Do Not Despair

Psalms 9: 3 - 14, My enemies will fall back and perish in your presence; you have vindicated me; you have endorsed my work, declaring from your throne that it is good. You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked, blotting out their names forever and ever. O enemies of mine, you are doomed forever. The Lord will destroy your cities; even the memory of them will disappear. But the Lord lives on forever; he sits upon his throne to judge justly the nations of the world. All who are oppressed may come to him. He is a refuge for them in their times of trouble. All those who know your mercy, Lord, will count on you for help. For you have never yet forsaken those who trust in you. Oh, sing out your praises to the God who lives in Jerusalem. Tell the world about his unforgettable deeds. He who avenges murder has an open ear to those who cry to him for justice. He does not ignore the prayers of men in trouble when they call to him for help. And now, O Lord, have mercy on me; see how I suffer at the hands of those who hate me. Lord, snatch me back from the jaws of death. Save me, so that I can praise you publicly before all the people at Jerusalem's gates and rejoice that you have rescued me. TLB

 I can tell you from my own personal battles that it is easy to give into despair and lose all hope when you find yourself overwhelmed by your enemies. Even so, I encourage you not to lose hope when you're facing a storm because God has kept you; and He will keep you until this season has passed. Remember, we're in a spiritual battle, and we must resist the enemy's attacks and threats by standing in faith on God's promises. 

The Lord compelled me to write today's word to you from Psalms 9 as confirmation that He hasn't abandoned you. If you're in a terrible season, it WILL come to an end. Apparently, you have had to face some situations; people have obviously shaken your peace and perhaps your faith. Nonetheless, you must not allow despair to cause you to be moved from trusting in the Lord. God is faithful, and He will keep you in times of trouble; and when the difficulty has ended, God will move those who seek to destroy you far from you. 

Satan will use people and harsh situations to try to get us to lose heart or faith in God. Nevertheless, we must not give in to his threats or lies. If you allow the enemy to move you, let it be into the Lord's presence. We need to remain in the presence of God; however, we especially need to be there when we find ourselves in a vulnerable place, and our faith is giving way to fear and doubt.

It's one thing to face danger; nonetheless, it's an even greater threat when we find ourselves in a spiritual place where we are giving our hearts over to despair. The Lord wants you to know today that He is still with you; and He will bring you out of this, if you continue to hold on to Him and the Word of God. The One who watches over us neither slumbers nor sleeps, and He is faithful to keep us from harm.  

If you're on the verge of losing all hope, and you're about to give in to the spirit of fear, please consider this devotion as a direct word from the Lord to you. It is confirmation that you can hold on until this season is over. The Lord loves you and wants to show you His love through this word. We are told in Romans 10: 17 that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. The Word of God is spiritual food, and His presence is the spiritual strength your soul needs to face another day with hope. When God is with you, it's not over; it's only the beginning of a new season in Christ. We're being changed from glory to glory into the image of Christ. 

If you know that this was God's Word to you today, will you contact us so that we can pray for you? You can email your prayer request to prayer@whcnorth.org. You can mail us at WHCN, P.O. Box 968, Morganton, Ga. 30560. 

The One Who Called You Is Faithful,
Pastor Asa Dockery