Galatians 6:9 ‘And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
- ’DAILY READING Hebrews 2; Genesis 46:28-47:31; Psalm 37
Charles Haddon Spurgeon was an influential 19th century Baptist preacher in England. He was the most popular preacher of his time and was known as “the Prince of Preachers.”
In 1854, before he was 20 years old, he became the pastor of the New Park Street Chapel, a Baptist church in London. Within a few weeks, many conversions resulted from Spurgeon’s preaching, and the church building could not accommodate the crowds. Two years later, Spurgeon’s congregation had grown so large that they had to rent a larger hall, the Music hall in Surrey Gardens. On June 7, 1891, an overflow crowd filled this huge building. As he prayed aloud, a prankster or an enemy of Spurgeon yelled, “Fire.” Someone shouted that the balcony was about to collapse. Panicking people surged toward the exits. Seven people were trampled to death. Dozens more were taken to the hospital badly injured. Spurgeon collapsed, inconsolable. He had to be carried from the pulpit and fell into such deep depression that he later said he doubted anyone had ever passed as close to madness as he and yet escaped with sanity.
This incident, coupled with criticisms that often trailed his ministry, caused him to be so plagued by discouragement, depression, and fatigue that he tendered his resignation thirty-two times in thirty-nine years. Interestingly, he gradually discovered that such lows always seemed to precede new times of empowering for ministry and so he realized it was a ploy of the enemy to keep him from progress.
Many Past and modern heroes of faith have suffered bouts of discouragement at one time or the other. But many refused to be weighed down or discouraged, rather they forged ahead no matter how they felt. They didn’t look at their feelings but at the unfailing Word of God.
It is interesting that most of these men felt the most discouragement, just at the verge of breakthroughs. What does this tell us? That it is always darkest just before the day breaks. This is why you must never give up. Challenges often come just when you are about to break forth, they come at the verge of new horizons, at the rising to your new level. The enemy fights hardest at that point of emergence, because he wants you to give up early. If you allow yourself to be overcome by discouragement and give up, then you lose.
You can shake off negative emotions and move forward in faith relying on God’s strength. Having to choose to rule over negative feelings is something every person has to deal with. Don’t think you’re alone if you feel this way. Turn to God and hope on His Word. Stop looking at how big your problems are, rather start looking at how big your God is. True joy is found only in God. In Psalm 42 David says. “Why are you cast down, oh, my soul? Hope in the Lord.” Sometimes the best thing we can do is to speak scripture over our lives. If you wake up in the morning and negative, discouraging thoughts and feelings come, shake them off by digging into scriptures. Declare to yourself “ This is the day the Lord has made. I choose to rejoice and be glad in it” Walk by faith and not by sight. Don’t let negative emotions keep you from God’s blessings and promotion. Fix your eyes on Jesus and know that He is in perfect control over your life. Cast all your cares upon Him and He will take care of you.
PRAYER: Lord please help me to constantly feed on Your Word so that my heart will be filled with joy and strength to accomplish the assignments you have for me in Jesus Name. .
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Nothing liberates like truth, the truth you know and act upon will make you free. – WORDBITE 222.
[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK FAITH CLASSICS]