depression – Jesus the Righteous Path

OG – “Help! I Need Encouraged!”

March 12, 2024March 12, 2024Leave a comment

Help! I Need Encouraged!

If you’re breathing, you qualify.

To be discouraged is to lose courage. Find it in Christ and His Word.

Recall the old song, His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches over me. God’s Word says; “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies and yet not one of them is forgotten or uncared for in the presence of God. Do not be struck with fear or seized with alarm. You are of greater worth than many flocks sparrows. And in the Old Testament, “I know and am aquatinted with all the birds of the mountains.”
(Luke 12:6-7b and Psalm 50:11 Amp)

”Encourage the exhausted and strengthen the feeble, say to those with anxious heart ‘take courage, fear not.’ For the Lord knows and is fully aquatinted with the way of the righteous. You number and record my wonderings; put my tears in a bottle — are they not in Your book? Those who feared the Lord talked often one to another, and the Lord listened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him of those who reverenced and worshipfully feared the Lord and who thought on His name.” Isaiah 35:3-4 Psalm 1:6 Psalm 56:8 Malachi 3:16

Be encouraged, God knows your sorrow, He is aware of the path you take…

Devotions for Difficult Days

OG – “Help! I need Encouraged!”

Tomorrow’s Worries

February 11, 2024February 12, 2024Leave a comment

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow,
for tomorrow will worry about itself.
Today has enough trouble of it’s own.
Matthew 6:34

Our world is constantly changing which means a steady flow of worrying by many. Whether it’s due to inflation stresses, unemployment concerns, financial issues, overdue bills, health fears, or, just everyday life, worrying can be difficult to overcome. However, as a believer in Jesus, I know that Christians are not called to worry. He tells us we need to focus on the current day instead of tomorrow because each day brings it’s own troubles. Knowing this could help some to alleviate a bit of some of their anxiety and fear, but, the best way to ensure you can endure whatever the current day brings is to make sure you’re following Christ and what He teaches.

My Prayer
Lord God Almighty, help those who are overcome with anxiety, fear, worry and troubles brought on by this world we live in. We pray for those who are experiencing health concerns, financial issues, dealing with the loss of a job, and for those who are homeless, hungry and depressed. For those who do believe in you, let your Spirit offer comfort, peace and a sense of stability in their lives. Please remind each of those who follow You, we are not called to worry over life’s situations, instead, we are called to pray and turn all our worries, concerns, fears, and anxieties over to You. Thank You for your Grace, thank You for loving us and for Your Mercy, in Jesus name I pray. Amen

Recipe for Peace?

January 23, 2024January 22, 20242 Comments

Be still and rest in the Lord; wait for Him and patiently lean yourself upon Him; fret not yourself because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.

Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.

And God’s peace [shall be yours]…[His peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 37:7 Philippians 4:6-7 AMPC

I’m not very good at following a recipe. It probably stems from years of creating my famous “what’s in the frig?” casserole, working to stretch a dollar and the contents of the frig. Tossing in whatever we had, to create the hoped-for taste. Eyeballing and improvising my way through the cooking until a “casserole surprise,” of culinary delight appeared on the table.

While this approach worked great for hamburger surprise, it doesn’t work well when dealing with the real-world challenges of depression, sadness, stress, heaviness and anxiety.

These heavy weights that seem to be spiraling in our world today, require a step-by-step, grab-my-glasses, follow the recipe approach. We dare not ignore the ingredient list the Lord has offered us or the steps He has provided. If we follow His instructions, the end result will be His peace that is beyond our understanding. Not a shallow circumstance-based peace … But peace no matter the circumstance….

Though I’m not a *doctor nor do I play one on TV, I have walked through seasons of great difficulty and depression inducing trials, and have found by experience, the great faithfulness of our Father God to provide authentic peace that was beyond my understanding.

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Devotions for Difficult Days

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“Recipe” for Peace?

The Brokenhearted

September 15, 20232 Comments

The Lord is near to the
brokenhearted and saves those
who are crushed in spirit.

Psalm 34:18

The past couple of years has really been tough for many people. Pandemics, lockdowns, vaccine mandates, job loss, business closures, hyperinflation, floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, wildfires, train derailments, warehouse explosions, animal deaths, not to mention all the political chaos. So, it’s no surprise many are feeling overwhelmed, fearful and hopeless. While many people turned to meditation, some turned to science, some to climate change, some to recreational drugs and others to religion. Still, those who read God’s Word have a different understanding. Because as a believer my hope is in the Lord Christ Jesus, but, for those who don’t know Him, believe in Him, or have strayed from the faith, their life is filled with these worldly entrapments. But it’s during these difficult times, when they’re at their lowest, when they lack hope, when they’re frightened, scared and feel no one cares, they can cry out to Jesus and He will draw near. By allowing remorse and sorrow to overflow from their heart Jesus can mold and shape them into exactly what God created them to be, His beloved children.

My Prayer
Lord God Almighty, I thank you for showing me the truth of your word. For giving me the ability to let others know that our Lord Jesus is loving, caring, gentle and patient. That He gives us peace in a world full of chaos when others have lost all hope. It’s through His love that I reach out to those who are lost, because, I know during these difficult times that He replaces that fear with an inner peace, anxiety with calmness, and provides strength to those who are weak. I pray for those who don’t know the Lord Jesus that they cry out to Him so He can renew their hearts, their minds and mold them into what you what them to be. All these things I pray in the Lord Jesus precious name, Amen.

Wait for the Lord

June 29, 2023July 14, 20231 Comment

Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage,
and He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!

Psalm 27:14

We live in such a fast paced world that sometimes it’s difficult to breathe, let alone, wait. The past couple of years ushered in so much fear, worry, anxiety, stress that many are left feeling alone and broken. Unfortunately, this is to be expected when people place their trust in the world instead of the Lord. But if we take time to immerse ourselves in God’s Word, in Prayer time and Meditate on scriptures we begin to feel a calmness, an inner peace that completely drowns out the troubles of this world. We’re no longer worried or fearful, instead, we’re encouraged. Because as a believer my hope, my belief, my trust rest in the Lord, and I’m comforted knowing that during difficult times I can call to Him and He will supply my needs. When I’m weak He strengthens and gives me courage so I can stand strong in Him while facing any adversity this world throws my way.

My Prayer
Lord Jesus and to my Heavenly Father, I pray with every fiber of my being to show me how to wait on you. Teach me your ways, strengthen my heart, help me stand strong, and be courageous during difficult times. Replace my fear with an inner peace and calmness so I can face the troubles of this world. Remove all doubt with a knowing and uncertainty with expectation. All these things I pray to and through you Lord, in Jesus name, Amen.