Strengthen yourself in the Lord!

       Geez, another gray, rainy, dreary, and increasingly cold day.  How long, oh Lord?
       Now to be fair, yesterday was spectacular.  Warm, sunny, truly magnificent.  Thank You, Father.        Today, however, it's a whole different story...started off warm, but the temperature is dropping by the minute.  By tonight it will be in the 20's again...with more of that wintry mess falling. I can't even bring myself to name it!  Ugh, I sound like a whining meteorologist.  
       You know, I don't think this would be bothering me except that discouragement is dogging my heart right now.  Some challenges and difficulties, some disappointments and setbacks that have me jagged and worn. Yes, in the big scheme of things, they really are all minor little troubles, but still they are making me feel a bit like the way our garden looks right now--bare, brown, and dispirited.
       So here's my choice: Sit here focusing on all those little troubles that life's been throwing our way and wallow in discouragement (which, I must say, is mighty tempting), or choose to strengthen myself in the Lord.
       I can look to my circumstances or look to my Savior.
       I can grow increasingly discouraged by rehearsing my woes...or I can draw strength from the Word and Almighty God.
       That's what David did when he and his little rag tag group of buddies were fleeing from the mighty army of King Saul.  His city had been raided, all the women and children captured and carried away, and now his utterly distraught and bitter friends were ready to stone him.  A pretty dire situation.
       So what did David do?  Glad you asked: "But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God." (I Sam.30:6)
       And that made all the difference...not just for David but for everyone around him.  One man chose to strengthen himself in the Lord and then act based not upon his feelings but upon his faith in the One who had strengthened him.  And the result of David's choice was quite literally that everything turned around for him and for his men.  Which tells me that choosing to strengthen yourself in the Lord rather than giving in to despair or cynicism or frustration is both powerfully transformative and contagious.
        The prophet Jeremiah did the same thing.  He wrote at a particularly low, dark point in his life: "My soul is downcast within me.  Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning." (Lam.3:20-23)  Now that's a mighty good word. Thank You, Father.  I so needed to hear that.
       How about one more. Hope you'll forgive me paraphrasing this one a bit (and feel free to do the same for yourself!).  From 2 Cor.4:16-18--
       "Therefore, Lord, I will NOT lose heart.  Though outwardly we are all wasting away [ain't that the truth?], yet inwardly, praise God, we are being renewed and and revived each and every day.  For our light and momentary troubles--from broken foot struggles to school struggles to life's general struggles that are common to man--are achieving for us an eternal weight of glory [Wow!] that far, far, far outweighs them all.  So no matter what I'm feeling, I'm gonna  fix my eyes--choose to turn my focus hour by hour, moment by moment, beginning right this minute--not on what I can see and feel but on what is unseen.  Because what I see is temporary and ultimately won't matter a hill of beans, but all that is unseen is what God is powerfully and perfectly doing right now and it is eternal, glorious, and what really, really matters."
       Sometimes you need to put on your hundred year glasses and ask yourself: will I be worried about this in a hundred years?  Will this be troubling me in a hundred years?
       I think not.  Nope, not in glory.  Rather, in heaven all that is now unseen will be gloriously seen and realized and beautiful.
       So thank You, Father, for reminding me of what's real, what's true, what's right, and what's eternal.  Thank You for strengthening and reviving me.  Your mercies truly are new every morning.          And Abba, I pray that if there is someone reading these words right now who is feeling discouraged and downhearted, might they, too, be encouraged to strengthen themselves in You and Your Word.  Your Word of Life.  Renew and revive them, Father, as they focus their eyes upon You and fix their hope not in their circumstances but upon You, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
       To God be the glory.