Be Encourage!

"Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me"-Psalm 23:4

When the potter shapes the clay, the potter has to force his hand to get the desire shape the potter wants. Maybe this is how God works in our lives, straightening out the rough places, shaping His likeness in to us. And once the clay is shaped, the potter places us in a furnace, ready to engage in conflict. We may not like the fire, nor the curing process, but this must be done to help us withstand what the world has for us. Then the finish product is pleasing to the Master.

"So I went to the potter’s house, and sure enough, the potter was there, working away at his wheel. Whenever the pot the potter was working on turned out badly, as sometimes happens when you are working with clay, the potter would simply start over and use the same clay to make another pot."-Jeremiah 18:3 (The Message)

Often we resist the difficult places that we find ourselves, not understanding why we must face one more heartache, or yet another crushing blow. Most, often our defense is to run away, to hide within ourselves, pulling the proverbial covers up over our heads in defeat. We forget the Master Potter, has shaped us into; standing up and facinge our enemies head on, that we have been equipped to fight.

He is our Champion, He is our Protector. It is He who leads the charge through the swirling haze of adversaries that seek to steal our peace and joy. "Rejoice, I said Rejoice!"- Philippians 4:4 (KJV), for you have been given much in the way of meeting any formidable opponent!

"Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us."- Romans 8:37(KJV)

God uses troubles in our lives to teach us great lessons that we would never have learned otherwise. Our Lord regards these times not as difficulties, but rather as opportunities. The value of the lesson learned works into our lives and the glorious reward it leaves behind far surpasses the trial that we face. God bestows His great measure of divine grace upon us when we have descended into the valley of despair.

Tough the depth of sorrow overtake you, though you struggle with some fear, trust that the Father loves you, and that He is near.... be encourage!