Discouragement has to bow at the feet of Jesus

Hi friends!

It’s been awhile since my last post but the Lord pressed this subject on my heart and woke me up early to write this so here I am, trying to be obedient.  Lately, I’ve succumbed a bit to the spirit of hopelessness that is very prevalent in our culture today. Outwardly, in the world, things look pretty gloomy. And, inwardly, I am frustrated because I feel like the Lord is slow in keeping His promises to me. My reflex instinct is to just throw in the towel, because it’s just too hard. To wait with joyful expectancy for Him to fulfill His promises to me personally and for our state/ nation/ world.  

I find myself thinking, “It’ll be easier if I just give up hope for this _______ ever happening. The tension in the not-yet-fulfilled state is too much to bear. I’m only human after all. God thinks too much of me. I can’t handle this anymore. I’ll just make do with the current status quo and just get used to it because there’s no way things can ever change. I mean, I know God is all-powerful and all but for this specific situation, I think He has more important things on His mind. I mean the world is literally falling apart before my eyes so how could I still believe He will come through for me in this area when I don’t see much evidence of His healing and breakthrough in the world?”  

And, then I hear the Lord laughing softly with gentleness in His eyes, “Oh, ye of little faith.”  And, once again, I’m convicted and I repent and turn back to Him and lock eyes with Him and I have sustenance to keep believing for the miracle, to stay steadfast in the waiting, and to trust Him with the timing. But, this process is repeated more than I’d like to admit.  Whenever I lose sight of Jesus, I start to waver and focus on the present circumstances more than the beauty, power, and love of my Father.

And, lately, I’m experiencing the Holy Spirit’s promptings in the little things and sometimes “dumb” thoughts/ideas I’d prefer to ignore that I immediately think are ridiculous and so I know it’s from God, not me. But, every time I step out and choose to obey, He blesses me and my tiny sometimes pathetic mustard seed of faith grows a little more and my flame is rekindled.  He’ll have me be vulnerable and go ask for prayer from someone I barely know about what’s on my heart. He’ll have me wear my college ring on my left ring finger as a divine symbol that one day, a wedding ring will reside there. He’ll even have me wear a certain color sweatshirt to represent faith in something I’m struggling to trust Him for.  

And, honestly, it’s kinda annoying when the Lord keeps “pestering” me with these ideas to stimulate my faith. But, it’s a new level of Him doing this because I’ve grown closer in intimacy with Him and I allow His still small voice to direct me, even when it seems silly or inconvenient.  

It’s really quite comical to me that He literally will not allow for me to give up on the desires of my heart that I know that I know that He placed there. In essence, He keeps asking, “But, do you trust me? Even now with no apparent evidence of this promise ever coming to fruition?  Do you trust me when you cannot see?  Has my character changed?  Am I capable of not coming through on a promise?  Do I withhold good things from my beloved children?  If I placed this desire in you and it’s good and righteous, how much more will I ensure it is fulfilled beyond your wildest dreams or expectations? Do I not call you: steadfast, gift of hope, strong, full of faith, abounding joy in all situations, extravagantly loved?”

I mean, what do you say to that?  He gives me opportunity after opportunity to surrender to Him. To surrender my frustrations, anxiety, hopelessness, anger, grief, and unmet desires. He reminds me that with Him, there are pleasures forevermore. And that includes right now. Forever started before I was born and continues, well, forever. It is my choice everyday to choose my outlook and what I will walk in. I can walk in hopelessness or full of faith, confident that God will make a way. I can condemn and judge others for their beliefs/ actions or I can choose to give grace and look for the gold (Christ) in them and build them up. I can let my worries/ fears consume me or I can be transfixed on Jesus’ face and re-ignited with the literal passion of Christ by my God, who is a consuming fire. Is anything too hard for the Lord? 

So, my encouragement to you:

1. Listen to His still small voice and obey His promptings. Preferably the first time but don’t worry, He usually gives you another opportunity because He’s persistent and gracious like that 🙂

2. Meditate on His Word (Scriptures and the words He speaks to your heart) and rest on the unchanging nature of His character and love for you and the endless record of promises He’s fulfilled.

3. Surround yourself with like-minded believers chasing after God who can encourage you, challenge you, call you higher, and empower you to live a life full of faith, hope, joy, peace, and love as you are made more and more into His likeness.

4. Step out in boldness and faith and make declarations of God’s goodness and how He will come through on His promises to you.

5. Don’t you dare give up. Reach out to others and to God when you are at the point of quitting and let Him renew your faith and hope.

Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer person is decaying, yet our inner person is being renewed day by day.  For our momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

 

Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you;

He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.

Psalm 55:22

 

Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let’s show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.

Hebrews 12:28-29