Need the opposite of discouragement today.. kinda need some comfort?
There are times in everyone’s life when we need some encouragement and comfort. That’s one reason why I like reading the Bible, but better than merely checkin’ out a nice book.. God’s love letter to the Christian.. I like goin’ right to the Author of it cuz He so understands me and is the Solution no matter the challenge. Knows exactly.. precisely ..what to say to me, and what I need to do in every situation. He understands you too and is there for you.
The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Psalm 9:9
Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you. It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:6+8
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
Two of God’s most wonderful responses to us are, ‘Uh no!.. you've got to be kiddin’, and 'Wait a bit.’ But who likes to hear either from Him? Hey Buckeroo, glance back later on and if your eyes still semi-work you’ll indeed feel like givin’ thanks, Christian. There’s really no such thing as unanswered prayer.
The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. Zephaniah 3:17
This world never seems to run out of discouragement and those who traffic in that weirdness, but we know exactly where to run.. when it’s crucial that we do so.. or not so crucial at all. Either way He waits with warmth and open arms. And He wants all of our friends to discover He’s there for them to run to as well. Go tell.
“We seem to spend more time convincing the saved they can be lost than we do convincing the lost they can be saved.” — Leonard Ravenhill
So many people spend their lives on the edge of heavy discouragement, or even on the other side of that ugly line. I sure don't want anyone there for a second, do you?
Life is short and yes, that is really no place for people to be short or long term.
By faith, we can do something about it, and God equips us as well as encourages us to become part of the solution regarding this. Use what He said to help.
Do you already know some Scriptures that specifically address this situation? It's fun to do a study on this and there are many passages available. Please do pray, let the Holy Spirit guide you to some of em, and then look for someone down around you to affirm in the love of Christ today. Hey, you probably won't have to look too far.
"Don't be discouraged, child of God, by what you cannot do; just give the Lord your very best—It's all He asks of you." ~Sper
"She has done what she could." ~Mark 14:8
Speak clean and edifyingly (new word here..) and build up the believers until they are strong and telling others from a sense of powerful joy! Live clean - they need you to every day!
Remember the words of the God-called Psalmist who said, "I have not kept this Good News hidden in my heart; I have talked about Your faithfulness and saving power. I have told everyone in the great assembly of your unfailing love and faithfulness" (Ps. 40:10).
If the person you meet isn't sure about where they stand in their relationship with God, then choose not to be afraid and tell em in a simple, straightforward way.. in a fresh but sound sort of way about Jesus Christ. He is the One we love and need to talk about.
You know...tell em about how He lived, what He did on the cross, what He said (those prophesies will faithfully come to pass as so many already have), what He expects of us, and about His super delightful future plan for all who will come to Him on His terms. Ask God to use you to help em gain an assurance of their salvation from the Word.
Use what you've got for Jesus. Do what you can daily and God will give you more. Yes, determine now to do what He enables you to do, expecting God to anoint all your efforts. When you give your all believer, God can make your little bit a whole lot for His others!
Besides it's so awesome.. unbeatable ..to see others catch fire for the Lord and then see em go global in His Name too.
I enjoy encouraging people rather than discouraging them.. or at least being part of an effort to see encouragement happen. How about you? I want to be better at it too.
Paul was like that when he said, "…we thought it good to be left in Athens alone, and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the Gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith" (1 Thess. 3:2, nkjv).
Love isn't God, but God is indeed love so I like to hang out with God a lot—they say you become like the person you are close to. I also like to hang out with gentle and loving kind of people who enjoy encouraging others. I can't abide discouraging, hyper-negative people very long, but there are times when I must deal with them just like there are times when you too must interact with them. The nail comes with the hammer, the weed comes with the field, the fleas come with the dog.
Check out for a moment what Paul said, in 2 Corinthians 1:2-4, "Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God."
You knew that discouragement often leads a person into failures and an assortment of other wrong-doin's didn't ya? You knew that the word "comfort" could be used interchangeably with the words consolation, solace and encouragement right? You knew that our God is the God of all comfort and encouragement didn't you? You knew that the devil isn't about those things at all. Oh no! He loves to lie, deceive, confuse, condemn, depress, kill, accuse, oppress and greatly discourage people. He is to this day a very evil-minded, religious person.
You know what.. some of my friends and I came out of very religious churches that were led by spiritually blind, spiritually dead, mean-spirited men who strongly pushed good works but acted just like the harsh hypocritical Pharisees of old. They didn't practice what they preached and were like white washed tombs filled with decomposing bones (see Matt. 23:27). You remember how those religious folk were the very ones who gave Christ the most trouble when He walked down here on this planet. They were full of themselves.. way-arrogant, insensitive, vindictive, hard-hearted people who would never care at all if they hurt Christ ..or even murdered Him. They didn't care if they hurt his followers either.
You knew that God never changes ..or learns any thing new right? You know how the Pharisees are also the same yesterday today and forever ..didn't you? I don't mean that they are the same as God by any means.. I simply mean they refuse to change. Sad! I'm willing to change, 'cause I have a long ways to go (thanks friends for putting up with me so long!). Are you willing to change.. or be changed into the person you were always meant to be? What's encouraging to me is the fact that Jesus Christ was never hypocritical.. not even one time. How can you not fall head over heals in love long-term with a personality like that?
I have a Christian friend who refers to himself as a "recovering Pharisee." I love it.. he sees his weakness. I wish we all could get the log out of our own eye before we start trying to extract the twig from another person's eye (OK.. I guess I've started preaching again on my soapbox). But why don't we have those kind of "religious support groups" today.. "Hi, my name is George and I'm a Pharisee." And the crowd responds, "Hi, George! Here's 12 steps and a big Book." You and I have probably never heard anyone confess, "Hey man, I've really been religious lately" (and I'm not talking about pure religion in caring for the orphans or widows here). Hopefully you have never been like the Pharisees before, but there have unfortunately been times when you and I in either small ways or large ..have also acted the hypocrite. We have all sinned! Yup, it really all started with Adam and Eve. And most people recognize and will admit that there have been times when they haven't lived up to who they say they are or should be. I really hate hypocrisy, but I'm glad that Christ is helping me to hate it even more. There's always room for personal growth until I hate it to the same degree as He hates it.. and love sinners and saints to the same degree as He does.
Please know that God ain't religious. May I ask you.. do you have a personal relationship with this tender-hearted God of all comfort, compassion and encouragement? You can! I came to Him because I discovered what He was really like and I never want to be religious ..or a hypocrite.
