Offer A Child Encouragement Today

The last two days I have told the story of a little boy 3 1/2 years old that is facing medical challenges and needs your prayers. I want to thank all of you that prayed and we will watch as God brings forth healing and he finally has the opportunity to taste and enjoy food! While we wait, I thought of something we might be able to do…

When we think of our lives we often see times when we could use encouragement. Today, I would like to ask that we take that feeling and switch it around into offering encouragement to Caleb. Here at Daily Devotional we have never done this before, but we want to ask you to offer a word of encouragement to Caleb and his parents and family by sending him an email. We have set up an account for you to send him a “hug” – a word of encouragement, a prayer, … – by emailing it to:

hugs@dailydevotional.co

Please, will you take the time to send him a hug today? We will forward it along to his parents so their email can remain anonymous. You can read his story in our last two posts.

God bless!

Prayer
Father, we praise and exalt You. We want to once again lift up Caleb, and children everywhere, and ask that You encourage their hearts today. Let them feel the warmth of Your love and protection. Let them experience the feeling of wholeness through Your healing power, both inside and outside. Please show Yourself strong on their behalf. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.

This is a first for us here as we wanted to take our two traditional Sunday and Monday themes and write about them together. On Sunday we typically focus on comfort and on Monday we focus on encouragement. In conversations I have had with some, they have told me that they thought these are the same. Perhaps they are, but I thought I would share some thoughts and let the readers decide for themselves.

A comfort can be and encouragement, and an encouragement can be a comfort, in the right situations. Comfort to me means that I have some lack, and I just need to be made whole in that area. When Jesus spoke of sending the Comforter, the Holy Spirit to not leave the people comfortless, he was referring to this lack and mourning the people would feel when He left (John 14-16). This is for me one of the best examples of comfort in the scriptures. There are also great reference is Psalms 23:4; 119:21, 50, 76; and Psalms 71:21. All use comfort in the regard. Someone is motionless, and they are in need. The provision for that need is comfort.

Encouragement is for someone that either is or is about to be in motion, or moving, whether physically, mentally, or spiritually. Take for example when Joshua was selected by God to be the one to lead the children of Israel into the promised land at the end of their trek out of Egypt. God told Moses to encourage Joshua that he could do the job (Deuteronomy 1). Moses was to say and do things that would strengthen Joshua in his action to lead the people into the land and to take the land.

If we are in need of comfort, and we receive it, that might encourage us to go on, to move towards God. And seeing someone encouraged might be a comfort to us. But they each have their own place.

Finally, let me ask, are you in lack in some area. Pray and let God send you comfort. Are you on the move in some way, or about to be, and feel some uncertainty? Pray and ask God to send you encouragement. He is both willing and able to do all these things. Praise God!

Prayer
Father, we ask that You send people comfort today. Please send us the Comforter to renew our hearts and forgive us our sins. We want to serve Jesus as our Lord and Savior. In Jesus name. Amen.

We Have A Hope

This morning I was reading some of David’s writing. Psalm 49 is a song written by the sons of Korah. Their father perished when thy were young when he and others challenged Moses and Aaron, and their claim to be speaking on behalf of God. Korah and the others rebelled, and when Moses cried out to God, the earth opened and swallowed them alive. The sons went on to serve well in the temple, and among the sons are people such as Samuel.

This Psalm talks about how we can be assured of our future state with God, but that those that think their riches are something will find that riches are nothing at the end. It warns us not to be afraid when someone with no understanding becomes rich, for when they perish they will have nothing, though they honored themselves when they had their riches. It also points out that people will praise us when we do well. In the last verse it cautions us not to focus on the riches if they come, because those with honor, with riches, but not the understanding of their need for God as a Redeemer, will become as a fallen beast when they die, and they will come to nothing.

Prayer
Father, You truly are a Great and Awesome God. We want to praise and worship You for the works You do in the earth. We thank You Lord that You raise up who You raise up. We ask today Father that You always keep us, that You give us the wisdom to know that You alone are God, and that You watch over us every day. In Jesus name. Amen.

Paths That Drip With Abundance

Here is America we celebrate the working people today, Labor Day 2013. This is a day of encouragement for me. Not because it is a holiday, but because God also celebrates His people doing His work. In Psalm 65 the writer tells us of God’s plan for those that seek Him. He acknowledges that we will slip up and sin, but that God will atone for those sins, which He has done now through Jesus. He goes on to speak about how it is God who chooses people for His work, and that God will bless that man in the sanctuary. Today, we are that sanctuary. He speaks of how in the sanctuary (now in us) we will enjoy His goodness. Perhaps the greatest encouragement for me comes at the end where He talks about what we encounter and that the meadows and the sheep in them even sing to God. In verse 11 it says that God crowns the year with goodness, and that God’s paths drip with abundance! How great is that! I cannot imagine not wanting to be on those paths.

Prayer
Father, thank You for Your goodness. Thank You for creating a place within us to house Your Spirit and Truth. Thank You for providing for You atonement of our sins. We pray and confess now that You forgive our sins, and that Jesus rule in our hearts. Crown our year with goodness, and let us walk on that paths that drip with abundance. In Jesus name. Amen.

Little Moments

God has a way of bringing the things to pass that are on His agenda, and maybe not ours. For example, recently I had what I call a spiritual dream. I asked three different people to give me their interpretation of it. All three were able to contribute something. From that, when I asked God, He was able to show me more clearly what was meant and what He had in store for me. It may sound like a little thing, but you have these in your lives as well. Look around. Can you see anything that seems a little out of the ordinary? Look closer and pray, and God will reveal His will!

Prayer
Father, I thank You for the little moments in our life. I thank You for giving us opportunities to serve You. I ask that You give us the strength to do it. In Jesus name. Amen.

When People Care

This morning as I sat down with that first cup of coffee, looking into my back yard from the kitchen, I reflected on this weekend. Friday evening we went to Culver, Indiana, to join the cast and crew of the film, “Little Savages”, for a night of fun and karaoke. It was great! But this post is really about something more than a great film in the making, or a great film company like Bearfruit Films.

This post is about encouragement, and how one act of kindness can do that. My family and I all attended the event Friday night. My daughter, who is a special needs 9 year old, immediately recognized a number of the kids from Disney. The one person that she first recognized was Kenton Duty who plays one of the kids in the movie. He spoke with her a couple times in passing and she was elated! Then we asked him to take a picture with her, which he was glad to do, and he also gave her an encouraging autograph, telling her to “Dream big!” I know this may sound trivial, but it changed her life tremendously that day, and maybe forever. My hat is off to Kenton, the cast and crew of “Little Savages”, and Bear Fruit Films.

One small act of kindness can provide a world of encouragement. Encourage someone today.

Prayer
Father, we praise and thank You for being the Most High King of the universe. Thank You for giving us those words of encouragement when we need them. Thank You for reaching out into our lives and letting us know that You care. Please watch over and bless Your people today, especially those that are in need of encouragement. And bless the work of the people working on the movie today, especially Kenton. In Jesus name. Amen.

Leaning To Learn

Over the past few weeks I have been thinking more about the relationship we have with the creator of the universe. If we just stop and think about that for a minute, we can be a little overwhelmed. I know that from my perspective, I am very aware of just how frail I am as a human being, especially as it relates to not getting things right. In the past I lived in a place where I had to struggle to be right, or at least think I was more right than someone else. And when I faced my shortcomings I felt worthless. Perhaps some of you have felt this same thing. I have news for us. That is not true.

You see, Jesus died for me when I was yet in sin, according to Chapter 5 of Paul’s letter to the Romans. When we make mistakes, when we sin, God already knows, and Jesus already died for that. God is not out to beat us. He is on our side, there to encourage us and to lift us up, dust us off, and put us back on the correct path. It is by His Judgements that He does this. He comes into a situation and sets everything right. Sometimes we have to lean more on God, to learn more about who He is and how we can become better, everyday.

Prayer
Father, thank You for Your love and mercy. Thank You for helping us go down the right road. Thank You for judgements that set things right. Thank You. In Jesus name. Amen.

Shadow Of Wings

This morning in prayer I asked God what I should write about that would encourage me and those that read these pages. He lead me to Psalm 63. Wow! It was definitely an encouragement to me. It starts off with the Psalmist rising early to praise and seek God. That was a fit for this morning for sure. Over the years I have found that life seems a little better every day when I have taken time first thing in the morning to reach out to praise God and to pray. It also speaks of being close to God, under the shadow of wings, following close behind. I don’t think I ever thought about God having wings before this morning. Perhaps it refers to the wings of His angels, which is also very encouraging. It is like there is the army of spiritual fighter planes flying over me to protect me. Then it says His right hand upholds me. We have a squadron of spiritual fighter planes above, it says He will destroy our enemies, and His right hand holds us up in our position near Him.

And, oh yes, that right hand would be Jesus. Now that is amazing and encouraging!

Prayer
Father, we praise and thank You for all You do to watch over us. Thank You for the wings and their shadow. Thank You that we are held in position by Your Son, Jesus. Thank You. In Jesus name. Amen.

Each Time I Read…

Each time I read the Psalms I am encouraged. today I read Psalm 76, which is short, but again I was encouraged. The psalmist writes about how God defeated the Egyptians when they pursued the children of Israel into the desert. He then goes on to say that this is what God does for all of us. He encourages us to keep our commitments to God because God is on our side and cut off the evil rulers of the earth. This latter point I believe deals with the dark forces behind the evil deeds and not necessarily the people. God is victorious and on our side!

Prayer
Father, You are an encouragement to us. You great and mighty deeds, down through time, have always delivered Your people. We are those people today. We praise and thank You. In Jesus name. Amen.

Every Moment Counts

We have blessings all around us every day. If we can the time to slow down and see these moments, whether big or small, they can be sources of encouragement. Often I find myself praying for things that are already all around me, but I am caught up in life’s daily routine and I miss them. Then I wonder where my answers are when I already have them. today I encourage everyone that reads this to take a moment and consider all of the blessings you have. Thank God for them one by one. By the end of that, I think you will find yourself encouraged in God.

Prayer
Father, thank You for the little things we have. Help us not to focus on what we think we do not have. Thank You. In Jesus name. Amen.