One Big Family

¹⁵For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.^a]'>[a]

And by him we cry, "Abba,^b]'>[b] Father." ¹⁶The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.

¹⁷Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in

his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.  Romans 8:15-17

 

I am overcome this morning with the knowledge and promise of the great family of God.  This greatness not measured only by it's goodness rather  by it's vastness beyond my comprehension.  I grew up in what most people would consider a big family.  I have six siblings, five sisters and a brother.  We did all the normal things like pick on each other, fight with each  other and ultimately love each other too.  You would think that I would be used to enormity but in fact I am much of loner on many levels. Being surrounded by people all the time with very little privacy made me crave solitude all the more.  Living in a four bedroom home with one bathroom did not lend well to that desire.

 

I am encouraged now however by the realization that I am never truly alone.  I think my latent tendency from childhood still rears its head and demands to be indulged. My stubborn independence and pride sometimes influences my decision to attempt tasks as an individual that would be best accomplished as a group.   As a result, I then withdraw from the chaos when I feel overwhelmed by constant change seeking quiet solitude with God.  A time when I can converse with Him in prayer, journaling or quiet meditation.  These times help me process my emotions and ask myself the hard questions that help me grow. In these moments however, it is obvious to me that

God is with me and by extension so are those who are called by His Son.

 

I am thankful that through Jesus Christ I have an extended family of sisters and brothers that although not relatives

by my human blood, are part of my family by His saving blood.  These people, these glorious children of God

have come to my aid in many ways over the years.  They have supported my spiritual growth through prayer

and study, explanation and debate, discussion and compassion.  They have provided for physical needs

during times of great stress or illness.  They have shored me up emotionally by comforting me in loss and

celebrating in times of great joy.  But best of all, even when I am alone, whether by choice or circumstance,

I know I don't have to be.  I can call on Jesus, or I can call on His children.  I never thought that I would want or

need more when it came to family.  The truth is, we all can use more.  More love, more support, more

encouragement and with that comes more family.  The wonderful, crazy, varied beyond measure, enormous

family of God.  And I am so grateful to be a member of it!

 

I am praying for you, "my family"!  May you be blessed today beyond all you could ever ask or imagine!

Bearing with one another in love

²Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. ³Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.  Ephesians 4:2-3

 

What gives me encouragement this morning is knowing that I am forgiven!  Having godly friends lends some level of assurance that they will follow God's word, be patient with me and I with them and bear with one another in love.  Even as faithful followers we still make mistakes.  We still make choices that to us seem important, but to others may seem untimely or inconvenient.  And when that happens, when someone we love, or even

someone we are simply acquainted with does something differently than we would have liked and we feel let down then we need to remember Jesus' command.

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another". John 13:34

 

We must be willing to love one another in spite of ourselves.  We should be humble and gentle remembering that what may be inconsiderate in our eyes may have been innocent in theirs.  We need to look to the heart of the matter and strive to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.  Jesus himself, when dying on the cross, said "Father forgive them, for they know not what they are doing" Luke 23:34  If He can ask that, if He can forgive us for the many sins we have committed against Him up to and

including crucifying Him on the cross of Calvary then should we not be able to humble ourselves and forgive our loved ones when they make choices we do not agree with?

 

I struggle with this myself.  I have argued with myself over and over because of choices my family members have made.  Choices that will affect me and my family.  Choices that will affect all of my siblings in one form another.  It would be easy to just say, "they made that choice, let

them deal with the consequences."  But in my heart, I know that on some level, the decision they made was what they thought was right at the time.  Although, it may not have been the best choice, and there are repercussions, it does not mean that I have to just wash my hands of it.  I should follow God's word and Love them anyway, as God has loved me.

He forgave me of the messes I made in my life.  He has pulled me out of a pit more times than I care to count.  So, should I not humble myself and reach out to my loved one in unity of the Spirit?  I should think so.  It does not mean I approve of the decision that was made.  It simply means that I forgive them, just as God has forgiven me.  I love them, just as God has loved me.  And, I will help them just as God has helped me.

 

I pray you all have a wonderful and encouraging day in the Lord.  Spend some time with Him today and let Him encourage your heart and your soul.  If your encouragement tank is on empty, pull up to the pump that is the Word of God.  He will fill you up to overflowing!

Better Together

¹²See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. ¹³But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. ¹⁴We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. Hebrews 3:12-14


This was a warning and a reminder to the Jewish converts who were wavering in their new found beliefs to watch out for one another. Like most Christians, these new believers had a fierceness about them when they first heard and accepted the gospel of Christ. They wanted to believe
and they were willing to lay down the traditions and the man-made laws that the Pharisees preached for the simplicity of faith in a new relationship with God.

In many ways, the same struggle is still being waged today between rigid ritualized religion and the need for an intimate relationship with the Father through Christ. The distraction of human tradition taking away from focusing on what is truly important, knowing Jesus with our hearts
and not just our minds. Sin is still very much a part of every day life. Temptations are still hurled at us from all directions by the enemy who does not want us to make the eternal connection.

There is Hope! We must share Christ with one another and hold firmly to the confidence we had in the beginning. The fire and excitement we had in the infancy of our relationship is still there if we just take the time to reach for it and hold it as tightly as we possibly can. It's like any other pursuit in which we have a goal. We must spend time nurturing it and working toward our desire. When we stop paying attention to it, it grows cold and elusive.

Light the fire ladies! Pick up your Sword and strap on your shield, put on the whole armor of God! Defend yourselves and each other from the attacks of the enemy by encouraging one another and spending time with the Savior. Do not let the deceitfulness of Satan creep into your lives and convince you it's okay, you can do it on your own today. It's not true!
We need one another and we need Jesus! Let's seek Him together!

Peace, God’s Peace…

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

John 14:27

 

 

Peace, God's Peace.  What could be more encouraging or comforting than to have His word, His promise that He gives to us what no one on earth can, peace?  Through faith and believing in not only the existence of the Creator but also recognizing his sovereignty, trusting in his wisdom and being assured of his presence we are experiencing and reaping

the benefit of being his most highly valued creation, children of God.

 

He wants us to experience life as he planned it, not as the world would have us to.  The outside influences of society and the pressures of living in this fallen world can become overwhelming to any of us if we allow our focus to stray.  We need to look to God when we feel the pull of humanity dragging us away.  He alone can soothe our troubled souls and untangle our confused minds.  He can lighten the load of concern if we share our burden with him in prayer. 

 

Let's travel our road with Him today allowing Him to take whatever worries we may have as His burden, not ours.  He can handle it. He loves us! 

 

I pray you each find yourself in a great conversation with Jesus today!  He is waiting for you to talk to him with great anticipation and care.  Will you meet with Him?  Will you share your load?

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.