When All Seems Lost- Here’s an Encouragement To Give You Hope.
We all have moments in our lives where we feel like things are moving from bad to worse. Probably, you’re in a situation currently that seems to be going downhill, or even worse your situation has escalated so bad that it seems impossible to fix or to reverse.
I can’t imagine the frustration and pain you’re feeling right now. All I can do is pray and trust with you, that God will guard your heart against the thoughts of fear and unbelief. I pray that the truth in these scriptures not only motivate you but cause a breakthrough that you desperately need. May you find courage to hope again and encouragement to keep holding on.
Related Post: 8,000 Promises In The Bible
Our story,
When our daughter was born, she couldn’t breath, she had to be resuscitated and put on oxygen immediately for several hours. My wife and I were devastated seeing our baby fighting for her life, what was supposed to be a few hours turned into days. To be honest these were the most painful and longest days of our lives.
We knew we needed to trust God, but at this point nothing was making sense, at least from our perspective. We prayed and asked God to guard our hearts against the thoughts of fear and unbelief. A prayer that I wish you pray today.
Lord guard my hearts against fear and unbelief.
We knew this situation paused an opportunity for us, an opportunity for us to either be frustrated, angry or an opportunity to choose God in the midst of pain.
I can tell you for sure that in those long hours and painful experiences God was our refuge and strength. We can say confidently that He was a present help in “our trouble.”
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1
Today I want to encourage you with two stories in the Bible. May the truth in this scriptures be an encouragement and a place of comfort when all seems lost.
Here’s the two texts we will focus on, Exodus 14:10-13, and Luke 8:40-50.
Allow me to quote the text to help us get context,
Exodus 14:10-13
10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. 11 They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”
13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
The children of Israel are facing an impossible situation (the red sea) and to make matters worse the enemy is after them. Things have escalated from worse to impossible, and it seems like there was no way out. This situation has caused panic to the whole community and all seems lost, the promise of freedom, the hope of worship and the excitement of family… all is threatened.
I wonder how you and I would have reacted if we were there, probably the same. But I thank God because the story turned out different. Looking at the story in hindsight we see that all along God was in control and His plan was to receive Glory and to build their faith.
This has become our motivation when we find ourselves threatend with an impossible situation.
It is for His Glory and for building our faith.
Shadrack T. Ashaiyo
Luke 8:40-50
40 Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. 41 Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house
42 because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying. As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. 43 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years,[a] but no one could heal her.
44 She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. 45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.”
46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” 47 Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. 48 Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”
49 While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t bother the teacher anymore.” 50 Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.”
Looking at both of this stories two things are clear, at least for me,
- The reality of fear
- The sovereign plan of God
When we are faced with a threating situation our first response is fear. That’s human nature, the bible is full of scriptures about courage and word such as “do not fear” This is a clear indicator that every day we will face situation that present an opportunity to fear.
Am calling it an opportunity because we all have a choice either fear of trust God. When you look at the story of the Israelites and the story of Jairus as we have read, you will notice quickly that fear is not a respecter of man, it can challenge even the best of us.
But what can we learn from this two stories. Here’s my three lessons
- Nothing can or will happen without God’s know how. What this means is that, if God has allowed it to happen He has a bigger plan that will give Him maximum glory.
- God wants us to not fear, instead to trust Him
- Every challenge is an opportunity to give God glory
What do you think about this two stories, let me know on the comment.
