Generally, I would be coming out the New Year’s door busting with words of encouragement for you but this year is different.  I don’t think you need me or anyone else to “sugar coat” life, smiling with big white teeth, telling you it is “all good in Jesus.”  At times, that can possibly turn a person away from the very One who can help.  He is the only one who can help you when you are feeling lost, hopeless and at your wit's end.  Do you feel hopeless as you are crossing the threshold of this New Year?

I know for certain what it feels like to get up, having no hope for the coming day, of circumstances remaining the same and praying that something, anything will happen to ease the pain of it all.  I know what it feels like to pray and fast, trying to commune with God for an answer only to end up questioning the fact of whether He heard or not.  Are heaven’s ears deaf?  Can’t God see that I need some kind of breakthrough?  I know and I fully understand.  More importantly, I want you to understand that I understand that feeling.

I don’t want you to ever feel like I am happy in Jesus 24/7 because that is just not the truth.  Someone needs to finally stand up and say that if you are going to walk the walk God has ordained for you from the beginning of time, day after day and hour after hour, it will be tough at times and you will have feelings of great hopelessness.  You will feel like you have no clue as to what to do next.  When you have tried to make it all happen, and nothing happens, what do you do?

Let the voice of experience tell you:  When you find yourself in this situation, this is a prime example of a time you DO NOT stop and you DO NOT quit.  I don’t make light of the fact that Satan wants you to stop doing anything that pertains to God.  He wants you to stop praying, giving, tithing…all of it.  When, and most importantly, IF you have tasted and seen that the Lord God is good to you, then don’t quit…don’t give up on God.  Something is happening in your circumstances, even if you cannot see it.  But, God is watching to see what you will do and how you will handle the situation.  To Him, it is your actions that will speak louder than all of the words you can muster to tell Him.  Show Him you are willing to keep getting up and going through your day no matter what happens or how you feel….He will honor your effort.

Life is not easy and yes, there are times when I wish I were young again so I could “do it all over,” but this time with the benefit of walking hand in hand with the ONE person who truly brought peace and joy in an aching heart, mind and spirit.  But, alas, none of us can go back.  So what do we do when we feel we just can’t anything anymore?   That is the time to go kneel and pray to the Father because He can change it all.  I speak to you from experience.  When you don’t want to pray, that is the precise time to pray.  But, most people won’t tell you that.

Satan has been after my butt all of my life.  Now that I am aware of where these attacks are coming from, it helps me combat the feelings and arrows of doubt that try to overwhelm me in the forms of horrible thoughts, depressed feelings and lack (of jobs, home, money, husband).  I live alone so loneliness can be a factor for me at times, but it always will pass if I keep my mouth shut and occupy my mind with something else.  I will read a book or the word or maybe watch a movie (I don’t watch anything over PG-13 and sometimes that is even too much) BUT I certainly stay away from anything that would put my mind into the gutter. Those kinds of movies will try to entwine my thoughts bringing back old feelings of doubt, loneliness and darkness that I have worked hard to overcome.  Many times a movie brings back old memories of my past life and behavior leaving me even more depressed than I was before I started, so I am always careful to ask God if He wants me to watch anything. And old songs I used to listen to…no thank you.  I had to learn (by many trials)to shut the door on the old songs as well so I could move forward.  I wanted to be new all the way through and it took a lot of effort.  But as I was faithful to put down the old man, God was faithful to give me a new one.

I know when I am feeling hopeless that that is the time to “press through,” shut up and just keep doing what I know to do.  I am careful to lay my concerns at the cross to let the Father know what is going on so He can give me wisdom.  Also, by doing that, it bursts the bubble of darkness that is growing in me, trying to destroy my walk and overtake my mind. 

We serve a God (Father) who loves us but who requires our devotion.  When we first come to Christ, He feeds us much like a baby, giving us a little at a time.  Then there comes a moment when He will require you to grow up if you want to continue to reap greater wisdom that He holds in His bosom just for you…And then sometimes He allows us to go through the darkness to see how we will handle it.  I think most people face demons inside that truly are coming from Satan but they don’t talk about them for fear of people calling them crazy.  However, if they would just get it out and address the situation, the Holy Spirit would lead them in how to truly be set free.

My word to you today in this blog is don’t give up hope.  As long as God is on the throne and as long as the Holy Spirit is here available to us, you’ve got hope.  It is only when God removes the Holy Spirit from the earth that you need to be concerned.

For some reason, in my life, no matter what I have come up against (and it is a lot), I have always come out on the other side having hope that my life will be better.  It is that hope that literally keeps me going….Ask God to give you hope and He will… just try to be patient while you are waiting….

I am here with an ear……

God bless you, and Happy New Year.

Molly