Be encouraged
What an encouraging song. Thank you for sharing, Di. Not just the words, but the pictures in the video were incredibly touching to me.
So encouraging, for the first time, I’m sitting down to blog. Something I’ve been wanting to do each week and always fail to deliver. Bear with me while I try to put my thoughts into words….
In watching this video and listening to this song, I realized that for the first time this week, I actually sat still and gave all my pain, fear and worries over to God.
My biggest downfall is letting work and the daily chaos of life drown out my time with God – my time to be still, talk and listen. Meanwhile, I continue to go day after day, piling up, storing and internalizing all my cares, concerns and thoughts. I constantly push things aside and have every good intention of talking to God about them “later.” (I love how I always feel God needs all the details in order to understand my situation!)
This works well, when I actually sit down and take the time to talk to God, give all of my cares to Him, and trust He will take care of me and continue to guide me. It’s when I let the hustle and bustle of everyday life take over, and don’t find/make the time to be with Him, that I find myself slowly deteriorate in strength, confidence and the simple ability to stay above water. Satan is quick to step in, misguide you, make you fearful, worry and turn everything gloomy and gray. When this happens, it’s definitely noticeable and sometimes hard to pull out of. But we have to! If we just look up to our Father, He will ensure we don't lose sight of how wonderful He made us, how much He loves us, and all the good He has in store for us.
I feel God is calling me to do so many things in my life…some right now, and some just around the corner. So many things, that I’m often unclear where He wants me to start. I know He has plans for me that reach far beyond where I sit today. Plans that will teach me, grow me, strengthen me and put me out there to lay myself down for others. A life where I will go to sleep at night knowing I made a difference and am a faithful servant to God. I struggle with my current situation because I often feel like I’m wasting time doing things that are not rewarding or helping nearly enough to build God’s kingdom. I know He wants me to be patient and strong. To stay close to Him and listen, so when He’s ready for me, I’ll hear Him telling me to GO. I am ready, and I am willing. I simply need to learn to trust His timing and His plan for me. I need to learn not to try and rush Him and do things my way. If there is one thing I know, especially throughout this past year, it’s that God will not leave me, He will not forsake me, He loves me unconditionally, He saved me and He will use me to further His kingdom….all because I let go and trusted Him. I can never forget what God has already done for me, in His own time. I pray and trust He will give me comfort and strength for today, until He’s ready to use me tomorrow….wherever that may be. We need to always be encouraged, not discouraged!
My dear friend, Heather Lane, forwarded me a link to a daily devotional from The Purpose Driven Life. In the sea of email I have to look at each day, these devotionals are such a ray of light in my work day.
Today’s devotional was so fitting to this conversation, so I thought I’d share. It’s a bit long, but so encouraging for any of us feeling discouraged.
Resist Discouragementby Rick Warren
You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, “He who is coming will come and will not delay.” Hebrews 10:36-37 (NIV)
*** *** *** ***
If you’re discouraged because of God’s delay in answering your prayers, understand the delay is NOT a denial. Just because the answer or the miracle hasn’t come – yet – that doesn’t mean God isn’t going to answer, or that he’s forgotten you, or that he doesn’t care about you. It simply means “not yet!”
Spiritual maturity is knowing the difference between “No” and “Not yet,” between a denial and a delay. The Bible tells us, “He who is coming will come and will not delay” (Hebrews 10:37 NIV).
The delay may be a test of your patience. Anybody can be patient once. And, anybody can be patient twice. And, just about anybody can be patient three times. So God tests you patience over and over and over.
Why? To see how patient you are?
No, he does it to show you how patient you are. So you’ll know what’s inside of you, and you’ll be able to know your level of commitment. God tests you so that you can know he is faithful, even if the answers you seek are delayed.If you’re discouraged, turn it around by remembering God teaches you patience during delay. Ask him to transform your discouragement into patience.
You may be going through difficult times right now and feel like dropping off the planet. You’re discouraged because the situation you face seems unmanageable, unreasonable, or unfair.
It may seem unbearable and inside you’re basically saying, “God, I can’t take it anymore. I just can’t take it anymore!”
But you can.
You can stay with it longer because God is with you. He’ll enable you to press on. Remember, you are never a failure until you quit.
Don’t quit. Resist discouragement and finish the race God has set before you.
So encouraging, for the first time, I’m sitting down to blog. Something I’ve been wanting to do each week and always fail to deliver. Bear with me while I try to put my thoughts into words….
In watching this video and listening to this song, I realized that for the first time this week, I actually sat still and gave all my pain, fear and worries over to God.
My biggest downfall is letting work and the daily chaos of life drown out my time with God – my time to be still, talk and listen. Meanwhile, I continue to go day after day, piling up, storing and internalizing all my cares, concerns and thoughts. I constantly push things aside and have every good intention of talking to God about them “later.” (I love how I always feel God needs all the details in order to understand my situation!)
This works well, when I actually sit down and take the time to talk to God, give all of my cares to Him, and trust He will take care of me and continue to guide me. It’s when I let the hustle and bustle of everyday life take over, and don’t find/make the time to be with Him, that I find myself slowly deteriorate in strength, confidence and the simple ability to stay above water. Satan is quick to step in, misguide you, make you fearful, worry and turn everything gloomy and gray. When this happens, it’s definitely noticeable and sometimes hard to pull out of. But we have to! If we just look up to our Father, He will ensure we don't lose sight of how wonderful He made us, how much He loves us, and all the good He has in store for us.
I feel God is calling me to do so many things in my life…some right now, and some just around the corner. So many things, that I’m often unclear where He wants me to start. I know He has plans for me that reach far beyond where I sit today. Plans that will teach me, grow me, strengthen me and put me out there to lay myself down for others. A life where I will go to sleep at night knowing I made a difference and am a faithful servant to God. I struggle with my current situation because I often feel like I’m wasting time doing things that are not rewarding or helping nearly enough to build God’s kingdom. I know He wants me to be patient and strong. To stay close to Him and listen, so when He’s ready for me, I’ll hear Him telling me to GO. I am ready, and I am willing. I simply need to learn to trust His timing and His plan for me. I need to learn not to try and rush Him and do things my way. If there is one thing I know, especially throughout this past year, it’s that God will not leave me, He will not forsake me, He loves me unconditionally, He saved me and He will use me to further His kingdom….all because I let go and trusted Him. I can never forget what God has already done for me, in His own time. I pray and trust He will give me comfort and strength for today, until He’s ready to use me tomorrow….wherever that may be. We need to always be encouraged, not discouraged!
My dear friend, Heather Lane, forwarded me a link to a daily devotional from The Purpose Driven Life. In the sea of email I have to look at each day, these devotionals are such a ray of light in my work day.
Today’s devotional was so fitting to this conversation, so I thought I’d share. It’s a bit long, but so encouraging for any of us feeling discouraged.
Resist Discouragementby Rick Warren
You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, “He who is coming will come and will not delay.” Hebrews 10:36-37 (NIV)
*** *** *** ***
If you’re discouraged because of God’s delay in answering your prayers, understand the delay is NOT a denial. Just because the answer or the miracle hasn’t come – yet – that doesn’t mean God isn’t going to answer, or that he’s forgotten you, or that he doesn’t care about you. It simply means “not yet!”
Spiritual maturity is knowing the difference between “No” and “Not yet,” between a denial and a delay. The Bible tells us, “He who is coming will come and will not delay” (Hebrews 10:37 NIV).
The delay may be a test of your patience. Anybody can be patient once. And, anybody can be patient twice. And, just about anybody can be patient three times. So God tests you patience over and over and over.
Why? To see how patient you are?
No, he does it to show you how patient you are. So you’ll know what’s inside of you, and you’ll be able to know your level of commitment. God tests you so that you can know he is faithful, even if the answers you seek are delayed.If you’re discouraged, turn it around by remembering God teaches you patience during delay. Ask him to transform your discouragement into patience.
You may be going through difficult times right now and feel like dropping off the planet. You’re discouraged because the situation you face seems unmanageable, unreasonable, or unfair.
It may seem unbearable and inside you’re basically saying, “God, I can’t take it anymore. I just can’t take it anymore!”
But you can.
You can stay with it longer because God is with you. He’ll enable you to press on. Remember, you are never a failure until you quit.
Don’t quit. Resist discouragement and finish the race God has set before you.
posted by Jennifer Hirata | 12:31 PM
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