When we turn on the news, we get swamped with so much bad news that makes our tough seasons even more challenging. In recent times, we have gone from Covid to the Ukraine Crisis, from runaway inflation to recession, and as if a global recession wasn’t bad enough, there have been 120,000 layoffs in the tech industry. If you are based in my home country (Nigeria), you’ll also be dealing with fuel scarcity and a government policy that has led to cash scarcity and the collapse of online banking systems.
You get the point, the times are gloomy. Earlier, I said I couldn’t understand why I was down, and neither did David. This doesn’t mean we don’t know the source of our sadness, we just don’t understand it. But what I love about David, and I’m grateful to the Holy Spirit for directing me to Ps. 42:11 and 43:5, is that even if we don’t understand why, David told himself that he would hope in God and wait expectantly. The Amp. Version says “Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him. The help of my countenance and my God.” This is the same David that had on several occasions lamented his circumstances and the mockery he was facing.
When we find ourselves feeling discouraged,
instead of wallowing in it as I did for 3 days ish, we should do as David did
and place our hope in God, and wait expectantly for Him; God has never
disappointed and will surely not start today (Is. 55:11 & 40:8; Matt. 24:35).
Num. 23:19 reminds us that God does not lie, change His mind, or fail to fulfil
what He said He would do. What a beautiful reassurance! So I did as David did,
I put my hope in God, jumped on YouTube and pulled out songs that helped me
praise God. One song, I can never get tired of is Psalm 34 by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, such an amazing and reassuring song. Another is Yes I Will by Vertical Worship which I had on repeat when my wife and I were faced with the probability
that our baby may be born prematurely. God did it!, He was born full term. Yes and Amen by Housefires was another song I leaned on, I discovered it when I was
going through the wilderness of unemployment.
I said we tend not to understand why we feel discouraged because we can vividly remember the times God came through for us, yet the cares of the world still affect us like the seed that fell among the thorns (Mark 4:18-19). Whenever we feel down, remember what David said in Ps. 42:11, and strengthen yourself in the Lord your God (I Sam. 30:6). May we be like the seeds that fell on good soil in Jesus' name (Mark 4:20)! Remember the joy of the Lord is your strength (Neh. 8:10)!
Thank you sweet Holyspirit for always comforting us and helping us navigate through life.
ReplyDeleteWe must keep hoping in God no matter the circumstances. If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. Proverbs 24:10. How do you build your strength to sustain you when adversity comes, rely on God, keep your faith strong in Him.
ReplyDeleteIsaiah 40:29 Let’s us know that “He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.“ He helps us increase our strength when we rely on Him.
Isaiah 41:10 also lets us know that we should not fear nor be dismayed: ”Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
Finally, when you wait upon the Lord your strength is renewed. “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isa. 40:31). Waiting on the Lord should be a continuous act, for constant renewal of our strength to face every pressure that comes our way in life.
You're blessed Sageonomsky as your message keep helping me to dig deeper on each subject you focus on.
Amen, thanks for sharing these tips on how to build our strength as Christians and the importance of waiting upon the Lord. When we are weak, the only source of strength comes from the Lord.
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