Hope-less? or Hope-filled?
Do you ever feel as if you are in a hopeless situation … where there seems to be no reason for your existence. Maybe friends or loved ones are no longer close to you, perhaps they have gone from this life and you feel all alone, or something has happened in your life that makes you feel “alone and useless in the middle of a crowd.”
This is not peculiar to you. Everyone feels this way some time. 1 Corinthians 10:13 is so vital to know; “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it”
However, you may be in disparaging circumstances due to no fault of you own. Being in situations like this is something that gives us a real opportunity to grow spiritually. The muscles of an athlete only develop by putting pressure on them. The spiritual muscles of the Christian only develop as spiritual and emotional pressure is put upon them.
How can you learn to trust the Lord if everything is going smoothly? It takes no faith to trust Him when all seems well and we sense the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It is in times when we feel alone and forsaken that we can learn to trust Him.
(We trust Him in circumstances like these by claiming Romans 8:28; “And we KNOW that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purposes.”)
We EXPRESS THAT FAITH and trust in Him by facing the world without complaint, with a positive spiritual attitude and putting our faith into ACTION by ministering to others. The Lord’s greatest cure for “loneliness and discouragement” is to start helping others.
No matter what your situation may be, no matter how remote your location, no matter how heavy your burden … all personal problems are soon forgotten when we turn our eyes to the needs of others.
Did you know that God permitted you to come to the exact condition in which you now find yourself FOR THE SPECIFIC PURPOSE OF YOUR MINISTERING TO SOMEONE ELSE! Get your eyes off your needs and take advantage of your present condition to help others. You will find no greater peace and joy in the world than helping others. The most miserable people in the world are the ones who think only of themselves and their own wants and needs.
Sharing His Wonder,
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