We very much live in a world that encourages us to sin, to worry, and most of all, to drift further from God. This is a fact. Yet, as believers, we still walk with Him, because we love Him and want to be with Him. We also know that it’s better for us (in so many more ways than one).
This doesn’t mean that it’s always easy, though, and we can get discouraged, especially under the pressure cookers that are our minds and the world. So, today, I’d like to give some encouragement to you, my fellow women of God, as we remain in Christ. Let’s open to Psalms, Isaiah and 1 Corinthians. And we’re using The Passion Translation today!
The first thing I want to remind us of is that no matter what we go through, Christ is our protection, our foundation and our salvation. In Psalm 18:2 (TPT), David says “Yahweh, you’re the bedrock beneath my feet, my faith-fortress, my wonderful deliverer, my God, my rock of rescue where none can reach me. You’re the shield around me, the mighty power that saves me, and my high place.” This verse tells us that when we are unsafe, when we are shaken—when we are falling apart—we have a perfect God who shelters us and holds us together. We as Christians dwell right in the palm of His hand in the middle of the persecution, of the pain, and of the heartache. So, while you’re experiencing any of those, remember because you are in Him, He’s on your side. And He always wins.
Our biggest discouragements often come from our own selves when we think that we’re not doing enough for God’s Kingdom. But God isn’t asking us to be perfect nor is He asking us to do something grandiose. He’s simply asking for our faith and obedience—for us to follow Him. Note how when Jesus chose His disciples, He never said “follow yourself and your gut”—He said “follow me.” I’m not citing a specific verse here because throughout the entire Bible, God has a wonderful track record of using imperfect but obedient and faithful people to fulfill His perfect will. When we get discouraged by our own shortcomings, we have to remember and find comfort in the fact that we’re still chosen by God.
There are also situations where we feel hopeless (such as when we’ve been praying for a loved one to accept Christ for a long time, and they still haven’t). When we get that way, there is hope in the Lord. Not only can we trust Him to be our foundation and our security, but we can also trust Him for change. Isaiah 55:12 (TPT) says, in a promise to the Israelites, “‘For you will leave your exile with joy and be led home wrapped in peace. The mountains and hills in front of you will burst into singing and the trees of the field will applaud!'” Not only does God pour hope into the hopeless here, but He also does it throughout the Bible—from Genesis with Sarah and Abraham to the Gospels where Jesus died for our sins. Hope is everywhere, and we’re walking with its very source!
Speaking of hope—sometimes, we wonder where God is taking us and why, because it can feel like we’re going in circles and bearing no fruit for His Kingdom (that sounds a bit brash, but we can really feel that way. We wonder, “God, why are you having me do this?”). But, if we’re abiding in Him and obeying Him, those “circles” have a purpose, and rest assured, the Lord has sown those seeds from your obedience for that beautiful fruit tree. 1 Corinthians 15:58 (TPT) says, “So now, beloved ones, stand firm, stable, and enduring. Live your lives with an unshakable confidence. We know that we prosper and excel in every season by serving the Lord, because we are assured that our union with the Lord makes our labor productive with fruit that endures.” Our Kingdom work has a purpose and will produce fruit for God, even if we don’t see it in our own lifetimes. We have to remain confident in the fact that everything we do as we serve God, everything we do as we walk with Him, will produce something good for His Kingdom.
I really could go on and on about this, but I will end this one with the fact that God sees all of the effort that we put into walking with Him, even when this world tells us to step off of His path and even when it’s hard. God smiles at us as He watches us, even when we struggle, because we are moving forward in Him. So, keep going! God is so proud of you and is going to use you for something beautiful.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Katie Pennington is a writer and editor who is originally from Hazard, Kentucky, but currently resides with her family in central Tennessee (though she frequently visits her Appalachian roots). Her favorite Bible verse is Psalm 42:5, which reminds her that in despair, there’s hope in God, and there’s healing in praising Him.