Encouragement Overflowing!

My heart overflows with a good theme...
my tongue is the pen of a ready writer. Psalm 45:1 NASB

This morning as I look out into the creation of God I see dark clouds and rain gently washing the dirt from the surfaces of the plants and such. The grime that had built up through the winter months, in spite of the snow, was blanketing the leaves and branches of plants making everything look dull and lifeless. But this rain is washing it all away making the way for new life to begin to sprout and flourish. It is feeding the roots that have grown deep into the ground and beginning the process of waking up the plant and wild life from its long winter nap.

People can be much the same. Winter time for me is difficult. I don't like going out in the cold and the lack of light, glorious sunlight, tends to depress my mood. But just as the rain is washing away the remnants of a long difficult winter, and the sunshine that will soon flood in will begin to lift my mood so does the the the encouraging words of friend or even a stranger at times help brighten my outlook.

Yesterday a group of teenagers came to where I work to take a tour. They were not all that interested really, at least most of them, but there were a couple who asked many questions. Their excitement and curiosity was almost contagious. The teacher that was with them spoke to me on one of the trips into the radio room and asked me if I remembered her father. I did. He was a former fire chief that I had worked with many years ago. She told me that when he heard they were coming to visit us that he asked her to tell me hello. She said he remembered me and wanted to let me know how much we were appreciated.

Now, normally in my business there are not many words of thanks. People as a rule remember the response units because the ones who are in front of them in the flesh are much easier to relate to and recall. But the voice on the other end of a telephone or over a radio becomes a part of the whole. It meant a lot to me to know that someone actually took notice. It was the high point of my day.

As I walk my life journey I pray that God will bring to mind anyone that I have let go unnoticed who may also need a word of encouragement. I pray as well that He gives me courage and boldness to speak it and not let circumstances discourage me from doing so no matter how insignificant it may seem at the time. I know the kind words meant a lot to me, so I can only think that it would be helpful to someone else.

God let me use my tongue to be the ready writer whose heart overflows with a good theme and let that spill out on those around me and be absorbed into their hearts. Let me be aware of the need and willing to share your word with them.

Confidence and Trust

¹³I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. ¹⁴This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. ¹⁵And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. James 5:13-15

On the subject of encouragement, how much more inspiring could it be to know that the God of the Universe hears our requests and honors them? We must approach His throne of grace with confidence. Ephesians 3:12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. In that confidence, we must know that if we ask for anything in accordance with his will, he hears us.

I personally find great comfort in knowing that He hears me and that He will provide whatever I ask if it is according to His will. I also, however, have to trust God enough to believe that when I do not get what I asked for, no matter how painful the result may be, that what I asked for was not His will. If it was not His will then I must also trust that He has a reason, a better plan "for He knows the plans He has for me, a plan to prosper me not to harm me, a plan to give me hope and a future." Jeremiah 29-11

Sometimes it is difficult to accept that His will is not the same as mine. When my mother died at the age of 52 or when my father died at the age of 63 after having watched each of them struggle as cancer ravaged their bodies. Or, as my mother-in-law died a slow and agonizing death from dehydration and starvation after colon cancer had destroyed her intestinal tract. Or, watching as my beloved Grandmother’s body dwindled and her mind deteriorated as she no longer knew her family from one moment to the next. All of these situations were heart wrenching and took every ounce of faith I had within me. What I held on to was faith and trust. I trusted that God in his infinite wisdom and omnipotent power understood more than my human mind could fathom. He knew what was best and not only had my interest at heart but also that of my loved one . It's hard to believe as you are in the midst of the situation. Instead I had to realize that somehow His purpose was fulfilled. Someone was being touched or the opportunity was extended for some soul to know Jesus, to share Jesus, that in some way the kingdom was growing and He was glorified!

As I look now to a family member who is faced with medical tests I have to look back and grab hold of that same trust. I will pray earnestly for a good report. I will pray that if indeed cancer or some other disease is involved that God will heal her divinely or through medicine! I am approaching Him with freedom and confidence and I know because I have faith through his son Jesus, He hears me and He will answer my prayers according to His will. Will it be difficult if His will does not match up with mine? Certainly. Will I continue to cry out to Him to save her? Absolutely! Do I believe with my whole heart that He can heal her if needed? Beyond a shadow of a doubt! I trust Him! No matter what the outcome or the journey ahead He will provide what we need for each step and He will be right there beside us as we travel. That encourages me and is my hope.

I pray you each have a wonderfully blessed day with the Lord today! Keep those eyes and ears of faith open for your opportunities to encourage others with even the simplest of things: a smile,a kind word, a hug, or even opening a door when needed. God is with you! He loves You!

A Little Encouragement Goes A Long Way

Encouragement, that is the topic of this weeks devotions.  Something we all need, certainly, but it is an act of kindness that each of us can perform to lift the spirit of another.  The dictionary defines encourage as "to inspire with courage, spirit, or confidence" or "to stimulate by assistance, approval, etc."  It is a verb in its many forms which denotes action on the part of the giver and on the receiver. 

 

We not only need to practice giving encouragement but receiving it.  If you are anything like me than you do not always receive what is meant to build you up because you do not believe you deserve it. You find it hard to fathom that anyone else thinks you do, or you simply belittle your abilities or the contribution that you have made.  We all need to learn to receive the inspiring words, the hope building actions offered to us by others.  Now, I am not saying we need to be self-serving or overconfident, however God sends others to build us up, to be his hands and feet.  We should

be open to listening and take it into our spirit, into our heart and let it lift us up or give us affirmation of our calling as a child of God.

 

We should look to God to see our worth not to man.  But, God sometimes uses other humans to deliver His message. Remember my friends, you are a highly valued child of the Most High God.  He sees to your needs and knows every hair on your head.  Nothing is unimportant to Him.

 

I pray you each find someone to encourage today.  Look for the opportunity, but also allow your heart to receive what is meant to build you up as well.  It's neither selfish nor vain to need encouragement nor is it unnecessary.  We all need it and God will provide what we need.  Open your hearts and let God fill you to overflowing.

Spiritual Contentment

What a beautiful morning! The sun is shining and there are blue jays and a cute little brown bird playing tag between the maple tree and the holly bush outside my window. They are having a great time flying in figure eights back and forth. They appear to be content and happy
in the space that God has created for them.

The question that comes to mind then is, am I content in the space that God created for me? Sometimes I would say yes. Other times, well, not so much. But then I have to ask why, what makes me unsatisfied, discontent or empty?

I have found that in my search for satisfaction and fulfillment at times I am looking for the wrong supply. When I am sad, I retreat to quiet. When I am burdened or feel overwhelmed by circumstances I go shopping trying desperately to find something to fill the hole or ease the pain, soothe my conscience. Problem is none of that, not even buying the coolest
piece of technology, cutest purse or gooiest dessert will satisfy the need I am trying to fill. There is only one place, one source of love and comfort that will bring joy back into my life; Jesus.

It says in the Bible that He alone is the Way the Truth and the Life (John 14:16). That He heals the brokenhearted (Psalm 147:3). That He fills us (Col 2:10). He completes us (Phil 1:6). He provides all that we need ( 2 Cor 9:8). His promises are genuine. He is faithful. I can trust Him with all that I am, all that I need, all that I will ever do for the glory of His kingdom. I can know deep in my heart that He will not abandon me in my time of need or in times of triumph. He is always with me. And He sends
me angels dressed in friendship to be the arms of comfort I need when a real live flesh covered hug is what I crave. Thank you for being there when I need you and thank you for listening, or in this case reading, the ramblings of a sometimes confused but faithful child of God. Thank you for being an Angel in my life.

Bad Habits We Cannot Afford

It's a new day and with it comes new opportunities to do the things we may have not done so well yesterday. I know that sometimes I 'shut down' inside or 'back away' when I feel as though I have failed someone, especially God. When I haven't spent the time with him like I should, it's like any other relationship. It becomes easier with each passing moment, each day away to just let that relationship 'rest in the past'.

It becomes habit. A bad habit for sure, but a routine none the less. It's just like friends or even family members in some cases that maybe we haven't talked to as often as we should. First it is a few days, then those days become weeks, weeks become months and before you know it, years have passed. We may speak to them in passing, send a card on their birthday or at Christmas and then one year we forget.
Just once, but instead of making contact, we say "I'll wait until their birthday" and then that passes. The routine is set. Then out of embarrassment, or busyness or apathy we just move on.

Our relationships with others are important. The connection to other human beings are a large part of how God built us to be. Our relationship with Jesus is much the same. When we step back from church, then we start disconnecting. We rationalize and say that we have good reason or we will go back soon when we find the right place, the right pastor,
the group to go with. But in our minds we say we are okay because we still read the Bible and pray.

Then that routine breaks down because priority is given to other things. We cannot afford in this lifetime, since it is the only one we get here on earth, to let our relationship with God become unimportant or take a back seat. It has to be priority. It has to come at the beginning not the end of our to-do list. Finding a place of worship and committing to being a vital member of that body is what each of us are meant for. We may be different
appendages or pieces but we all have a job to do that God gifted us uniquely for. If we don't act on it or search for it then we are letting God down and leaving a hole in the body of Christ that is shaped just like us!

I pray we all find the right place for us. Pray for God's guidance, for Him to get you out of bed in time for service and for Him to show you what to do when you get there. He is faithful. He will not leave us alone in the dark!

The One’s that got Away!!

Yeah, the birds are singing this morning!  That always makes me feel a little less weighted down with life.  The birds remind me of God and his promises to care for us.  He cares for them and they sound very happy today!  That's encouraging!

 

Friendship is something that we all enjoy, something that we all participate in and something that we should never take for granted.  As I read the message in our devotional book this morning I thought about the 'ones that got away'.  It's almost like a fishing story that a 'great' fisherman' would tell about the big one that eluded his hook and made it back to safety in the water.  Except, in this case it may not be safety that they made it back to.  It may very well be eternal death.

 

The people I'm thinking about are not just the individuals that I shared some time with at college, or high school, or at professional function.  They are not just the ones at church that came in one door and left out the other and never came back.  These people are souls that God put in front of me and gave me the opportunity to share Him and His story with and I failed miserably. 

 

The faces of these same people are in my minds eye reminding me that maybe if I had taken those few moments to drop them a note, send a card or even now in this fast paced society type a few encouraging words in an email, maybe we would still have a relationship and just possibly I would still have the opportunity to share my hope with them.  I realize that I cannot carry all of the burden for a failed relationship on myself.  I know that

I alone cannot keep a relationship alive that the other party must also be willing to participate.  But, I do know that I have been guilty of letting life get in the way.

 

Truth is we all are busy.  We have jobs, family and situations that need our attention.  Priority must be set and sometimes we simply do not have enough hours in the day to accomplish all we would like to.  I just know that in deep in my heart, I feel the loss of past friendships.  I do however believe that my grief has been rewarded because I have been blessed so abundantly with friendships now that I am overwhelmed at times just thinking about it.  I know too, that I never want to take it for granted.  So, to you, my friends I say, I love you and thank God for you. Remember we are blessed by God to be together and we must always try to be good stewards of that blessing.

 

Painful Stretching

Okay friends, no 'four letter words' are adorning my yard this morning, yeah!  I know that some of you actually like the white stuff, but for me, although I think it is beautiful and peaceful looking, it usually just brings headaches and stress.  I am also not particularly fond of cold weather in general since I have to wear many layers in an attempt to stay warm.  But that is enough rambling about weather.

 

In our devotion today it talked about financial problems and learning to make good decisions. I loved the quote for the day:

 

God often allows us to be in situations that are too much for us so we will learn that no situation is too much for Him. --Erwin Lutzer, Pastor and author

 

I know that each of us has been in a situation, short term or long, that has overwhelmed us in one fashion or another.  Sometimes it is dealing with financial decisions or recovering from mistakes.  Other times it could be experiencing  a loss of some kind or just an out and out stretching of the soul and faith through a new position,  a job or lack of job.

 

In any case, the one thing we all have in common is our dependency on God.  We have to seek His guidance and truly expect Him to work in our lives. In that same measure we must also be willing to follow His lead and not think that we know a better way.  In recent months I have been stretched and I am feeling the pain of that.  With each day, I feel the marginal elasticity of my will battling with the immeasurable strength of His grip pulling me in the direction I need to go.  For me, control is difficult to let go of yet I know I have to allow Him to lead in all areas of my life.  It's not easy or comfortable at times but it does give me peace when I do lay my ideas and plans down and wait on Him.  When my limited

mind wraps itself around the reality that God, in his infinite wisdom and knowledge, does indeed have the best plan and His plan is to prosper me not to harm me, to give me hope and a future I am encouraged.

 

The difficulty then lies in realizing that His plan may not be the same as mine and letting go of my idea of how things should be or what I should do.  I pray that today I can grasp that concept and lay my will at His feet, put myself in His hands and just hold on for the ride of my life.  He WILL guide me.  He WILL protect me.  He LOVES me and has a plan for my life.  I must keep repeating this to myself until it sinks in.  I pray that we all grab hold of His hand and never let go.

Choosing to Love

Happy Valentine's Day!  The day that most everyone is reminded of love, giving and receiving of love and all it's imagined to be.  The only problem with that is that most of us have a romantic idea of what it is supposed to look like.  In fact, love is a choice and not an emotion.  It is based on our ability to show kindness and compassion to another human being without regard to any warm and fuzzy feelings

that may be evoked or even their ability to reciprocate in kind.

 

I was reading "Love Dare" last night.  If you saw the movie Fireproof then you may remember Caleb's father explaining this concept of love being a choice to his son.  Many of us have heard other's say or even have said ourselves that "we follow our heart".  But, if we are following our heart, then who or what is leading it?  For us to make the choice to love others, our spouses, our children, our friends, then we must be willing to love unconditionally.  To love unconditionally means it can't be based on feeling or emotion because those change quite rapidly in some cases depending upon circumstance and action.

 

No, to love without regard to emotion, we have to lead our hearts by making a choice to do so. We must make the decision to follow God's command to love one another as He has loved us.  I'm pretty sure that He doesn't love us based on emotion.  If He did, most of us would be out

of luck because we will have disappointed Him at some point and that would leave us out in the cold.  He loves us because He chooses to.  Therefore, we must choose to follow His command and example.

 

The only way we can truly do this is by allowing God to love through us.  For us to love others as He has loved us can only be accomplished through His power and influence in our lives.  We have to always be eager to act on His behalf in the interest of others by showing kindness, compassion and hospitality. "When God's people are in need, be ready to help them.  Always be eager to practice hospitality" Romans 12:13

 

So, today my friends, I am seeking God's guidance and strength to make the choice to love you, my husband, my daughter and others without regard to emotion.  I will love you all because I choose to follow the example of Christ.  I will love you by showing kindness and compassion.  I will love you even when you don't do what I want or what I think you should.  Sometimes that may mean that I will tell you, in a loving way, if I believe you are not seeking God and following Him.  And, I hope you will do the same for me.  None of us are perfect, far from it in my case, however we all are beloved children of the Almighty and we need to

be loved and cared for by others.

 

I love you through Christ, because of Christ and on behalf of Christ!