An Encouraging Word for the Most Desperate of Times
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I was 14 years old. I wasn’t saved. And I wanted to kill myself.
It was my freshman year of high school (9th grade). I was being bullied really, really badly. People made fun of me all day, every day. They did horrible things to me. I cried myself to sleep every night.
But in the middle of all that, I clung to one ray of hope.
I had only one piece of hope. Only one … but that one ray of hope mattered.
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My ray of hope was a Scripture verse I had heard one time. A Christian teacher from my former school had shared the verse during a devotional time, and the verse stuck with me. (Isn’t that just like God? I had not even surrendered to Him, but He still gave me hope in His Word!)
The verse that literally kept me alive was this:
Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14).
I clung to that verse. I opened my Bible and laid my head on it every night to go to sleep. I thought about it. I begged God to help me, because somehow, that verse showed me that He would. That verse encouraged me in the most desperate of times.
What was so special about that verse? Simply this:
If I’m supposed to wait on the Lord, by definition that means there is something to wait for … that He has something in mind for me that is better than what I’m experiencing right now.
So I clung to His promise. Desperately. Sometimes I felt like I was hanging onto a cliff by only the bleeding, wounded tip of one broken-off fingernail. But nevertheless, I clung. I cried. And I begged God to help me.
And He did.
It took time. I didn’t finally surrender to Him–giving my everything to Him and asking Him to have my life for His own–until I was 21 years old. During the interim, things were still hard. Really hard.
(I should have surrendered much sooner; I felt Him drawing me many times, but I told myself I was already saved, and I refused His wooing.)
And even after I finally made Jesus the Boss of my life at age 21, things were still hard for awhile. I was really messed-up, and it took time to transform my mind, and renew and wash my thinking in His Word.
But now, I can honestly say that my life is heaven on earth. He has kept His promise. He has given me the wonderful life that He said was worth waiting for. He has strengthened my heart and given me fullness of joy and victory in Jesus Christ. I still depend on Him daily, and always will … but I’m incredibly, incredibly fulfilled in Jesus.
Here’s the encouraging word for you if you’re in the most desperate of times right now:
No matter what things look like in your life right now, the Lord has something good in mind for you that is going to be worth it.
That’s why He tells you to wait on Him. He doesn’t want you to look at your current circumstances. He wants you to look at HIM.
I know waiting on Him feels hard sometimes. I know you need courage and hope. But you know what? You can only have courage when you look at Him.
JESUS is, singlehandedly, by Himself, your Courage, your Strength, your Power, and your Victory. And as soon as you look at Him, He will give you that courage and strength. He will strengthen your heart, and you will start to see His victory made manifest in your life.
Beloved, God has something good for you. Better times are ahead. Daddy God has something for you that is worth waiting for.
A song that was so encouraging to me during some of my hard times after I got saved was “I Will Wait,” by Jason Upton. It talks about Jesus being my Hope and the Sun on my horizon. Listen to this song here, and let the Lord encourage you too:
Dear reader, no matter what kind of situation you’re going through right now, will you wait on Him? Will you look to Him? Will you let visions of Jesus fill your entire horizon? Will you look–desperately, maybe, but still looking–at Jesus, Jesus, and no one but Jesus?
Your tough time isn’t going to last forever. God is working! Yes, even now, RIGHT NOW, He is working in YOUR life and in your heart. He loves you so much! He is working! I know you can’t see His plan sometimes. I know you doubt sometimes. I know these might be the most desperate of times you have ever endured.
But beloved, this is welling up in my spirit even as I’m typing: YOU ARE SO MUCH CLOSER TO BREAKTHROUGH THAN YOU THINK!
So will you wait on the Lord? Will you look at Him? Will you let Jesus consume your entire horizon?
If you will wait on the Lord, precious one, He will help you. He will strengthen your heart. And He will bring you into the fullness of His purposes for your life. Please hang in there. You are so much closer than you think.
If this message was for you today, please leave a comment below. I would love to hear if this speaks to you. Thank you!
This really helped me break through some lies today. Thank you!!
Yay! Go Jesus!!!!!! Thanks for letting me know!
Thankyou Jamie ,
I have read your blog and I feel encouraged by your words and posts . I have been a believer all my life , but sometimes I feel like Jesus is so far away . In the tough times I really find it hard to see his light shining , but you always have something wonderful to say . blessings to you
Karen, thank you so much. That is such a blessing to me. Jesus is right there with you at all times, and I pray the precious Holy Spirit would encourage you and help you sense His presence and affection today. He loves you so much and will never let you go or leave you alone.
If you haven’t already read it, I wonder if you might enjoy my free series on 21 Days to the Manifest Presence of God. If you check it out, I’d love to hear what you think!
Have a wonderful day! Thank you so much for reading my blog! 🙂
Jamie, your blogs are so uplifting as they give me hope! I need a break through something desperately! Love your writings!! Edgar
Thank you for your blog and today’s verse and beautiful song. I was on another blog and it said a seasoned older Christian woman was still praying for her son to follow the Lord after 30 years. I also read the story of is it George first name?, Mueller, sp?, last name who rescued orphans in England many years ago. Most of his prayers were always answered, to the extent that it was amazing. But I read where he was still waiting and praying for a few requests that I am sure he believed would be answered in God’s timing and he did not give up hope.
Yes. George Muller. His story is so inspiring! I believe I read in a book about him once that one of the people he prayed for all that time (that the man would give his life to Jesus) actually got saved at Muller’s funeral. How beautiful is that!! 🙂
Jamie, you are a living testimony to how great our God is! Thank you for listening and following God’s calling on your life. He continually uses you to be a blessing to me.
I hope you don’t mind if I return the favor and share my favorite verses with you as I feel led to do. Numbers 6:24-26 The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
Chandra, thank you so much. Although it’s taken me a couple days to get to my computer to answer comments, I get them emailed to me right away (to my phone). And the moment I got yours, I couldn’t believe my eyes. That Scripture is one of my favorites too, and I pronounce that blessing over the congregation every time I lead prayer meetings at my church! It meant soooooooooooo oooooooo oooooooo much to me that the Lord would put it on your heart to share that with me! Really, you have no idea. 🙂 I was having a very rough day at work and that just meant the world. It was a big hug from Daddy God! Thank you!!!! 🙂 Amen and amen and thank you for sharing and for reading.
Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea; Isaiah 48:18. I reminded my mother of that recently. It’s very true especially for young people, with all the turmoil today. There is way too much peer pressure and bullying.That’s all the devil is! And Jan is talking about George Mueller, he ran orphanages and schools in England in the 1800’s. He never asked for donations, but got them. He had children sitting at the table with no breakfast, prayed and the baker knocked on the door and the milk wagon broke down outside. Always a pleasure to read your post Jaime, God has given you a talent for helping others with your words.
Amen and amen. And thank you, Rebecca. I praise God for using me to help build up His people! What an honor it is to speak words of life to anyone.
Thank you for reading and for sharing! Have a wonderful day!
Thank you very much sharing this and many more ! It was encouraging for me ! I think I have too many battles just now, and I have been waiting for breakthrough quite long time. It seems to me that there are somekind of bullying. Could you pray for me that I would get enough confidence in Jesus, faith etc. That I could get the countinuous peace in Him and my relationship in Jesus would be so fine.
Thanks. I’m struggling right now and having a hard time trying to get clear. My boyfriend and my best friend both have cancer. I’m having difficult dealing with a neighbors addiction that is affecting me negatively, financial worries and some nagging health issues of my own. I’m tired, I don’t feel any love in me and God seems distant. I would appreciate your prayers. BTW, I love your posts!
Thank you Jamie for your words that encourage yet again. What a blessing you are to so many people, thank you God.
I also want to let Pirjo and Lori S know that they are not alone and I’m sure many people besides myself who have read Jamie’s post are praying for you in your difficult times. Hang in there ❤️
Amen. Thank you so much, June. And thank You, Lord, for taking care of us even when things seem darkest! Our Daddy is faithful!
Thank for prayers and thank for Jesus <3 , I have today peace in the battle. I think that I should be still (in my mind) and wait for God.
But can you pray for my children, that they have shield of faith and their hearth would be clean in Jesus. I suppose they may have difficult time. Maybe quite near people are bullying. So sad. And I should have the wisdom in Jesus to help them. Jesus help us ! We are asking savings for everybody in the family.