When we come to the end of ourselves, we come to the beginning of God.

“It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God.” (2 Corinthians 3:5)

It has been said that when you get to the end of yourself, you get to the beginning of God. Many times when hardship comes, we have our own plans for how to handle it. We have plan A, B, C, D, and E. And after we have exhausted all of those, we find ourselves in that place where we say, “If God doesn’t come through for me, it is over with. This is horrible.” But actually, it is not horrible, because it is an opportunity for God to show His glory. When times are tough, we have a built in instinct to become dependent upon God for strength that is needed. It is obvious that so many of us are growing weary in these dark days of oppression that we live.  Struggles surround us at every corner and it is hard to stave off the growing fears of uncertainty.  We were told in the Scripture that these times would come and test the faithful, but how do we keep standing when the ground is trembling and darkness is filling the sky?

Fear is a tool that the enemy uses to take our focus from the truth. This kind of discouraging spirit comes straight from the bowels of hell. And the time comes when every dedicated believer is overwhelmed by this sudden and unexpected experience. Very simply, the spirit of discouragement is Satan 's most potent weapon against Gods elect. Most often, he uses it to try to convince us we have brought Gods wrath upon ourselves by not measuring up to his holy standards. But the apostle Paul urges us not fall prey to the devils snare: Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices (2 Corinthians 2:11).

Paul is saying, You have to see your discouragement for what it really is! Its a demonic weapon an arrow that Satan shoots at you from his quiver to get you to doubt yourself. He knows he cant tempt you to turn away from Jesus. So he swamps you with vicious lies to make you think you'll never be good enough to serve Christ. He wants to get you so downcast that you'll want to throw in the towel! 

When we understand that our hope in Christ is secure, we can cease striving. There is nothing that is going to destroy a believer who is holding onto the promises that Jesus died to give. i had someone who had to me that, "Gracy all this burden you're carrying upon yourself is not yours to carry, mind you, the price for it was paid long back". I realized that my  future is never determined by my circumstance.  Trials that we face are only the wind that brings us closer to God.   Every single one of your struggles are used by God to equip you for the battles that come against you.

We want to have it all and do it all and become upset when it doesn’t happen. Then, when we notice God gave others characteristics we don’t have, we respond with envy, jealousy, and self-pity. God often calls surrendered people to do battle on his behalf. It’s not for cowards or doormats.  A.W. Tozer said, "The reason why many are still troubled, still seeking, still making little forward progress is because they haven’t yet come to the end of themselves. We’re still trying to give orders, and interfering with God's work within us."

We aren’t God, and we never will be. We’re humans, and the times when we try to be God are the times we end up most with nothing. Throughout the bible, God allowed his people to be taken to the end of their own strength but yet they were conquerors over all that came against them.  It was in the lion’s den that Daniel watched as his God shut the mouths of the lions and brought him safely out.   The three Jewish boys were bound and thrown into the furnace for refusing to bow in worship to Nebuchadnezzar.(Daniel 3)  Yet it was there that  they came face to face with the Son of God who protected them from even the smell of  fire and smoke. Young David ran against the giant, Goliath, in the power of the God in whom he trusted.  He never doubted that his God could save him as he killed that heathen Philistine with just a stone.  King Hezekiah cried out to his God for help when the Assyrian army was surrounding his people on all sides.  He had no power to face this mighty army but his God did!  We are told in 2 Kings 19:35, ” That night the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning – there were all dead bodies!”   It was God who fought their battle and saved them.  You need to understand clearly that when you are in Christ, you are a force to be reckoned with!

We are living in a time like no other.  We are watching as  wars, famines, floods, severe weather, poverty, sickness of all kinds of evil are permeating this entire world. The hearts of many have grown cold and evil, violence is increasing and all forms of perversions are becoming common. The only hope we have is the enduring love of Christ who will never fail. He is called Faithful and True and he is  ready to return and gather those who love him. May you know on this day that you are never out of God’s sight for a second.  Whatever you are suffering is before the eyes of God.  Remember,  “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit”. (Psalm 34:18)

                                   BE BLESSED!!