..fear not, neither be discouraged. 
 Deuteronomy 1:21  
   

Many of our favorite hymns tell us what to do when discouraged. One old 

standby by Johnson Oatman advises: "When you are discouraged, thinking 

all is lost, count your many blessings, name them one by one." 
Another asks, "Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come?

"We should rather remember that "His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He 

watches me." The beloved hymn, "What a Friend We Have in Jesus," gives 

us sound advice in saying we should "never be discouraged" over a burden,

for we can "take it to the Lord in prayer." The spiritual, "There Is a

Balm in Gilead" says: "Sometimes I feel discouraged, and think my work's 

in vain, and then the Holy Spirit revives my soul again." So if you're 

discouraged today, remember that a moment in the presence of our Lord can 

change your attitude. Count your blessings. Realize you're more valuable 

than the sparrows. Take it to the Lord in prayer, and let the Holy Spirit 

revive your soul again. Do not fear or be discouraged. 

 I sing because I'm happy, I sing because I'm free. For His eye is on the 

sparrow, and I know He watches me. 
 Civilla  D. Martin  (Copied from Turning Point) 

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes-–. Revelation 21:4

How much pain many of the Lord’s people are called to suffer–and how severe that pain often is! There are times when pain is hard to bear–when our spirits are exhausted and we are sorely tempted to doubt the pity and tender love of our Heavenly Father. Then it is  sweet to look forward to the place, and anticipate the time–when God will wipe every tear from our eyes–and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain!

Suffering Christian! Your pain will soon end–and your sufferings will soon be over! Jesus will come and fetch you from your bed of pain, your chamber of affliction, and your house of mourning! Absent from the body–you will be present with the Lord!

Seek grace from the Lord to suffer patiently. There is an end of every pain–and soon you will bless the Lord for the very pains which now cause you to sigh and groan! The songs of Heaven will be sweetened by the groans of earth; and the pleasures of eternity will be heightened by the pains of time!

Every pain endured–leaves one less pain to suffer. And every hour that passes–brings us one hour nearer to the time when the ransomed of the Lord shall leave behind this land of darkness and death, and go home to their Father’s house with everlasting joy, while sorrow and sighing shall forever flee away! (By James Smith, 1802-1862)
…..thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee….Isaiah 30:19

Our Declaration of Independence set forth some of the most profound political statements ever declared. The concern of our founders was not only to sever the colonies’ dependence upon England, but also to establish the idea of individual independence.

As Richard Schmeits, President of the N. R. A., said–“Being independent meant you were free to fend for yourself, trusted to exercise your freedoms and allowed to excel or fail as a result of you own decisions without interference. —Government should be dependent upon, and subject to–in the words of the Declaration of Independence–‘the consent of the governed’.”

That’s why our Constitution commences with the words, “We the people”. George Washington said,”The power of the Constitution will always be in the people”. We dare not forget that!

Thomas Jefferson wrote,”Every government degenerates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone. The people themselves are its only safe depositories”.

On this Independence Day, let us remember these words from the pen of Chuck Colson: The great British intellectual G. K. Chesterton wrote that “America is the only nation in the world that is founded on [a] creed.”

Think about that for a moment. Other nations were founded on the basis of race, or by the power of kings or emperors who accumulated lands and the peasants who inhabited those lands.

But America was—and is to this day—different. It was founded on a shared belief. Or, as Chesterton said, on a creed.

And what is that creed that sets us apart? It is the eloquent, profound, and simple statement penned by Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

—To defend the idea that our rights come from God Himself and are not subject to whims of governments or tyrants. That humans ought to be free to pursue their most treasured hopes and aspirations.

Perhaps some— take these words for granted. But in 1776, they were earth-shaking—indeed, revolutionary.

Yet today, they are in danger of being forgotten altogether. According to Gallup, 66 percent of American adults have no idea that the words, “We hold these truths . . .” come from the Declaration of Independence. Even worse, only 45 percent of college seniors know that the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are proclaimed in the Declaration.

As America grows more and more diverse culturally, religiously, ethnically, it is critical that we re-embrace the American creed.

America has always been a “melting pot.” But what is the pot that holds our multicultural stew together? Chesterton said the pot’s “original shape was traced on the lines of Jeffersonian democracy.” A democracy founded on those self-evident truths expressed in the Declaration of Independence. And as Chesterton remarked, “The pot must not melt.”

Abraham Lincoln understood this so very well. For him, the notion that all men are created equal was “the electric cord in that Declaration that links the hearts of patriotic and liberty-loving men together, that will link those patriotic hearts as long as the love of freedom exists in the minds of men throughout the world.”

—go to the Fourth of July parade. Go to the neighborhood barbecue and enjoy the hot dogs and apple pie.

But here’s an idea for you. Why not take time out at the picnic to read the Declaration of Independence aloud with your friends and your neighbors.

Listen—and thrill—to those words that bind us together as a nation of freedom-loving people: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

These are the words Americans live for and, if necessary, die for.

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.–John 16:33

Jesus never called people to follow Him under false pretenses. He was always honest–“In the world ye shall have tribulation”. And He never lessened the demands of discipleship to gain a following–they had to be willing to forsake all, take up their cross and follow Him. It would seem that a life of peace was out of the question, yet that is the very thing He promised! And, remember–He never lies. Let His promise be the rock upon which you build all your hopes.

Consider these words about peace from the pen of J. M. Miller:

“The Christian’s peace is not found in a place where there is no trouble—it is something which enters the heart and makes it independent of all outside conditions. In the ruins of many old English castles, a well is found down deep among the foundations. Thus water was provided for use in the castle in time of siege. The enemy might cut off the streams which ordinarily supplied the people in the castle with water. They might shut the gates, so that no one could go outside. But the defenders within the walls cared not for any siege while the well in the foundation gave its copious supply of pure, fresh water. So it is with the Christian, in whose heart the peace of God dwells. He is not dependent upon outside conditions and circumstances, for he carries in himself the secret of his joy, hope, peace, and strength.

It is very evident that we cannot hope to live in this world without troubles and cares. No such life is possible. The larger and more important the place we are called to fill, the more troubles and cares must we have. Nor can we hope for a life without sorrow. To love is to weep some time in the journey. One of every two friends must hold the other’s hand and stand by the other’s coffin. True religion does not shelter us from grief. But the peace promised is an experience which neither care nor sorrow can disturb—it is something that changes sorrow into joy.

A summer tourist writes of finding a fresh water spring beside the sea, as sweet as any that ever gushed from amid the rocks on the mountainside. He took his cup and drank of the water that bubbled up in the sand. Soon the tide rolled in again; pouring its brackish flood over the little spring, and burying it out of sight for hours. But when again the bitter surf flowed out, the spring was found sweet as ever. So it is with the peace of God in the believer’s heart. It dwells deep. In the day of joy it sings and is glad. Then sorrow comes and the salt floods pour over the life, covering it. But when the sorrow is past, the heart’s peace remains sweet and joyous as ever.”

Thou  wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength.– Isaiah 26:3-4

One of the great needs in life is to realize that there are things and people that we cannot change or control. Often we have to live with these as they are–and we don’t like it. “It shouldn’t be this way”, we argue. Sometimes we feel like “pitching a fit”, or going to the other extreme and pouting. We want our displeasure to be known, and we usually put it on display. Sadly, that usually makes things worse, rather than better. To be at peace we must learn to work with people as they are, not as we wish they were or as they ought to be. We must love people unconditional, not because they live up to our expectations. That, however, isn’t appealing to our fleshly nature. We want to debate the issue.

Our argument goes something like this–“How can I be at peace when there are so many problems? How can I be happy when there are so many hardships? How can you expect me to be content under these circumstances?

But, then, another question arises out of these–“Is it reasonable to expect peace and happiness when things are as they are? In other words, we feel we have a right to be displeased, depressed, discouraged, and difficult. Do we?

Well, you can argue all you want, but the answer is “yes it is reasonable” to expect peace and happiness. It is not only reasonable, it is our responsibility! We are obligated to manifest the fruit of the Spirit. And since it is our duty, it is possible. God’s grace always provides what His Word demands. The solution to our problem is found in these word, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee.”( Isaiah 26:3). I confess that I don’t always have perfect peace, as I should, but that is my fault– not a failure on God’s part. Regardless of my circumstances, I am obligated to be joyful and content. Nothing excuses me from that responsibility.

If, like me, you often fail at this, I encourage you to carefully study every word in this verse and every related verse (such as Heb. 12:1-3 and 2 Cor. 4:8-18). I promise you, it will make a difference! By keeping our mind “stayed” upon the Lord we can have “perfect peace”. Think about it!