It may seem that your troubles last forever. That there is no end to your pain or  sorrow. You may wonder if God cares. But the Lord is our Shepherd. He takes care of His sheep. And not one of them who are lost will be left behind. Often like sheep  we wander away and He has to go after us. When we are unable to walk He carries  us. When we are hurt or injured He will bind us up; for He is our Physician. No matter what, we can count on Him to be there. 

Pastor Franklin in his message on Sunday stated that every day we make it through is a miracle. Every day brings us closer to that final day when we hear the Lord say, “ Well done, good and faithful servant.” Like that old song says, “ One day at a time, dear Jesus that's all I'm asking of you.” One more step forward and one more day we are victorious. Keep looking up, not backward or forward. We cannot change the past and the future is not in our control. But we can choose to keep going today and live for Him. We can choose to tell the devil to get behind us. The battle is not ours but the Lord's. He will help us to overcome. 

We can choose to be thankful in our trials and difficulties. That they will produce strength and perseverance in us. We will become more like Jesus and that is the  ultimate goal. We can choose to sing even when we are sad and rejoice that we are counted worthy to suffer for Him. True joy comes from the inside and flows out. Even in the worst times we can praise Him and hold onto His hand. Trust Him to take you through the fire. 

Don't listen to the lies of the enemy. Telling you to give up, that it's useless. That you are done and washed up. That God doesn't care about you. He gave up His own Son so that we could be with Him. Like a shepherd, He will guide and protect us. He will give us all we need. His goodness and mercy will be with us now and forever. They are like two body guards that stay with us. Because He will never leave us. So press on and don't despair; our God is good and His mercy and favor will always surround the ones He calls His own.

Dear Heavenly Father,

I thank You that You are my shepherd, and I shall lack no good thing. You give me rest in lush meadows and lead me beside peaceful streams. For renewing my strength and guiding me along the right paths, I praise You. I know that even when I travel through the darkest of nights, You are close beside me. You bring comfort and peace to me, even in the presence of my enemies. I feel Your anointing over me and my cup overflows as You pursue me with goodness and love. I thank You that I will live in Your house all the days of my life. In the Name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Read the prayer above taken from Psalm 23, until it becomes ingrained in your mind and you walk as a child of God.