Category Archives: Encouragement and Comfort

Messages of encouragement for the soul and peace for your Spirit

The Labyrinth of Life

Posted on by yolandaberry
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 16 I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do;  I will not forsake them.  Isaiah 42:16

Do you feel that you’re on a road to nowhere? That life has pushed you down a twisted path that is based on poor choices and decisions and uncontrolled circumstances determined by external sources?

The more effort you put into your life, the more energy is sucked out of you. No matter what you try to do seems to work. Even though you may feel like you will never get to your destination, your life is constantly being diverted and misdirected. From dead ends, left turns and wrong turns that lead to right turns, it’s like a labyrinth of frustration, confusion, aggravation, not to mention stress. You may feel like a rat on a wheel, running to nowhere.

Just because you can’t see a way out, doesn’t mean there isn’t one. The forced direction that you experience, may possibly be how the Lord orders and directs your steps. With each twist and turn, the Lord is guiding your steps to the purpose and plan he has for your life. Who said life was easy? It’s not a direct shot even for the best of us. Some people may have fewer turns than others, yet we will hopefully end up exactly where we need to be.

Before you make a decision, you should always check your spirit. Do you have peace with your decision? Does something feel off? Do you feel nervous, tense, or afraid?

The Holy Spirit guides you with a sense of peace. He offers wisdom and guidance. Do not ignore your intuition. That is the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Fear can be very tricky because it can be a warning sign prior to danger, but it can also be a false alarm from satan himself. Either way, fear is not of God and you must learn to test the spirit prior to making any decision.

No matter where you are on your journey, keep on moving. God is not the master of confusion and He did not create you for failure. If you get tired and weary along the way, take a break or just pause for a minute (praise break), recharge your battery (meditate on scriptures), and walk-in faith (prayer).

The Lord has the ultimate blueprint and knows what He’s doing even if you don’t. He has the ultimate global positioning system (GPS). Let Him lead the way because He will never lead you wrong. “He will lead you by the still waters.” Psalm 23:2

 But the path of the just is like the shining sun, That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.  Proverbs 4:18

Embracing New Beginnings

Posted on by yolandaberry
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22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.  23 They are new every morning;
    great is thy faithfulness.  Lam 3:22-23

 As we enter a new year, it is refreshing to start again. When the sun rises, it promises us a new day to anticipate and expect positive changes in our lives.  We gain enthusiasm and motivation to begin new projects, set new goals and even finish tasks that we didn’t quite finish last year.

On the other hand, you may wake up in discouragement, resentment, regret, worry or fear. You may not have the excitement or motivation to even get out of bed. You just want to pull the covers over your head and hide from the world because you just don’t want to deal with all the crap that life brings your way. It may feel it’s pointless to begin again because you have not seen the fruits of your labor or experienced laughter, happiness or joy in a long time. In every problem, there is an opportunity. We must see our problems with spiritual eyes.  

In the Bible, it states, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” Psalms 30:5

Whatever season you may be experiencing, you must remember that it is only for a season. The uncomfortable situation or circumstance you’re facing is not impossible with God. The foundation of the Word of God promises us that we are overcomers despite all the challenges and obstacles we face.

Subconsciously, it feels like the month of January seems to set off how well the year will turn out. We must constantly put our thoughts and perspectives in check. We may get anxious about what we will encounter in the New Year. It’s very easy to lean towards negativity, self-doubt and fear. Our mindset must be elevated so we can produce and achieve those anticipated goals, visions and dreams that we hold in hearts. We should enter a new year with clarity and a peaceful spirit.  We can set the pace with our ability to control our thoughts. “Take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ Jesus.” 2 Corth 10:5

It all begins with the choices we make each day. We must follow through in obedience. We should listen to instructions, take heed to suggestions and receive wise counsel when needed. The smallest steps can make a big difference in the final outcome. Do we allow the weather to determine our mood? Or, do we allow negative people affect our whole day? We have power over our emotions and behavior with what we allow to influence our lives. If you didn’t like how your year went last year or the year before, you can analyze what went wrong and try to change it.

Some things that happen to us is out of our control, but we can look forward with hope knowing that nothing in life remains the same. As long as we hold onto hope, we can overcome. “Let us glory in tribulation also knowing that tribulation works patience; and patience, experience, and experience hope: And hope makes us not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Romans 5:3-5

One more thing we should consider, we should not be overwhelmed with all the demands in life.  Live in the moment. Live on purpose. Sometimes we just need to slow down. The constant flow of instant gratification and instant information at our fingertips destroys our ability to wait. We must learn patience. Learn to do what we can with the time that is given to us. We must learn to be good stewards of our time. “Be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” Heb 6:12

Cheers to new beginnings!

Additional Scripture References:

2 Peter 1:4-11

Isaiah 43:19

Lam 3

Fear Not

Posted on by yolandaberry
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The definition of fear:  (noun):  An unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain or a threat.

(verb):  Be afraid of (someone or something) as likely to be dangerous, painful, or threatening.

synonyms: terror, fright, fearfulness, horror, alarm, panic, agitation, trepidation,dread, consternation, dismay, distress; More

 There are two little words in the Bible that Jesus often reminded his disciples throughout their ministry. It was also embedded in Jesus’s ministry and teachings. “Fear Not,” a statement that is opposite of such a strong emotion that is often hard to control when it strikes and grips your mind and consumes you.

There is a lot of fear going around:  You may fear of a natural disaster, economic collapse, and terrorist attacks. Fear can block your actions. It intimidates. It paralyzes. It stifles. It can stop you from moving forward or taking the next step. It may become a prison in meeting different people than they are accustom to.  There is a fear of success or failure. You can have a fear of the future or fear of dying. You may even have a fear of public speaking or afraid of snakes or spiders.

Fear is disguised in many forms. Fear is a spirit from the enemy. It is ugly but has no power once you confront it. However, it will grow if you do not take control over it.

With so much going on today, it’s hard to ignore that the world is living in fear. The world is in chaos. It is out of control. It’s hard to speak to fear when there is a real presence of harm that threatens lives on so many levels.

On whatever form it may appear in your life, you have authority over fear. Many people are not aware of how to regain control over their feelings and experiences. I cannot promise you instant results, but you can subdue constant fear, anxiety, and worry and replace it with faith, peace, and love.

I’m no expert, but can only share my own experience with how I handle fear. First, you must acknowledge what you’re afraid of. Be specific. Write down every possible thing that could happen that you are fearing. “F-E-A-R” is False Evidence Appearing Real so once you acknowledge why you are afraid and picture the worst-case scenario, you have acknowledged the fear. Confronting fear is liberating and it is the best way to overcome it.

Reading the Bible scriptures is a powerful way to overcome any type of fear you struggle with. Meditate on scriptures related to fear and research stories where people in the Bible faced various obstacles and challenges and focus on how they overcame their plight.

Having a strong relationship with the Lord in prayer and communication is one of the best ways to overcome fear. Seeking His guidance and wisdom in circumstances that are beyond our control will ease our minds.

When you understand and know the character of God, you know that He loves you. You are aware of His promises. You can rest knowing that He is protecting and watching over you.  Psalm 91.

There is an assurance that even though you can’t figure everything out at the time, you know that the Lord is working behind the scenes. While He is working, you need to be in preparation for whatever instruction He provides and follow through without hesitation. Many times we may second guess ourselves which is only having doubt and unbelief. This may steer us off our path or delay the progress due to our actions.

At times, our environment has influence over our specific circumstances or enhancing a fearful mindset as a whole. Unfortunately, we cannot control other people, weather conditions, or other devastating elements that affect our lives, but we have the ability to walk in peace or comfort others who are struggling with fear and anxiety due to loss, grief, and difficult circumstances. We must seek opportunities to comfort one another.

In every season, there is constant change. Being flexible to change is challenging. Obviously, fear plays a big part in unknown present realities, anticipated futures and dangerous environments that the Lord may place around us, but we should rest knowing that whatever state we find ourselves in, we should be content in every circumstance and decision we face and walk in faith knowing that God will protect and rescue us in due season. You can adapt to rapid changes with faith, not fear.

God is not a God of chaos and mass confusion. The world may feel like it’s spiraling out of control, but God is in control. He has a purpose and plan for each of us.  Instead of looking to the world for solutions, we need to seek Him for direction.

Just put your trust in Him. He will lead you beside the still waters. As we enter 2016, seek Him with your whole heart and leave the fear behind.

Peace be unto you.

“We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” Romans 8:22

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURES:

Matt 8-24-26

Psalm 23:4

Psalm 27:1

Psalm 112:7-8

Prov 29:25

Isaiah 41:10

Isaiah 54:14

Luke 12:32

2 Tim 1:7

Heb 13:5-6

I Pet 3:14

I John4:18