Do You Lack Hope or Strength?

“Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.”
                                     Psalms 31:24 (KJV)
 
 




 
Hi friends,

     How are you?  Have you ever had a time when you just didn’t feel like doing anything?  Have you ever felt like you just couldn’t get out of your own way?  Maybe you were ill or tired.  Maybe you were depressed and uncertain about what to do.  Maybe you felt lost or overwhelmed. 

     Often times when we feel at our worst, we don’t feel like we can do anything.  It is during these times when we feel like we have no hope and have no courage.  We may even feel paralyzed emotionally, physically, and spiritually.  We may feel like we may not have an ounce of strength left and couldn’t lift even a finger to do anything. 

     Sometimes, it is a good thing to feel that low.  Addicts say that they have to “hit bottom” before they are ready to quit and change.  It isn’t until they know that they have to rely on God and the help of those who God puts in their way, that they come to accept and want change.  If addicts still feel they can live “their way”, they are not ready to be healed.  They aren’t ready to quit and to open up to God.

     Whether you are an addict or just going through something very difficult and feel very low, it is then that we are called to be courageous.  Can you imagine being courageous when you are at the lowest of lows?  Doesn’t seem possible sometimes. 
     Have you ever heard of the saying, “God helps those who help themselves”?  This saying reminds me of Psalms 31:24.  Even though we are feeling low, scared, overwhelmed, ill, weak, or whatever the difficulty might be, we are called to take that baby step towards God.  We are called to be courageous even though we may not feel it.

     Why?  Why should we be courageous in our lowest or scariest moments?  It is easier to fold under, to complain, to back away, to sleep until we feel better, to push things under the rug and forget about them, or to just ignore them and hope they go away.  Don’t you find those things easier than actually facing the problem and having courage? 
 
     Finding it easier to run away from the problem might be a great worldly technique, but it isn’t really the best technique.  The best thing to do, what we are called to do is to take that baby step of courage in God’s direction.  Be courageous and have faith that God is there for us.  If we take that one simple step in having courage and relying on God, God will strengthen our heart.  This is really good news.  If we take one baby step towards God, He will take one giant step towards us.

     Notice that Psalms 31:24 doesn’t say that God is going to solve the problem or cure us.  There may be other verses with that sort of message, but this one isn’t one of them.  No, it says that for those who have courage and put their hope in God, He will strengthen their heart.  God will make us stronger, so that we can have the right attitude and get through the situation better.

     There is another saying that helps us to understand Psalms 31:24.  It is, “Attitude is everything”.  We may have heard that a good attitude can go a long way in helping someone heal.  For example, we can find that same sort of sentiment in Proverbs 17:22 (KJV) which says, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.”

     God knows how difficult it can be for us to be strong during difficult situations.  He made us and he is all knowing.  So, God gives us verses like Psalms 31:24 to encourage us to have that little bit of courage and rely on Him.  He wants us to know that if we take that baby step, He will give us the strength we need to get through it. 
 
Heavenly Father,
     Thank you for your love and compassion towards us.  Thank you for being our loving Father.  Help us to remember your Word and to have courage in our most difficult times.  Help us to put our hope in you, even when we aren’t sure we have much hope left.  Help us to know you will strengthen our heart, even when we don’t think we have any strength left.  Help us to realize that we can rely on you during all times and to have the courage to take that baby step towards you.  I ask you this through your Son, Jesus.  Amen.
 
Reflective questions for Psalms 31:24 (KJV):
*What does Psalms 31:24 mean to me?
*Of which sayings does Psalms 31:24 remind me?
*Of which other Bible verses does Psalms 31:24 remind me?
*What does it mean to strengthen our heart?
*What is God telling me through Psalms 31:24?
*Am I courageous during difficult situations?
*What can I do to better heed the words in Psalms 31:24?

Note:
     If you like this post you might enjoy these other posts on hope, strength, and difficult times.  Enjoy!

Now, it is your turn.
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