Clouds of Discouragement

        It really isn't hard to become discouraged. We turn on the news and feel the weight of the world on our shoulders...or closer to home, we feel the pain of failed relationships, financial struggles choke us, the stress of life overwhelms us and the waves of despair threaten to drown us. Perhaps you, like me, have felt like the clouds of discouragement are surrounding you?

If this is where you find yourself today, there are 2 paths you can take:
First of all, we need to recognize where discouragement comes from. Discouragement comes when we have expectations and desires that are not met~by others, circumstances or even God. If we choose to hold onto our discouragement, dwelling on it...it quickly turns to despair, which leads to destruction...destruction of our thoughts, our attitudes and our actions and eventually our lives. Look at what the writer says in the 42nd Psalm, "My tears have been my food day and night...Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?" Maybe you can relate today to those ancient words?

BUT, THERE IS ANOTHER WAY:
The next verses point us to the way out, "Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God....By day the Lord directs His love, at night His song is with me~a prayer to the God of my life."
There are 3 things that give us direction when we have those unmet expectations and desires:
1)TAKE them to God. In honest prayer, lay them at His feet. He is big enough, strong enough and wise enough to handle our disappointment...we are not.
2) TURN to Him. The way OUT is UP. Turn your focus from yourself to God. The more we look to Him, the more Magnificent and Glorious He is...let your awe for Who He is overwhelm you and your discouragement may not disappear, but it will definitely be put in the right perspective.
3) TRUST Him with all of it. Don't hold onto any of it, it will only weigh you down. He knows exactly what to do with it...

When we TAKE our discouragement to God and TURN to Him in TRUST, a funny thing happens...our He alone can take our DIScouragement and turn it into ENcouragement! <3