Confused but never in despair. Beat up but never broken. Rejected but my spirit is never crushed. With every battle, I grow stronger and wiser. The bigger the giant, the more confident I am that my God is mightier. He is not only by my side, He has me surrounded by His strength and love. I am completely under His protection. I am more than a conqueror.
“If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31 NIV
Thank You, Lord, that even in the midst of our trials, we can have joy because we know that we have an Almighty God beside us. You give us peace that surpasses all understanding because we know that in our weakness, You are our strength.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds.” James 1:2 NIV
Thank You, Lord, that even in my pain, You give me strength to comfort and encourage others. Thank You for the people that comfort and encourage me. You take care of us even when we don’t know how to take care of ourselves. You are truly a good God.
“Praise be to God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV
“I lift my eyes to the mountains–where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2
Complaining, murmuring and cursing is all you hear. You turn to your left and your right and all you see is chaos and confusion. It just hit the fan and you find yourself smack dab in the middle of the aftermath. How in the world did you get yourself in this mess and more importantly, how do you escape?
Take a breath and don’t panic. You’ve faced troubles before and you’ve survived. You’ll survive this too. Yes, even if you feel like you might be losing your mind. You have an advantage because you know that you have God on your side. That’s right, the Lord Almighty, the One who created the heaven and the earth has your back. If the same God that parts seas and raises the dead is on your side then realistically, who can be against you? The same God who calls things into existence with just a word from His mouth loves you, so much so, that He knows exactly how many hairs are on your head. Surely, that same God who cares so much for you will take care of you. This is when you smile because you realize you have the victory.
When it hits the fan, it’s time to ramp up your praise not your doubt. You can choose to look crazy by acting out in fear or by acting out in love.
“I call on the Lord in my distress and he answers me.” Psalm 120:1
“But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love.” Psalm 33:18 NIV
When I feel invisible and cast aside, You see me. When it feels as if no one understands or cares, You see me. Even when I’m at my lowest and I just want to hide from the world and from You, I’m still in Your line of sight.
You see every scar that has ravished my heart. You feel the sting of every wound inflicted on my soul. Even though I’m scarred and bruised, You never turn Your face away from me. You still love me.
When I think of how much You’ve blessed me in spite of my flaws, I can’t help but ask why. Why would You want a relationship with such a mess? I hear You lovingly speak to my heart, encouraging and comforting me. You say, “you are my Beloved. When I see you, I don’t see your past, I see the future I have planned for you. I don’t see filth, I see you cleansed in the blood of My Son, Jesus. I see the person that I created in My image. I could never turn my back on you.
Thank You, Lord, for being the God who truly sees me and always loves me.
“She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the One who sees me.'” Genesis 16:13-14 NIV
Why so downcast, oh my soul? The Lord woke you up this morning. He kept you safe through the night. His sun shines on you. His favor covers you like your favorite blanket.
It’s time to rise and shine. What happened yesterday has past. Today is a new day, full of new blessings and new mercies. Arise and be of good cheer. There is much work to be done by the Lord’s people.
Open your eyes, the world is hurting. Open your ears, the earth cries out. Open your heart and accept God’s assignment. He has given you strength, peace and joy. There is no need to be downcast, oh my soul. For your Heavenly Father is with you today and forever. He has promised to take care of you and to protect you. Your Heavenly Father is El-Shaddai-God Almighty. He is the Creator of the Earth. There is no one and no thing greater than Him. He parts seas. He heals the sick and raises the dead. He sent His Son, whose blood cleanses you of all sin. He has conquered death surely, He can handle your problems.
Praise the Lord, oh my soul, for He is good and His love endures forever. He is generous, not only with His mercy, but with all that is His to give. You are His child. Arise!
“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” Psalm 42:5 NIV
“Weeping may stay for the night but rejoicing comes in the morning.” Psalm 30: 5 NIV
All night long, I was plagued with nightmares. I would wake up from one only to go back to sleep to another. Maybe it was because I’ve been under a little stress or maybe it was last night’s dinner. In either case, I was truly thankful when my alarm clock went off. Seeing that sliver of morning light peeking through my blinds let me know that the nightmares were finally over and everything was going to be alright.
Life is a lot like that too. Sometimes, it feels like we are going from one nightmare to the next. The season of darkness seems to go on forever. We ask ourselves if the morning will ever come. The good news is that the morning will come. Even better news is that God is with us while we’re in the darkness, safely guiding us through our nightmares. God will shine that sliver of morning light on you, just hold on for a little longer. The morning will come.
“I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:13-14 NIV
I’ve done all that I can do. I’ve prayed, I’ve fasted, I’ve immersed myself in the Word of God but still nothing has changed. It actually feels as if things have gotten worse. I’m afraid this is too much for me to bear. I don’t know what else to do. What am I forgetting?
Yes, I remember. I forgot to give the Lord Almighty praise. I’ve been so caught up in my problems that I forgot that God has been carrying me all along. When I didn’t know how I would make it out of the bed and carry on, it was God that gave me the strength. When I didn’t think I would ever stop crying, it was God who comforted me. When I was so afraid that I couldn’t think clearly, it was God who guided me.
Lord, You are the source of my strength, comfort and wisdom. I will trust You and praise You. Thank You for seeing me through every situation I face. Thank You for the encouragement to continue to press ahead. Thank You for loving me and providing for all my needs. Nothing is too hard for You and nothing is greater than You. This battle has already been won. All I have to do now is to thank You for the victory.
“Why my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him my Savior and my God.” Psalm 42:11 NIV
Balm 4 the Soul 