Tag Archives: Encouragement for LIfe

Jan26

Beauty That Never Fades

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…the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit
is of great worth in God’s sight.
1 Peter 3:4b

Most of us spend a great deal of time and money on our outward appearance.  A portion of our day is devoted to preparing ourselves for “public appearance.”  We spend time grooming, shaving, tweezing, moisturizing, drying, brushing, combing, and powdering.  We carefully apply make-up and select our outfit and coordinating accessories.  For some of us, this is a time-consuming process and one that we would never omit from our day.  When we are finally ready to step out of our homes, every detail is in perfect order, from the tops of our heads to the tips of our toes.

While we care deeply about the image we portray to the world, God’s word tells us in 1 Peter 3:3-4 that what matters most is not your outward appearance – the styling of your hair, the jewelry you wear or the cut of your clothes.  What He cares about is your inner disposition.

 “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes.  
Rather, it should be that of your inner self,  the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” 1 Peter 3:3-4

Just as we devote a portion of our day to taking care of our outward appearance, we should also spend time attending to our inner self.  The more time you spend reading God’s word and talking with Him in prayer, the more you will radiate His spirit from within.  Your relationship with Christ will be evident in your attitude, your words, your actions and your gentle spirit.  You will shine with a light from within, and others will be drawn to Christ.

 “Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.” Psalm 34:5
 

True beauty begins inside.

 

Jan23

Abundant Blessings

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Icy Perch
And God is able to
Bless you abundantly,
So that in all things
At all times,
Having all that you need,
You will abound in every good work.
2 Corinthians 9:8
 

God is more than able to pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you’re ready for anything and everything He calls you to do in life.  Never think that He will not equip you to accomplish a task He desires for you to do.  In fact, with God’s blessings you will be more than ready to do what needs to be done.  Not only does this most generous God give seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals, but also He provides all that you need to abound in all your work for His kingdom.

Don’t ever let a “lack of resources” hold you back from stepping forward in faith to accomplish a great calling from God.  His rich storehouse is brimming with blessings that He desires to pour out upon His children in order to fulfill His divine purposes.  Trust in God to be your blessing provider!

 

Jan21

Standing Firmly on the Rock

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He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
    out of the mud and mire;
He set my feet on a rock
    and gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth,
    a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
    and put their trust in Him.

Psalm 40:2–3

 When you experience a season of emotional or physical upheaval in life, it is easy to begin feeling like you are trapped in a deep, dark, slimy pit filled with mud and mire.  Your footings are unstable and no matter what you do to try and pull yourself out of this dismal situation, you seem to slip right back down to the bottom.  Every step you take becomes bogged down in the thick quagmire of your problems.

 If you find yourself in a dark place like this in life, do not give into the feeling of hopelessness.  You are not alone!  There is no depth so deep that God is not watching over you.  There is no place so dark that His light cannot penetrate.  Nothing can ever separate you from His love.  Instead of trying to climb out of the pit on your own, call out to God, and He will hear your cry of despair.  Lift up your hands to your Heavenly Father and allow Him to lift you out of the mud and mire.

He will place your feet upon a solid Rock and give you a firm place to stand.  Even in the midst of tumultuous situations, you will have a solid foundation with God.  The winds of controversy may gust, and the stormy problems may howl, but you will remain firmly rooted in God’s love and protection. 

The Lord will give you a new song to sing.  Your focus will turn from your problems and difficulties, and instead your thoughts will be centered on praising Our Savior.  Your life will be a testament to others.  They will see what God has done for you and be amazed.  As a result, many will also place their trust in the Lord.

Let your roots hold firmly to the Rock!  With Him you will never be shaken.

 

“Truly He is my rock and my salvation;
    He is my fortress, I will never be shaken.”

Psalm 62:2

Jan12

Listen for His Song

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The Lord your God is in your midst,
A Mighty One who will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness;
He will quiet you by His love;
He will exult over you with loud singing.
Zephaniah 3:17

Take a moment to let the words of this scripture penetrate your mind and permeate your heart.  The same Mighty God who created the universe is in your midst.  As His child you are never alone.  Your Heavenly Father is beside you every step of the way.  He is always present in your life.  When the going gets tough, He’s not going to bail out.

God loves you unconditionally.  He celebrates and sings because of YOU.  As a mom of three sons, I know how it feels to “rejoice” over my children.  Be assured that my voice will be the loudest one cheering in the stands whenever there’s a home run, touch down or game winning basket.  I also celebrate other accomplishments with them such as good grades on a report card, learning a new skill, or making the team.  Truthfully, I rejoice over my boys each morning when I wake them up and each time they walk in the door from school.  So if an earthly parent can have such joy over her children, I can’t imagine how much more our Heavenly Father, who created each and every one of us, rejoices over all His children.

When you are fearful, hurting or sad, He quiets you and comforts you with His love.  Our All-knowing, All-seeing, ever present Lord knows your every need and thought.  He senses the pain you may be feeling.  He knows your circumstances and understands your fears with complete clarity.  Just imagine His divine arms wrapped tightly around you, holding you, consoling you, reassuring you, soothing you and calming all your fears.

God’s word is true.  So we can believe without a doubt that the Mighty One who will save is in your midst.  He is rejoicing over you.  He is quieting you by His love.  And your Heavenly Father is singing loudly over you with joy.  Acknowledge His presence in your life.  Sense His joy and gladness over you.  Feel His comfort, and listen for His loud singing throughout your day.

Dec30

God of Hope

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May the God of Hope

Fill you with all

Joy and Peace

As you trust in Him,

So that you may overflow with Hope

By the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

Cardinals Cold Toes

Do you need encouragement today?  The words of today’s verse offer Joy and Peace to those who place their trust in the living “God of Hope.”

Another passage refers to this living hope:

 [Praise to God for a Living Hope] Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you. 1 Peter 1:3
 

So no matter what sort of trial you may be facing in your life, if you are a child of God, you have a living hope inside of you through your faith in Jesus Christ.  With Christ, you have the power to “overflow with Hope.”

Today, instead of focusing on whatever problems you may see in your path, turn your thoughts to our God of Hope and ask Him to fill you with Joy and Peace to the point that you are bubbling over and overflowing with Hope.  Your problems will fade in comparison to the peace and joy you feel in God’s presence.

Peace, Joy and Overflowing Hope be to you!

Jul23

God’s Limitless Love

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If you ever find it difficult to comprehend the vastness of God’s love for you, He has placed a constant reminder in the beauty of the heavens. Lift your eyes from your daily grind and earthly concerns. Take a moment to gaze at God’s handiwork in the sky. Hear the whispers of His limitless love and embrace the truth of His eternal faithfulness to you.  Understand that His great love is for everyone…including you.

As surely as the sun rises and sets each day, His boundless love for you continues into eternity.

  • “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him.” Psalm 103:11
Jan26

I Am Only One…

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“I am only one; but still I am one.

I cannot do everything, but still I can do something;

I will not refuse to do the something I can do.”

(Helen Keller)


“May the God of Peace…

Equip you with everything good for doing his will,

And may he work in us what is pleasing to him,

Through Jesus Christ…”

Hebrews 13:20a – 21 (NIV 1984)


Jan19

Meteoric Love

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God’s love is meteoric,
his loyalty astronomic,
His purpose titanic,
his verdicts oceanic.
Yet in his largeness
nothing gets lost;
Not a man, not a mouse,
slips through the cracks.

Psalm 36:5-6 (MSG)

God’s vast love for us is unfathomable. It is deeper, wider and broader than our human minds can comprehend. His love is unchanging and never-ending. It’s sometimes difficult to imagine how the Creator of the Universe could care about the smallest details of our lives, but the truth is that even in His largeness…NOTHING gets lost. Be mindful of God’s attention to detail in your life. Share everything with Him. He cares about each tiny facet of your existence. Not a man, not a mouse, slips thought the cracks.