Daily Encouragement For February 20:

A parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule. The mule fell into the farmer's well, which was dried up and no longer in use. The farmer heard the mule and after carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the trouble of saving.

So, he called his neighbors together, told them what happened, and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery. At first the mule was hysterical, but as the farmer and his friends were shoveling dirt into the well, the mule would shake it off and step up.

It suddenly dawned on the farmer that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on the mules back, he would shake it off and step up! No matter how much dirt fell on the mule he fought panic and just kept right on shaking it off and stepping up.

It wasn't long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, stepped triumphantly over the wall and out of that well! What seemed like it would bury him alive actually blessed him, all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity!

That is how life is! If we face our problems and respond to them positively, refusing to give in to panic, bitterness, or self-pity. The adversities that come along to try and bury us have within them the potential to benefit and bless us. Remember that forgiveness, faith, prayer, praise, and hope all are excellent ways to "shake it off and step up" out of the wells in which we find ourselves!

Praise the Lord right now for all the things He has brought you out of. God is our deliverer and will always meet our needs on His perfect time. I know it's hard to thank God when things are not working the way we want, but this is what pleases the Lord, He will see our eyes focused on Him and not our circumstances, no matter what the situation. When everything seems to be pouring on top of you, just shake it off and step up to God.

Turn every negative situation into something positive, never let Satan make you feel that God has forgotten you nor does not love you. No matter what you are going through or even what situations you have gotten yourself into there is not a mountain high enough or an ocean deep enough to separate us from the Love of God.

“That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ...But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin...If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” - I John 1:3,7.9.