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.