Do Not Lose Heart
The world is drowning in negativity and discouragement, yet our merciful God says, do not lose heart. Sadly, many have already lost heart because of the negative impact of the Coronavirus and the corruption in government. For these reasons, one in four adults report symptoms of anxiety or depression, which is an increase from one in ten since 2019!
How are you doing? Have you lost a job and find yourself racked with worry? Or perhaps you are still dealing with the stress the lockdowns caused your family, and now you fear more restrictions. To be sure, social changes have hit our nation at breakneck speed, causing uncertainty and stress. So, unless you are clinging to the Lord, you will surely lose your balance, as many already have.
When you finally tire of agonizing and coping on your own, then look up, and you will see Jesus. He is waiting for you to turn to Him because Jesus already knows your anxious thoughts. Therefore, He invites you to come to Him and lay your heavy burden down. Only Jesus knows how to heal the brokenhearted and save those crushed in spirit.
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
Jesus is the Answer for Your Troubled Heart
When you are emotionally exhausted, Jesus has answers for your troubled heart. And when you turn to Him, He offers Himself and His Word to strengthen you. So, have you turned to Jesus for help? If not, you are unequipped spiritually for these changing times. However, it is never too late to seek the Lord. And when you do, He will be your anchor of hope, and then you will not lose heart.
However, because of sin, our natural default is to either focus on ourselves or our circumstances, not God. And when you look at your own life, you know this to be true. For example, when the pressures of life mount, does Jesus enter into your thoughts? Do you even think to call on Him? The simple truth is that when you are in control, God is not. And as a result, you experience emotional turmoil in your life instead of the peace that only Jesus can give you.
The good news is that God loves you, and He has made real change possible. And it starts with confession of sin. First, acknowledge to God that, for the most part, you live your life independently from Him. Then, ask Jesus to forgive you and help you learn to trust Him and not yourself. Now, begin to live by faith by asking Jesus to deliver you from the fear and discouragement you presently feel. And then believe that He will. So, from now on, look to Jesus as the source of everything you need, and you will not lose heart.
When You Begin to Lose Heart, Turn to God’s Word
The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all. Psalm 34: 17-19
God’s Word is the remedy when you begin to despair. So, let’s try it out. Read the verse above again, but this time insert your name and use personal pronouns. For example, I cry out, and the Lord hears me. So, did you notice the difference? It is because the storm within calms when you believe what God’s Word says, even though your circumstances may remain turbulent. God speaks to you through His Word, so expect to hear from Him no matter how you feel, and you will not lose heart.
Indeed, the essential part of each day each day is the time you take to read your Bible and pray. Because when you focus on God and ask for His help, your problems diminish in size. And when you believe what God says, you stop being tossed back and forth by the waves of life and the lies of this world. You may have come to Him anxious, but you leave with His peace because you believed His promises.
God knew that you and I would lose hope without hearing from Him and seeing life from His perspective. So, for this reason, He gave us His Word. Therefore, be encouraged and do not lose heart. God didn’t bring you this far to watch you sink into despair.
Habakkuk Did Not Lose Heart Because He Talked to God
For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope. Romans 15:5
The Bible records story after story of God’s faithfulness, guidance, and strength in times of adversity. For example, Habakkuk was a man who was troubled by Judah’s moral and spiritual corruption. So, instead of ignoring his doubts about God’s rule and becoming cynical and hardened, he questioned God. Why do the wicked seem to be winning? Likewise, this question is asked by many today.
Habakkuk was angry and discouraged, and he wanted God to do something. So, be like Habakkuk and come to God. Then, tell Him how you feel and what concerns you. In response, God told Habakkuk that He would judge the wicked, even though they triumph now. And, importantly, God said that the righteous would prevail. So, because God never changes, we too can expect that judgment may not come quickly, but it will come.
Habakkuk Trusted the Sovereignty of God, So He Did Not Lose Heart
Surprisingly, God told Habakkuk that He would judge the wicked, but it would start with His people, Judah, first. So God would allow the vicious Babylonians, who were even more evil than Judah, to invade them. And, as a result of the destruction, starvation would destroy many lives.
Habakkuk would be totally stressed out if he continued to dwell on what God said would happen. But instead, he heard the Word of God and responded by faith, even though he did not fully understand. Habakkuk reacted this way because he believed that God is holy and righteous. And He is just and full of mercy. So too, when you believe in the goodness of God, it is easier to trust Him. And especially when your circumstances don’t make sense.
Earlier, Habakkuk began his dialogue with God by informing Him how to run the world. But, in the end, Habakkuk trusted the Sovereignty of God. And, as a result, he surrendered to God’s wisdom and authority over His creation. In the same way, stand firm by faith, especially when you don’t understand what God is doing. And then, you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.
Due to His faith in God, Habakkuk did not fear but rejoiced in the Lord and did not lose heart. And so can you.
Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails, and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. Habakkuk 3:17-18
Believe God’s Word and You Will Not Lose Heart
What is your response to the trials God allows into your life? Indeed, you will lose courage if you allow your emotions to control you instead of believing God’s Word. But, when you do believe God, you are confident that nothing is too hard for Him. God alone knows the end from the beginning and sees how all the pieces of your life fit together. And this is why He asks you to trust Him. So then, no matter how desperate your circumstances are, stay connected to God through His Word. And then, you will walk by faith like Habakkuk and not lose hope.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6
Paul Relied on God, Not Himself, and Did Not Lose Heart
If anyone should have lost heart and given up, it would be the apostle Paul. But, instead, he is an example of faith, perseverance, and hope. In 2 Corinthians, Paul told the church about he and Timothy’s hardships as servants of the Lord Jesus Christ: We were under tremendous pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that me and my companions despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts, we felt the sentence of death. So, Paul thought he would die and realized that he could do nothing to help himself.
When the stresses of life shake us up, the contents of our hearts spill out with either faith or unbelief. So, how do you respond to intense pressure? Paul did not question God’s care of him but instead turned to Him. And God caused Paul to realize that the purpose of his ordeal was to teach him not to rely on himself. So, in the future, Paul was to rely on God, who raises the dead. If you too are used to handling things yourself, you may not think you need God. However, like Paul, hardships soon help you realize just how weak you are without Him.
Later, the Apostle Paul would face a personal struggle that tormented Him. So, he pleaded with the Lord three times to take it away from him. Have you prayed for your difficulties to end, yet they remain? Then, God’s answer to Paul will also instruct you.
The Lord said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12: 9
Like Paul, Allow God to Reveal His Power in Your Weakness
God did not remove Paul’s affliction, but He promised to demonstrate His power in his weakness. So too, apart from the Lord Jesus, you can do nothing of spiritual value. Therefore, allow your sin and spiritual weakness to drive you to the Lord. Then, you will experience for yourself who He is and what He can do. And when you believe that nothing is too hard for Him, He will reveal His power in your life.
Corrie Ten Boom, who suffered in a Nazi camp, expressed how to overcome discouragement: “if you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. And if you look within, you’ll be depressed. But if you look at Christ, you’ll be at rest!” Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and He promises never to leave you or forsake you.
Look to the Lord and His strength; Seek His face always. Psalm 105:4
Paul Had a Godly Perspective and Did Not Lose Heart
Paul walked by faith, not by sight, because he knew God and believed His Word. Therefore, he trusted God and saw his circumstances from His perspective. And when Paul did suffer, he remembered how God delivered him repeatedly in the past. So, stop here to remember when God rescued you, and your faith will be encouraged.
Also, Paul said that the prayers of others helped him, so ask people to pray for you. In addition, set your heart on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. And you will have hope no matter what you are going through.
Paul experienced the presence of Christ in his life, even under tremendous pressure, and so can you. Are you in the midst of trial? Then, tell Jesus what troubles you and ask Him to comfort you and strengthen your faith. And then believe that He will. Seek the Lord always because when you have Jesus, you always have hope.
Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
When Jesus is Your Focus, You Will Not Lose Hope
Jesus dwells within you, so, He is the answer to every problem you face, and He is everything you need. Therefore, keep your eyes on Jesus, and you will always have hope.
However, the enemy wins when you lose confidence in God because He knows that giving up is right around the corner. Because when you lose heart, you lose hope. So then, stop the spiral down and ask Jesus now to deliver you. In addition, turn off the news and social media, and read your Bible instead. And as you read, ponder the love of Jesus, His peace, His provision, His power, His protection, and His guidance. And as a result of believing God’s Word, you will trust Him and not lose heart.
So, how did Jesus endure so much suffering? He persevered because he focused on the joy of living with you in heaven. And heaven is your destination too.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author, and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1-3
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Bible study for “Do Not Lose Heart”
Week 1: Joshua 1:6-9; 1 Chronicles 16:7-11; Job 1:6-22; 2:9-10; 13:15; Psalms 18:1-36; 23:1-6; 25:4-5; 27:1, 13-14; 28:6-9; 29:10-11; 31:24; 34:1-22; 37:1-40; 42:1-11; 46:1-3, 10; 53:2; 61:1-3, 5-8; 94:1-23; 103:1-22; 107:1-43; 112:1-10; 121:1-2; 139:1-18; 142:1-7; 143:1-12
Week 2: Proverbs 3:5-6, 21-26; 18:10; 24:16; 142:3; Isaiah 26:3-4; 40:28-31; 41:10, 13; 43:1-3; 61:1-3, 10-11; Jeremiah 17:7-8; 29:11-13; 32:26-27; Lamentations 3:22-26; Habakkuk 3:16-19; Matthew 6:25-34; 8:23-27; 11:28-30; Luke 4:14-21; 18:1-8; John 14:1-3, 27; 15:4-8; 16:33
Week 3: Acts 20:22-24; Romans 1:17; 4:18-25; 5:1-5; 8:18, 28-39; 12:11-12; 15:4, 13; 1 Corinthians 15:58; 16:13; 2 Corinthians 1:3-5, 8-11, 21; 3:4-6, 17-18; 4:1-18; 5:1-10, 14-15; 6:3-10; 10:3-6; 12:7-10; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 1:1-23; 3:16-21; 6:10-18; Philippians 1:6, 19-21; 2:13; 4:4-13; 19-20
Week 4: Colossians 2:9-10; 3:1-4, 15-17; 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; 2 Thessalonian 2:13-17; 3:16; 2 Timothy 4:5-8; Hebrews 4:14-16; 10:35-36; 11:1-3, 6; 12:1-13; 13:5-8, 14, 20-21; James 1:2-8, 12, 22-25; 5:7-11; 1 Peter 1:3-9, 13; 2:2-3; 3:12; 5:7, 10; 2 Peter 1:1-11; 1 John 5:3-5, 13-15; Revelation 1:4-8, 17-18; 21:1-7; 22:7, 17, 20-21
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Amazing blog post! Thank you!