Tag: encouragment

Choose Church

On By vickleaIn Characteristics of God, God’s blessings, praise, Scripture2 Comments

Sunday is a busy day for many families. They run errands, participate in activities with other families and perhaps go to a sporting event or theater performance. But Sunday in our house has consistently been the day that we set aside to attend church.

One of the most important parts of church is encouraging each other. Look for the person who is sitting alone and talk to them. Get out of your comfort zone and help someone else to be comfortable in God’s house. Who knows what seed you may be sowing or what blessing you may receive just from reaching out to someone else? After all, you were once a newcomer to that congregation. Think about how you felt, and take the time to smile and welcome a stranger.

Think about the difference between praise and thanksgiving. Thanksgiving starts with God doing something for us, and we are thankful. Praise just starts with who God is, and there are no words to adequately express the glory due His name. Praise is based on God’s character while thanksgiving is based on His actions. Note that His actions always follow His character because God is and always will be God. As you attend church, remember to offer thanksgiving and praise. Our unchangeable, unstoppable God deserves both!

Have a blessed Sunday, my friends.

Undeserved Favor from God

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App2 Comments

www.bible.com/reading-plans/3797/day/5

There needs to be more stories in the news like the one in this devotional about the selfless acts that one person does for another person in need. How much more pleasant it would be to watch a news show with some positive news on it? We may never make the news but we are called upon to be selfless and Jesus modeled that for us when He went to the cross. God’s gift is completely free for us, but it cost Him dearly. When we accept His gift of grace, mercy and ultimately salvation, we are part of His army of volunteers that He sends into the world to represent Him. We may not be able to do big things, but we can do something every day to show someone the love of Jesus in our lives, opening a door for them to get to know Jesus for themselves. I confess that I have been prompted by the Holy Spirit to do something for a stranger and have walked away instead, sometimes due to shyness and the thought that I might be embarrassed. I am trying to do better and to follow the His leading, to help others selflessly regardless of how I personally feel about stepping outside of my comfort zone. Sometimes God prods us to do something that costs money (He knows we have it or He wouldn’t ask us to give), sometimes He encourages us to give time or a tangible gift of some sort. Whatever it is that He tells us to give, we need to be ready and willing to reach out to others. God reached down from heaven to each of us when He sent His only Son to die for us. It seems to me that it’s a small thing for us to obey His call to reach out to others. His undeserved favor is supposed to be passed on, not hoarded.

Meeting Together

On By vickleaIn Scripture2 Comments

We are meant to be people with community, with fellowship with one another. The early church met daily and had communion and fellowship. These days, we meet once or twice a week and in order to be with other believers. While I was in Maryland, I attended virtual services. It wasn’t the same as being in church, but it was better than missing church altogether. Churches are not perfect places because they have imperfect people in them. However, we are told to get together with one another and I think that is for our own benefit. Being with other believers and sharing about my week or upcoming events helps me to focus on how God is taking care of me through everything.

It is for our encouragement that we get together, not to judge each other or to look for faults, but to see Jesus in each other and be aware that He is returning soon for each of us.

Have a blessed day and may you find somewhere and someone with whom to fellowship this week, to share your testimony and to encourage one another.

Encouragement

On By vickleaIn Scripture3 Comments

God has been speaking encouragement into my heart and mind this week and I wanted to share some of that with you. There is a lot wrong with our world. We all know it and if you’re like me, you get frustrated over the condition of this fallen world and all of the effects that the rampant sin is having on the younger generation. But God has told me over and over that He is in control and will not allow this debauchery to continue forever. He has also encouraged me to live my life for Him in spite of what others are doing or saying. We are called to just keep on doing good deeds and saying good words until our Savior returns or until we die, whichever happens first. Thus when someone “of the world” annoys me, I want to be able to give them an encouraging and loving word because that is what Jesus would do and that is what He is exhorting me to do. When we think that chaos is reigning, we have to remember that it really isn’t…God is still sovereign and will one day show Himself in all of His righteous glory and power to the world that He created, the world that has fallen away from Him into the sin of following the idol of self-determination. In all of my musings, I am encouraged because in the end God wins. Like a long chess match in which the opponents are trying to determine the next move of their rival, God knows the next move and has an end game in mind…all for our good and for His glory.

May you let these words from this verse sink deeply into your heart and soul, touching you in all of the places that need to be healed from the daily wound of walking in this world. God bless you!