God is the Giver of Hope and the Lifter of Our Heads

Life has a way of beating us down – there is always more to do and there are always setbacks and discouragement. So many things, so many experiences make us hang our heads. Sometimes from shame, possibly from confusion, perhaps from exhaustion, maybe a sense of defeat or overwhelming grief. We hang our heads.

Psalm 3:3, "But You, O LORD, are a shield about me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head."

When we are discouraged and feel defeated, we need someone to stand by us, someone to lean on, someone to protect and defend us, and someone to remind us where our true value and meaning in life lie. Fortunately, God accomplishes this task for us. He wraps a shield around us against discouragement, puts his glory on us, and lifts up our heads.

Glory to His Name!

None of us are in charge of our lives. Life happens and you end up bruised along this journey of life. And when life happens, with your head hanging because you have lost all confidence. You feel worn down, rendered useless. You've lost all appetite for life. As the lifter of our heads, God brings us out of whatever it is that caused our heads to hang and brings us into a situation and time that will cause our heads to be held high.

Just like us, there are so many people around us today who are going through various trials and life difficulties. There is something we all can do for people who are hurting. We can be the lifter of their heads.

God of All Comfort

2 Corinthians 1:3-4, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."

Often when a person is hurting, they may lose perspective on their circumstances and feel abandoned and hopeless. In those moments, it's hard to hear the "voice" of God reminding them of His promises of hope and faithfulness, healing, and future strength. But you can help people hear that voice.

As Christians, we do not lose heart or shrink back. The grace by which we are saved prepares us for suffering by waging war on fear and unbelief, and by implanting an unshakable hope in our souls. This gift of encouragement enables us to speak life into people's dreams, to speak life into people's self-image. Just by a word of encouragement, we can literally shape someone's life. We could change their destiny, the same way God changes ours. And when you encourage others, you encourage yourself too. God made it like that. It's the law of sowing and reaping.

Your encouragement could mean the world to the person who is swimming against the tides of trouble. You know why? Because encouragement is the equivalent of throwing a rope to a drowning person. By throwing that rope, you are giving them hope. And hope is empowering!

Charles Spurgeon says, "The day will come when you will be astonished that there was order in your life when you thought it all confusion. You will be astonished that there was love and you thought it unkindness, that there was gentleness and you thought it severity, that there was wisdom when you were wicked enough to impugn God’s righteousness."