“And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.” (Isa. 58:11 ESV)

A spring of living water

“Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:13-14 ESV)

There was a popular song in the 1960’s with the often repeated line, “I can’t get no, satisfaction!” I’m not sure what the singer was complaining about, but it was certainly sung with a lot of passion. And, it’s still the cry of a lot of people today. They want satisfaction but don’t know where to find it.

What truly satisfies

Satisfaction is found in turning to God because only He is able to truly satisfy that longing inside. In fact, I do believe God placed that longing for satisfaction within each of the people He has made so each would reach out to find Him. Jeremiah 29:13 promises, “Those who search for Him with all their heart will find Him.” And, when they do, they will find satisfaction!

“For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.” (Psalm 107:9)

Therefore

“The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied;” (Prov. 19:23 ESV)

“With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” (Psalm 91:16 ESV)

“I am waiting expectantly, trusting God to help.” (Psalm 130:5 TLB)

Some people don’t pray with complete confidence and expectancy because they’re not completely sure that God always answers prayer. That’s a dangerous way to enter prayer as someone who is faithless, because faith is a crucial ingredient when praying. Without it, you won’t receive anything.

“But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.” (James 1:6).

Do pray with faith!

“And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” (Matt. 21:22 ESV)

Don’t give up

Sometimes an answer to prayer may be hindered or delayed for a bit by demonic forces (see Dan. 10:13). So keep waiting in faith.  

Sometimes God sends an answer before you ask, which is amazing to think how that’s even possible to do!

“Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.” (Isa. 65:24)

Be confident when you pray

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb. 4.16 ESV)

“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” (Jer. 33:3 ESV)

Therefore

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Eph. 3:20-21 ESV)

“For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?” (Matt. 5.46 ESV)

The world is full of difficult people

Difficult people are sometimes family members you can’t avoid at family gatherings. Or perhaps you have to work with someone who is rude and self-centered. Or maybe it’s an unruly and loud next-door neighbor who is a constant annoyance. Or someone rudely pushes their way in front of you at a checkout line. Or you are cut off in traffic and the offender blames you and exhibits road rage. The truth is, as long as you live in this world, you cannot avoid troubles all the time. Jesus said that you will have trouble in this world (John 16:33).

A different way to look at it

A godly old saint in the church we attend had an amazing take on difficult people. She said that God allows them in our lives to give us opportunities to practice the characteristics of His kind of love. It is an opportunity to grow the way God wants us to. And, love is not just about feelings; it’s about actions—doing the right thing in spite of how you may feel. The following passage tells you what that kind of love looks like.

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Cor. 13:4-7 ESV)

Therefore

“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:24-36 ESV)

“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” (Heb. 5:12-14 ESV)

Traps work because the victim didn’t recognize the danger

The same can be said about people getting trapped by sin. The Bible exhorts us in the passage above to train your power of discernment by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

Examine and test yourself

“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test. But we pray to God that you may not do wrong—not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed.” ( 2 Cor. 13-5-7 ESV)

Don’t be lazy (a sluggard)

“I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense, and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. Then I saw and considered it; I looked and received instruction. A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.” (Prov. 24:30-34 ESV)

Therefore

“Study and do your best to present yourself to God approved, a workman [tested by trial] who has no reason to be ashamed, accurately handling and skillfully teaching the word of truth.” (2 Tim. 2:15 AMP)

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18 ESV)

It’s a matter of survival!

 At the beginning of spring, I planted my flower seeds in seed trays so they’d be ready to go into the ground once the danger of frost is past. Planting the seeds is just the start of many stages to come. The seeds had to be planted in good soil, watered, given light, fertilized, and protected from the elements until ready to be transplanted outside. If I failed any of the steps, they wouldn’t survive.

It’s the same with spiritual growth

I couldn’t help but notice the many similarities between growing healthy plants and growing healthy followers of Jesus. It also reminded me of something I heard Billy Graham say in an interview many years ago. He was asked how many of the people who had come forward at his crusades actually stuck with the commitment they had made. His answer was shocking! He said the answer was only about eight percent! He went on to explain that so much failure was because they had not been taught how to grow in the knowledge and grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, so they never grew and they failed.

Therefore

“Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.” (1 Tim. 4:15 ESV) 

“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” (Col. 2:6-7 ESV)

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:24 ESV)

Perfect timing from God

Have you ever prayed for someone and then watched God answer your prayer in some amazing way with perfect timing? It’s very encouraging to see that happen.

Over the years, I’ve watched God reach many people I’ve prayed for. Family members and friends have come to Him, even though it seemed to take a long time sometimes. Some of them started out rejecting Jesus, and some seemed totally hopeless, but not to God! Over the years, God drew them with His Spirit and arranged for them to hear the gospel and become transformed.

My friend Terry

Right after I got saved, I excitedly called a friend of mine, Terry, to tell him about Jesus. But his reaction was the opposite of what I’d hoped for. He became angry and completely rejected what I had to say, and he even demanded that I never speak to him about it ever again. So after I hung up the phone, I simply prayed for him—that God would work in his heart, draw him by His Holy Spirit, send people to speak to him about Jesus, and, of course, that he would eventually be saved. I lost track of him, but about 40 years later, I got a call from him. He told me a wonderful story about his amazing journey towards faith and how Jesus had changed his life. He was now actively involved in the ministry of the church he regularly attends! Yes, God did answer my prayer for Terry! It seemed like a very long time to me, but it wasn’t for God. When you pray with faith according to God’s will (He isn’t willing for people to perish), He hears your request and answers it in perfect timing!

“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.” (1 John 5:14-15 ESV)

Therefore

“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (John 15:7 ESV)

“And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” (Matt. 21:22 ESV)

“But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness,” (Heb. 3:13).

In the world we live in, it is easy to become discouraged. In fact, listening to any of the news outlets can promote discouragement in the listener because most of it is negative and hopeless. That’s a good reason to stop listening to it so much. And with so much negativity in the world, it’s an opportune time to be an encourager.

Encouragement defined

Encourage: to inspire to fill with courage or strength of purpose— stimulate, embolden, reinforce, hearten, inspirit, reassure, bear up, buck up, strengthen, invigorate, assure, enliven, buoy (up).

The Bible states it this way

“Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” (Prov. 16:24)

Bible examples of encouragement

·      God encouraged Joshua

Moses had just died, and Joshua was about to assume the difficult role of following in Moses’s footsteps and leading the constantly grumbling group into the promised land. It was already occupied and had giants and many fierce battles ahead. He felt discouraged. But God encouraged him with instructions and strong promises.

“No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. . . . Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Josh. 1:5-9)

·      Jesus encouraged His followers

Jesus did not avoid telling His followers the truth about the troubles they would face. He told them the world would hate them (John 15:18-21; see also Matt. 10:22-23 and 2 Cor. 2:15-16). But He followed His prediction regarding the negative things to come with a word of encouragement: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33)

·       Joseph encouraged everyone

A man named Joseph was given the nickname “Barnabas,” which means “Son of Encouragement” (Acts 4:36). He was a blessing to the believers of his day! Through the encouragement of Barnabas, the apostle Paul was first accepted by the church in Jerusalem (Acts 9:27). And Mark was given a second chance after an abject failure (Acts 13:13; 15:39).

Therefore

“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” (1 Thes. 5:11 ESV)

“The righteous person faces many troubles, but the LORD comes to the rescue each time.” (Psalm 34:19)

Something terrible happened!

I remember enjoying the powerful and encouraging sermons from a fellow minister of God many years ago, when I was young and starting ministry. He, too, was young and filled with enthusiasm and infectious faith. Then something terrible happened in his life to change that. I don’t know what he did, but whatever it was, it caused him to lose his faith and quit the ministry in total defeat. I went to visit him. He sincerely believed he was no longer saved and was going to hell because of what he had done. He was greatly discouraged. I shared some Scripture with him and prayed with him. I have seen him a number of times over the years, but sadly, he never preached again. It was a great loss to himself, to God, and also to the many others he may have been able to reach with the gospel!

What to do when you’ve failed

·      First, repent from it (Acts 3:19). Repentance simply means that you turn away from sin.

·      Second, ask God to forgive you, and ask Him for help and for wisdom to deal with the consequences of your actions.

·      Third, fix anything that’s in your power to fix. If you hurt someone, seek forgiveness from them, then do what you must do to make amends, whether they’ve forgiven you or not. Do the right thing. 

Other things to know

Understand that God’s forgiveness is superior to your failure. The price that Jesus paid on the cross more than covers anything you have done. The Word of God is absolutely clear on the matter:

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) 

Biblical examples

 If you believe that your sin—what you’ve done—is beyond what God can and is willing to forgive, think again! The following are just two of many people in the Bible who totally blew it and yet were forgiven and put back to work.

·      Peter: He had been very close to Jesus for three years. He was personally called by Him to be an apostle. He walked everywhere with Him. He ate meals with Him. He had many conversations with Him. He observed the many great miracles He had done. But, after all of that, when Jesus was betrayed, beaten, stabbed, humiliated, and nailed to a cross to die, Peter deserted Him, and denied knowing Him. Not just once, but three times! He even swore at one point and said, "I never knew the man!" Yet Jesus forgave him and told him to get back to work for Him.

·      Paul: Saul (later renamed Paul) was a very religious man and was at the top of his field (Acts 23:6 & 26:5). But he was on the wrong side of things. He hated Christians and went about destroying their lives in every way he could. He persecuted them greatly and even sought out and obtained official letters against them, enabling him to pull them from their homes and cast them into prison. He even held the coats of a group of people while they stoned Stephen to death. Yes, he was complicit in murdering an apostle of God! Yet Jesus forgave him and put him to work doing the right things for Him. (Acts 26:12-23)

Apply God’s promises personally

·      God is not willing for me to perish

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Pet. 3:9)

·      God will return to me

“Return to Me and I will Return to You.” (Psalm 34:8)

·      God will NOT forsake me

“It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” (Deut. 31:8)

·      God will forgive me over and over

“Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!” (Matt. 17:21-22)

·      God will rejoice at my return

“ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent..” (Luke 15:7)

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” (Gen. 1:1)

 The power to create

God, the creator, created people with the power to create. And He has given each person uniqueness with specific abilities, gifts, and talents to do what they were created for. When they discover and embrace God’s creativity and purposeful design for their lives, they find the most satisfaction in life.

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2:10 ESV)

God has a wonderful plan for each one He’s made

Today, unfortunately, many young people don’t have a Christian worldview, only a secular and very ungodly one. They come out of learning institutions not sure what they want to do as a vocation. The problem is that they were not taught while growing up that God has a wonderful plan for their lives and that they need to continually seek His guidance to discover and prepare for it. And the sooner they learn to put God first in their decision-making plans, the happier, more productive, and more fulfilled they will be. Because most don’t seek Him at all, they flounder.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Rom. 12:2 ESV)

The Creator and His design for things 

When God created people, He made them in His own image and gave them the power to create things themselves within the world He placed them in and for the time and circumstances that surrounded them. 

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Gen. 1:27 ESV)

“And he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze,” (Exo. 35:31 ESV)

Therefore

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,” (Col. 3:23 ESV)