Encouraging Words

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Wednesday, November 18, 2015   

Today's Verse From the New Living Translation
Some time later, the LORD spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, 'Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.'  "But Abram replied, 'O Sovereign LORD, what good are all your blessings when I don't even have a son? Since you've given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth. You have given me no descendants of my own, so one of my servants will be my heir.'  "Then the LORD said to him, 'No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.'Then the LORD took Abram outside and said to him, 'Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That's how many descendants you will have!'"  - Genesis 15:1-5

Encouragement for Today

Abram did not value God's vague promises because they paled in the light of what he truly wanted: a son. He felt close enough to God to actually argue with him. Note that God responded. Our relationship with God needs to be so intimate that, when we encounter a promise in Scripture that does not seem true for us, we can talk to God about our feelings. We have a God who does respond, perhaps with an even greater promise, as he does with Abram. Talk to God about everything, even your doubts and arguments.  - Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace Filled Devotions

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Monday, December 07, 2015   

Today's Verse From the New Living Translation
'Pray like this:  Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.  May your Kingdom come soon.  May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.  Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.  And don't let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.'  - Matthew 6:9-13

Encouragement for Today

This prayer can become the pattern for all prayer. First, the focus is on God who he is (our Father), where he is (in heaven, the perfect place). It's about his kingdom and his will, to be done on earth as it is in the perfect place. Once we have the proper focus, then we ask for material needs (which are legitimate), and also our spiritual needs (just as important). Our main spiritual needs are forgiveness and deliverance from temptation and evil. The template: God's agenda, our needs (physical and spiritual), and relationships with God and others.  - Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace Filled Devotions

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Friday, April 29, 2016   

Today's Verse From the New Living Translation
"When the people of Egypt and Canaan ran out of money, all the Egyptians came to Joseph. 'Our money is gone!' they cried. 'But please give us food, or we will die before your very eyes!'   "Joseph replied, 'Since your money is gone, bring me your livestock. I will give you food in exchange for your livestock.' So they brought their livestock to Joseph in exchange for food. In exchange for their horses, flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and donkeys, Joseph provided them with food for another year."  - Genesis 47:15-17

Encouragement for Today

The people asked for a handout, but Joseph would not do that. There must be an exchange: if not of money, then something else of value. Even when the famine persisted and the people had nothing else to offer but their own bodies, Joseph accepted that, and they became slaves. He treated them fairly and well as slaves, but he still required an exchange. Do not give handouts; when people ask for something they need, require something else in exchange.  - Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace Filled Devotions

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Friday, May 06, 2016   

Today's Verse From the New Living Translation
"Then Jesus called his disciples and told them, 'I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. I don't want to send them away hungry, or they will faint along the way.'  "The disciples replied, 'Where would we get enough food here in the wilderness for such a huge crowd?'  "Jesus asked, 'How much bread do you have?'  "They replied, 'Seven loaves, and a few small fish.'"  - Matthew 15:32-34

Encouragement for Today

Jesus wanted to feed the crowd. The disciples couldn't see how that was possible. They believed that what they had was not nearly enough. They were looking at their circumstances, logic, and past experience (the food they had would never feed that many). Jesus asked them to entrust to him what little they had. Jesus blows away the criteria of circumstances, logic, and past experiences. He can do miracles with any small thing we are willing to give to him.  - Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace Filled Devotions

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Thursday, May 05, 2016   

Today's Verse From the New Living Translation
"Then Jacob said to Joseph, 'I never thought I would see your face again, but now God has let me see your children, too!'"  - Genesis 48:11

Encouragement for Today

How many years had Jacob mourned losing Joseph?

Never in his wildest dreams did Jacob think he'd see Joseph, or any grandchildren by him, again. If only he had known what God had in store, he would have lived more peacefully. In what areas have you given up hope?

Take heart! Know that God is at work, and he can give you more than you can imagine. Trust that he is preparing something great for you, and trust your losses to him.  - Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace Filled Devotions

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Thursday, May 26, 2016   

Today's Verse From the New Living Translation
"On their arrival in Capernaum, the collectors of the Temple tax came to Peter and asked him, 'Doesn't your teacher pay the Temple tax?'  "'Yes, he does,' Peter replied. Then he went into the house.  "But before he had a chance to speak, Jesus asked him, 'What do you think, Peter? Do kings tax their own people or the people they have conquered?'  "'They tax the people they have conquered,' Peter replied.  "'Well, then,' Jesus said, 'the citizens are free! However, we don't want to offend them, so go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver coin. Take it and pay the tax for both of us.'"  - Matthew 17:24-27

Encouragement for Today

Jesus knows we have to live in this world of nitty-gritty, everyday realities such as paying taxes. He wants Peter to see that if one is part of the Kingdom of God, one is free and owes allegiance primarily to that Kingdom. We still must pay taxes, so God provides for that too. He provides through Peter's obedience and Peter's occupation in the world: fishing. Our earthly needs are provided for as we work at our occupations. As we do the work in obedience and with the perspective that we are primarily citizens of God's Kingdom, we experience true freedom.  - Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace Filled Devotions

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Tuesday, July 26, 2016   

Today's Verse From the New Living Translation
"When all the Israelites had reached the other side, the LORD said to Moses, 'Raise your hand over the sea again. Then the waters will rush back and cover the Egyptians and their chariots and charioteers.' So as the sun began to rise, Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the water rushed back into its usual place. The Egyptians tried to escape, but the LORD swept them into the sea. Then the waters returned and covered all the chariots and charioteers the entire army of Pharaoh. Of all the Egyptians who had chased the Israelites into the sea, not a single one survived.  But the people of Israel had walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, as the water stood up like a wall on both sides.  That is how the LORD rescued Israel from the hand of the Egyptians that day. And the Israelites saw the bodies of the Egyptians washed up on the seashore. When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the LORD had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in the LORD and in his servant Moses."  -  Exodus 14:26-31

Encouragement for Today

This amazing miracle was all the Lord's doing. The people just had to walk in the way God had prepared for them. He took care of everything else: creating the way in the first place by making the ground dry enough for the Israelites to walk on, then letting the waters rush back at just the right moment to destroy the Egyptians. God always does the bulk of the work. Our job is to walk in the way he has prepared. Do that, and let him take care of the rest.  - Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace Filled Devotions

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Monday, July 25, 2016   

Today's Verse From the New Living Translation
"Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the LORD opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land. So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side!"  - Exodus 14:21-22

Encouragement for Today

This event, in which God made a "pathway through the mighty waters a pathway no one knew was there" (Psalm 77:19), is one of the great historical events that God wants his people to always remember. It is a picture of what God can and does do for his people all the time: making a way where there was no way, so that it would be clear that it is God who is at work. Where in your life do you need God to "make a way where there is no way"?

Ask him for that; trust him for that.  - Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace Filled Devotions

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Wednesday, September 21, 2016   

Today's Verse Powered by the New Living Translation
"How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey. Your commandments give me understanding; no wonder I hate every false way of life. Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.  - Psalm 119:103-105

Ingesting Scripture

Francis Bacon, known as the father of the scientific method, once wrote about the reading process: "Some books are to be tasted, others are to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested."

Being a religious man, Bacon was probably hearkening back to times when the metaphor of eating a book shows up in Scripture. For example, the prophet Jeremiah offered these beautiful thoughts about ingesting God's message: "When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God of Heaven's Armies" (Jeremiah 15:16).

Bibliophagy, a real word that is used to describe the metaphor of eating books, depicts an earthy engagement with the words we read that is almost palpable in its effect. Eugene Peterson (in Eat This Book) points out that often our approach to Scripture is to use it for our own purposes knowledge or inspiration or direction. He exhorts us instead to "eat" it for God's purposes to metabolize it so that it changes us: "Christian reading is participatory reading, receiving the words in such a way that they become interior to our lives, the rhythms and images becoming practices of prayer, acts of obedience, ways of love."  - Tricia McCary Rhodes

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Tuesday, September 20, 2016   

Today's Verse Powered by the New Living Translation
"Help me understand the meaning of your commandments, and I will meditate on your wonderful deeds."  - Psalm 119:27

Encouragement for Today

Choose to Linger

We are people who live in an age of perpetual motion, and we tend to wear busyness as a badge of honor. Philosopher and theologian David Wells suggests that "the affliction of distraction" is the greatest challenge of our age, and he goes on to ask, "How, then, can we receive from Scripture the truth God has for us if we cannot focus long enough, linger long enough, to receive that truth?"

Every Christ follower, by virtue of the Spirit who dwells within us, yearns for intimate communion with God. We are made for it. Prayerfully pressing into the Word that he has given us will not only transform our hearts and fulfill our souls but will also lead to more peaceful balance in all the parts of our lives.  Wells so powerfully reminds us of this: "if we are convinced that we need, above all, to know God, to know who he is in his character, that will trump every competing interest. But we have to be utterly convinced.  Without this ability to stop, to focus, to linger, to reflect, to analyze, to evaluate, we begin to lose touch with the God who has called us to know him."

The ability of which Wells speaks to stop, linger, focus, reflect, and so on, in order to know God may be harder to come by than it's ever been.  - Tricia McCary Rhodes

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http://www.ibelieve.com/devotionals/girlfriends-in-god/girlfriends-in-god-january-6-2017.html

January 6, 2017
Are You Living Christ’s Full Power?
 Kelly Balarie

Today’s Truth

To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27, NIV)

Friend to Friend

There I was. People zoomed left and right around me, within this glorious city, glowing with foreign sparkle. A huge cathedral stood like a mountain, towering over my small frame. I observed everything, the people, speaking a different language, the hustle and the bustle, moving around me.  Would what I had in me be enough?

Would all that I contained inside me come out and matter?

I wasn't so sure. I'd spent years, learning, studying and practicing "Hola's" and "¿Cómo estás?" within the concrete walls of college, but here?

Here in this place where people seem to talk a mile a minute? 

What would happen if I unleashed the power within me?

The idea scared me.  But still, I spoke loud and proud. And what came about was a life changing realization: my words had the ability to move with power, effectiveness and life. God opened my eyes.  Spanish was in me, but until this point, I never let it work through me.  Christ is in me, but often I don't believe He'll work through me.  “To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).

There is power in realizing that the One in you, wants to work through you.  The hope of glory, Jesus Christ, is not in us just to hang out. He is in us to be worked out into the world.  Do I allow this?

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people, and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strengthHe exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms ... (Ephesians 1:18-20)

To think, I am empowered with the same strength that raised Jesus from the dead seems incomprehensible. It seems impossible. It seems impractical.  Which is probably why I live incapacitated and ineffective.  What if I really believed?

What if I truly believed God wants to pour out His powerful hope onto others with transformational impact?

What if I believed people might really see Christ through me?

What if I believed I could change the world, in profound ways, like Jesus Christ changed the world?

Consider this for a moment, if you don't think you can tackle something, you often don't try. What a waste. The same goes for faith, if you don't believe it, you'll often never see it.  Today, let's see Christ within us and let Him flow into the world with the power He has already told us we're afforded.

Let’s Pray

Dear Lord, You have put “the hope of glory” in me. May I not be afraid of who You are. May I not be ashamed. May I not be fearful. Instead, may I be strong, confident and sure of Your strength. May I go into the world ready to shine Your light. Equip me and empower me.

In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

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http://www.ibelieve.com/devotionals/girlfriends-in-god/girlfriends-in-god-january-9-2017.html

January 9, 2017
True Love
Mary Southerland

Today’s Truth

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love (1 John 4:8, NIV).

Friend to Friend

A group of four-through eight-year-olds was asked: “What does love mean?”

Their answers vary from the amusing to the profound.  Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne, and they go out and smell each other. Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.  Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.  When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.  Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.  When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis, too. That’s love.  When you tell someone something bad about yourself and you’re scared they won’t love you anymore. But then you get surprised because not only do they still love you they love you even more.  Love is when mommy sees daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Denzel Washington.  Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.  Love cards, like Valentine’s cards, say stuff on them that we’d like to say ourselves, but we wouldn’t be caught dead saying.  Yes, the response of these children is both precious and humorous. But the reality is that there is only one place where we can find true love in a personal relationship with God.  God loves you. He created you. The words of Psalm 139 beautifully express the heart of God toward each one of us:

For You created my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:13-16).

God’s love does so many big things in our lives. God’s love transforms the ugliness of life into a beautiful trophy of grace. Love covers the scars of sin. Love heals wounds and eases pain. Jesus was and is the living illustration and certain fulfillment of His Father’s love.  The love of God is unconditional and unfailing and will stubbornly pursue us no matter where we go, no matter what we do or don’t do. God’s love satisfies the deepest longings of our soul, enables us to love ourselves, and frees us to love others.  God’s love shows up in big ways but sometimes it is when God’s love shows up in little ways that He really gets to me. But the love of God always shows up! I am reminded that God is real that He is faithfully present, and that He really does care about every minute detail of my life.  We stand on the threshold of a new year. Many of you are facing painful circumstances. Others are in a place you never thought you would be. The uncertainty of what lies ahead can be frightening unless you truly know and trust the One who holds every minute of this new year in His hands.  God is for you and He is with you. Let His unfailing love surround and fill your heart with hope.

Let’s Pray

Thank You for loving me, God. Honestly, I don’t understand that kind of love; a love that sent Jesus Christ to the cross so that I can live. But today, I celebrate Your love. Father, please help me learn how to freely share that love with the people in my world.

In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.