You, LORD, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, Psalm 10:17

Have you ever experienced a situation that appeared hopeless - where darkness closes in, and the way out seems hidden? It might be that your shoulders feel the weight, and intense emotion crushes your chest. Do these feelings sound familiar? In response to some pretty serious persecution, Daniel and his friends most likely would answer with a resounding yes.  

It was amid a particularly dark time in my life when a certain situation brought much discouragement and weariness to my soul. I poured my heart out to the Lord for years, asking for Him to release me from the situation. His answer was always, “No.” 

Even though it was difficult to continually receive a “No” from Him for such a long time, He gave me what I needed in order to put one foot in front of the other and continue on. A song on the radio might include the words my soul needed to hear. God would speak directly to my heart through a sermon preached on a Sunday morning. Encouraging words and a hug from a friend would come in the nick of time. Sometimes it would be an answered prayer that lifted my spirit. No matter what it was, His encouragement showed up in the very moment it was needed most.

So, what do we do when we find ourselves in these discouraging times? Staying rooted in God’s Word is critical because He shows us new things, even with stories we have read many times.  Often, familiar passages will give us perspective on what we are going through. 

This week, we will look at the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel 3 and the beautiful lessons and promises that God gives us in the midst of hard times. This is definitely a story that I have heard and studied many times, but at that particular time, it was exactly what I needed to hear the very moment I needed to hear it. 

Johna Clemons