Bible Studies

Discouragement can come from within. Discouragement can come from without. Sometimes discouragement comes from strangers. Sometimes friends. Sometimes even those closest to us. It never feels good, does it? And if we allow ourselves to fall victim to discouraging voices, we can find ourselves feeling down, depressed, confused, disappointed, scared, worried, bitter, resentful, etc. Anything but encouraged and excited as the Spirit of God beckons us to go forward.

Needing answers? Trying to make a decision? Having trouble figuring out what to do? Feeling confused? Wondering if you’re headed in the wrong direction? Or the right direction? Or not headed in any direction at all? Stuck? Unclear? Wondering which way to turn? Is it possible you’re facing the wrong direction?

It shouldn’t take any distance at all to go and serve at a Center of Hope. Every single believer in the Lord Jesus Christ should BE a Center of Hope. We should all shine with the love and light of Christ. We should all share the Gospel message. We should all love, pray for, help, and encourage people. We should all counsel people to follow the Lord Jesus Christ by living according to the Bible. We should all display to the world the message of the hope of Christ. We should all distribute to others the resources God gives us to share with others. When people look at us in our everyday lives, they should see Christ’s love, mercy, grace, compassion, comfort, forgiveness, joy, and HOPE!

That’s when it dawned on me. That I don’t believe in me. And that I don’t believe I can succeed. In anything. You know how our world teaches us that we should believe in ourselves? And believe that we can do anything and everything? That we should chase after our dreams? That we should trust in ourselves? That we should believe we can do whatever we set our minds to? And so on? How could I keep moving ahead in my ministry work without believing in me? And in what I could accomplish in my strength?

Because the life of obedience to Jesus, despite how indescribably challenging it can be to say no to self and yes to God and His ways, comes with the everlasting reward of being in Christ’s forever fellowship, drawing ever closer to Him, become ever more like Him, and looking forward to the rewards stored up for His faithful followers in heaven.

I knew the Lord’s will. But I missed the Lord’s timing. And herein lies the message. The Lord has a perfect time for His perfect will. He is perfect, and so are His plans for us. So is His timing for His plans. He is the great orchestra-tor – the great conductor – of everything good and everything beautiful. Right down to the very detail of all of His creation. Right down to the very time frame of it all.