May God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace by means of your faith in him, so that your hope will continue to grow by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 GNT

Discouragement! We all feel it from time to time. Life becomes frustrating when we try to cope with weakness that diminishes our strength. We have trouble dealing with the frailties of life and need to remember to be faithful.

DisCOURAGEment… In the middle of a term that describes a frame of mind, we see COURAGE in the middle. Defined as “the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc. without fear”, COURAGE allows us to embrace what is needed to endure.

Often, we try to be courageous, but discover it’s hard to deal with disappointment. We have trouble feeling calm and forget how to welcome needed strength. But God knows our hearts. He knows our every thought. He knows what robs us of His greatness.

The Bible teaches how to be courageous. Scripture helps us remember we are not alone. Deuteronomy 31:6 says, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you: he will never leave you nor forsake you.

How comforting it is to know God IS always with us. He gives strength to the weary and reminds us why we don’t have to handle life on our own. I Corinthians 16:13 says,” Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of COURAGE; be strong. The Bible tells us to “stand firm in FAITH.”

COURAGE allows us to put our faith in the One who knows how to handle our lives. At some point, we will all face moments of discouragement. But God will give us COURAGE. He will arm us with everything we need to be guided by the power of love. He will remind us to totally TRUST.

God will give us COURAGE in the middle of whatever we’re going through! There will never be a day without the presence of His love. He will make sure we’re prepared for everything that happens in our lives. He will give us strength to endure. He is God! He will always take care of each one of us.

Dear God, thank you for the power of Your love. You fill us full of everything we need to find strength as You manage our days. Open our eyes, so we will focus on You and recognize where to find COURAGE. Thank you for arming us with everything we need to find peace in Your presence. We will never forget how lucky we are to be loved by You. Thank you, Lord. Thank you! Amen