Life has a way of discouraging you one day and blessing you another. I was in a discouraging time in my life, ready to give up. I could see myself as the sinner I was and didn’t like what I saw. I had tried and tried and tried to be a good Christian, but could see it was no use even trying anymore. I thought that I’d just quit trying. I hadn’t yet found out, at that time, that I can’t save myself for It is God that works in you to will and to do of His good pleasure Phil. 2:13, and He that has begun a good thing in you will perform it Phil.1:6. I just needed to keep my eyes on Jesus, and not self.

I would always read a paragraph or more from my favorite little inspirational book “Steps to Christ” in the morning and in the evening before I went to bed. This evening when I was going thru such a discouraging time I had decided not to read from it. I got up from my chair in the computer room and was heading out the door when the thought came to me to read from that little book. I decided not to do it, but the thought came again to just try it. I just shrugged my shoulders and said it’s not going to do any good, but went back and sat down, and got the book from the shelf. Usually I would always start reading at the beginning of the paragraph, but this time I just opened up the book and pointed my finger to a place on the page without looking where I was pointing. When I looked I started to read. “The Father Himself Loveth you”. I was so shocked to see that this is what God was saying to me in my discouragement. It went on to say that “The closer you come to Jesus, the more faulty you will appear in your own eyes…” I can’t express the joy that that brought to my troubled heart. It meant I was coming closer to Jesus and not farther away from Him. That has helped me out many times since when trials come and discouragements threaten my peace and happiness.

We have an Awesome God who is touched by the feelings of our infirmities. He knows just when and how to encourage us to keep our eyes on Him and not on ourselves.

DON’T EVER GIVE UP

As I rest upon my quiet bed,
I seem to hear the words you said,
They come to me in all their worth,
Making me happy I’m on this earth.

They say to me “Don’t ever give up,
Trials may come when you drink My cup.
But the blessings are there at the end of the road,
And heaven at last will be your abode.”

Norma Wellman butterflyblue7@frontier.com