(39) Take Courage, God Is with You

One of the most crippling feelings is discouragement. Sometimes our circumstances drive our hopelessness—people turn against us. Plans fail. Sometimes we can't explain why we feel disillusioned. But the results can be similar no matter the circumstances. Discouraged believers lose sight of God's presence and feel like there is no purpose to their lives. In such times we struggle to press on in faithfulness, fulfilling our God-given responsibilities with cheerfulness.

What discouraged Christians need is more than an emotional boost. We need to know that we have real and valid reasons to take courage.

The second half of Acts 23 can be a great help for disheartened believers. During a dark time Jesus visited Paul with an encouraging message and immediately tested his trust by another trial. For our benefit Luke shows us how the God who encourages us also stands by us in our troubles.