How Do You Respond to Discouragement?

This is a story that teaches us some lessons about how to deal with discouragement at moments in our lives.

A man got dressed in the evening and set out on his way to God’s house. On his way to Church, the man fell and his clothes got dirty. He got up, brushed himself up and headed home.

At home, he changed his clothes and was again on his way to Church. Again, he fell at the same spot! He, again, got up, brushed off the dirt and headed home. At home, he once again changed his clothes and walked out heading to God’s house.

On his way, he met a man holding a lamp. He asked to know his identity and the man replied, “I saw you fall twice on your way, so I brought a lamp so I can light your way.”

The first man thanked him profusely and the two went on their way to the Church. Once at the Church, the first man asked the man with the lamp to come in, but he refused. He asked him a couple more times and, again, the answer was negative. The first man then asked him why he did not wish to come in and pray.

The man replied, “I am Satan.” The man was shocked at this reply.

Satan went on to explain,”I saw you on your way to the Church and it was I who made you fall. When you went home, cleaned yourself and went back on your way to the Church, God forgave all of your sins.

I made you fall a second time, and even that did not discourage you; rather, you went back on your way to Church. Because of that, God forgave all the sins of the people of your household.

I was afraid if I made you fall one more time, then God will forgive the sins of your nation, so I have to make sure you get to the Church safely.”

Do not put off the good you intended to do as you never know how much reward you might receive from the hardships you encounter while trying to achieve that good. Your righteousness can save your family and a whole nation.

– Author Unknown

Meditation: For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. – Hebrews 12:3

The Island of Feelings

Author Unknown

Once upon a time, there was an island where all the feelings lived; Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge, and all the others, including Love. One day it was announced to the feelings that the island would sink, so all repaired their boats and left.

Love decided to persevere until the last possible moment to ensure that everyone else was safe. When the island was almost sinking, Love decided to ask for help. Richness was passing by Love in a grand boat. Love said, “Richness, can you take me with you?”

Richness answered, “No, I can’t. There is a lot of silver in my boat. There is no place here for you.”

Love decided to ask Vanity who was also passing by in a beautiful vessel. “Vanity, please help me!”

“I can’t help you Love. You are all wet and might damage my boat,” Vanity answered.

Sadness was close by, so Love asked for help, “Sadness, let me go with you.”

“Oh…. Love, I am so sad that I need to be by myself.”

Happiness passed by Love too, but she was so happy that she did not even hear when Love called her!

Suddenly there was a voice, “Come Love, I will take you.” It was an elder.

Love was overjoyed that he even forgot to ask the elder his name. When they arrived at dry land, the elder went his own way.

Love realizing how much he owed the elder, asked Knowledge, another elder. “Who was that man helped me?”

“It was Time,” Knowledge answered.

“Time?” asked Love. “But why did Time help me?”

Knowledge smiled with deep wisdom and answered, “Because, only Time is capable of understanding how great Love is.”

Meditation: But time and chance happen to them all. – Ecclesiastes 9:11

You will succeed because Jesus loves You!

Why God Loves You

Author Unknown

As I gazed up at the mountains, I was awed by their majesty;

I bowed my head and asked myself, “Why should He care for me?

I am not great like the mountains that tower so high above,

What is there about me that God can find to love?”

“Father, I am not strong like the wind that makes your tall trees sway,

I cannot sing sweetly like your birds; will you love me anyway?

But most of all, I am simply me, and often have cause to fear,

In spite of all my weaknesses, do you promise to be near?”

With eyes closed tight against my tears, I wished He could hear me pray.

Then I felt His Spirit tell me, “Child, look up, I have something to say.

“You are simply you, the spirit I love, a part of my great plan.

I put you here to learn of life and to return to me again.”

“You are more beautiful to me than the loveliest mountain I made,

And your strength exceeds that of the winds, so do not be afraid.

I love you not for what you are, but for what I know you will be.

I am always beside you watching you grow, you are very special to me.”

A smile touched my lips – I knew it was true, my Father had always been there

Giving me comfort and blessings and love and my own special talents to share.

So I do my best to make Him proud. I am not afraid, for you see,

He loves me not for what I am, but for what He knows I will be.

Meditation: The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.” – Jeremiah 31:3

You will succeed because Jesus loves You!

The Reason You are Going Through Times

Author Unknown

There was a group of women in a Bible Study on the book of Malachi. As they were studying chapter three, they came across verse three, which says: “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.” This verse puzzled the women and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.

One of them offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study. That week, this woman called up a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn’t mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot. Then she thought again about the verse that says, “He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.”

She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, “How do you know when the silver is fully refined?”

He smiled at her and answered, “Oh, that’s easy – when I see my image in it.”

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has His eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.

Meditation: My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. – James 1:2-4

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

A Greater Power Watching

There was a nature show on television about a black bear that gave birth to two cubs. One cub died right away. Three weeks later the mother died and the remaining cub was left to fend for itself. An orphaned cub in that condition is like a walking buffet for predators. And, of course, the camera immediately showed a hungry-looking mountain lion.

One day the orphan cub encountered a giant male black bear. The little cub cowered at the bear’s sheer mass. The larger bear peered around and seemed to realize that the mother bear wasn’t anywhere to be found. He gave the little cub a friendly nudge. The camera then showed the little bear happily trailing along after the larger one. The adoption papers were signed, sealed and registered at the county seat in that nudge. Papa bear proceeded to show the cub how to grub for insects and how to catch fish and how to scratch his back against a tree.

One day, the two bears became separated. The cub began to cry and looked frantically for his new father, but couldn’t find him anywhere. The cub approached a stream where he’d learned to fish and something caught his attention. He looked up to see a mountain lion ready to pounce. That same mountain lion had stalked the cub for the entire show. There was no way that mountain lion would’ve gone for that cub with Papa bear around, but now….

The camera zoomed in on the cub. He automatically mimicked the posture of his adopted father when threatened. He stood on his hind legs and bared his teeth. Then, in the exactly the same way his new father would have done, this cub let loose a mighty growl that should have reverberated throughout the forest. But, only a tiny bear cub’s squeak came out.

Well, you know what was coming. But, to everybody’s astonishment, the mountain lion lowered his head and ran off in the opposite direction.

The camera panned back to the proud little cub still standing tall on his hind legs. And then all the viewers saw what that little cub could not: a few yards behind him, at full, ferocious height, his sharp, white teeth bared in a snarl, stood Daddy bear. He may not have made a sound, but he was there.

And even though the cub couldn’t see his father, his father stood guard, protecting his young. The little cub had power available greater than anything he could produce on his own. There was a greater power watching over him.

It is the same thing for us children of God. Even though we may not see Him or feel Him; God is nevertheless jealously watching over us and is ever up to the task whenever there is a threat to our lives or wellbeing from any corner; signalling at the enemies to stay away from us.

— Author Unknown 

Meditation: You are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. – 1 John 4:4

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

What Killed the King?

Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria, and was injured; so he sent messengers and said to them, “Go, inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this injury…” Then he said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of His word? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’” So Ahaziah died according to the word of the Lord which Elijah had spoken. – 2 Kings 1:2,16-17

Not everybody dies from the disease that apparently kills them. Some die from the places they go to seeking relief from that disease.

What killed King Ahaziah? Was it the fall from his upper balcony and the complications arising therefrom? Or was it because he went consulting after the god of Ekron? According to our passage, he died from where he went seeking a solution to what he thought was about to kill him. He died from a where, not a what.

Of course, everybody would say that the king died from his accidental fall, but our passage tells us that his death was actually a divine sentence for seeking help in the places he sent to consult from.

Not everybody dies from their deadly disease. Some die from the deadly places they go to, seeking help. Mind the places you go to when trouble comes. God may pardon ignorant Ekronites who visit their Baalzebub, who might even come out with fantastic lies of Baalzebub’s miraculous powers; but Israelites who should know better, risk death when they play the same game.

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help… (Isaiah 31:1).

Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord. (Jeremiah 17:5).

Beelzebub might be allowed to lie to his Ekronites, who often come away with fantastic tales of his miraculous feats, but Israelites who walk that path risk disaster.

Not everybody dies from the deadly disease that apparently kills them. Some die from the places they visit, seeking help. Mind the places you go to seek help in the days of your troubles. When some king crashes to death from his high places, let ignorant newspapers say what they may. The prophet knows why.

— The Preacher’s Diary

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Having It All Figured Out

Author Unknown

A wealthy woman was serving a life sentence in prison. Angry and resentful about her plight, she resolved that she would rather die than to live the rest of her life in prison.

Over the years she had become friendly with one of the prison caretakers whose job, among others, was to bury dead prisoners in a graveyard outside the prison walls. When a prisoner died, the caretaker would ring a bell which everyone would hear to announce the death of an inmate. The caretaker would then place the dead body in a casket. Next, he entered his office to fill out the death certificate before returning to the casket to nail the lid shut. Finally, he put the casket on a wagon to take it to the graveyard for burial.

Now familiar with this routine, the woman devised an escape plan which she shared with the caretaker: The next time the bell rings, she would leave her cell and sneak into the dark room where the coffins were kept. She would then slip into the coffin with the dead body while the caretaker is filling out the death certificate. When the caretaker returns, he would nail the lid and take the coffin outside the prison with the woman inside alongside the dead body. He would then bury the coffin.

They had both arranged for special vents in the coffin so there would be enough air for her to breathe until later in the evening when the caretaker would return to the graveyard under the cover of darkness to dig up the coffin, open it, and set her free. She would also carry along a small flashlight to enable her see in the darkness.

The caretaker was initially reluctant to go along with this plan, but since he and the woman had become good friends over the years, and knowing that he stands to gain a lot from this wealthy woman, he eventually agreed to do it.

The woman waited several weeks before someone died in the prison. She was asleep in her cell when she heard the death bell ring. She got up and slowly walked down the hallway. She was nearly caught a couple of times. Her heart was beating fast. She opened the door to the darkened room where the coffins were kept. Quietly in the dark, she found the coffin that contained the dead body, carefully climbed into the coffin and pulled the lid shut to wait for the caretaker to come and nail the lid.

Soon she heard footsteps and the pounding of hammer and nails. Even though she was very uncomfortable in the coffin with the dead body, she knew that with each nail she was one step closer to freedom. The coffin was lifted onto the wagon and taken to the graveyard outside. She could feel the coffin being lowered into the ground. She didn’t make a sound as the coffin hit the bottom of the grave with a thud.

Finally, she heard the dirt dropping onto the top of the wooden coffin, and she knew that it was only a matter of time before she would be free at last. After several minutes of absolute silence, she began to laugh gleefully feeling free already and chanting that he was free!

Feeling curious, she decided to light the flashlight to find out the identity of the dead prisoner beside her. To her horror, she discovered that it was her caretaker friend, her only hope to freedom, lying next to her!

Many people go around believing they have life all figured out; that they are well connected and can orchestrate people and situations to suit their whims. But sometimes things just don’t turn out the way they planned it. It is always best to have a Plan B.

I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but I know Who holds tomorrow. The happiest people don’t have the best of everything, they just make the best of what they have. But then, even the best fails. Only God never fails.

Meditation: O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps. – Jeremiah 10:23

You will succeed because Jesus loves You!