Where To Find Encouragement
Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. (Psalm 119:105)
When you need encouragement, where do you go? Who do you listen to? What do you search for? Do you scroll through Instagram? Do you call your parents or your best friend? Do you search for encouraging quotes on Pinterest? Do you go to your small group leader or your mentor and ask them to give you a word of encouragement?
Don’t get me wrong. Those aren’t necessarily bad things to do. There’s a time and a place for seeking encouragement from those different sources. But I want you to be careful of something. If you’re always looking to other people for encouragement, you will never be satisfied with what they tell you. You will always be left wanting more. The reason for that is because they are speaking their own words, and nothing they say is more powerful than God’s Word.
I’m really guilty of this, being someone who loves words of affirmation. When I’m feeling down, or when I need a second opinion, I find myself immediately going to my husband, texting my parents, or calling my best friend. And while these are some of the wisest, godliest people I know, nothing they say on their own will ever compare to how the Word of God can speak to whatever situation I’m facing.
Scripture tells us that God’s Word is a lamp to our feet and light to our path (Psalm 119:105). His Word shows us where we’re standing and where we need to go. It tells you clearly if you’re headed in the right direction or if you’re wandering down a dark and dangerous path. It gives you wisdom. It gives you discernment. And it gives you hope like nothing and no one else can.
This is why it’s so important for us to become students of God’s Word right now. Don’t wait until the wheels fall off your wagon to get into God’s Word. Start studying Scripture right now.* Begin to hide His Word in your heart so that you can withstand the temptation to sin that will inevitably come your way.
Do you need encouragement right now? Are you searching for clarity as you prepare to make a big decision? If so, I would encourage you to look no further than the Word of God. Only there will you find the guidance, wisdom, clarity, encouragement, and direction you’re desperately searching for. No one else can speak to you the way your Heavenly Father can. So dive into His Word today and listen for what He wants to say to you.
*If you’re looking for a place to start, I would encourage you to begin reading through the Psalms. One of my best friends and I read one Psalm each day last year, and it was so helpful and encouraging to dive deeper into that book.