by Marsha Iddings
1Chronicles 16:11-12 Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.
Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;
Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;
Lately in my daily Quiet Time I've been reading through the Old Testament. I'm in the book of 1 Chronicles now. The Scripture verses above really stood out to me this past week.
Do you find yourself in difficult circumstances? Are you discouraged and struggling to stay focused on what is good or what God might be working to accomplish in your life? These words from King David were given to the people after the Ark of the Covenant had been successfully brought back to Israel. While they were given at a joyous occasion, they are so applicable to us when we find ourselves in difficult straits and are discouraged.
There are three things here that we can do to help us keep our focus positive in discouraging times.
1. Seek the Lord and his strength. Don't under-estimate God's ability to give you strength in difficult times. So often we worry about the what-if's and spend our energy trying to cope under our own strength. All that does is rob us of strength for tomorrow.
2. Seek his face continually. Don't neglect your Quiet Time with God during difficult, discouraging times. Seek his face regularly by reading the Bible and praying. But more than that, it says "continually". Of course if we sit and read the Bible and pray all day long, nothing will be done that needs to be done, but we can seek his face continually as we go about our daily work by being in a constant attitude of prayer, looking for his hand in our daily routines.
3. Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth. When we are discouraged or going through difficult circumstances, it is easy to forget what God has done for us in the past. We get so caught up looking so longingly at the thing we are losing that we fail to see God's ability to fill the void.
So, the next time you find yourself in a discouraging situation, begin to think back on how God has worked in your life in the past. Remember how He has brought you through difficult times in the past and how He has provided for your needs then. As you remember these things, you will be encouraged because it shows you that He can do it again as you trust Him.
These are some lessons God is teaching me. I hope you will be encouraged too.
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