Great Endurance in Troubles, Hardships and Distresses

HOPE IN ME, FOR YOU WILL AGAIN PRAISE Me for the help of My Presence.

Sometimes—especially when you are feeling downcast or disturbed—it is hard to continue hoping in Me.

At such times it's important to remember that Christian hope is much more than a feeling.

It is confidence in Me: who I am (your Savior-God) and what I have promised to do (receive you into eternal Glory).

The help of My Presence is a constant in your life, but you are not always receptive to it.

I am training you to exercise your trust and hope in Me by praising Me regardless of your feelings.

The day will come when you will spontaneously burst into songs of worship—joyously praising Me for My glorious Presence!

However, when you rejoice in Me during times of sadness, a marvelous thing happens: Your words of hope and trust in Me lift you above your circumstances.

This sets your feet on an upward path of gratitude—where your Joy increases step by step.

This sacrifice of praise is most pleasing to Me!

"Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence."
—Psalm 42: 5 NASB

"You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory."
—Psalm 73: 24 ESV

"As servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance, in troubles, hardships and distresses. . . . sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything."
—2 Corinthians 6: 4, 10

"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name."
—Hebrews 13: 15

The Promise of Powerful Protection

TRY TO STAY CONSCIOUS OF ME as you go step by step through this day.

My Presence with you is both a promise and a protection.

My final statement just before I ascended into heaven was:

"Surely I am with you always."

That promise was for all of My followers, without exception.

The promise of My Presence is a powerful protection.

As you journey through your life, there are numerous pitfalls along the way.

Many voices clamor for your attention, enticing you to go their way.

A few steps away from your true path are pits of self-pity and despair, plateaus of pride and self-will.

If you take your eyes off Me and follow another's way, you are in grave danger.

Even well-meaning friends can lead you astray if you let them usurp My place in your life.

The way to stay on the path of Life is to keep your focus on Me.

Awareness of My Presence is your best protection.

Stay Strong!

"And teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
—MATTHEW 28: 20

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 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.'
—HEBREWS 12: 1–2

True Hope

FIND REST IN ME ALONE, DEAR ONE; YOUR hope comes from Me.

You have a restless mind. It skips and scampers about continually, rarely taking time to be still.

Listen, and you will hear Me saying, "Come to Me."

I am the only resting place for your mind that will truly satisfy and strengthen you.

Take time—make time—to direct your thoughts to Me.

Whisper My Name and wait in My sacred Presence.

You are on holy ground.

This provides refreshment not only for your mind but also for your soul.

True hope comes from Me.

False hope comes from many sources, including persuasive advertising.

Ask Me to give you discernment as you seek to walk along a hopeful path.

Many voices call out to you:

"This is the way!"

Do not be deceived; learn to be wise and alert when you're trying to process all the information shouting at you.

Break free from information overload by refocusing your thoughts on Me.

As you rest in My peaceful Presence, true hope grows within you.

From "Jesus Today " by Sarah Young

Stay Strong!

"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him."
—Psalm 62: 5

"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."
—Matthew 11: 28–29

Then Moses said, "I will turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn."So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moses! Moses!"And [Moses] said, "Here I am."Then [God] said, "Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground."
—Exodus 3: 3–5 NKJV

"I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves."
—Matthew 10: 16 NKJV

...the More Help you Can Expect

WALK PEACEFULLY WITH ME through this day.

You are wondering how you will cope with all that is expected of you.

You must traverse this day like any other: one step at a time.

Instead of mentally rehearsing how you will do this or that, keep your mind on My Presence and on taking the next step.

The more demanding your day, the more help you can expect from Me.

This is a training opportunity, since I designed you for deep dependence on your Shepherd-King.

Challenging times wake you up and amplify your awareness of needing My help.

When you don't know what to do, wait while I open the way before you.

Trust that I know what I'm doing, and be ready to follow My lead.

From "Jesus Today " by Sarah Young

Stay Strong!

"I will give strength to you, and I will bless you with Peace. The LORD replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."
—EXODUS 33: 14

"The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze, and your strength will equal your days."
—DEUTERONOMY 33: 25

"May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.'
—HEBREWS 13: 20–21

"The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace." —PSALM 29: 11

Joy in the Midst of Adversity

EVERY TIME something thwarts your plans or desires, use that as a reminder to communicate with Me.

This practice has several benefits.

The first is obvious: Talking with Me blesses you and strengthens our relationship.

Another benefit is that disappointments, instead of dragging you down, are transformed into opportunities for good.

This transformation removes the sting from difficult circumstances, making it possible to be joyful in the midst of adversity.

Begin by practicing this discipline in all the little disappointments of daily life.

It is often these minor setbacks that draw you away from My Presence.

When you reframe setbacks as opportunities, you find that you gain much more than you have lost.

It is only after much training that you can accept major losses in this positive way.

But it is possible to attain the perspective of the apostle Paul, who wrote: Compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus, I consider everything I once treasured to be as insignificant as rubbish.

From "Jesus Calling"  by Sarah Young

Stay Strong!

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful."
—COLOSSIANS 4: 2

"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ."
—PHILIPPIANS 3: 7–8

Every Day a Fresh Opportunity

Happy Feast of All Souls!

Remembering all of those who have passed and have been welcomed into the light and arms of our Lord in Heaven.  And praying for the repose of those souls who are still in need of our prayers and God's Mercy and Blessings.

Stay Strong!

THE WORLD ABOUNDS WITH NEGATIVE THINGS to think about.

Sometimes problems—yours or others'—seem to shout for your attention.

They can occupy more and more of your thinking, causing you to become weary and discouraged in your soul.

But remember: You can choose the subject of your thoughts.

Cry out to Me and I will help you.

Turn toward Me, letting My Light shine upon you.

Do not be defeated by wrong choices you have made in the past.

And don't let past decisions define who you are in the present.

Each moment provides a fresh opportunity to draw near Me and enjoy My Presence.

One way to do this is to pray, "Jesus, I choose to seek You in the midst of my problems."

Refuse to get discouraged, even if you have to say this hundreds of times daily.

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart!

I have overcome the world. You can find Peace in Me.

From "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young

Stay Strong!

"Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls."
—Hebrews 12: 3 NKJV

"This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them."
—Psalm 34: 6–7 NKJV

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
—John 16: 3

I Am With You Always - Taking Care of You

I AM IMMANUEL—GOD WITH YOU—AND I am enough!

When things in your life are flowing smoothly, it is easy to trust in My sufficiency.

However, when you encounter rough patches—one after another after another—you may sometimes feel that My provision is inadequate.

This is when your mind tends to go into high gear: obsessing about ways to make things better.

There is nothing wrong with seeking solutions, but problem-solving can turn into an addiction: your mind spinning with so many plans and possibilities that you become confused and exhausted.

To protect yourself from this mental exhaustion, you need to remind yourself that I am with you always, taking care of you.

It is possible to rejoice in Me—to proclaim My sufficiency—even during the most difficult times.

This is a supernatural work, empowered by My Spirit who lives in you.

It is also a decision that you make—day by day and moment by moment.

Choose to be joyful in Me, your Savior, for I am indeed enough!

"She will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,"which is translated, "God with us."
—Matthew 1: 21–23 NKJV "

"Go and make disciples, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
—Matthew 28: 20

"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