Life has many sweet moments, but enough trouble to discourage us at times. When we need a hand out of that discouragement, God, our source of life, is there:“But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head” (Psalm 3:3 NASB).When our heads our down, He can lift them again. Take time to talk to God—let him know what's on your heart, and take time to listen for his voice in response.
Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. . . . Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. (Psalm 62:5–6, 8 NIV)
At times, when I feel frustrated, just the act of talking through the situation with God brings peace, and dissipates all the negative emotions I'm feeling. The great thing about God is that he's available to all of us. He's not exclusive. It's his desire that we all have access to him through Christ—that all would be saved:
He wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all men. (1 Timothy 2:4–6)
At other times, his Spirit reminds me of truth that unravels all the emotions binding my heart to the problem; he sets me free. The salvation he first offered to the Jews, and the freedom found within it, is available to all: “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31–32). He gives me direction for my path.
Sometimes this truth is specific to his Word. Recently, I was struggling over a relational situation. It had become like a rock in my shoe—a constant, underlying source of concern and sadness. I was getting wrapped up in busyness, and really wasn't dealing with the issue. A good friend, not knowing my struggle, told me that God had asked him to talk with me. He shared some Scripture God gave him for me, and listened as I related the problem. It began unwinding as we talked, and the next day he sent me a Scripture which literally broke the fear and anxiety I had been entertaining. What was it? Matthew 6:34: “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
That's right! I thought, I don't have any control over the future. My job is to focus on loving and obeying God right now; he'll take care of the future. My peace was restored. No more rock in my shoe.
I was reminded of two very important things through this situation. First, that often our encouragement is just a word away. When we neglect spending time in God's Word, we starve ourselves of the encouragement we sometimes desperately need. Second, that we need each other. God often encourages us through other people, and isolation robs us of this encouragement.
Let's stay close to him, his Word, and his people. It makes for a much easier journey!
