You are not alone!

"God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."

"Resist him steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you." 1 Peter 5:5-10

The word "care" in the first scripture above means a divided mind. It means distractions, anxieties, burdens, and worries. It means to be anxious beforehand about daily life. Such worry is unnecessary, because the Father's love provides for both our daily needs and our special needs.

I know sometimes I feel beat down and discouraged, but it seems God always brings me back to these verses. When I think about a lion on the prowl, he is always looking for the weakest one in the pack seeking who is easiest to catch. He's not looking at the pack, but the one alone apart from the pack. The Bible says, the enemy is roaming around like a lion seeking whom he may devour.

I believe a great tactic of the devil is to get us to feel alone and discouraged, and that we're the only one battling with our current life struggles. The bible clearly states above that our same sufferings, battles, worries, and anxieties are experienced by everyone. I'm here to tell you that you are not alone in your situation. You're not the only one dealing with the same sin, thoughts, cares, and worries. Cast it all upon Jesus for He deeply loves and cares for you. He resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

God is perfecting His character in you. You are being built up as a spiritual house. The old saying, "Rome wasn't built in a day" well neither were deep rooted Christ followers. Be encouraged He loves you, and knows exactly what you need. We're all living in deeply depraved world, and all are battling similar battles. Don't listen to the enemy when he tries to get you alone and separated from the pack-Church folk. You can't say, "I just need Jesus, and don't need the Church" that's a lie from the pit of hell. You are not alone! The body of Christ needs you. God is not finished with you!