One day this summer, I woke up discouraged, with a heaviness that I could not shake. My mind was filled with seemingly unsolvable situations. I could not see past the details of each circumstance and was becoming increasingly weighed down by them. I prayed and complained to the Lord of my discouragement only to find that the heaviness remained.
Moving on with my day, I got up and started my morning routine. I usually sing praise songs while I get ready; this day, though, I didn’t feel much like singing.
But it crossed my mind, just a whisper of a thought, that not only did I need to sing praise songs this day, I needed to sing songs of thankfulness to the Lord. At first, it was like eating a sour piece of fruit…but only because I was not in the frame of mind for wanting to be thankful.
However, the more I sang, and the more I listened to the words I was singing, I felt a familiar warmth creep into my heart, the warmth of the Holy Spirit softening my spirit. As I sang, thoughts of thankfulness overtook me.
Isaiah chapter 61 reminds us that Jesus can give us, “…the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness…” In fact, He is able to “bind up the brokenhearted”, “proclaim freedom for the captives”, provide “release from darkness for the prisoners”, and more.
If you are discouraged today, praise Him. If you are overwhelmed today, praise Him. Let His Spirit soften you and His love overwhelm you.
–Katie Botello
