I made it to the store this week to purchase a few cards. I had to make a list. I purchased 5 sympathy cards, 2 cards for healing, and 2 cards for encouragement. The 5 sympathy cards were unrelated to each other. This week, I learned of two more friends receiving an unfavorable diagnosis.
Last month, I went to a funeral for a woman engaged to be married with an 21month old son.
There is a jet plane missing for 2 weeks now with 239 people aboard.
Russian leaders are puffing out their chests and returning to "invade and conquer" mindsets.
Syrian refugee children are starving.
We strain in our prayers for the joy of our own salvation, yet it is amazing grace that pierces the darkness to awake us every morning.
Some days...many days, the encourager needs encouraging.
And I sit, and I wait on the Lord. And I know I need to write it out tonight...that encouragement.
Where does my help come from?
He pops in with his daddy, that little 3 year old that smiles shyly tonight because he's a tired little guy, playing t-ball and such. I do get a hug, and it lingers and it is soft with cookie crumb kisses.
I prayed with my own son this week, if only for a few seconds; my heart saw a new horizon and a mountain seemed a little smaller.
And God's Word is there; THE Encourager of a soul needing a jump. It seems I let the engine run with the radio on and just can't get it to kick over. He reaches out with the Cables of Truth to recharge.
II Corinthians 6:2-10
for He says,
“At the acceptable time I listened to
you,
and on the day of salvation I helped you.”
Behold, now is “the acceptable time,”
behold, now is “the day of salvation”— giving no cause for offense
in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited, but in everything commending ourselves as servants
of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, in
beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger,
in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in
genuine love, in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of
righteousness for the right hand and the left, by glory and
dishonor, by evil report and good report; regarded as deceivers and yet
true; as unknown yet well-known, as dying yet behold, we live; as punished yet
not put to death, as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many
rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things.
Today is the day of my Salvation, and this is what He promises. My Salvation!
And in that I can rest my weary head and say Amen.
Lord, your encouragement in the Word is Spring sunshine through the clouds of dreary despair. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, we can know the joy of our salvation, despite the afflictions all of us encounter. In You, we possess all things. In You are encouragement massages our shoulders and tucks us in to sleep restful with the promise of grace in each new day. Let us be encouraged with every sunrise as a day to give You praise, as a day to serve You in the service of others, as a day to be reminded to pray for those who need to know this same comfort. Amen.
