Elated To Deflated

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Philippians 4:6 – Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (NIV)

As I begin each day, I try to keep this passage at the forefront of my mind. I admit that on some days, I am better at this than on others.

On this particular day, I had made the last payment on my car, and all the paperwork was done. I was elated not to have car payments anymore. However, as my husband and I drove home that day, one of the hottest days of the year, it soon became apparent that the air conditioning was not working. The car soon became warm, and my elated heart began to be deflated as I thought, What is this going to cost? I know that air conditioning diagnosis and repairs can be very costly. As I mulled this over, my husband suddenly said, "It is probably just the cabin air filter," to which my thoughts were still, Yeah, right! That would be too easy a fix. When we got home, he said, "If I am right, we need to wait and let the condenser defrost. It froze from the clogged cabin air filter." I removed the cabin air filter, and, yes, it was dirty, but I still did not have a lot of hope. We had lunch and then I went back out and started the car with the dirty filter lying on the floor of the car. Much to my surprise, the air conditioner began pumping out cold air. A new cabin air filter is installed, and I am good to go.

How is it that one moment we can be so elated and the next feel so deflated? As believers, we should be able to take our thoughts captive. Why is it that at times we can so easily lose sight of this? As I mull it over, I am reminded that even Moses, who walked very closely with the Lord, often felt defeated.

Numbers 11:11 – He asked the Lord, "Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me?" (NIV)

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (NIV)

If we follow this advice in situations such as I faced, our whole outlook will change, and we will be saved a lot of stress and undue worry.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, we are sorry for the times when our flesh takes over and we stray from the hope that we have in You. Help us in our times of unbelief and when we feel deflated. Help us to show the world the hope that we have in You and in the things unseen. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

Julie Bowles <julieanni@rogers.com>
Barrie, Ontario, Canada
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1 thought on “Elated To Deflated”

  1. Pray, in good times and hard times.

    Thanks for the encouraging words, Julie.

    Hi Julie,
    Thanks for the reminder, I will check my cabin filter today as I also try to remember Phil. 4:6.
    God bless.

    Thanks, Julie, for your encouraging words today. Yes, it is important that we stay strong and positive in our reverence to Jesus for His timing is always right.
    Blessings for your writing.

    Hi Julie, I loved and needed your words of truth today. We are moving to another state. I have complained about all the boxes we have packed. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 made me turn my thoughts all around. Keep writing for the Lord.

    Thank you, Lynne, for this very applicable story. Just two weeks ago, I got up out of bed to go to the bathroom, only to find that I couldn’t walk. I still can’t. I find it hard to follow a routine when the Olympics are on TV. I must stick to the plan, or I’ll never walk easily again. Maybe, there’s a message from God in this, as well as your devotional.
    Blessings.

    Hi, Julie.
    I really enjoyed and appreciated this morning’s devotional. We all get deflated with worry at times and need to trust God, usually through others, to provide a solution.
    My wife, Jane, is the “worryship” leader in our household. I’m better at remaining calm and taking action, trusting that a solution will be provided. Please stay cool while I look into the condition of the cabin air filter of our only car which is in its nineteenth year of service.

    Thanks, Julie, for your message. We have a 2005 car that needs work. For years I researched our next car and decided a hybrid was the one. We leased it and are enjoying it. I worried about buying it. Now I worry about having bought the right or best car for us. Every time we take it in, it costs us money. Now we have a car to rely on that won’t cost us every visit. We kept the old car for now and driving it has become a pleasure because we are sure we can start and go in the new one. As you say, like God, who was always there and deserved our confidence and belief that things would be alright right from the start. Our son helped us find our new car. God sent a helper to get us over this hurdle. It is a reminder to trust in God. And in Jesus. With them on our side, all things are possible. Be well and keep writing. All the best.

    Amen Julie.

    Thank you, Julie, for sharing this encouraging devotional with us today.
    To God be the glory! Blessings.

    Thank you for sharing this encouraging devotional with us.

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