A present help

​“Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.” (Psalm 31:24, KJV)

God the Holy Spirit has a secret way of strengthening the courage of God's people, which none of us can explain. Have you ever felt it? You may have gone to bed, sick at heart, "weary, and worn, and sad," and you wake in the morning ready for anything. You feel a sudden strengthening of your spirit, so that you are perfectly resigned, satisfied, prepared, and ready.

I have known a man of God on 'Change. Everything seemed to be going wrong, and he was worried and troubled, till he retired for a little prayer to his God. He had prayed only five minutes, before he got up feeling, "Now I am ready for you." All the flurry had gone, all the worry had gone, God had revived his spirit, and strengthened his heart.

I have seen a good woman, when her husband just died, and all her hope had seemed withered. The first burst of grief had passed, and she bowed by the side of that bed, and lifted up her heart to God, and then brushed her tears away, and gave herself up to fight the battle of life for her children. God had strengthened her heart in a moment.

Oh, do not give up! Do not say, "I must go through, I must always be despondent, my life is crushed." "Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart." Go to your secret place, fall on your knees, pour out your heart before God, tell your trouble to the Most High, and, as the Lord lives, before whom I stand, he must and will help those who put their trust in him. If you will trust him, he will be better to you than your fears; nay, better to you than your beliefs, or your largest hopes.

Stay with him; lean on the bosom of eternal love; lean hard, lean all your weight there, and leave that weight there, and the Lord be with you, and bless you! Blessed are all they that trust in the Lord.     Charles Spurgeon