Psalm 20--second look.

Ps 20:5 We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God.May the LORD grant all your requests. NIV

In my life I have been in at least three situations where it felt like my life was being destroyed. Once, when our daughter died at birth, once when I had grown my church plant from 75 down to 23 in the first two years, and once when I had to lay off huge numbers of people due to some bad miscalculations on my part and then was demoted.

Each of those times brought on loneliness, heart ache, despair, anger, and most other negative emotions you can imagine. Each time there were people around me, mentors, peers, companions and a family, who encouraged me. One of my friends sent me this Psalm in the blackness of depression, telling me he believed in me.

My Dad, who in most people's book, is the most encouraging man in the world, has called me almost every Sunday night of my adult life, to tell me that he loves me, is proud of me, and is confident that I am making a difference. (If you are a Dad, please consider doing this for your adult children. They need it too.)

We need people around us who will shout for joy when we are victorious. If you are down right now, stop and make a list of those who are your supporters. Then, hang around them.

Leroy Lawson, in my last time of despair, made it a point to call me, email me, and look me up at every convention and meeting that we were at. I really don't know if I would have made without his encouragement.

Cherish these kinds of people. Be one yourself. If you know someone who is going through it, call them right now and let them know that you will rejoice when they are victorious--and that you believe that they will be victorious again.