I know for sure I am not the only one to experience discouragement.   I have been in a season of constant discouragement the past few weeks.  (Thus I have been quieter than usual.)

There have been no medical catastrophes.  Therefore, one would think that life would be good.  Unfortunately, there has just been discouragement lurking around.  Numerous things are just wearing me down.  It has often felt like my life was just falling apart even though there are no major medical crisis.  For me, it feels wrong to be discouraged and there not be a major catastrophe going on.  However, I am learning that is probably not a true statement.  It doesn’t take a catastrophe for life to bring you into a season of discouragement.

Bible Verses for when you are feeling discouraged.

What I have found is that in this season, I keep returning to His Word for comfort. I think I have been seeking Him and needing the security of my relationship with the Lord more and more during this season.  There has been much learning about trusting God and others in this season of discouragement.   I have made a freebie for you with Bible verses for when you are feeling discouraged.  Some of my favorites are on this freebie.  If you would like to have my page of Scriptures to print out for your use when discouragement comes, you can sign up for the freebie here.

I prepared this freebie about two weeks ago, and it’s just been sitting here waiting for me to send it out.    Therefore, I’ve been chewing on these verses and letting them minister to my heart for several weeks.

Chloe’s Relentless Migraine

This week Chloe and I finally came to the end of ourselves and accepted the fate that an ER visit for a migraine was in order.  She has battled for two weeks.  Because of her intestinal bleed, we had to make some changes to her migraine meds and needless to say, this migraine was relentless.  However, because it does happen to be flu season, who wants to go to the ER?  Any other options, please Lord?  After some begging and pleading with the neurologist, the answer was still going to the ER.

Chloe had been doing everything in her power to manipulate and demand that she had better options than specialized doctors and that these skilled doctors just needed to do what she said.  Chloe was near impossible to love and was just driving me crazy, to be honest, and unable to receive love and comfort from anyone.  This one particular morning, I very gently pointed out that she was spending all her energy trying to control instead of trusting God and her doctors who had proved themselves trustworthy! (This came because God has been talking to me about the VERY SAME thing!  Controlling is not trusting!  And this particular morning, it became evident that I had passed this not so great trait on to Chloe!)

Breaking The Fear Cycle

I have been reading this brand new book coming out the first of March.  (You can pre-order it now.  I love this book so much, I’m going to be offering a copy as a freebie to one lucky person in a few weeks!)

It has been such a timely book in my life.  This particular morning with Chloe, I utilized what I had learned in this book.  I started spouting off questions to her.  “Chloe, what if you do have to go to the ER?”  Chloe says, “I might be exposed to the flu and get sick.”  “Chloe, what if you get the flu?  Do you think God is big enough to protect you from the flu or to give you strength and healing to your body if you were to get the flu?”  Chloe thinks and responds, “I guess so.” [bctt tweet=”If God is bigger than our what-ifs, then we have no reason to fear. ” username=”kksmith8694″]

Heart changes are often needed before God can bring comfort and healing!

At this point, Chloe then moves from being controlling and demanding, to broken and grieving.  She begins to cry and say statements like this isn’t fair.  It’s not fair that I have migraines and I have to go to the ER to treat them.  I don’t like this.  I’m tired of feeling terrible.  I just want a healthy life.

Now, I could comfort her and love her in her broken and grieving place.  In her place of control and lack of trust, there wasn’t space for God to work. Sometimes, heart changes are needed.  Broken is better than controlling.

Giving Comfort

Then Krisann just blows us all out of the water.  In the middle of the Chloe meltdown, Krisann comes up to Chloe, hugs her and says, “Chloe my heart is sad for you.”  Wow!  Guys that’s all she said.  A hug and a straightforward statement, and then she left.  The moment was a priceless moment, but that wasn’t the end.

In a few minutes, Krisann returns, with a stack she puts in front of Chloe.  Krisann brings her own Bible storybook, her Bible verse print out from church on Wednesday night, some Kleenex that she had cut into a heart and wrote I love you on the top one, and one of her favorite stuffed unicorns. Krisann says, “Chloe I thought you might could use this.  It would make me feel better.”  There is no doubt this 8-year-old has seen her mama upset and experiencing discouragement the past couple of weeks, and she has seen me go to His word over and over again.

Krisann has joined me often in the early morning hours as I have been pouring my heart out to the Lord and asking for His comfort.  Although I could have experienced frustration when she joined me before I was ready, I chose not to be.  Instead, I have shared some of my heart moments with God with her.  Wow!  I think what she has seen me doing, has made an impact in her life.  Not only has it made an impact in her life, she even decided to share what she was learning with her big sister. [bctt tweet=”God’s Word is comforting.” username=”kksmith8694″]

So, I’m honored to be able to share with you His Words for your discouraging seasons.  I pray that these verses will minister to your heart and remind you of the comfort that we can find when we center our thoughts on Him in the middle of discouragement.  You may get the freebie here.  If you have a verse that is exceptionally meaningful to you that is not on this list, I would love for you to share your favorite Scripture verses with me!  And you know what else I love in seasons of discouragement, worship music.  Steady My Heart is one of my favorites in this season I have been in these past few weeks! I’d also love to hear from you songs that minister to your heart in these seasons of discouragement.