Have you ever felt troubled, crushed, perplexed … driven to despair? The apostle Paul surely felt that way as he fulfilled his calling to serve the Lord. He said in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (NLT):
“We are pressed on every side by troubles,
but we are not crushed.
We are perplexed,
but not driven to despair.
We are hunted down,
but never abandoned by God.
We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.”
The key words are “but never abandoned by God.” No matter what you face or how you feel, I encourage you to remember ~ and believe ~ you are never abandoned by God.
But you may say, I don’t “feel” God’s presence; or where was God when ….? God promised us He would always be with us, BUT we are responsible to seek God, to allow Him into our lives and to follow His ways. So, I encourage you: seek God with all of your heart. Tell Him what's on your mind; Ask Him for help (His wisdom; His strength/courage, His understanding, etc.) You don’t need to be a theologian; your request for help does not have to be formal. It requires a humble heart and saying Lord, I’m here before you and I need you (Your Love, Your Wisdom, Your Guidance ...)! Praise God HE is always available, 24/7, no appointments required!
Jesus died on the cross so that we could come before God blameless ~ righteous (not seeing our sin/mistakes). So, go to HIM with all of your fears, concerns or questions. Be not troubled … HE will never abandon you for HE loves you ~ unconditionally ~ and HE cares because HE created you with wonderful plans and purpose!
Michelle Lord Samples
From the Heart, Christian Life Coach
Resources:
1 Chronicles 16:10-12a (NKJ) “Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD! Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face evermore! Remember His marvelous works which He has done…”
Psalm 9:9-10 (NKJ) “The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.”
Deuteronomy 31:8 (NLT) “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
1 Chronicles 16:10-12a (NKJ) “Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD! Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face evermore! Remember His marvelous works which He has done…”
Psalm 9:9-10 (NKJ) “The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.”
Deuteronomy 31:8 (NLT) “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
Psalm 119:2 (NKJ) “Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart!”
Matthew 11:28-30 The Message “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
Matthew 11:28-30 The Message “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
1 Corintians 10:13 NLT “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure..”
Matthew 6:33 NLT “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."
Matthew 22:37-38 NLT "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment."
Hebrews 11:6 NLT “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him."
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