Day 5: Conquering Your Dungeon

The first days are so painful sometimes but I know days five and six are coming. God does not leave us alone to climb out of our dungeons. He helps us in conquering them. Today’s message not difficult to write because I am so familiar with it. For me, the encouragement and strength as essential–the very purposes we are gathered. I pray God’s Word does not return void, penetrating your own heart and mind. He is about conquering your dungeon.

Scripture

John 16:33

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Romans 8:37

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Devotional Material

Charles Spurgeon was a renowned pastor in London during the 1800s. He was not popular because he was soft on truth, nor did he pander to the critical base. It was his giftedness in preaching the Word. Spurgeon was able to present a truth, draw you in where you felt it is written for your particular need, and sense Divine inspiration.

This man, like our John the Baptist, was full of conviction, confident in his calling, with the ability to deliver faithfully. Spurgeon developed such powerful sermons that even translated in other languages across continents, just reading them could be used by God to bring people to salvation.

At age twenty-two, Spurgeon was newly married with two babies and already had what we would call a tremendous following. So much so that he and his congregation decided to rent the Surrey Garden Music Hall to accommodate the crowds they were anticipating. This music hall was built with a bottom floor and balconies where people sat facing the stage. Quarters would be close in order to hear the speaker without sound equipment. For an evening message, 12,000 people would attend. Another 10,000 would stand outside leaning in straining to hear something.

Problems Brewing

Such ministry success, however, brings out the worst in some people. A few minutes after six p.m. someone yelled “Fire! The balconies are giving way!” With that announcement came mass hysteria. People were still coming into the theater which blocked the exits. A balcony, indeed, gave way from the weight, but there was no fire. It had been a lie–intentionally told to create the hysteria and mass commotion. What resulted were seven deaths: people trampled by those trying to escape; and twenty-nine seriously injured. Spurgeon was helpless and had to be carried out on the verge of consciousness. He didn’t believe he would ever recover from the event.

Yes. In this world, you and I will have trouble.

But we know this tragedy does not mark the end of an era for Spurgeon for the same reason your difficult situations, tragedies, or deep discouragements will not mark the end for you. His story is not over and neither is yours!

Even before we know how the story ends we can make progress in our own realities.

• Refuse the defeating thoughts battling within your mind.
• Instead, embrace the truth of God’s Word that He will help you through this difficulty.

With much affection,

To Begin at Day One Click Here

Day 2: Follow John’s Lead

Welcome back. I’m glad you are here. I pray you benefit from this plan as greatly as I have. If there is one thing I deal with time and time again it is discouragement. Today we look to John the Baptist, on the topic Follow John’s Lead.

One thing about today’s devotional is that it stems from several places in Scripture. (There are several verses. I’m sorry) I have provided them here for you so it shouldn’t be difficult. I certainly don’t want to leave them out. It is so important that we know where these verses live and today’s lesson is no different. 

Scripture

Luke 1:15

for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.

Malachi 4:4-5

“Remember the law of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel. 5″Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. 6″He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.”…

Isaiah 40:2-3

2″Speak kindly to Jerusalem; And call out to her, that her warfare has ended, That her iniquity has been removed, That she has received of the LORD’S hand Double for all her sins.”

3 A voice is calling, “Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. 4″Let every valley be lifted up, And every mountain and hill be made low; And let the rough ground become a plain, And the rugged terrain a broad valley;…  

Matthew 3:5-6

Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

John 1:22-23

So they said to him (the Pharisees), “Who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

23John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet: “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’ 

John 1:29

“Behold, The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” 

John 1:31

the reason I came baptizing with water was that He might be revealed to Israel.”…

Devotional Material

We have time for one Biblical example in this plan on discouragement. Know there are others who needed God to restore their hope and their joy–their very life. God has been there time and time again to do the work and show Himself faithful.

In these moments we are going to take a look at John the Baptist, the cousin of the Son of God. Possessing the Holy Spirit from the womb, this guy was SOLID!

The Old Testament prophesied that before the Messiah came Elijah would return, and God would send someone to prepare the way. When John the Baptist arrives on the scene with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, he goes out into the wilderness looking very much like Elijah, sporting a leather belt and eating locusts as Scripture promised.

Fast forward through John’s ministry. John recognized Jesus as the Son of God and calls it out on the banks of the Jordan. Then before the crowds, John declared that the reason he came baptizing with water was to reveal this very man.

Follow Who?

Once Jesus is out in public ministry, the crowds began to leave John and head over to the Jesus wagon. Naturally, John’s groupies are upset by this disruption, disturbing their awesome follower numbers. But John gets it! He understood His purpose. It wasn’t to have the most likes, high baptism numbers, or the greatest ministry success. Instead, it was to be overshadowed by this guy. Harold the new guy and get out of the way! That was his mission. But don’t stop ministering, John, in spite of the lessening crowds, the dropping numbers, and the discouragement it naturally arouses. Don’t stop speaking the truth regardless of the cost.

John lands in a dark, miserable prison for his faithfulness. Prison was not on the agenda. Preaching? Yes. Heralding the new guy? Absolutely. Preparing the Way was his calling, not wasting away in a dungeon.

Life wasn’t turning out as he planned. It begins to have an effect on him. Here he was doing everything God had asked of Him. He frankly couldn’t do anymore. For that, he’s in a dungeon. John begins to question very foundational premises that once rooted His life and mission.

What about you?

Have you ever found yourself in a different place in life than you planned? It’s not working out like you’d hoped or envisioned? Maybe you too, have experienced two handfuls of hardship for your faithfulness, and it’s causing you to question your own foundational premises.

Keep reading. Follow John’s lead. He takes his questions to Jesus. What you and I are going to see is that this makes all the difference.

Today, you and I can do the same.

Can’t wait to meet you tomorrow.

With much affection,

To find more of Cheri’s plan at Bible.com click here.

Day 1: Where Can We Find Help?

Hi. If you are new here, let me invite you in. I’m Cheri Strange and I am delighted you are here. This is one of my favorite reading plans. It speaks to me in my need. I pray it will meet you in yours. In the arena of discouragement, I need help. Help is here. These words minister to me and I pray the Word of God will do the same to you.

Let me give you the rundown of how these plans work on the blog. Often I will make an introduction and then let you know I post the Scripture first and then begin the devotional material for the day. The only reason I would deviate is if I wanted to embed the passage into the material, but you will receive it either way.

Now let’s get to it. May God richly bless the study of His Word.

Scripture

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?

My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Palm 121:1-3

Devotional Material

There are seasons of real discouragement that firm, passionate Christians experience.

I know enough to recognize you and I are not that different. Oh, the circumstances will vary. The particular difficulties will fluctuate. But it’s the same internal sense. Sometimes we can be in a season of gloomy despondency. We can almost feel a heaviness like a smothering blanket settling across our hearts.

It could stem from relationships. The gravity of discord between those closest to us weighs on us, festering daily so that we cannot escape.

There may be a particular burden. A worry. That situation that just won’t work out or refuses to go away.

Your job or the lack of securing one could be the culprit. Or there might be tension within your family.

There’s also that sense, although you have been faithful to God’s call on your life, you remain here while life is happening around you. Maybe things have not turned out like you thought they should or believed they would.

It is possible, you’ve been diligently doing your thing morning after morning. Truth be told, you are weary, on the verge of giving up. Life wasn’t supposed to be this way.

Where can we go? What can we do when we find ourselves…here? Sometimes our lives filled with serving the Lord and loving Jesus–doing what we know to do– can involve such heaviness and dark places. It can cause a person to want to quit.

Hold on!

First of all, please know, you have permission to be in this uncomfortable emotional and mental spot. We don’t want to stay here, but there is nothing wrong with you in terms of being lesser in the Kingdom for finding yourself here. Scripture will make this crystal clear. So take heart. It’s okay, as long as we go to the right place for help when we find ourselves in a season of discouragement like this.

Where can you and I go for help? Psalm 121:2-3 tells us:

My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.

Right now, would you invite the presence of the Lord into your quiet space?

He keeps you. He will meet you in the middle of your discouragement and not let your feet be moved.

With much affection,

To find more of Cheri’s plans on Bible.com click here.