When your hopes are shattered and all seems lost, trust in Him and know that He always brought you through to even better places, and He will do the same again. That better place is just around the corner. Don’t give up the fight, and together with Him you’ll win the victory!

Compiled by H. Bergner:

When an attitude of defeat overtakes you and you’re thinking, “That’s it! I’ve fallen so many times, I’ve failed the Lord again and again—there’s no more hope for me. I’ve used up all my chances, even my bonus points. I might as well quit!”—please remember that no matter how many times you fall, if you want to get back up, God will help you to keep going. And if you believe that when you get back up, you can be stronger, then He will make you stronger. What it comes down to is how much you believe in His Word and how much credence you put in the things He has shown you already. There is no such thing as running out of chances, because He is your chance! Hope and faith are on your side for as long as God lives—and that’s for eternity.

Everything in life that is worth something costs something; but not only that, it often takes a lot longer to accomplish something than you had planned or thought it would. You face unexpected delays, losses, and setbacks. Sometimes people get sick, or don’t keep their word, or there are emergencies that take your time, attention, and finances. It’s easy to become frustrated with the lack of progress, and you might even be tempted to quit altogether.

When that happens, the key is to remember how far you’ve come—not to be frustrated about how far you still have to go. When you take on a big job, of course it’s going to take time, lots of time, probably more time than you planned for or expected. In such a case, be like the farmer who has a thousand hectares to plant. He just gets started. He doesn’t lament that he’s not finished at the end of the first day. He knew full well he wouldn’t be finished, so to be disappointed that he’s not would be unrealistic and silly. Instead, at the end of each day he feasts his eyes on the part of the field that has been worked, prepared, and planted. And each day that portion of the field grows and grows. Measure by the progress made, the victories won, and how far you’ve come. Look at where you started, and celebrate the distance covered already.

Battles

Battles are often won at the very last second, through one final decision to not give up or give in regardless of what happens! Just like you have to hold on in a race until the last lap, and then give it all you’ve got as you’re coming down the last stretch, so it is with a battle. When you feel like you can’t hold on for one more second, that’s when you must give it all you’ve got and praise God with your whole heart as you sock it to the Enemy of your soul—and you will win! God has guaranteed it.

The trials of life will never be able to overtake you; they will never be too much to bear, because obviously God has put a built-in mechanism in yours and in everybody’s soul, an escape button. He always gives a way of escape, He always give a way out, and He always will help you to overcome life’s difficulties.

Cast your cares upon Him and let Him handle them all. He is your 24-hour support line. He is available and right there at the other end of the line, just waiting for your call and ready to assist you. He always has the solutions and gives you the answers you need! Furthermore, He never puts you on hold. You can fully rely on Him.

Perhaps your hopes seem shattered right now and all seems lost. But He is there to hold you in His arms, to wipe away your tears, to look into your eyes and to tell you that all will be well in due time. It will be helpful to think back on extremely difficult times in the past and remember that He has always brought you through to an even better place, and He will do the same this time as well. That better place is just around the corner. Don’t give up the fight, and together with Him you’ll win the victory!

Patience

We need patience for many things in this life, and one very important thing that we need patience for is for resting in God. Yes, it takes patience to allow ourselves to rest fully in Him. It takes patience to let our worries and fears go, to place them in His hands, and then to let Him handle them fully in His time and in His way. He doesn’t always gives us the solutions instantly, so we need to have patience. He doesn’t always heals us the instant that we ask. He doesn’t always pours down His full blessing from heaven the very first time we ask, so we are in need of patience. Our patience in Him is a sign of our faith that we know He is in control.

Sometimes things go haywire and just don’t work out, and there’s not much we can do about it. When that happens, it’s natural to get very discouraged. When we have worked so hard, put so much into a project or person, and then things don’t turn out as we had hoped, it’s hard to feel motivated to keep trying, keep pressing ahead, and not feel like giving up.

In times like that, we just need to slow down, relax, and let Him put things into perspective for us. It helps to rest in the comfy chair of His arms, and soak our feet in the warm water of His promises. If we just stop, lay your head back, close our eyes, and make a conscious effort to release all the cares, pressure, stress and tension.

As you rest in Him, placing your time, schedule, deadlines, and foiled plans in His hands, He’ll take care of everything that concerns you. As you are motionless, doing nothing in your own strength, He’ll work out the tension and stress, infuse you with renewed energy, and whisper to you words of guidance, insight, and revelation that will show you the next step to take.

God’s Jewels

Imagine walking through a large jewelry store and marveling at the many delicate-looking and exquisitely jeweled pieces before you. Within each glass case is displayed a dazzling array of precious stones and metals, designed, cut, and set to perfection: rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and more. You name it, this store has it all.

In your hand you hold several of what to you look like dirty old coins. Your eyes then widen as the clerk opens a glass case and selects a very beautiful, very costly necklace that you’ve been admiring. He boxes it, puts it in your hand with a smile, and tells you that it’s yours in exchange for one of these dirty little coins. What’s more, he tells you to come back again tomorrow and he’ll trade another treasure for one of these coins.

These “dazzling array of precious stones” that you see before you are the priceless life lessons and experiences that those seemingly dirty and almost repulsive coins—the many battles, tests, and trials you are facing right now—are able to purchase. God is that clerk and owner of this storehouse of wealth, and He wants to enrich your life. He wants to shower you with the jewels of His Spirit! He wants your coffers and safes bursting and barely able to contain the spiritual wealth and life experience that He has for you. But this is how you get them: through these trying times of trials, affliction, and hardships. These are the currency that buy the jewels that beautify your life.

Compiled from various missionary training courses and guides.

Photo credit: Laser Burners via Photopin, CC