Needing Encouragement?

Do you ever have those days when you're just in need of a little encouragement to get through those rough spots? Things just feel too hard, uncertain, and discouraging?

On those days, I often find great hope and encouragement when I experience God through His creation.

Today was just one of those days. Feeling down about some recent happenings, I mindlessly scrolled through my Facebook feed. Coming upon a little video of a mother elephant giving birth, I had to stop and take a look.

What surprised me wasn't the birth itself. No, I've seen many videos of animal births. I was more shocked when an entire herd of females quickly moved in and surrounded the birth mother and her new baby.

Facing outward, they surrounded the two until the baby was able to successfully stand up and stay near the legs of its mama. Eventually the entire herd moved on, still carefully shielding the tired birth mother and her little one from predators and other dangers.

Watching this new mother with her fragile baby and the way the others cared for them brought a few Bible verses to my mind.

David, the worshipper, the warrior, and the king, said this about his Lord: "You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me" (Psalm 139:5). It comforts me to think the Lord surrounds me with his hand on my life.

Also, in Hebrews 12:1, we are encouraged that "we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses...let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." I picture my long gone relatives and other saints cheering me on through this difficult day and the rest of my life.

Finally, the great apostle Paul reminds us that he is "convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39).

With those assurances in my mind, I'll get through this dark valley. Holding tightly to the hand of Jesus, I'll be just fine.