Renewed Perspective

What do you do when life gets you down? Many people run for cover. Some hope that the troubles they are facing will simply disappear. Others find themselves fighting against their circumstances in an effort to be free from suffering. However, none of this works apart from the loving plan of the Lord Jesus Christ.

God is in the process of "fitting" us for the battles of life. Sorrow, frustration and pain are often the tools He uses to shape and mold our lives so that we become reflections of God's mercy and grace to others. While He is not the author of heartache and tragedy, He certainly knows exactly how to use these for our benefit and His glory.

One of the hardest lessons we will ever learn is how to take a negative situation and turn it into a positive one. In Psalm 23, King David reminds us that it is all a matter of faith and perspective. He writes, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me" (v.4).

David's words are stepping stones to a great faith. In fact, if we practice the principle that he lived by, God will develop a conquering faith within our lives. David lived with adversity and, from time to time, we will too. No one escapes difficulty. It is a part of life lived in a fallen world, but we do not have to live with feelings of defeat, discouragement, and criticism.

You may be thinking, "But you don't know my circumstances. There is no way for you to understand the pressure I feel or the discouragement that plagues my heart." While we can't truly know or understand the hurt another person may be experiencing, we do know that there is one person who understands perfectly and that is Jesus Christ.

He was rejected, betrayed, criticized, and crucified. If you are looking for someone to identify with the pain that you are feeling, do what David did — look up and realize there is someone who is walking through the valley with you. No matter how dark life becomes, Christ will lead you on to victory.

______________________________________________________________

Excerpted from My Journal, a monthly devotional magazine from Leading The Way with Dr. Michael Youssef.

Please register today for a free trial subscription of My Journal, a monthly publication featuring biblical teaching from Michael Youssef and weekly devotionals to encourage you in your personal Christian walk. You'll also enjoy ministry updates, testimonies from around the globe, our current broadcast schedules, and more!

For more information on the ministry of Leading The Way, please visit our web-site at www.leadingtheway.org.

Featured Offer

NEW BOOK FROM DR. MICHAEL YOUSSEF FOR YOUR GIFT OF ANY AMOUNT

In his new devotional book My Refuge, My Strength, Dr. Michael Youssef guides you to open your heart to God, your ever-present help. Filled with compelling reflections, eye-opening Biblical illustrations, and moving prayers, these 60 powerful devotions will spur you to deeper intimacy with the Lord. Today, you can begin the journey to surrender your restlessness, move from discontentment to contentment, and experience abiding peace in Christ. Request your hardcover edition today for your gift of any amount!

About Leading The Way

Along with partners committed to changing the world, Dr. Michael Youssef is leading the way for people living in spiritual darkness to discover the light of Christ. By passionately proclaiming uncompromising Truth through print, web, television, and radio, this international team of experts is uniquely providing hope that is revolutionizing lives at home — and around the world.

What began as a small local radio ministry in 1988 has grown into an international ministry reaching millions for Christ — including a vast audience in the Muslim world seeking Truth in closed countries. Leading The Way's television and radio programs are broadcast in more than 28 languages to audiences across six continents. Leading The Way also produces DVDs, CDs, books, a monthly devotional magazine, solar-powered Navigators, and daily e-devotionals to spread the light of Christ. In 2009, the ministry launched its own 24/7 satellite TV channel, reaching the Muslim world with Gospel programming in English, Arabic, French, and Indonesian. Leading The Way utilizes field teams to evangelize and disciple viewers in closed countries and help persecuted Christians on the ground.

Dr. Youssef and the Leading The Way staff are committed to sharing the Gospel with the lost and equipping believers to grow into a deeper walk with Christ. Learn how you can partner with this unique ministry today.

About Dr. Michael Youssef

Michael Youssef, Ph.D., is the Founder and President of Leading The Way with Dr. Michael Youssef, a worldwide ministry that leads the way for people living in spiritual darkness to discover the light of Christ through the creative use of media and field ministry teams. His weekly television programs and daily radio programs are broadcast more than 13,000 times per week in multiple languages throughout the world. He is also the founding pastor of The Church of The Apostles in Atlanta, Georgia.

Dr. Youssef was born in Egypt and lived in Lebanon and Australia before coming to the United States. In 1984, he fulfilled a childhood dream of becoming an American citizen. Dr. Youssef holds degrees from Moore College in Sydney, Australia; Fuller Theological Seminary in California; and a Ph.D. in social anthropology from Emory University. He has authored more than 50 books, including popular titles Saving Christianity?, Hope for This Present Crisis, Life-Changing Prayers, and Never Give Up. He and his wife reside in Atlanta and have four grown children and 11 grandchildren.