Encouragement

How easy it is to get discouraged.

As a stay-at-home, home-schooling mother of 4 under 10, most everyday is struggle against discouragement and feelings of being over-whelmed. There are so many people and tasks which all seem to demand my attention every moment.  I feel exhausted before I have even begun the day.

Even as I write this, I wonder how to pull myself up out of the rut. How do I conquer this?

And then... in order to hide from the things that overwhelm, I take a break and check my facebook account. (Don't judge me :)

There, amidst the lovely pictures of all my friends, I see it. There are so many scripture postings and praise postings.  Encouragement.

There in my email box...daily devotionals I have signed up for and rarely get an opportunity to read until my inbox is overwhelmed with unread devotionals.  I read a few. Encouragement.

A few minutes spent in hearing the thoughts of others as they praise God and share beautiful scripture verses that encourage them, there I find encouragement also. 

Could this be what the Bible means when it tells us to encourage one another with psalms, and hymns and spiritual songs? Could this be what it meant that we are to encourage one another while it is yet today?

I believe it is. When we share praise with others, we rarely know how deep in impact we are having on those who are hearing.  And what is truly remarkable is that when we share something to encourage others, we in fact find encouragement ourselves. What a divine paradox!

Dear Lord Jesus, Thank you and praise You that You have equipped us with the ability to be Your hug to someone who needs You. Thank You Lord that You have given us the ability to form friendships and relationships. Help us Lord to find ways to encourage each other. Help us to "encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness." Praise You, the author and perfector of our faith, the lifter of my head, and the encouragement of my heart! Amen

May the Lord Himself give you sweet and blessed encouragement today!

Faith Under Trial

Throughout this week I have come across several scriptures and references all pointing to one theme.

My first encounter was in the book of Psalms. There were 2 or 3 of them back to back wherein David spoke to the fact that often the Lord leads us to a difficult situation in order that He may show Himself mighty.  Consider for instance, as does David in Psalm 105, all the evil that befell Joseph. 

What would have happened if he had taken upon himself to change his plight. What if he had sought escape? What if he had been bitter and not served with good character? What if… The list could go on. If at any point he had not rested in the Lord, the outcome for his family and hence the entire Jewish nation would have been much different. But instead, because of his immovable faith in Yahweh, we are blessed with a testimony of God’s goodness and His unfailing provision, as Joseph was positioned to be able to provide the young nation with food to survive the famine. What his brothers and even Potiphar's wife had meant for evil, the Lord had meant for good.

Then in Bible study this morning when we were discussing Yahweh Rophey (I AM Healer), we were guided to the book of Exodus. Specifically we looked at the story wherein the children of Israel are grumbling against Moses because they have been in the desert for 3 days and they have no water. When they come to the water at Marah they find they cannot drink it because it is bitter.

Though it was not the main thrust of the lesson, we briefly discussed, that often we are brought to a test for the Lord to determine whether or not we will “be still and know that I AM God,”  just as were the children of Israel. They were brought to the shores of the Red Sea with Pharaoh behind and waters ahead and Moses told them to stand still.  They were brought out into the desert where they had no water and required the hand of the Lord to provide water. They hadn’t enough food and relied on His provision for their daily bread. Over and over they were used of God to show His greatness in their time of desperation.

We have a choice to make. When we encounter trials, we can become anxious and lunge for whatever response seems best to us, or we can be still in faith and know He has not led us to this place to simply allow us to languish. If we find ourselves in the face of extraordinary difficulty (not of our own making through rebellious or sinful acts) then He has likely positioned us to receive greatly from His hand.

It was also pointed out in today’s lesson, as the tree used to make the bitter water sweet was in close proximity to the waters, so too the remedy for our bitter trial is always close at hand as well.

Thank you Yahweh Rophey that when you bring us to a bitter place, You Our Healer, Our Remedy are always close by. You stand ready to show us Your power and might. Thank You Lord that I need not worry and be anxious when I have obeyed You and given the situation over to You.  Thank You Lord that I can consider it all joy at the testing of my faith, knowing that such trials produce patience and endurance. And since through patient endurance I can be still and know that You are God, my faith is strengthened. Lord, I praise You that in Your wisdom You choose my trials for my good and Your glory. Praise You, Father! Amen.

The Thing Which I Greatly Feared

Whenever I begin to write short pieces like this, I begin by praying for the Lord to reveal to me what He would have me say to benefit others. So, I was a bit confused this morning when He led me to the book of Job and chapter 3.

"Why, Lord, would you lead me to such a dismal and dark place in order to bring encouragement to someone, when other places in Your word are far more inspirational?" What purpose could God possibly have?

And then I saw it, in verse 25. "For the thing which I have greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come to me." 

So often in life, in the quiet moments between the busyness, I allow myself to consider the many fearful things that could come upon me and mine. Most often those fears revolve around my children and their safety.  I allow myself to get anxious over the “what if's.”

Job was required by God's permissive will to face our worst fears.  My soul faints when I contemplate, "What if that were me?” Would I have the spiritual fortitude to proclaim as he did, "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord?"

But we know the end of the story. We know that the Lord blessed him with more sons and daughters and more possessions than what he had before. We know from the many examples in His Word that God is good and He is to be trusted, even when we don’t understand the circumstances.

Although Paul did not include Job in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11, it would not be implausible to say he could have included “By faith Job proclaimed the goodness of God, when he said, ‘Blessed be the name of the Lord.’” When he made this statement, he had not yet received any promise from God or any sign that he would have everything restored.  He simply believed that God was good and could be trusted when everything seemed to indicate otherwise.

In her study, Believing God, Beth Moore encourages us to such faith.  She has her students write in their bibles after Hebrews 11:40, “41 By faith (your name)…”  Mine now says “41By faith Cindy…” We will spend the remainder of our days filling in the …  She challenges us to determine what our faith legacy will be.

In whatever circumstance you find yourself today, my friend, will you choose to “By faith… ?”  Will you proclaim the goodness of our mighty God even from the depths of your valley?

Dear Lord God, I pray for whoever it is that You had in mind when you led me to this scripture.  I pray that whatever challenge they are facing now in these times will one day, in retrospect, be a time of blessing through growth.  Lord, we know that You are in the process of refining us and that You are conforming us into the image of the likeness of Your Son. We know that You are faithful to complete the work You have begun in us until the day of Your return.  I pray that you will give my brother or sister the strength to submit to the growing and to also proclaim by faith, “blessed be the name of the Lord!”By faith we proclaim together Your goodness. Our God is an awesome God! Praise You, Father! Amen!