Day 5: AN ENCOURAGING WORD

Reminding you to encourage yourself. There won't always be someone around to lift you. To tell you that everything will be alright. Those closest to you may not be sensitive to your needs, dealing with their own. Family and loved ones may miss your signals for help, your desire to be understood. "Who can empathize, who can identify with my issues and problems?" 

Some can, sometimes. But there will be times when you're left alone, and it's in those times that you must be able to reach down into the depths of (you) and draw from your experience and knowledge of God, who you know Him to be, and how He has shown Himself to be faithful throughout your life.

CHRIST SET THE EXAMPLE IN THE GARDEN

When the time was approaching that our Lord would become the sacrificial substitute to pay for our sins, the weight of the world was on His shoulders. The Word tells us that He began to be sorrowful and very heavy and said to Peter, James, and John, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with Me (St. Matthew 26:37-38). The Lord’s request to Peter, James, and John to be alert and prayerful during His most pressing time was met with their sleepiness. The frailty of humanity will often let us down. Family and friends won’t always be there for us; but it’s in those times that our personal relationship with God will carry us through.

Christ shows us to keep praying and to commit ourselves into the hands of the Father. In full surrender He said, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt (St. Matthew 26:39). Our tests are designed for us to learn that we must lean on the everlasting arms of the Lord. Become your own coach, dry your tears, and reach up to the God of your salvation, because quitting is not an option. Challenge yourself, like the Psalmist did. He confronted himself and asked this question; "why my soul, are you downcast? why so disturbed within me?" and then he answers himself; "Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God" Psalm 42:5. 

Get to know and meditate on His promises until you gather enough momentum to push forward through the walls of despair and hopelessness. Think of His goodness, His grace, and unconditional love for you. And know that God is greater than your problems; He's bigger than your situation and He has a plan for your life. Let Him strengthen you to crash your own pity party. Don't feel sorry for yourself or make excuses. Don't live with a victim's mentality. Seek to live in the victory that is in the Lord. 

God doesn't throw us away because we fall. God doesn't give up on us because we get stuck in life. God doesn't stop loving us because we go astray, but He lovingly steers us back to that pleasant place in Him where we can be restored. Keep praising and praying, keep fighting, and fasting; and always remember that we are called according to His purpose and that because we love Him, all things are working for our good (Romans 8:28). 

From the heart and hand of Pastor Reginald Reaves

For additional resources and study materials, visit

COTNC.org

ReginaldReaves.com