Let's be Thankful for Angels
I feel especially grateful for those unseen guardians who work overtime, who actually never slumber or sleep. That's right; I'm talking about the angels, God's special messengers.
In the classic allegory The Pilgrim’s Progress, the main character, Christian, tumbles into the miry bog, the “slough of despond,” and struggles to get free. But the heavy burden on his back pulls him in deeper, and he begins to sink.
This image pictures what it feels like when we’re sinking in difficult circumstances—when our debts outweigh our income, when past hurts won’t heal, when discontentment marks our relationships, and when the light of heaven seems distant and dim. Discouragement, despondency, pain, suffering—these miry pits along life’s journey can pull us down into our own “slough of despond.”
Christian’s rescue came by the hand of a fellow traveller named Help...and the same is true for you today. Use these resources to find encouragement for your own life...or to minister help to those you find along life’s journey.
I feel especially grateful for those unseen guardians who work overtime, who actually never slumber or sleep. That's right; I'm talking about the angels, God's special messengers.
Being compassionate or not is all about what you look at and see. The fact that we don't like seeing pain makes compassion difficult, but compassion only occurs in the context of another's pain.
Looking back more than 60 years, I've learned a valuable lesson: when people are hurting, they need much more than an accurate analysis and a quick diagnosis. More than professional advice.
Hidden in Scripture are vaults of priceless wisdom that can be hard to find if you're preoccupied or in a hurry. But godly truth is there, awaiting discovery.
In other words, sometimes just getting something done is more important than doing a fantastic job. If you stipulate perfection or nothing, the result will be nothing…every time.
Now, before you call me “Scrooge,” I suggest you return to the first century and meet a disciple of Christ who fit this category.
Some of us are fearful of silence. If we stop we may have to think for ourselves. If we listen we may not like what we hear. We find solitude synonymous with loneliness. And so we miss the quiet whisperings of God.
I am convinced that few weapons are more important in fighting discouragement and difficulty these days than a good sense of humour. Laughter, stress, and worry cannot co-exist for long.
Don't sweat the small stuff—in fact, the big stuff isn't worth the sweat either.
Someone has defined failure as succeeding at something that doesn't really matter. Are you passionate about things that last? I hope so.