God to shape us into mature believers, “perfect and complete,” reflecting His transformative grace.

Identify a trial you’re facing today, and instead of counting the cost—your comfort, pride, or need to be right—count it all joy. Ask, “What is God teaching me through this?” Perhaps it’s patience, grace, or trust. Like David, leave room for God’s vindication. Like Moses, choose meekness over self-defense. Pray for strength to endure, knowing God is producing steadfastness in you, preparing you to live as His “peculiar people” (1 Peter 2:9).

Remember, trials are God’s classroom for faith. Embrace them with joy, and let steadfastness shape you into the mature, loving, and meek believer God calls you to be.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your refining work in my trials. Help me to count them all joy, trusting Your purpose to produce steadfastness in me. Grant me the meekness of Moses, the faith of David, and the love of Christ, that I may reflect Your glory as one of Your peculiar people. May I endure with patience, becoming perfect and complete in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.