Encouragement for Today

April 16, 2024 Are You Battling Something Hard Today? COURTNEY JOSEPH FALLICK Lee en español

“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you.” 1 Corinthians 15:58a-b (NIV)

It had been 18 months since my husband walked out the door and into a relationship with another woman.

Now I was sitting on the bleachers in a small gym with my daughter, watching my son’s basketball game. Across the gym, in the doorway, was the man I had loved for 19 years, standing with the other woman. I couldn’t hold it in; I said out loud, “Oh no!”

I already knew who she was, but I had never seen them together until now. Nothing in all my life could have prepared me for a moment like that.

As the game ended, we all walked out of the gym. I was in a complete fog as the kids and I got into the car and drove home.

Have you been there? Blindsided by something in your life that you didn’t see coming? Perhaps it was a financial or relational dilemma, an unexpected health problem, or the loss of a loved one.

First Peter 5:8-9 describes the enemy, Satan, as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour — but these verses also say we can “resist him, standing firm in the faith” (NIV).

Oh, friend, the enemy, the battle and the darkness are real. But so is our God! He is with us, and in His strength, we can make it through another day!

Are you battling something hard today? God is with you.

“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you” (1 Corinthians 15:58a-b).

It’s hard to stand when you’ve been knocked down repeatedly. On the day of the basketball game, I was exhausted. Reflecting on the past felt overwhelming, and looking ahead to my future felt overwhelming. Still, I could live one day at a time, trusting in God and His love for me.

The second part of today's key verse reveals how we can stand firm: “Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58c, NIV). The Lord is always at work in us and in others, and our labor for the Lord matters for eternity.

I leaned hard on God in His Word and in prayer. At the end of every day, I was still standing. And now I can testify years later that, indeed, He is the rock at the bottom when the bottom falls out.

It’s easy to give in to fear, sadness, anger or worry, but God wants us to trust Him today and leave the past and future with Him. When we do, we find the strength to stand firm.

If you feel like an area of your life is falling apart, I want you to remember that God sees you and is faithful. Do you believe that?

Today, stand firm and let nothing move you. Tomorrow, do it again. You are not alone — God is with you, and He loves you dearly.

OUR FAVORITE THINGS

In her newly released book, Still Standing: How to Live in God’s Light While Wrestling with the Dark, Courtney Joseph Fallick boldly explores the questions that haunt us in hard times — whether God truly hears and answers prayer; what to do with worry, shame and anger; and how to trust in God’s goodness when life takes an unexpected turn. This book will give you hope, healing and renewal as you rise and stand again, stronger.

ENGAGE

Courtney has been blogging through the Bible with the Good Morning Girls, one chapter a day, since 2014. To find all her Bible study resources, go to WomenLivingWell.org.

Enter to WIN your very own copy of Still Standing by Courtney Joseph Fallick. To celebrate this book, Courtney’s publisher will give away 5 copies! Enter to win by leaving a comment here. {We’ll randomly select 5 winners and then notify each one in the comments section by Monday, April 22, 2024.}

FOR DEEPER STUDY

Psalm 18:2, “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer …” (NIV).

Are you battling something hard today? How can you find encouragement by remembering that God is a strong rock on which you can stand firm?

© 2024 by Courtney Joseph Fallick. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries thanks Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group, for their sponsorship of today’s devotion.

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