I don't know about you, but in difficult times and overwhelming situations, I find I can get discouraged. The other day I was reading these wonderful words of reminder to Hebrew believers who were suffering for their faith and deeply discouraged: "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). I love it that Jesus doesn't change. No matter what we’ve done, He doesn't change His mind about us. No matter what comes against us, He doesn't change His promises to us. Even when we've done the wrong thing, He loves us with an everlasting love. He doesn't change His plans for us, "plans for good and not evil, to give you a future and a hope" (Jeremiah 29:11). God has never failed in the past, and He's not going to start with you. It may not happen your way or on your timetable, but God is true and faithful to His Word.
You may be facing huge challenges or perhaps you have friends or family who are and you're worried about them. When we worry, and our mind is going in circles, we've lost our connection to our source of strength. You have to reconnect to the God who doesn't change. The best thing is to place those challenges into the hands of God the Father. He says He'll be there with us no matter what we go through, and He never changes. He wants us to take all our discouragements and lift them to Him.
How do we do that? Jesus says, "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself" (John 12:32). There is a lifting that happens when we lift our faith and praise to God. Anytime you feel depleted or overwhelmed, just begin to praise and thank God; draw near to Him and He promises to draw near to you. When we praise Him, the Scripture says that He inhabits our praises. When we give God praise, we're putting Him on the throne. When we lift Him up, there's power in His presence, and we'll be refreshed and restored to His full joy. When we seek after Him, He rewards us and causes miracles to begin to take root and motion in our lives.
So let go of those discouragements and lift your life to Him in praise today. Quit dwelling on the negative and start praising. Lift up the name of Jesus with all your might. Stand by faith in that place of promise, believing that He never changes and can never fail you. Hope on, and believe that God is doing something new in your life right now!