FAITH IN GOD: DON'T BE DISCOURAGED Why then be downcast? Why be discouraged and sad? Hope in God! I shall yet praise him again. Yes, I shall again praise him for his help. So, when God told Abraham that he would give him a son who would have many descendants and become a great nation, Abraham believed God even though such a promise just couldn’t come to pass! And because his faith was strong, he didn’t worry about the fact that he was to old to be a father, at the age of one hundred, and that Sarah his wife, at ninety, was also much to old to have a baby. But Abraham never doubted. He believed God, for his faith and trust grew ever stronger, and he praised God for this blessing even before it happened. Can you imagine? Your entire life, all you have ever wanted was a child. You lived your life as you should, obeying God’s Word, yet you still don’t have that one thing you’ve wanted more than anything else. Finally, after years and years, God tells you that you are going to have a child. But it seems too late, you are old, your spouse is old, and it looks almost impossible. I bet Abraham had many chances to get depressed. If you study the story, you see that Abraham and Sarah were trying to have a son for a long time and it just never happened. They did not get discouraged or depressed, instead they praised God. They continued to focus on God and the promise He gave them. If you look around and nothing seems to be going the way you had hoped, it may be easy to get depressed. Perhaps you are struggling in a class at school or a relationship with a friend is not going very well. Don’t give up. Rather than focusing on the situations, focus on God and all that He has done and said He will do. Remember He will always be there to help you. No matter what you are going through, God is there. Q: Have you spent time praising God for all that He’s done in your life lately? Dear Heavenly Father, help me today as I choose to live for You. Help me to focus on Your promises rather than the problems I am facing. Thank you. In Jesus’ Name, amen. VERSE TO REMEMBER:
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