"Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen
Your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord."
Psalm 31:24 KJV
We're now in our 30th day of what has been officially termed as a "lockdown"...
Your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord."
Psalm 31:24 KJV
We're now in our 30th day of what has been officially termed as a "lockdown"...
...but has since been considered among the prisoners as an inconvenience, and nothing more than a "big headache."
While everyone is managing to deal with the disruptions the lockdown has brought about, such as no weekday visits with family and friends, or school programs and certain work assignments, it's now appearing to be having a negative effect.
I've seen this among the men from our chapel's fellowship group. The lockdown has brought a temporary stop to our weekly Bible studies. And being that many of the men are younger in the faith than I am, I'm seeing how the inability to gather for fellowship is causing some of them to become discouraged, and to lose hope.
I've been a follower of the Lord Jesus for over thirty years. However, most of the other men are not as well-grounded in the faith. And this is understandable as they have been following the Lord for much shorter periods of time, some for less than a year.
As I encounter these dear souls in my travels within the facility, I'm seeing signs of discouragement among a number of them. It's understandable. We've been created to have fellowship with one another. We've been called by the Lord to live as "one body in Christ," and not as individuals adrift alone. We are the family of Messiah Jesus!
So I've been doing what I can to encourage the younger men to keep trusting in the Lord, and to continue to pray for the lockdown to end. I have also been encouraging them to spend more time reading the Scriptures, as this is our spiritual food. And above all else, never to lose hope.
D.B.
While everyone is managing to deal with the disruptions the lockdown has brought about, such as no weekday visits with family and friends, or school programs and certain work assignments, it's now appearing to be having a negative effect.
I've seen this among the men from our chapel's fellowship group. The lockdown has brought a temporary stop to our weekly Bible studies. And being that many of the men are younger in the faith than I am, I'm seeing how the inability to gather for fellowship is causing some of them to become discouraged, and to lose hope.
I've been a follower of the Lord Jesus for over thirty years. However, most of the other men are not as well-grounded in the faith. And this is understandable as they have been following the Lord for much shorter periods of time, some for less than a year.
As I encounter these dear souls in my travels within the facility, I'm seeing signs of discouragement among a number of them. It's understandable. We've been created to have fellowship with one another. We've been called by the Lord to live as "one body in Christ," and not as individuals adrift alone. We are the family of Messiah Jesus!
So I've been doing what I can to encourage the younger men to keep trusting in the Lord, and to continue to pray for the lockdown to end. I have also been encouraging them to spend more time reading the Scriptures, as this is our spiritual food. And above all else, never to lose hope.
D.B.