Encouraging words

Take Him At His Word

Thu, 2 Sep 2010 23:38:45 -0500

I am bowed down and brought very low; all day long I go about mourning.
My back is filled with searing pain; there is no health in my body.
I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart.
Psalm 38:6-8 (New International Version)

When I hear people say that they view the Bible as a ‘dusty old book’ that has nothing we can relate to today, I find my self wondering …”Have you even read what is in this book?”

I know there are times it helps me so much to know someone understands what it is like to live with a chronic illness. And to think of the hundreds of years ago this was written! For me, it is alive. It speaks to my pain, to my joys, to so many aspects of my life.

Real, live people – who lived so long ago – felt so many of the things I felt. What I find amazing is that God saw fit to include all of these things in His word.

Scripture is not a book of “do’s” and “don’ts.” Many people seem to think it is. They miss entirely the way God has of reassuring us that there is truly “nothing new under the sun.”

People have walked this path before us. People will walk this path after us. In the middle of the night, when there is no one to talk to – I can reach for His book and find words I need to read.

Do I need encouragement? It’s there.

Do I need to feel I relate to what someone else? It’s there, too.

Do I need to grow closer to my God? That is there, too.

It’s an amazing book.

I like to go to Biblegateway.com and simply put in a keyword: ‘pain,’ ‘comfort,’ endurance,’ ‘fear.’ They are all there. Verse after verse, after verse …. Words written for me. Words written for you.

My encouraging word today? Read.

Even if you have no Bible – you have internet access (or most likely you do if you are reading this!) and can go to Biblegateway and search out the word that is on your heart.

God has provided us with so much.

I suggest you take Him at His word …. In His word.

But It's Too Hard

Wed, 1 Sep 2010 20:06:57 -0500

Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was)stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in )labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 2 Corinthians 11: 25-27 NIV

Have you ever felt that going on is just too hard?

I know I have. Sometimes, folks think that because I write an ‘encouragement’ devotional – that I have it all together – that I have the answers and have successfully walked this road.

The truth?

I’m right in there struggling along side of the rest of you. That is one thing that you and I have in common. We struggle along as best we can.

I get tired. I sometimes wonder when and if it will end. When more challenges appear (and they always seem to), I question why God thinks I am strong enough to handle it.

All it seems to take is the above verse in Scripture to help me realize that God has not singled me out for a difficult life. I cannot even imagine going through all Paul did. Yet, his faith remained so strong.

He knew that when he was weak – that God’s strength would get him through.

And it did.

I wonder how much we under estimate God’s ability to deal with the difficult things of life.

Do we really understand the power of God?

So often it’s easier to say, “I can’t” instead of “By the grace of God, I will.”

God can give us an incredible ability to persevere, to endure, to not only survive.

It may seem impossible.

But remember who is on your side.

Discouraged?

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:18:42 -0500

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:25

I find this an intriguing verse, particularly for those of us whose illnesses have left us homebound. How in the world do we “meet together” with other believers? Getting to church is rarely an option for me. I miss the fellowship of other believers. At one point in this interesting journey I call life, I was put on complete bed rest due to extreme hyperthyroidism that ultimately caused a stroke. That period lasted six months. It didn’t take long for me to feel hopeless, helpless, and useless. I tried playing online games. That kept me busy for a while. I started writing. But I could only write so much before my head would ache from thinking. This may have been the lowest part of my life.

Out of sheer desperation, I typed “God, I need help,” into Google. To say I felt foolish is an understatement. Yet, I went ahead and clicked. Much to my amazement, the url to a chatroom came up. (The next time I tried it - I got completely different results!)

Now, you also need to understand that I’ve been leary of internet chatrooms. (My own kids even ‘warned’ me about going into a chat room!) But I went ahead and signed up for the room – and, not knowing what to expect – entered a new world.

It was a Christian chatroom. It was for folks with chronic illnesses. It soon became home. Now, I could fellowship with other believers. I had found a place to encourage others and to be encouraged. I found much needed friends.

Encouragement is so important. God provided a means for me to both give ... and get that needed sense of belonging. The knowledge that I finally found people who understood was humbling.

I began leading chats, then book studies, and ultimately started this blog. I learned that I am, above all else, an encourager. I’ve also learned I need encouragement. What fascinates me is the ways God finds to provide that encouragement: A small chatroom hidden away on the internet. Feedback from book studies. People who reach out to me not realizing how much they give back to me.

I know full well that it is difficult to be an encourager when you are running on empty. Some days you are the one who needs the encouragement. Some days you are the encourager.

Today, I encourage you to reach out to someone. Say a kind word. Smile. Drop someone a note. Find a chatroom of believers. Begin to share yourself.

You will be amazed at the way God gives a double portion of that blessing back to you.

Don’t give up meeting together.

Don’t give up encouraging one another.

Don’t give up.

Her Love Lives On

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 00:28:55 -0500

“For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." Revelation 7:17

I beg the indulgence of my readers today. You see, my favorite aunt died Saturday, and the feelings in my heart are mixed. For myself, selfishly, I mourn. I will miss her. Our families were close. I spent a lot of time with her. I loved her deeply. She could be silly, or serious – or anywhere in between. I have such good memories. Today, I cry.

And yet, I know for her, she is singing the new song, reunited with loved ones, and whole once again. You see, she had Alzheimer’s and went quickly down that path. She experienced emotional pain as she realized what was happening to her. Fortunately there was not a lot of physical pain, but one can only guess at what was happening deep inside her soul and spirit as she deteriorated in front of us.

I am grateful she had a peaceful passing. I am grateful her suffering is over. And yet, I miss her so – the tears fall.

Yet again, I am thrown head first into God’s word. Once again I must cling to those promises.

You see, one day, this life – the old order of things will pass away. No more death or mourning or crying or pain. Life will be as God intended it to be for us.

Sometimes, that can seem unreal. But it’s in God’s word, and I know His word is Truth. The ultimate truth.

Peter told us in Revelation 21:4
 “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

Death becomes a reality for all of us at one point or another. Those we love leave this world and we keenly feel that loss. How much it helps me to know that God Himself will wipe the tears from our eyes. And suffering will be a thing left behind.

Today, my beloved Aunt Jo is with her Shepherd – and drinking from the springs of living water.

Yes, today I cry.

But I know her love lives on.

And it cannot die.

I Will Help You

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 21:28:03 -0500

For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, ‘Do not fear; I will help you.’ Isaiah 41:13, NIV

I seem to be living in the book of Isaiah lately. I search for encouragement. I find myself thinking back to my childhood and the times I was “ascared.” I was a mama’s girl. If I was near my mom, I knew I’d be ok. When I was really frightened, I remember taking her hand to help me feel safe.

We even had a secret code. She would squeeze my hand 3 times and I would squeeze hers back 3 times. It was the way we could say, “I love you” without words. I remember how the fear seemed to melt away.

I read Isaiah 41:13 today, and that memory came flooding back. God is promising to take me by the hand and tells me “Don’t be ‘ascared,’ I’m here to help you.”

I feel the same sense of relief when I read His words to me. I am not in this alone.

Many that I know are going through particularly difficult times right now. It’s hard, sometimes, to find my own words to encourage them not to give up, to hold on, to trust God.

For each of you who is struggling today, I offer not my words – but God’s.

“For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, ‘Do not fear; I will help you.’”

So today, my dear readers and in particular, those of you who are facing mountains that seem too high to climb, or valleys that appear to dark to navigate, I ask you to read those words, hold on to them, and imagine that God Himself is holding your right hand and saying to you, at this very moment:

“Do not fear. I will help you.”

I cannot claim to know the form this help will take. But I do trust that it will come. I trust not only for myself, but for each of you.

Take His words to heart and let them take root and grow there.

Imagine you are holding that mighty hand and squeezing it 3 times. He loves you.

He’ll squeeze back.

Words of Comfort

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 22:51:45 -0500

But now, this is what the LORD says - he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. (Isaiah 43:1-2, NIV)

Can you read these words and not feel comforted? The very God who created you says, “I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”

So often I have felt I have nowhere to belong. And over and over God tells me, “You belong to me.”

So often I have felt as if the rivers of life will sweep me away. God tells me I will pass through them. And not only will I pass through them, He will be with me.

So often I have felt I am walking through the fires of life. Our family’s problems escalate. How easy it would be to give in! Yet, God says, “When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned.”

I find two fascinating things here. We are quite plainly told there will be times it will feel as if we will be swept away by the torrents of problems in our lives. We are also told that there will be times of fiery trials. Not if. When.

And we are also told just as plainly that He will be with us when we face these trials.

As our family’s struggles increase, so do the words of comfort I find in Scripture. Yesterday, I asked those who struggled to hold on. Little did I realize I was also writing for myself, the news today would bring, and my own need to hold on.

My aunt died this morning. A mixed blessing for us. Another family member was diagnosed with terminal cancer. We received difficult news about one of our adopted children. What words echoed in my mind?

Hold on.

Tonight, God gave me words to hold on to. Yes, events like this happen. It’s called life. But the one who created us and summons us by name openly declares that we am His. He tells us, “Fear not.”

He promises to walk with us through each and every thing that can assault our lives.

Once again, my dear readers, I encourage you to hold on to Him.

You see, He is already holding on to you.

Hold On!

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 23:56:22 -0500

You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.
Isaiah 26:3-4

Can you even imagine it? Perfect peace? I know I can’t. Not really. I know I get knocked from side to side so easily when problems arise. I also know I do not have that “steadfast mind.’ Yet, the requirement seems pretty simple.

Trust.

I know that trust is a major issue for many people. A lot of us have been hurt in ways other than physical. Trust can be hard to come by.

Yet, look at the reason for the trust. For the Lord is the Rock eternal.

Now, I don’t know about you but a rock is about the most solid (no pun intended) think I can think of. A rock. Thinking of God as a rock helps me. When I am wavering from side to side – or not knowing which way is up … I can think of myself as anchored to that rock. And I can trust that rock to hold me.

I think of mountain climbers, and how they put their anchors into a rock when they are climbing. They put their trust in that rock 100%. They trust it not to give way or let them fall.

Shouldn’t we have that much faith in our God? To trust Him not to ever let go, or give way, or let us fall - knowing we can anchor ourselves in Him securely.

What a picture that brings to my mind. And yes … it brings peace too.

God is ever so much more secure than any rock here on earth. He is the only thing that we can really trust to get us through those dark nights – those difficult days.

Sometimes it takes all we have to hold on.

It truly helps to remember what we are holding on to – and who is anchoring the other end.

Hold on, beloved. Hold on.

Where Do You Go For Comfort?

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 00:15:10 -0500

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
2 Corinthians 1:3-5 (New International Version)

Today, I felt useless. Completely and utterly useless. I had phone calls to make, problems to try to solve, and I was so wrapped up in emotion I felt frozen. I had no clue where to begin. I almost even wondered, why bother at all?

That is rare for me. But those days happen. In a phone conversation with someone who understands many of the challenges I face, the comment was made that those of us who have a spiritual connection, seem to endure better than those who try to walk this path alone.

That, I know to be true. I’ve watched others struggle with anger and pain as they try to make their way through the challenges handed to them. Those who have God to turn to, seem to be the ones who learn how to endure.

Yes, we all have our moments. (Days? Weeks?) But eventually, God draws us back. It takes a lot to handle chronic illnesses. It requires perseverance on our part. We have to keep going when we least feel like doing so. One foot in front of the other. One moment at a time.

It’s my belief that our challenges are our teachers and that we learn much from them. I think we do grown in endurance, perseverance, understanding, and love. We learn to relate to those who are hurting. We learn how to listen. We learn how to care in ways that those who don’t understand are not able to. We learn to comfort one another – sometimes by simply being there.

One of my favorite sayings comes from a movie “On a Clear Day You Can See Forever.” While I’m don’t agree with a lot proposed in that movie, I have embraced this saying:

“There is more to us than surgeons can remove.”

There is so much more to us than this body we now dwell in. Sometimes, I lose sight of that. Sometimes I forget that the God of the universe is the very reason that I exist at all. That in Him I live and move and have my being. God always provides something to draw me back to that fact.

Did my problems go away? No – they still need work – but because of the love and care of others, I’m going in a better direction.

Beloved readers, never forget that a word to someone, a smile, a caring heart, a listening ear, may be the tool God uses to encourage another who is also walking this path.

Remember, we never walk alone.

Now To Him ...

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 21:54:00 -0500

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Ephesians 3:20-21

Yesterday I felt my world was turned upside down. The manager at my pharmacy told me they were no longer willing to accommodate my prescription needs due to my many allergies.

I take quite a few meds. Each one has to be checked to make sure it is allergen free. Yes, it’s a time consuming task. I’ve used this particular pharmacy for years after having tried others that had no idea how to track down which medicines were safe for me.

This leaves me in a particular difficult spot. I need my meds as some of my problems have the potential to be life threatening.

At first I was stunned. Then angry. Then the tears started. Once again, it felt as if it was all just too much. Whatever would I do?

I’m blessed with a husband who knows I get emotional and need time to gather all the pieces back together. While I sobbed into the pillow, he stroked my hair and prayed. He’s not a wordy man. His prayer was simple. “God, we need your help.”

He then posted on a list-serve we belong to – telling my story. Responses poured in. So many caring people. We were given ideas of ways to deal with this problem. One particular woman wrote and asked that my husband call her. Things we had never thought of were suggested.

God answered that simple prayer.

No, my problem is not solved. We will still need to figure out a way to deal with this. But I know I’m not alone in it. I have no idea how this problem will be solved. But now I am confident it will be.

I’m not sure that the folks on that list realize what their outpouring of responses meant to us. Some had no idea what to do, but said they’d pray. These folks are pretty much strangers to me – yet they were willing to help us.

My husband cried out to God – we need help.

He cried out again in his post - we need help.

How often I am afraid to say those words.

They are difficult words. Humbling words. But words that need to be said.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help, my dear readers. Ask God. Ask your friends. Ask strangers if you think they might have the answers.

Ask … and watch what happens.

Our God IS an amazing God.

When We Are Weary

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 01:14:04 -0500

I recounted my ways and you answered me; teach me your decrees. Let me understand the teaching of your precepts; then I will meditate on your wonders. My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word. Psalm 119:26-28

I’ll admit it. I don’t understand God. That’s not saying I don’t want to. I do. Yet there are times I have to admit as well, that I don’t put as much effort into finding that understanding as the Psalmist did.

I look at these words and think of the strong bond he had with God. He talked. God listened. He asked for understanding of God’s teachings. He knew he had to meditate on those words, as well as on the other wonders of God.

He confides of his sorrow to God and asks for help.

I look in the mirror and think how often my prayers are requests for things in this life. I pray for better heath and healing for those I know that are ill. I pray for comfort for those who are hurting. I don’t think those are bad things at all.

Yet, I don’t have the same confidence that the Psalmist had. I’d say I wish I did – problem is, I know what to do about it – yet often don’t do it.

I read a devotional. I listen to a sermon. I pray with others. All things I am glad I can still do. Yet the one thing I know I don’t do enough of is listen to God. I’m not spending time in His Word. The time I know it must have taken the Psalmist to get to know God the way He did. He asked to be taught. He prayed for understanding. He meditated on the many wonders of God. He knew, in his sorrow – that his help was found in Scripture.

I wonder why I don’t put those things into practice? What holds me back? I admit to playing computer games and finding other things to do when I’m bored. How convicting it is to realize the lower priority I have put on God’s Word.

It’s humbling when God shines a light in the dark and icky parts of our heart. We might be feeling pretty good about who we are – and where we are – and God gently prods us and says, “There’s more, child. There’s more.”

Today, I pray that I will put His Word in its proper place in my life. I want to be like the Psalmist. I pray for that same confidence.

Yes, I am weary with sorrow. I’m guessing that many of you who read this are weary too.

I pray I will find the strength I need in His Word.

I pray you do, too.