If Only God Knew

What I Was going Through! Ever felt this way?

The apostle Paul was in a Roman dungeon for his faithfulness to the gospel of Christ. But one night, Jesus Christ paid him a visit and offered these encouraging words:

"But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, 'Be of good cheer (or courage), Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome'" (Acts 23:11 NKJV). Jesus was revealing to the great apostle that he was more than aware of his situation. Just because he was in a prison didn't mean that God had lost track of him and God Knows What You Are Going Through Also!

God has not, nor will He abandon you. Even though the local Christians did not help him, the Lord had come to visit him. Later, in his last epistle, Paul wrote, "Everyone abandoned me" (2 Timothy 4:16). Have you ever felt that way? Abandoned, forgotten, forsaken? Know this: God has not abandoned you! The Lord is with you Always!

“Better to be in a jail with the Lord than to be anywhere else without Him.”

No matter what you are going through right now, you are not alone. God is there with you, wanting to bring encouragement to you regarding your future.

One of my favorite verses about God's future for each of us is in the book of Jeremiah: "I know the thoughts that I think toward you says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope" (Jeremiah 29:11)

It is worth noting that these words were given to Israel when they were in captivity in Babylon. They had lost hope. They saw no future, and felt as if God had forgotten about them.

But the Lord was saying to them (and us too), "I have not forgotten you, and there is a future!" Note that God does not say, "I know the thoughts that I have thought toward you." Rather, He says, "I know the thoughts that I think toward you."

God thinks about you all the time You are still a work in progress. God is still finishing you, so don't be impatient. Don't feel it's over, just because you are not where you want to be yet.
We see only the beginning. God sees "the expected end" and it is good!