All in Encouragement
A friend and her four-year-old daughter passed by a cemetery where a grave had been freshly dug with a mound of dirt to the side. The daughter said, “Oh look, Mom, someone got out!” At first I laughed, but later I realized the spiritual truth of this story. The obedience of Jesus Christ “got us out.”
Two years ago we moved into a nice little house on a nice little street surrounded by empty lots. Today there are nine houses with two more underway. Since we are on a cul-de-sac, the construction of each of these homes has been up close and personal, but also fascinating as we watch the homes take shape. Now, as each neighbor family moves in and gets settled, our little street is coming to life with a great variety or people: tele-commuters, retired folks, parents with babies and young children, natives from the area, people who moved here from another part of the country.
Have you ever noticed that God’s highest and best for us usually involves growth and change, whereas our natural preferences run toward peace and security? Have you also noticed that, though He loves us “with an everlasting love” (Jer. 31:3) and has “given us everything we need for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3), He doesn’t consult us before He upends our life?
Most of us have seen them—painted performing artists who are creative and entertaining in their perfect stillness—live statues can fool us. Even up close it is difficult to tell whether they are real or not. Children and adults alike are fascinated by their realism.
If you read through Psalms 77, you will find that the psalmist was in a tough spot, in deep distress. He opened his heart to the Lord, and he was honest about how he was feeling. Then he turned his attention to what the Lord had done. He remembered God’s goodness and His mercy.
This verse is so comforting to us. We know that our God is good, and He works all things for our good. BUT . . . we also must remember that our good may include struggles and pain. Our good may be walking through that tough thing.
Down I fell, flat on my face! I was running downhill with my dog when suddenly she darted ahead. I hung onto the leash trying to slow her down. Instead, her momentum pulled me down until I was face down in the dirt.
Social media. We have a love-hate relationship. While I do see it’s merit for connecting with friends and sharing God’s Truth, there are other aspects that irritate me. This is probably how most people feel – happy to stay current with friendships, tired of what they consider bragging.
Do you know how precious metals are refined? Smelting is the process in which gold is separated from ore and other metals. The ore is first pulverized with extreme pressure to create tiny particles, which are then melted at almost 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. As the gold becomes molten, most of the impurities are burned up.
All summer long, my backyard rose bush produces hundreds of pink roses. I notice that it blooms and then most of the roses die about the same time. With my garden shears, I cut away the spent blooms. I imagine it sighing and saying, Thank you. Now I have room to grow and bloom all over again.
My one-year-old grandson recently displayed an interesting attitude while eating a banana. He likes for me to peel it a bit and hold it in the peeling. Then every time he passes by, he takes a big bite.
You probably recognize these passages as snippets of genealogical material. For many people, genealogies are Scripture’s ultimate throw-away lines and responsible for wrecking countless thru-the-Bible reading programs just as they are getting started. I get that. But it might be helpful to look at them another way.
I have marked many Holy Week observances and celebrated many Easter mornings. I was sure I had all the pertinent information and insights about this most sacred time. But recently I saw something that I had never noticed. (Perhaps you, too, have experienced that “when did they put that there” feeling?)
“Joshua fit the battle of Jericho, and the walls came tumblin’ down.” Negro spiritual
When her story begins in Joshua 2, Rahab is just your typical big-city pagan harlot, living in one of the most depraved and idolatrous cultures in recorded history. The city was Jericho of the Canaanites and these were not their best days. Jericho’s nervous residents knew that the upstart Israelites were headed their way with conquest on their minds. That partly explains why Rahab was not surprised to see the two Hebrew spies doing reconnaissance, then agreed to hide them from the king’s men.
Take one godly man and His devout family, a humongous boat, all kinds of animals and tons and tons (literally) of rain. What do you have? The story or Noah, of course. People who have never darkened the door of a church or cracked open a Bible could probably tell us that. It might be the most familiar story in Scripture.
The first church spent their time learning the apostles’ teaching. And they continued to share, to break bread, and to pray together (Acts 2:42 ICB).
My grandson plays high school baseball. He can throw a wicked pitch called a curveball. It’s especially hard for batters to hit because it dives downward as it nears the plate.
Suffering. No one wants it. In fact, we work hard to prevent suffering from finding its way into our lives. No matter how you slice it, life is full of challenges and times when the shadow of suffering lingers. Death, job loss and financial stress, difficult relationships, unmet expectations, chronic pain, or living through a natural disaster can all bring great suffering into people’s lives. Each hardship represents loss which is why these experiences can be so painful.
