Encouragement Post – Day #18 (Thursday) Really, really familiar words... but no less powerful because of their familiarity.
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd, (He takes responsibility for me) I shall not want. (I have everything I need) He makes me lie down in green pastures; (this allows me to rest in a wide open and beautiful space) He leads me beside quiet waters. (among some of the most soothing sounds of His creation) He restores my soul; (He makes the broken places in my heart and soul whole again) He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. (Because He desires honor for His name, He leads His children faithfully toward right paths)
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me; (wherever I am, in whatever
situation no matter how perilous or difficult, there is no need to fear
because You are WITH me ...and not just *with* me but as Immanuel You
are *IN* me) Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. (You are
perfectly equipped with the ability to prod... a gentle nudge with the
rod, to lead... with a hook around my neck if necessary, and to protect
me by using the rod or staff as a weapon) You prepare a table
before me in the presence of my enemies; (because I am Yours, you feed
me from the abundance of Your own table, the King's table, even when my
enemies would seek to do me harm)
You have anointed my head with
oil; (You cover me with gladness, with a pleasing fragrance before the
Father, with salve for protection from disease and pestilence) My cup overflows. (You freely give me abundant life beyond anything I could imagine) Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, (Your goodness and lovingkindness will always, always, always be with me) And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (I will live in Your safe and magnificent abode forever.)
Encouragement Post – Day #17 (Wednesday) Let the power of these words wash over you.
Psalm 27
“The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread? When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell. Though a host encamp against me, My heart will not fear; Though war arise against me, In spite of this I shall be confident.
One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord
And to meditate in His temple.
For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle;
In the secret place of His tent He will hide me;
He will lift me up on a rock.
And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me,
And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice,
And be gracious to me and answer me.
When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You,
“Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.”
Do not hide Your face from me,
Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help;
Do not abandon me nor forsake me,
O God of my salvation!
For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
But the Lord will take me up.
Teach me Your way, O Lord,
And lead me in a level path
Because of my foes.
Do not deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries,
For false witnesses have risen against me,
And such as breathe out violence.
I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the Lord.”
Encouragement Post – Day #16 (Tuesday) Contentment can be elusive in times like this. But, in 1 Timothy 6:6-7 we are told “But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.” We don’t really have the power to make sure that everything in our lives goes the way it should. But when we surrender our lives to the One who knows us best, loves us most, and always provides everything we need – the One who actually does have control – we can find real contentment and true peace.
Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Be anxious for nothing but in everything through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which passes all comprehension will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
So, I am to worry about NO thing, and I am to pray about EVERY thing while being thankful to the Lord for His care. And, He promises that if I do these things, He will guard my heart by giving me a peace that goes far beyond my ability to comprehend it.
Hebrews 13:5, “Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.” He will never, not ever, no never leave me.
Isaiah 26:3 “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You.” PERFECT peace.
I am thankful that He did not leave us without a roadmap to peace, but He has given us His beautiful Word to show us how to find peace and contentment, even in times like these.
Encouragement Post – Day #15 (Monday) Kindness is important. It is
one of the 9 manifestations of the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy,
peace, patience, KINDNESS, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
self-control). It is something that should really come easily, yet for
many it doesn’t. It doesn’t cost you anything. I am thankful for the
kindness of God toward me. I didn’t deserve it, but He showed it to me
anyway.
Romans 2:4 asks, “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?”
And then Titus 3:3-5 gives us even more evidence of God’s kindness, “For
we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to
various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy,
hateful, hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and
His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds
which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the
washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.”
Because
of His kindness to me, I now have the power – through the Holy Spirit
working in my life – to be kind to others. So, I am thinking about and
praying about ways to be kind and people to whom I can show the kindness
of God.
Encouragement Post #14: (Sunday) Our time of worship this morning was
wonderful and warm, and we are all settling in with the temporary new
normal of church via computer. I am thankful for technology that
provides a way for us to see one another’s faces while physically
remaining separate. There is glory in those faces. Though it is limited
for now, it is unmistakable on the faces of those who know the Lord. We
were reminded of the glory of God in our message today from John
chapter 11, by the fact that the reason Jesus delayed going back to
Judea for three days after He found out that Lazarus was ill was so that
those who believed in Him would see God’s glory.
Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” Do you want to see the power of resurrection and the glory of God? You will, if you truly believe. 2 Corinthians 3:18 “But we all, with
unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being
transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the
Spirit of the Lord.”
Encouragement Post #13: I am excited that tomorrow our message will be on the power of resurrection. I think we all could use a reminder that there is a power that is so far beyond what we can imagine while we're here on this sin-sick, chaos driven earth. We can imagine miracles and people who are sick becoming well, whether miraculously or through a doctor's intervention. But, to really understand resurrection power -- the power to actually defeat death and cause life -- is beyond our scope. Death is NOT the end. I am thankful for the words of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, Paul, and others who risked their lives so that we would have eyewitness testimony of His power to raise Lazarus and the power of His own resurrection. He IS the resurrection and the life.... and He is worthy of our worship.
John 11:24-26 "Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
Encouragement Post #12: (Friday... at least for a few more minutes ;) ) It's late, and it has been a busy day. Work still has to happen, even in quarantine. So, I have been pretty hard at it for most of today. I was thinking about work and its meaning just the other day... have you ever wondered if the work you are doing really matters? I imagine if you're a teacher, doctor, nurse, firefighter, military, etc. you might not question that. But, what about other things like creating music, growing a garden, sewing your children's clothes, writing poetry, making food for a needy neighbor, taking care of an elderly parent, taking care of your grandchild(ren), teaching others "how to", praying for those you love, or even leaving an encouraging word on Facebook, etc. The list goes on and on.
Whatever the work might be, what you are doing right this minute, today, has purpose, value, and meaning. How can you be sure of this? This may sound like an oversimplification, but if that were not the case you would not be here. Until the Lord takes us home, He has a purpose for the work we do. So, during these days at home, when it seems like your days, hours, and minutes feel a bit purposeless at times, be assured they are not. You are God's poem... a unique, original, one-of-a-kind work of art. Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." Did you know that the Greek word for "workmanship" in this verse is *poeima* ...we are His poem, His masterpiece, His one of a kind work of art. Let that sink in...
The Poem of Your Life by Michael Card
Life is a song we must sing with our days A poem with meaning more than words can say A painting with colors no rainbow can tell A lyric that rhymes either Heaven or Hell
We are living letters that doubt desecrates We're the notes of the song of the chorus of faith God shapes every second of our little lives And minds every minute as the universe waits by
CHORUS: The pain and the longing The joy and the moments of light Are the rhythm and rhyme The free verse of the poem of life
So look in the mirror and pray for the grace To tear off the mask, see the art of your face And open your ear lids to hear the sweet song Of each moment that passes and pray to prolong
Your time in the ball of the dance of your days Your canvas of colors of moments ablaze With all that is holy With the joy and the strife With the rhythm and rhyme of the poem of your life With the rhythm and rhyme of the poem of your life
Encouragement Post #11: (Thursday) Today I am thankful …for sunshine! Doctors tell us that the sun has a powerful effect on ourimmune systems. I am no doctor, but I am buying into that one hook, line, and sinker. We need it, whether it’s getting out for a walk, gardening, doing some outdoor sporting activity, or just walking around our house/apartment building/dwelling a couple of times. God made us to need vitamin D, and the sun automatically replenishes it, boosts endorphins
(natural pain killers in the body), and boosts serotonin (naturally occurring substance in our body that makes us feel good) for us.
“…seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertainingto life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.” (2 Peter 1:3) This current quarantine, on the heels of what seemed like a gazillion days of rain, could be really impacting our moods and hence impacting our ability to fight off …whatever. 😉 So, getting out and getting just some sun each day is one cost-free way of doing that.
While I am writing this (having just come back inside from a little time outdoors in this brilliantly sunny and feels-like-summer day), I dropped my new tablet (purchased just after Christmas) and the screen shattered. I purchased it from Costco and am hoping it’s under warranty. I got online to chat about it, and when I started I was number 723 in the queue 😳… it’s now down to 437 after 15 minutes. :D So, I am taking this time to post here. I am also taking this time to pray for all those in places of service, answering phones with people on the other end who are frazzled, frayed, and maybe at their wit’s end. I am praying for you, too. I would love the privilege of praying for
you.... what is something I can pray for you about? “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16)
Above are a few happy pictures from my yard, and I also wanted to share this song with you… a fun song that puts a spring in my step and fills my spirit with hope, thankfulness, and freedom.
Encouragement Post #10: (Wednesday) Today I am encouraging us to lift up the name of Jesus. Did you know that the Bible tells us that if we lift up His name, that He will draw all men to Himself? (John 12:32) Especially when things seem out of control and people feel caught in a spiral of uncertainty, we want all people to know that the only place TRUE peace is found is in knowing the Prince of peace.
Our ability to be at peace is strongly connected to who has the authority in our lives. When we sit on the throne of our own lives and grasp every bit of control we can, we know that things can spiral out of control very quickly. It doesn't take us long to figure out we don't really have much control at all (see coronavirus, cancer, 911, infertility, death, etc.) That is distinctly NOT peace. But, when we put our lives in the hands of the King of kings, Lord of lords, and Prince of peace, we can trust that HE has the ultimate authority to guide it just where He knows it should go and to work things together for our good and for His glory. Though for now He is allowing wars, famines, trials, plagues, dangers, sicknesses, etc. to take place on earth, we know that one day those things will cease. And whether or not people choose to bow to His authority now, it is a certainty that one day EVERY knee will bow and every tongue will proclaim that He is Lord:
"For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:9-11)
He is giving us an amazing opportunity right now to lift up His Name. Today is the time to turn over the authority of our lives to Him. There is nowhere else to go… "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
Excerpt from the song "What a Beautiful Name" by Brook Fraser Ligertwood and Ben Fielding "You have no rival, you have no equal; now and forever God You reign. Yours is the kingdom, yours is the glory; Yours is the name above all names."
Encouragement Post #9: (Tuesday) Finding myself THANKFUL today… for music. This is not unique to this particular situation, as DAILY I find myself thankful for the music that brings me such joy. In fact, for those of you who know me well, you know that I am pretty much constantly listening to it. In high school, I was always the one bringing the “boom box” to everything so that there would be music. I am pretty sure I drove my college roommates crazy playing my faves. My kids make fun of me because I have more music on my phone than they do (and because I have a song ready with a lyric to fit nearly every life situation). Isn’t it wonderful with new technology to be able to find almost any piece of music you want right at your fingertips? (My teenage self would have been crazy over the moon about that!!)
Music truly does permeate our soul… as you probably know, it is a most effective method for learning words, phrases, and things you need to know. Try to memorize something from rote and it can be a challenge, but set it to music and it's a piece of cake after a little rehearsing (thank you, School House Rock!!) Which makes it all the more important WHAT we are basically “cementing” into our minds. I can remember nearly every lyric to all those amazing pop songs from the 70s and 80s all these years later! It’s powerful. And these past days I have seen people posting all kinds of music, not a lot of secular music really, but mostly hymns and worship songs. It’s interesting to me… I love hymns so much because they are rich in truth about our God, but I also love the new hymns and worship music being written every day. As I have grown in my walk with the Lord, though, the most important part of any song is the lyric. I want to have an arsenal in my head, so that if I should ever not have the electronic means to listen I will have them at the ready. Did you know that for most dementia and Alzheimer’s patients, when they cannot remember anything else they can remember music. Amazing!
So, that’s why on each of my encouragement posts I have been including a song. It’s a command in scripture, right? “…speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:19) Today I am sharing one that is newer, but it is SO unique (a question and answer format) and SO filled with truth straight from God’s word. I am not sure there could be a MORE fitting song for this time.
Do you feel the world is broken? (We do) Do you feel the shadows deepen? (We do) But do you know that all the dark won't stop the light from getting through? (We do) Do you wish that you could see it all made new? (We do)
Is all creation groaning? (It is) Is a new creation coming? (It is) Is the glory of the Lord to be the light within our midst? (It is) Is it good that we remind ourselves of this? (It is)
Is anyone worthy? Is anyone whole? Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll? The Lion of Judah who conquered the grave He is David's root and the Lamb who died to ransom the slave
Is He worthy? Is He worthy Of all blessing and honor and glory? Is He worthy of this? He is
Does the Father truly love us? (He does) Does the Spirit move among us? (He does) And does Jesus, our Messiah, hold forever those He loves? (He does) Does our God intend to dwell again with us? (He does)
Is anyone worthy? Is anyone whole? Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll? The Lion of Judah who conquered the grave He is David's root and the Lamb who died to ransom the slave
From every people and tribe (People and tribe) Every nation and tongue (Every nation and tongue) He has made us a kingdom and priests to God To reign with the Son
Is He worthy? Is He worthy Of all blessing and honor and glory? Is He worthy? Is He worthy? Is He worthy of this?
He is, He is Is He worthy? Is He worthy? He is, He is He is worthy, He is worthy He is
