Aside from my calling to be a prayer warrior, encouragement naturally followed suit. I had an inborn desire to build up those who had been brought down by illness, brokenness and loss. I wanted to hearten the individuals I had been praying for. Yet, my ability to cheer up the discouraged didn’t come without cost.
With all the heartbreaking things that can happen in a person’s life, it was impossible for me to remain unaffected by the continual negative onslaught in this fallen world. There were times I needed to be encouraged.
Reading today’s verse sharply reminded me of the one reason I could never be permanently dismayed. That singular root is hope. Its message immediately uplifts my downcast countenance.
Having my hope secured in Jesus Christ as my Savior, will always overshadow the temporary nature of dejection. Even though Satan strives to bring people down via despair, he has no hold over the supernatural exhortation encapsulated in God’s word.
As believers in Christ, we are vulnerable to heartbreak, grief and hopelessness. Without careful attention and discernment, our despondency can become overpowering and cripple our spiritual fervor. However, God isn’t caught off guard by this reality and it’s why his word is filled with inspiration.
From the Old Testament to the New, the Lord sprinkles encouragement throughout his holy pages to keep us going when life tries to strike against the hope we have in Jesus. God, in his awesome sovereignty, paves the way for our encouragement to be sparked in our faith journey.
Therefore, it’s imperative we engage with the Bible daily, so that we would not grow weary in the earthly things we face and that our encouragement would remain steadfast. God never changes or lies and we can stand firmly assured in our emboldened posture while taking hold of everything he supplies through the potency of his word.
Father God, I am so incredibly thankful that I have you and your son Jesus to base my hope in. Without that, I would be greatly discouraged. Keep me uplifted in the face of all that the world endeavors to dismay me with. It’s in Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.
Throughout This Day: Write out today’s verse onto a sticky note and place it somewhere you’ll gaze upon it often. Take in the truth of its message, allowing it to build you up against the enemy’s efforts to break you down.
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