“Discouragement – Replace It With His Courage”
“Put
your hope in Adonai, be strong, and let your heart take courage! Yes, put your
hope in Adonai! (Psalm 27:14 CJB)
Dear
family of friends,
Discouragement is inevitable in our lives. We see, we hear, we
experience things that just pull us down, get our eyes off the main goal, which
can then tempt us to want to stop moving. Or simply just quit. A nagging or long
sickness, unemployment or low employment, lack of true friends to encourage us
or whom we can share our thoughts and hopes. Any of these can take its toll. And
they certainly do. No wonder we sometimes just want to get off the track, and
sit in silence.
Disappointments can cause us to react the same way. We were
counting on an event to happen, and it didn’t. We were told we would get the
job or the promotion, and we won’t. The kids failed to act a certain way that
we had hoped, and well, they just couldn’t.
We all have experienced discouragement and disappointments.
Sometimes they can be overwhelming, and if not for the hope to hold on, they
can be devastating. Whether we are a veteran in the faith, or a new believer,
we need ongoing courage within, and encouragement from without, to go on when
we don’t have the faith to do so.
I love hearing stories where discouragement is replaced by
courage; where disappointment is surpassed by the unexpected God appointment. Seeing
the action of the Lord, putting our hope in Him, gives us that needed push to
get back up, get the spirit moving, and trust Him for the good in all of that
which seemed uncertain and unavailable.
Having one act of the Holy Spirit can take us from one realm to
the other, and just like that our confidence can be restored. I am so thankful
for His interaction in our lives.
In one incidence I want to share, monthly funds for this ministry
we started in 2010 was about to be cut by a third in this its fourth year. My first
reaction was to look at where we could cut expenses. Then my next thought was
to wonder if I was going in the right direction. And then it was followed by
discouragement, as I honestly thought, “Lord, if You are not going to provide for this ministry,
then why am I going to continue the effort to keep doing it?”
You know what His reply was? Within two days I got a call from someone
we had helped a year earlier, saying they had a $1000 to give to the ministry.
What an encouragement! That gift alone just made up almost one-half of the previous annual loss,
in just the first month.
This is the Lord. When we are on the frontlines, doing that which
we know He has purposed us to do, we will get hit by the arrows, the bullets,
the silent lies of the enemy attempting to take us out of the battle and put us
down. But our God is our victory, and the hope He gives within us, the trusted
One in Whom we can always count on to be there, will be there. His courage
becomes ours once again.
Pushing forward to accomplish the end results is a daily battle,
but we are not alone. His courage replacing the discouragement we get tempted
to give in to, will keep us keeping on. His appointments replace the
disappointments.
Thank you Lord Jesus, Adonai.
Ahava to
my family of friends,
Steve
Martin
Founder,
Love For His People
Love For His People, Inc. is a charitable,
not-for-profit USA organization. Fed. ID#27-1633858.
Please consider sending a
charitable gift of $5-$25 today, and maybe each month, to help us bless known
families in Israel, whom we consistently help through our humanitarian
ministry.
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Inc. P.O. Box414 Pineville, NC 28134
Todah rabah! (Hebrew
– Thank you very much.)
Please share this Ahava Love Letter with your friends.
Email: loveforhispeople@gmail.com
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Martin and Love For His People
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LovingHisPeople and ahavaloveletter
Ahava Love Letter #101
“Discouragement – Replace It With His Courage” Steve Martin
Date: In the year of our
Lord 2014 (01.20.14) Monday at 7:00 pm in Charlotte, NC).
All previous editions of
Ahava Love Letter can be found on this Blog, and our newest website: Ahava Love Letters
