Good morning! It’s a beautiful crisp Spring morning near the Blue Ridge Mountains and the sun is shining. The sunlight is coming through the beautiful stained glass in my window and its reflection makes gorgeous designs on the walls!! Despite what is going on around me, I see God’s handiwork even through the darkest of times. I recently went through some health issues with my husband and times like these always prove God’s faithfulness! Praising God is a boost to a discouraged heart. The more I praise Him and thank Him for all He has done for me, it’s as if I am able to climb out of the discouraging hole in which I’ve placed myself. All I have to do is to look around me. I see God’s blessings through nature and in His Word! I see God’s goodness when I look at my husband and family.

So how does one praise the Lord in the midst of trials? When tears are flowing and your heart is breaking, something has to be done to get you out of your pit! It’s not easy – it is a learned habit as you grow in Him. The Book of Psalms is a great place to start when you’re feeling discouraged.

Psa 92:5  O LORD, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep.

You may be asking yourself why God allows these times! You may be accusing Him of even causing your problems. But stop and think for a moment. Once sin entered the world through Adam and Eve, there was no stopping its effects on mankind and nature. Mankind was no longer perfect, as originally created by God. Man made a conscious decision to disobey God, and mankind has paid the price ever since. Sins’ problems are caused by our own disobedience, so don’t be too harsh on Adam and Eve. We all choose to sin. However, not all trials are a result of our own sin. Sometimes God allows hard times in our lives to teach us to rely on Him.

When my children were little, I was walking alongside my son and he fell and hurt himself. Now I couldn’t prevent his fall and I most certainly didn’t want him to be hurt. But what I could do is to pick him up, kiss his booboo and comfort him. It’s no different with God. He gives us the “room” to live and when we hurt, He is right there alongside us, just waiting to comfort us and pick us up.

He also gives us His Word to prepare us and teach us about the dark days ahead. When we know what’s coming up, we aren’t so caught of guard, amen? The Apostles did their best to teach us about the end times so believers would not be caught unawares. Our hearts need to be prepared so when we see and hear horrible tragedies, we can handle them. There are also those around us who laugh at Christians and think we’re “off our rocker” because we anxiously await the return of the Lord to take His Church home to be with Him. Peter called these people “scoffers.” Unfortunately, even some church members are guilty of this as they don’t believe in the imminent coming of the Lord Jesus to rapture His Church!

2 Peter 3:3-5  Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,  (4)  And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.  (5)  For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

Don’t let scoffers and Christ deniers rule your thoughts. Get in the Word of God and feed yourself. Prepare yourself for those times because they will get worse. The Bible says that the worst of times are yet to come: times that have never occurred on this earth! We are blessed to have the Scriptures, the very Word of God, that gives us prophecies that have and are occurring as we speak! How great is that!!?? We can know the future end time events because we can trust God’s Word! Why? Because all prophecies which foretold Christ’s birth and resurrection in the Bible have come true. Therefore, there is no doubt that the future prophecies will also!! You don’t have to go to a fortune teller; in fact, as born-again believers, you should not be doing that! That’s what the world does; we are children of the King of kings and Lord of lords!

Friend, are you discouraged this morning, for whatever reason?

The only way you can work yourself out of that pit is to turn to the Lord, acknowledge that you are doubting Him and ask Him to guide you and to place you on that rock that is higher than you! (Psalm 61:2)

On that Rock, you will be able to see clearly because you will see what is before you! (1 Corinthians 10:4) You can trust Jesus Christ because He is God! Praise Him and thank Him for His constant care for you … He will walk beside you and lead you! The Rock is Christ, Reader! It is not an earthly person. It is the Lord Himself who will provide for you. He knows you intimately: every square inch of your entire body, soul and spirit! Who better to care for you than He!! Sing praises to Him and tell Him how grateful you are that He cares for you! One of my favorite hymns consistently creates in me a grateful heart! It gives me goose bumps thinking of how Great God is!!

How Great Thou Art!

O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: “My God, how great Thou art!”

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

It is up to you to pick yourself up, brush yourself off, and change your current habits about your relationship with the Lord. Are you afraid? Do you doubt that God couldn’t possibly take care of your problems like He did when He parted the Red Sea? Get serious about your walk with Him and allow the Holy Spirit of God to lead and guide you. Don’t be willfully ignorant of the end times. (2 Peter 3:5) If you are not born-again, confess your sins and repent of them. The time is coming when it will be too late for you to repent. You will remember each opportunity you were given by God to be saved; you will remember each time you laughed it off and ignored it. Please Reader, repent and accept Christ into your life. (Act 16:31, Rom 10:9) I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!