Life-Giving Words of Hope & Encouragement

When the Israelites were conquered and taken into captivity by the Babylonians in 586 BC, it was a season of suffering and great loss. It was one of those times when the pressure was so great, the loss so heavy, and the disappointment so discouraging that they didn’t think they could go on. Psalm 137 paints a vivid picture of their harps hanging on the willow trees because they could not sing the songs of Zion. They were in a season of weeping, which we all go through. God made us to feel things. We’ve all had something break our hearts, which feels too much to carry. Weeping is not a lack of faith. It doesn’t mean you’re not tough enough. It means that your heart is working and that you care deeply.

When you go through a season of weeping, remember that God says, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” As He did for the Israelites, eventually freeing them to return to their homes in 538 BC by order of the Persian King Cyrus the Great. He’s already set the time to end your heartache, to turn around what’s causing your tears. God will bring you out better through the suffering, and your mourning will turn into dancing.

Emotional wounds are a powerful force in our lives, and they hold the potential to hinder our growth. If you’re always reliving your hurts and watching your bad breaks on the movie screen of your mind, that’s just reopening the wound. You may be in pain today, but don’t sit around just nursing your wounds. Don’t let bitterness and discouragement set the tone for your life. As long as you’re replaying the negative, you will never fully heal.

You have to change the channel in your mind. When you look back over your life, can you remember when you knew it was the hand of God promoting or protecting you? Make the decision today to switch over to that channel. Get your mind going in a new direction. Start remembering your victories, successes, and the hard times you overcame. Today can be a turning point in your life. Drop any emotional baggage you’re dragging around and step toward an abundant life. Trust God and step into the great future He has for you.