Category: Encouragement

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Admitted Failure

This morning I’m going to share the thing that has been frustrating me that last couple of weeks.

It’s my refrigerator!

About six weeks ago our new refrigerator started to malfunction. The freezer section is perfect, a minus two degrees; the refrigerator, however, has issues. It only cools to forty-four to forty-six degrees. This temperature is too warm to store eggs, milk, and other items that can spoil.

No problem, it’s under warranty. We had a tech come troubleshoot the problem, reported it to the manufacturer, finally we received approval for a replacement and waited for the trucking company to deliver it so it could be installed.

All of this was to happen before April 28 because we were supposed to leave for the mountain on May 2. The refrigerator wasn’t delivered until April 29, one day after our scheduled install. We had to reschedule, and we couldn’t get an appointment until tomorrow, May 5.

We are late getting to our campground on the mountain where we will be hosting again this summer. Did I mention that I am frustrated? I hate being late for anything and especially this.

Each morning the refrigerator, the schedule, the entire situation is a partial focus of my prayer time. And if I’m truthful, I’m not really praying about it I’m complaining! There, I said it.

I talk with you each morning about trusting the Lord with all the issues in life – the big and the small. I quote the verse:

“The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands.” Psalm 138:8 NKJV

The Lord perfects or completes the things that concern me – this refrigerator has been a big concern. How foolish! I’ve allowed this cooling box to heat my emotions. I’ve allowed it to cause unrest in my soul and complaining from my mouth.

“God is working in you to make you willing and able to obey him. 14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing. ” Philippians 2:13-14 CEV

The Lord is more concerned with my heart than with the temperature of my milk and eggs. Which one has a more eternal value?

Some of you may be reading this and saying “I can’t believe she is getting so upset about a refrigerator. The world has bigger problems than this.” And you’re right – I agree completely. So, learn from my error. Keep your heart right; I have repented, and I may have to do it again before this situation is resolved.

My verse for today is this:

“Help me to guard my words whenever I say something. 4 Don’t let me want to do evil
or waste my time doing wrong” Psalm 141:3-4CEV

I will guard my words and my heart and I choose to let God’s peace rule. I hope you do the same.

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I Do It Myself

It’s not uncommon to hear little kids say, “I do it myself”. They are growing and learning and many times don’t want to accept help. They want to be independent. What we, who are older and wiser, know is that most of the time that attitude leads to a mess.

But before we are too critical of the little ones we need to look at our own statements of independence and there consequences. Hating to admit we need help is an expression of pride. I hesitate to ask Dave to open a jar of pickles – I can do it myself. Our cabinets are tall and he will volunteer to put things up for me and sometimes I find myself saying, “no that’s fine, I’ve got it”.

Why? That’s just silly but I do it all the same. We offer our time and our help as a gift, not as a criticism or an assertion of inability.

The Lord offers to help us in every circumstance of life but many times we’re like that small child standing with our hands on our hips and declaring I’ll do it myself. Through the years I’ve gotten more comfortable receiving from the Lord.

I heard one teacher contrast the difference between receiving and getting.

Getting implies working hard, striving, manipulating, using your effort to obtain. Receiving, on the other hand, is opening yourself to accept what someone else can do. You receive a gift with gratitude. Receiving from the Lord is accepting what Jesus has already done – that’s faith!

We don’t “work” to “get” from the Lord we walk by faith and accept His gifts of grace.

“You have accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord. Now keep on following him. 7 Plant your roots in Christ and let him be the foundation for your life. Be strong in your faith, just as you were taught. And be grateful.” Colossians 2:6-7 CEV

Here is our truth to live by today.

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:13 KJV

…to break it out further, here is the Amplified version

“I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]” AMP

Self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency – I can’t do it myself but when He helps all things are possible!

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Sit Quietly

This morning is one of those times when sleep eluded me. Awake at 1 am and up at 1:45. It was time to get up, pray and let the Lord speak to my heart.

I cherish those times of sitting quietly in His presence.

I began to read some of my favorite passages and found myself in Colossians. It’s there I stayed; my heart was flooded with complete gratitude – there truly are no words to express my thankfulness.

“God made us free from the power of darkness. And he brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son. 14 The Son paid the price to make us free. In him we have forgiveness of our sins.” Colossians 1:13-14 ERV

Every sin I have ever committed and every one that I still will are forgiven!

Christ paid the price for our sin, once for all, we have been made right with God. I have been made right with God!

“At one time you were separated from God. You were his enemies in your minds, because the evil you did was against him. 22 But now he has made you his friends again. He did this by the death Christ suffered while he was in his body. He did it so that he could present you to himself as people who are holy, blameless, and without anything that would make you guilty before him. ” Colossians 1:21-22 ERV

No longer separated from, no longer enemies but friends. And not just friends – we’ve been adopted as His own. Christ died for me, to forgive me and then presented me to the Father as one who is holy, blameless and without guilt.

“You will show me the way of life. Being with You is to be full of joy. In Your right hand there is happiness forever.” Psalm 16:11 NLV

“Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin! 16 So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved grace, and we will find help.” Hebrews 4:15-16 CEV

I am welcome in His throne room. I am invited to spend time in His presence. It’s important to sit quietly in His presence with no agenda or requests. In His presence is the fullness of joy!

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Promise Keeper

Yesterday we had a birthday celebration for Dave and our youngest daughter at our oldest daughter’s home. It was a beautiful day to be in the swimming pool.

There was every pool toy imaginable, including an inflatable rubber duckie. Only one adult made the unsuccessful attempt to get on. It was definitely more suited for little bodies. All three of the littlest grandkids floated on it, across the pool and back. At first, there were tears, loud objections and much coaxing involved. Our grandson wanted nothing to do with it until we started cheering for his little sister and then he made his second attempt which was accompanied by big smiles and giggles.

When he finally got off I heard our oldest daughter tell him. “I want you to always remember, I will never have you do anything that will hurt you. It might be something new, something that makes you nervous and even a little scary but I will never have you do anything that will hurt you. I promise!”

Those words rang out in my heart. “I will never have you do something that will hurt you, I promise!”

Somebody needs to hear that this morning.

“All of God’s promises have their yes in him. That is why we say Amen through him to the glory of God.” II Corinthians 1:20

When God makes a promise, He keeps it because simply put, God cannot lie. Don’t be afraid. Our Father is a promise keeper, He won’t have us do anything that will hurt us

I will ask again, what promise has God made you?

“Christ gives me the strength to face anything.” Philippians 4:13 CEV

“My God will use his glorious riches to give you everything you need. He will do this through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 ERV

“I, the Lord, will teach your children, and they will have real peace.” Isaiah 54:13 ERV

“No weapon formed against you shall prosper and every tongue that rises up against you, you shall condemn for this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord.” Isaiah 54:17 KJV

“With all my heart I praise the Lord! I will never forget how kind he has been.3 The Lord forgives our sins, heals us when we are sick,” Psalm 103:2-3 CeV

“ Jesus said to his disciples, “Don’t be worried! Have faith in God and have faith in me” John 14:1 CEV

“ A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so everyone would have life, and have it fully.” John 10:10 CEV

God will keep His word; He is faithful to a thousand generations. He hasn’t lied in the past and He’s not going to start now.

Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might! His answer is yes. Our Father is a promise keeper!

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Make It Stronger

A few days back Dave asked me to make the coffee stronger. I have used the same number of scoops for years, so his request intrigued me.

We always use the same brand and both of us drink our coffee black. I’m wondering if the coffee company has changed their processing. Maybe it’s just our taste buds. But I complied with his request, and we are enjoying it more.

Make it stronger…as I was drinking my first cup this morning and enjoying the fuller flavor I was reminded of a couple of Scriptures.

When we are young Christians, the Apostle Peter, says we grow by experiencing the milk of Scripture.

“Like newborn babies hungry for milk, you should want the pure teaching that feeds your spirit. With it you can grow up and be saved.” I Peter 2:2 ERV

The writer of Hebrews points out that as we grow, we need a stronger diet of more solid foods.

“But solid food is for people who have grown up. From their experience they have learned to see the difference between good and evil.” Hebrews 5:14 ERV

That is why I love Paul’s writings in the book of Colossians.

There are so many wonderful nuggets of God’s wisdom and provision contained in that small book. I wish we had time to sit and discuss it verse by verse. This book is filled with hope, strength, forgiveness, instruction for daily living. It starts by reminding us of how deeply the Father loves us.

“At one time you were separated from God. You were his enemies in your minds, because the evil you did was against him. 22 But now he has made you his friends again. He did this by the death Christ suffered while he was in his body. He did it so that he could present you to himself as people who are holy, blameless, and without anything that would make you guilty before him. 23 And that is what will happen if you continue to believe in the Good News you heard. You must remain strong and sure in your faith. You must not let anything cause you to give up the hope that became yours when you heard the Good News. That same Good News has been told to everyone on earth, and that’s the work that I, Paul, was given to do.” Colossians 1:21-23 ERV

At one time we were enemies of God the Father. But through Jesus’ sacrifice we have been brought into a right relationship with Him. The Father loves us and sees us as holy, faultless and without blame. All of our sins were placed on Jesus when He died for us.

Christ lives in us and is our power source, our strength and our victory.

In our homes we have electricity. That electricity will light a bulb of 25, 60, or 100 watts. The size of the bulb may change but the power source is the same.

Christ is the same in all our lives and as we grow stronger in Him we learn to appropriate more of what He has provided.

Make us stronger Lord for your glory!

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Learn to Study

This morning I was considering what to write. I knew I wanted to share some of Paul’s encouragement to us, as Christians. However, some of his sentences are so long and compound with multiple prepositional phrases, adjectives and adverbs.

To fully unpack the meaning of these wonderful words we need to break the sentences down. That takes time and the skills we learned in Jr. Hi English class. Plain and simple, it’s called sentence diagramming.

Paul is writing to the “saints” in Colossae and to us “saints” who live in today’s world.

“This is what we pray: that God will make you completely sure of what he wants by giving you all the wisdom and spiritual understanding you need; 10 that this will help you live in a way that brings honor to the Lord and pleases him in every way; that your life will produce good works of every kind and that you will grow in your knowledge of God; 11 that God will strengthen you with his own great power, so that you will be patient and not give up when troubles come. Then you will be happy 12 and give thanks to the Father. He has made you able to have what he has promised to give all his holy people, who live in the light. 13 God made us free from the power of darkness. And he brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son. 14 The Son paid the price to make us free. In him we have forgiveness of our sins.” Colossians 1:9-14

Paul prayed for us. He prayed that God would make us sure, completely sure of what He wants so He gives us wisdom and understanding, all wisdom & spiritual understanding. We need this wisdom and understanding to live a life that honors & pleases the Lord in EVERY way.

This wisdom and understanding will cause our lives to produce GOOD works of every kind, understanding & good works will cause us to grow in our knowledge of God. Paul also prayed that God would strengthen us with power, His great power, so that we will be patient (have endurance) and not give up when trouble comes.

Not giving up, we thank the Father because He has made us free from the power of darkness (this is His promise to us) and brought us into His Son’s kingdom where we have freedom and the forgiveness of sins.

WOW!!!

Thank you, Mrs. Morgan, for teaching me to diagram sentences. (By the way, I just saw there’s an app for that). We need to learn how to study the word of God because every word has meaning and purpose.

God doesn’t waste words – In the beginning He said, “Light be” and light was.

When we find a couple of verses filled with so many words, we must take time to find the meaning packed in each one. Learn to study them out.

It’s there we will find the wonderful message of God’s love, His wisdom, understanding and strength!

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A Favorite Lesson

A number of years ago we lived in the panhandle of Idaho. We had one particular summer that was very dry.

The catch ponds were drying up and the springs were only a trickle. One afternoon the dogs put us on alert and when we looked out our windows, this is what we saw. A cow moose had wandered into our yard with her twins in search of water. Our sprinklers were running, and they provided the much-needed water that she was seeking.

After they drank their fill, they rested in the shade of the tall pines. At first, she was very cautious, looking about after every sip but then as her calves rested quietly, she found rest herself.

The question that came to mind was “Am I thirsty for God”?

Thirsty enough to “search” outside my comfort zone? Willing to leave the familiar way of doing things and find the answers I need in God’s word?

God asked Abraham to leave his family and his homeland. Ruth left all and followed after Naomi to a new land where God blessed her with a husband and a child. Peter left his fishing nets to follow Christ. Paul gave up his prestige as a Pharisee to seek Jesus and His word.

“As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” Psalm 42:1-2 ERV

When we seek God, we will find Him and we will find that He gives all we need for an abundant life.

“Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will search for me, and when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me. 14 I will let you find me.” This message is from the LORD.” Jeremiah 29:12-14 ERV

Jesus ministered to a crowd on a hillside one day and he told them:

“Continue to ask, and God will give to you. Continue to search, and you will find. Continue to knock, and the door will open for you. 8 Yes, whoever continues to ask will receive. Whoever continues to look will find. And whoever continues to knock will have the door opened for them.” Matthew 7:7-11 ERV

God is loving, kind and gracious and when we seek Him we find that to be true. He put all of our punishment and judgement on Jesus so that we could have a wonderful relationship with Him.

“ I mean that God was in Christ, making peace between the world and himself. In Christ, God did not hold people guilty for their sins. And he gave us this message of peace to tell people.” II Corinthians 5:19 ERV

Someone needs to know that God isn’t mad at you!

He loves you and if you seek Him, you will find Him waiting with arms of love open wide. Seek for Him like that momma moose sought out the life-giving water – you will find all you need in Him.

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Encourage the Brave

I found this saying attributed to Alexander the Great and thought it was worth sharing. “An army of sheep led by a lion is better than an army of lions led by a sheep”.

God has placed within us all a spirit of boldness; sometimes we just need someone to encourage us.

Let’s look at three words. Courage, En courage, Dis courage.

Courage: mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.

Courage is not the absence of fear but the ability to push through it.

En-courage: to make (someone) more determined, hopeful, or confident.

In the Bible the words strength or encourage are used interchangeably.

Discourage. to make (someone) less determined, hopeful, or confident.

When we become discouraged, we lose the ability to persevere and withstand difficulty. I want to encourage you in who you are today in Christ. Don’t let the enemy or the circumstances you are facing discourage you.

“You have accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord. Now keep on following him. 7 Plant your roots in Christ and let him be the foundation for your life. Be strong in your faith, just as you were taught. And be grateful. 8 Don’t let anyone fool you by using senseless arguments. These arguments may sound wise, but they are only human teachings. They come from the powers of this world and not from Christ. 9 God lives fully in Christ. 10 And you are fully grown because you belong to Christ, who is over every power and authority.” Colossians 2:6-10 CEV

Be strong, be grateful. Don’t listen to senseless arguments that discredit God. The power of God rests in Christ and since we are in Christ. As believers God makes His power available to us. He has made us free!

“You were spiritually dead because of your sins and because you were not free from the power of your sinful self. But God gave you new life together with Christ. He forgave all our sins. 14 Because we broke God’s laws, we owed a debt—a debt that listed all the rules we failed to follow. But God forgave us of that debt. He took it away and nailed it to the cross. 15 He defeated the rulers and powers of the spiritual world. With the cross he won the victory over them and led them away, as defeated and powerless prisoners for the whole world to see.” Colossians 2:13-15 ERV

Christ won the victory for us! Be encouraged with that today.

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Heavenly Father Watches Over Me

Do you know that our Father loves us dearly and watches over us carefully?

Have you seen a new mother watching over her baby? She responds to every squirm and squeak. Then as the child grows, she tries to shield it from scratches or scrapes, germs or harmful things. That nurturing heart comes from Father God. This little child is part of its mother and she is committed to its welfare.

Do you think the Father cares any less for us than we do for our own children? Even when we disappoint Him, our Father is there for us. He does not and will not abandon us! As the scripture in Matthew 6 reminds us, if he sees the sparrow and the lily and cares for them how much more does He watch over and provide for us.

Where are we going today? Where have we been?

There’s no place we can go or are now that He doesn’t go with us. He has promised to never leave us or forsake, (I love that word) us. We can rest in the Father’s love. Trust Him on the freeway, at our job, in the grocery store. Trust Him with our broken heart and our weary body. Trust Him with our finances, with our spouse and children. He is faithful!

“You have looked deep into my heart, Lord, and you know all about me. 2 You know when I am resting or when I am working, and from heaven you discover my thoughts. 3 You notice everything I do and everywhere I go. 4 Before I even speak a word, you know what I will say, 5 and with your powerful arm you protect me from every side. 6 I can’t understand all of this! Such wonderful knowledge is far above me. 7 Where could I go to escape from your Spirit or from your sight? 8 If I were to climb up to the highest heavens, you would be there. If I were to dig down to the world of the dead you would also be there. 9 Suppose I had wings like the dawning day and flew across the ocean. 10 Even then your powerful arm would guide and protect me. 11 Or suppose I said, ‘I’ll hide in the dark until night comes to cover me over.’ 12 But you see in the dark because daylight and dark are all the same to you. 13 You are the one who put me together inside my mother’s body, 14 and I praise you because of the wonderful way you created me. Everything you do is marvelous! Of this I have no doubt. 15 Nothing about me is hidden from you! I was secretly woven together deep in the earth below, 16 but with your own eyes you saw my body being formed. Even before I was born, you had written in your book everything I would do. 17 Your thoughts are far beyond my understanding, much more than I could ever imagine. 18 I try to count your thoughts, but they outnumber the grains of sand on the beach. And when I awake, I will find you nearby.” Psalm 139:1-18 CEV

We are not alone – our Father is always watching over us with care!

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Some Things Amaze Me

Here we are, a couple days past Easter and I’m still thinking about the resurrection.

We talk a lot about the days that led up to the death of Jesus, His burial and yes, resurrection morning but what about the days that followed?

“I know the resurrection is a fact, and Watergate proved it to me. How? Because 12 men testified they had seen Jesus raised from the dead, then they proclaimed that truth for 40 years, never once denying it. Every one was beaten, tortured, stoned and put in prison. They would not have endured that if it weren’t true. Watergate embroiled 12 of the most powerful men in the world-and they couldn’t keep a lie for three weeks. You’re telling me 12 apostles could keep a lie for 40 years? Absolutely impossible.” ~ Charles Colson

This quote by Charles Colson has prompted me to think more closely about what must have transpired that first week after Easter.

“Pilate said to them, “Take the soldiers. Go and watch the grave.” 66 Then they went and made the soldiers stand by the grave. They put a lock on the big stone door.” Matthew 27:65-66 NLV

“They said, ‘Tell the people, “His followers came at night and took His body while we were sleeping.” 14 We will see that you do not get into trouble over this if Pilate hears about it.’ 15 They took the money and did as they were told. This story was told among the Jews and is still told today.” Matthew 28:13-15 NLV

Tradition and military protocol tell us that these soldiers would have been killed for dereliction of duty not given hush money. How many secret meetings were there to convince them to keep quiet?

And what about the disciples? Jesus appeared to Mary, He talked with two disciples on the road to Emmaus, Peter and John saw the empty tomb, but none of them were excitedly running through the streets of Jerusalem proclaiming the resurrection. They were behind locked doors, afraid that the Jews would come looking to arrest them.

“It was evening of the first day of the week. The followers had gathered together with the doors locked because they were afraid of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them. He said, ‘May you have peace.’ 20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. When the followers saw the Lord, they were filled with joy.” John 20:19-20 NLV

Jesus appeared to them and spoke words of peace. That was the same message He gave them the night He was arrested, “Let not your hearts be trouble”. Christ, like a good shepherd, took every opportunity to bring peace and calm the hearts of his followers.

We know Thomas, one of the apostles, wasn’t there that night. He didn’t encounter Jesus for another eight days. I wonder when Jesus saw His mother and brothers; when did He make his first visit to Mary, Martha and Lazarus, his dear friends?

We aren’t privy to that information. It isn’t recorded in Scripture, but His loving nature would not have allowed Him to keep the details of His resurrection a secret. Yes, I imagine that the first days following the resurrection were just as event filled as those leading up to it.

There is a message to reveal to the world. “He is not here; He is risen as He said”!

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