BibleForums Christian Message Board

Philippians 2:8, “[Jesus] humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross”

John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
__________

I wanted to share with you today a precious hymn entitled “Just as I am, without one plea”.  This is one of the most  familiar old hymns and one which is most likely remembered because of its use as an "invitational song" at the close of many traditional church services and, most famously, in its use at the end of each service in the Billy Graham Crusades. Whether or not you know this hymn, you probably are not familiar with the history of its authorship and the story behind its writing. At least, I know I wasn’t.

In his book, “My Life and the Story of the Gospel Hymns”, Ira David Sankey writes, "Miss Charlotte Elliott was visiting some friends in the West End of London, and there met the eminent minister, César Malan. While seated at supper, the minister said he hoped that she was a Christian. She took offense at this, and replied that she would rather not discuss that question. Dr. Malan said that he was sorry if  he had offended her, that he always liked to speak a word for his Master, and he hoped the young lady would someday become a worker for Jesus Christ.

When they met again at the home of a mutual friend, three weeks later, Miss Elliott told the minister that ever since he had spoken to her, she had been trying to find her Saviour, and that she now wished him to tell her how to come to Christ. "Just come to him as you are," Dr. Malan said. This she did, and went away rejoicing. Shortly afterward she wrote this hymn."

Just imagine! The author of this beloved hymn was herself saved after hearing the message "Just come to him as you are" and this led to the writing of the song which has spread that message to countless others who have come to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ in the same way, just as they were. So, my brethren, I sincerely trust that you will enjoy this old precious hymn:

Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thy love unknown
Hath broken every barrier down;
Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, of that free love
The breadth, length, depth, and height to prove,
Here for a season, then above,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come
__________

Further reflection:

Only when we fully trust someone will we commit ourselves to that person. Such complete trust is depicted in the following story. A crowd gazed in awe as a tightrope walker inched his way across Niagara Falls. The people cheered when he accomplished the feat. Then he turned to a man and said, “Do you think I could carry someone across?” “Sure,” the man replied. “Let’s go then!” “No thanks!” the man exclaimed. So, the tight roper asked another man, “What about you? Will you trust me?” “Yes, I will,” he said. That man climbed onto his shoulders, and with the water roaring below they reached the other side.

Hidden in this simple story is a spiritual challenge each of us must face. Our sinfulness is a yawning chasm between us and God, and we are unable to cross it. Only Jesus Christ is able to bring us safely to the other side. But we must repent and trust Him with our lives. The apostle Paul confidently wrote, “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.” If you’re reading this, are you trying on your own to cross the chasm of sin that separates you from God? If so it’s impossible.

Trust in Jesus Christ, for He alone is able to bring you to God. He always accepts people as they are. In John 6, the people had come from miles around to hear Jesus. When the crowd became hungry, He miraculously fed them with a boy’s unselfish gift of five loaves and two fish. Then the Lord offered Himself as “the bread of life,” promising that He would not turn away anyone who came to Him. You want to know something, “It’s still true today.” No one who comes to Jesus will be turned away. Come to Him with all your sin. He’ll accept you just as you are.
__________

Natural life came by God’s breath; eternal life comes by Christ’s death.

2 Peter 3:18, “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ”
____________

When it comes to how tall we stand, hereditary factors establish a ceiling that limits our height. Regardless of diet and exercise, physical growth ceases at a certain point. No matter how hard we may try, when that limit is reached, we cannot grow anymore (vertically that is, though many of us have a tendency to continue to expand horizontally). Our potential to grow spiritually is unrestricted; however, it depends on our own desire and how much we draw on His Eternal Word.

Once upon a time there was a Persian king who wanted to teach his four sons never to make rash judgments. So, he told the eldest son to go in winter to see a mango tree, the next son would go in spring, the third son in summer, and the youngest son in the fall. After the last son had returned from his autumn visit, the king called them together to describe what they had observed. “It looks like a burnt old stump,” said the eldest. “No,” said the second, “it is lacy green.” The third described it as “beautiful as a rose.” The youngest said, “No, its fruit is like a pear.” “Each is right,” said the king, “for each of you saw the tree in a different season.”

My beloved, so it is with born-again believers in Christ. Simply put we are all at different seasons of our spiritual growth. What a lesson this fable holds for us who profess Jesus Christ as Savior of our life. Our maturity doesn’t just happen. Our “diet” has to be right and we must “exercise” our faith regularly. Unless we feast on God’s precious Word, there will be no growth. Unless we obey and practice what we have studied, we will never realize our full potential. Our brothers and sisters in the Lord are at different stages in their spiritual growth and come from many different backgrounds and cultures. Their conversion to Christ is just the beginning of a lifetime of replacing old thoughts, attitudes, habits, and actions with new ones created by the indwelling Holy Spirit.
____________

Closing thoughts:

We are saved by grace and declared righteous in Christ Jesus. For the believer, the power of the spiritual life comes from the indwelling Holy Spirit. If we meditate on God’s Word daily, it will influence our thoughts and help us to grow to be more like Christ. My beloved, we can’t make ourselves grow, any more than we can force growth from the seeds in our garden. However, we can tend the soil, keeping our hearts soft, receptive and obedient to His Eternal Word. Then we will yield the fruit of righteousness. Thus, as we open our heart and mind to the Word with an eagerness to obey it, the Spirit will cause us to grow and bear fruit (Galatians 5:22-23).

Whether you’re a new believer or have known the Lord for many years Ephesians 4:15 tell us to, “Grow up in all things into Him”. Above all, don’t let setbacks and failures discourage you in your walk and service for the Lord. Stay in touch and in tune with God through prayer and the fellowship of like believers in Christ. Then, as you feed on the Word of God and obey His commands, you too will become more like Christ through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Someone made this observation, “The acorn does not become an oak in a day. It’s not one touch of the artist’s brush that produces a finished painting. There are always months between seedtime and harvest. Remember, it takes time”! So, how would you describe your spiritual growth today compared to six months or a year ago?
__________

If we are being transformed by the Word, we won’t be conformed to the world.

An illustration of the meaning “to be born again” is found in the Epistle of John (Chapter 3).  A Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, and a very learned man asked this question of Jesus.  Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.  Jesus answered and said unto him, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Nonetheless, even Nicodemus who was a brilliant scholar of the Jewish law said unto Jesus, “How can a man be born when he is old?  Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?”  Jesus answered Nicodemus thusly, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”  Nicodemus was talking about physical birth, however, Jesus was talking to Nicodemus about a spiritual birth.

Many who claim to be a Christian have not had a second birthday (spiritual birth), the one that Jesus was talking to Nicodemus about?

Psalm 119:27-29, 33-34, "Make me understand the way of Your precepts, that I may meditate on Your wonderful deeds. My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word. Keep me from deceitful ways; be gracious to me and teach me your law. Teach me, LORD the way of your decrees, that I may follow it to the end. Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law and obey it with all my heart”
__________

What has had the most influence in your life?  I would venture to say the majority of people in today’s society would be influenced by movie stars, professional athletes, television hosts and books written by various authors to name only a few. Have you even considered that we have at our very disposal the written Word of Life given to us by its author and our creator God? 

(1) Loren D. Esthleman said this about the Bible, “Lay chosen faith aside and read this beautifully written book.” 
(2) Madeleine L’ Engle Franklin added, “It is the foundation stone of the English language.”
(3) John Jakes urged people to read the Bible “for the magic, and the possibilities, of its English.”

Although these writers had some high praise for God’s Word, their endorsement isn’t the reason we should read His Book. The Bible merits our attention because it is God’s breathed and inspired Word of Truth and He has preserved it for us. My beloved, the God who created you and me, has given us His Book, and we need to make it our Book. By reading it, pouring over it, meditating on it, and putting into practice what it says, then we begin to know God Himself, and in the process, we fulfill for ourselves the psalmist’s quest, “I have sought Your precepts … I have seen the consummation of all perfection.”

It is the only Book that speaks of earthly things and human experiences (good and bad).  It also describes with clarity and authority areas of heaven and earth, things seen and unseen; revealing facts about God, angels, men, time and eternity, life and death; of sin; of heaven and hell. More importantly we find within its pages everything we need to know to receive salvation and have a personal relationship with God’s only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.

The apostle Paul declared in 2 Timothy 3:16 it "is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness".  It has been stated that people devote more time to learning about the Bible than in discovering its message.  After 30 years as a pastor, a New Jersey minister concluded, "The Bible is the best-selling, least-read, and least-understood book."  In his view, "Biblical illiteracy is rampant."  George Gallup, the foremost religion pollster in the United States agrees.  "We revere the Bible," he says, "but we don't read it."  We should be more like the psalmist who asked God to help him understand the way of His precepts and to increase his knowledge of God and His will. 

As a believer in Jesus Christ that should be your foremost desire.  We should prayerfully study the Scriptures to discover what God is saying to us through His Word about Himself and especially His plan for our lives. 1 Samuel 3:10 puts it this way, "Speak, for Your servant hears."  We need to be like Samuel, willing to pause in the midst of life's turmoil to hear the still voice of the Lord, and we will have this opportunity if we prayerfully read and study the Bible regularly.  You see, God's Spirit communicates to us through the precious and eternal Word of God.
 __________

Further Reflection:

The believe the greatest cause for our neglect of the Bible is not lack of time but lack of heart.  Someone else's word is taking the place of the Word of God.  There are many good books and magazines to read; however, we must not neglect the mysteries of God's mercy, His grace and His love that are woven throughout the His Eternal Word that will change a person’s heart and life forever. I can attest to fact, the Bible, God's written Word, changes lives.  It changed my life when I accepted His Son Jesus Christ as my Savior; and you know what; if you want such a change in your life, receive Jesus Christ as your Savior.  It’s only a prayer away!  Then ask God to give you a desire and hunger  for His Word and a hunger to taste His grace and goodness each and every day.

My beloved, it’s the only Book that will bless you while you're still in this world, and will show you that through faith in Jesus Christ you can be sure of eternal blessedness in God’s eternal kingdom.  Thomas A. Kempis (1379-1471) summed it up well when he wrote, "Blessed indeed are those ears which listen not for the voice sounding without, but for the truth teaching inwardly.  Blessed are the eyes that are shut to outward things but intent on things inward.  Blessed are they who are glad to have time to spare for God, and who shake off all worldly hindrances.  Consider these things, O my soul, and hear when the Lord your God speaks."
__________

Closing thoughts:

For those who aren’t saved, what are your reasons for living?  The way you live reveals your real reason for living. Actions really do speak louder than words. Take a look at your life and evaluate where your energies are being spent. Are you living to have fun? Get smart? Work hard? Love people? Please God? Do your responses to the following questions support your answers above? How do you spend your time? Do you know God’s Word? Are you living in obedience to God? If not, why not? To what are you looking for satisfaction? What are you doing that has eternal benefits? If these questions make you uncomfortable, maybe you need to recognize the waste of living for anything less than God’s intended purpose.

If you’ve never taken the first crucial step of trusting Jesus Christ to rescue you from God’s judgment against sin, accept His offer of forgiveness right now. He will forgive, and He will give you a new heart and a new purpose and reason for living (John 3:16; Romans 5:8 ). Ask Him to help you make the most of the new life He’s given you. Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

For those who have been saved by the precious blood of Christ, how long has it been since you've asked the Lord to make your heart receptive to His Word?  He longs to hear you say, “Speak Lord, I’m listening.”
__________

God’s love is both tough and tender.

Thank you for reading and commenting on the post.

Jeremiah 17:9, "The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is”?

Romans 5:8, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”
__________

God didn’t love us because we loved Him. There is nothing in the heart and life of a sinner to attract the heart of God. Absolutely nothing! But to the contrary, everything to repel Him. The heart is sinful, depraved, a mass of corruption, with “no good thing” inside. That’s why this truth makes Salvation the wonderful thing that it is.  God loving ME!  Wow!!!

Human hearts are naturally: (1) Evil,  Hebrews 3:12; (2) Wicked, Jeremiah 17:9; (3) Weak, Ezekiel 16:30; (4) Double, Psalm 12:2; (5) Hard, Ezekiel 3:7; (6) Stony, Ezekiel 11:19; (7) Haughty, Proverbs 18:12; ( 8 ) Proud, Proverbs 21:4; ( 8 ) Perverse, Proverbs 12:8; and (9) Foolish, Romans 1:21

God can make the heart: (1) Clean, Psalm 51:10; (2) Good, Luke 8:15; (3) Faithful, Nehemiah 9:8; (4) Honest, Luke 8:15; (5) Soft, Job 23:16; (6) New, Ezekiel 18:31; (7) Tender, Ephesians 4:32; ( 8 ) Pure, Matthew 5:8; (9) Perfect, 1 Chronicles 29:9; and (10) Wise, Proverbs 11:29.
__________

Closing thoughts:

From a human perspective, many people may be described as “good.” However, God sees the spiritual foolishness, disobedience, blindness, selfishness, and hate that lie deep within our heart. We might not want to admit it, but we all have a heart problem; however, this isn’t about the physical heart, but the spiritual heart. Jeremiah, a prophet of the Lord told us of the inner heart, that spiritual part of our being (Jeremiah 17:9-10). He pinpoints what experts cannot quite understand about the nature of sin.

While men through education, legislation, penalization, dictatorships and democracies have all failed the picture isn’t all dark. While man cannot remedy his situation concerning sin, God has provided the only solution.  It’s a new creation and spiritual rebirth! When a sinner comes to trust Jesus Christ as Savior that person receives a new nature and a changed heart, and becomes a partaker of the very nature of God (2 Peter 1:4), wherein the Spirit of God comes into that person, equipping them for a new life (Colossians 3:10). The question then remains:

(1) Have you received a new nature and changed heart?

(2) If not, it is my sincere desire to extend to you, if you don’t know Jesus Christ as Savior, an invitation to come to Him and drink freely from the soul-satisfying living water of life that only Jesus can provide.

My friend, only Jesus Christ can satisfy the deep longings of your heart. Believe what the Bible says about who He is and what He has done. Read John 3:16 and put your name in it. Then accept Jesus’ offer of forgiveness and eternal life and receive Him as your Savior, and He will give you and new and changed heart.
__________

God’s gift of salvation is free, but it’s not yours until you ask for and accept it.

Proverbs 16:9, “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps”

Acts 8:26, “Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, go south to the road – the desert road – that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza”
__________

As we wake up and begin each new day, we should have a sincere desire to please the Lord, and gladly anticipate God’s appointments He has planned for us. As we go throughout our busy day, we are continually met with unique opportunities to have an influence on others. Our appointments may be the people we meet or even the unplanned circumstances that are put before us.

It might be an encounter with family, friends, and fellow believers or it might be the man or woman in front of you in line at the grocery store, or the teenager at the checkout counter, it may be the waiter in the restaurant, the fellow passenger on the airplane, or the neighbor across the street that might be your special assignment for today.

Whatever our appointment may be, we should welcome them as opportunities to witness, to serve and to grow spiritually. My brethren, the incidents in our lives don’t just happen by accident, they aren’t determined by the stars, nor are they by chance either. Have you ever noticed how the right things happened at just the right time? It wasn’t by chance but it was God’s hand at work guiding you. If you were to search the Scriptures you would find so many appointments that God had planned.  Think about this – it wasn’t by chance that:

(1) Elijah and Ahab met on the grassy slopes of Carmel;
(2) Herod and John met on the highways of Galilee; 
(3) Pilate and Jesus met in the judgment hall at Jerusalem; 
(4) Peter and Cornelius met on the Syrian seaboard; 
(5) Philip and the Ethiopian met on the sandy road to Gaza; and,
(6) Nero and Paul met amid the antique splendors of ancient Rome.

I’m also mindful of the appointments of Jesus Christ Himself. Jesus was a very busy man, and yet, he was never too busy to offer a kind word to the men and women who crossed His path on a daily basis. Here are but a few of His appointments planned by His Heavenly Father:

(1) He stopped and spoke to the diminutive Zacchaeus who had perched himself in a tree to get a better look at the parade of followers;

(2) He took a break from his travels to engage in one of his longest recorded conversations with a weary woman at a well with a sullied reputation;

(3) He interrupted his schedule to comfort a mother in the funeral procession of her only son;
(4) He took time to deliver a demon possessed man who stood in his way on the shore;
(5) He encouraged the distraught Peter after his denial;
(6) He comforted his crying mother as she stood at the foot of the cross; and,

(7) He noticed a lame man among many who crowded around the pools of Bethesda waiting for the healing waters to stir.

From a human perspective, it certainly appears that each of these incidents in Jesus’ life was an interruption in his full daily schedule, but oh, they weren’t interruptions at all. Each of these encounters was a divine appointment from His Heavenly Father who controlled the moments of Jesus’ days.

So, my brethren, could God be sending you out on a special assignment each and every time you cross the threshold of your home. The question then remains, “Who will God put in your path today”? ‘We never know when an apparent mistake or coincidence might be, in fact, a divine appointment from God.’
__________

Closing Story:

I will conclude with this true story written by Diane Drew, which I came across some time ago and is very appropriate for this devotional.

Who would be calling this late? I wondered, as I picked up the phone. Although half asleep, I sensed the desperation in her voice. “No, no one here by that name,” I said. “You must have the wrong number.” I rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. Her trembling voice, however, echoed in my mind. I could not sleep.

Again, the phone rang. With a quivering voice, she asked again for her daughter. She had obviously been crying. “No, you have the wrong number,” I said again. “That’s impossible!” she insisted. I wanted to reach out to her. She sounded so helpless. But I was embarrassed. I hung up the phone, but my spirit was grieved. God, is there any hope for me? I prayed. Shy as I am, I had not been able to bring myself to tell her what I felt the Spirit nudging me to say. I knew I had grieved the Holy Spirit. I remembered Jesus’ saying, that if we’re ashamed of him before men, he will be ashamed of us before the Father. I prayed for forgiveness and boldness to be faithful the very next opportunity that presented itself.

But I couldn’t believe it when the phone rang again. It was 1:00 a.m. “Is something wrong? Do you need to talk?” I was compelled to ask this time. (Obviously, God had heard my immediate prayer.) “Oh, yes!” she blurted out. “I’m calling from the hospital. I’m scheduled for heart surgery at 5:00 a.m., and I was trying to call my daughter because I’m so worried, I just can’t sleep.” “I don’t understand how I keep getting you,” she added, apologetically. “I know my daughter’s number by heart. She’s had it for years; and I call her every day!” she said, puzzled. “It’s okay,” I said. “I think I know why the lines keep getting crossed, or whatever is happening,” “Are you afraid of — of dying?” I asked, obviously straining to getting the word out. “Because if that’s why you’re upset,” I explained, “the Bible says we can know that we have — now possess — eternal life.”

She listened quietly as I continued to share the words of life and peace through faith in Jesus Christ. Afterwards, the caller prayed aloud with me the prayer of salvation. “I never felt such peace!” she said. Even her voice sounded different. “You didn’t even get angry at me,” she said with surprise, “for ringing your phone in the middle of the night — not just once or twice, but three times!” “Well, God has been very patient with me,” I replied.

“Think about it. We can call on him anytime. He stays up all night anyway.” We laughed. I shared a couple Scriptures. She especially liked Psalms 86:7, “In the day of my trouble, I will call upon thee…” Then we said good night. I never heard from her again. Whether or not she survived the heart surgery a few hours later, I will never know. But one thing I am certain: That night, God gave her a new heart. I have often wondered how many other opportunities I have missed to share the gospel. Or how many times my witness might have been destroyed through a display of impatience or selfishness rather than compassion and openness to the Spirit’s leading.
__________

We never know when an apparent mistake or coincidence might be, in fact, a divine appointment from God.

Lamentations 3:25, “The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him”

Psalm 18:2, “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold”
__________

One day, according to an old fable, the devil decided to sell some of his well-worn tools. On display were some treacherous instruments, including hatred, jealousy, lying, and pride. However, set apart from the rest was a harmless-looking device with a very high price tag. “What’s this?” someone asked. “That’s discouragement,” Satan replied. “It’s one of my most effective tools. With it I can pry open and get inside a man’s heart, with that tool, when I can’t get near him with any other. It’s badly worn because I use it on almost everyone, since so few people know it belongs to me.”

That tool certainly worked in Elijah’s case. He had just slain the wicked prophets of Baal. When he prayed earnestly for rain, God sent it, ending a three-and one-half year drought. The prophet then ran more than ten miles to Jezreel and went two days without food. These victories left Elijah physically and emotionally drained, and he was therefore vulnerable to discouragement. So, when Jezebel threatened his life, Elijah quickly slipped into a state of fear and depression.

As God took steps to restore Elijah’s failed strength, He will also do the same for you and me. Now let’s switch our focus from Elijah to you and myself. The valleys of life undoubtedly are lined with discouragement, which falls under the category of “the cares of this world” (Mark 4:19) that God warns believers to stay free from as much as possible. Thus, discouragement is one of life’s most difficult challenges, and we must constantly work at not letting discouragement get a foothold in our lives. Why you may ask? Well because living in discouragement will divide the mind, making it hard to focus on anything besides your pain.  Then as anger becomes habitual, we’ll look for someone to blame, whether God, people around us, or yourself.
__________

Further reflection:

Discouragement can become a deadly spiritual virus to the born-again believer in Christ, if not attacked aggressively. The difference in the outcome is determined by the way we decide to handle it. At some point in your life, if not already, you will experience shattered hopes and disappointment, which lingers over us like a dark and heavy cloud.  Though we’ll all face disappointment from time to time; however, as believers in Christ we’re not to wallow in it.

Instead, God wants us to trust Him with everything—even our unmet expectations and deepest sorrow. If you ignore the Lord and doubt what he says “He has promised” you will most certainly be depressed; especially if you continue carrying unnecessary burdens of guilt, fear, loneliness, anxiety, and turmoil in your life; because you refused to rest on the Lord's great and precious promises recorded in His Word. My brethren, we are told in God’s Word of His promises to us as His precious children, some of which are listed below:

(1) 1 Peter 5:7, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you”;

(2) John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid”;

(3)  Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose";

(4) Psalm 34:15-17, "The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry…. The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles";

(5) Psalm 55:22, “Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved”, and

(6) 1 Peter 1:6-9,“In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls”.
__________

Closing thoughts:

While deciding how to end this post the Spirit directed my thoughts to the prophet Jeremiah. If anyone had a good reason for being discouraged, it was him. For 40 years, he declared God’s judgment on the rebellious and unrepentant nation of Judah. Jeremiah suffered because of their disobedience, but he clung to his faith in God’s goodness. Even after witnessing the destruction of Jerusalem and the captivity of his people, Jeremiah wrote, “The LORD will not cast off forever. Though He causes grief, yet He will show compassion according to the multitude of His mercies. Let us search out and examine our ways, and turn back to the LORD” (Lamentations 3:31-32, 40).

Thus, disobedience to God can cause great pain, but the doorway out of discouragement leads to the Lord, who “is good to those who wait for Him” (Lamentations 3:15). My brethren, if you are feeling discouraged today, don’t give in. Instead, seek God in prayer, claim His precious promises, share your needs with those who can give you Godly counsel and if others are discouraged, be ready to pray for them and encourage them with the love of Jesus Christ and His promises. We can learn from Elijah’s and Jeremiah’s experience, so don’t let the devil defeat you through discouragement that can and will lead to depression.
__________

The devil can’t keep you down if you let the Lord lift you up!