Archive for Daily Encouragements
April 18, 2019 at 10:05 am · Filed under Daily Encouragements, Food for thought, God's beauty, God's love, Inspiration ·Tagged chasing the enemy, dark and light, faith, good and evil, hope, joy, love, love and hate, Peace, right and wrong, the absence of love
Darkness is nothing more than the absence of light, evil is the absence of good, and hate is the absence of love. If Satan rules a person’s life, neither God, nor His love is in them. Their judgment and view of all things are distorted by a lack of knowledge only God can give; the difference between right and wrong.
Perhaps if we live our lives in a manner pleasing to God, they will be swayed, not by our battling against them but rather by the fact we continue to love—even them—in the face of their hate for us.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12
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April 11, 2019 at 7:22 am · Filed under Daily Encouragements, God's beauty, God's love, Inspiration ·Tagged early mornings, faith, hope, joy, love, Peace, sing for joy, sunrise
In the early first hours of the day, God speaks to me silently from His heart to mine, and I feel like a child on my Father’s knee, my head against His chest, listening to the sound of His loving heart. And as I go into the day, where I’m often quickly swallowed by the cares and turmoil of this world we live in, I hold tight to His hand, as a toddler holds his father’s hand. I feel His presence—His hand on my shoulder—every minute of every day.
The day will come when all this is true. Perhaps not while I inhabit this body and dwell on this earth, but it will come. He tells me this in the morning, and it causes me to sing for joy and be glad all my days.
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April 7, 2019 at 8:18 am · Filed under Daily Encouragements, Food for thought, God's love, Inspiration ·Tagged all have sinned, faith, forgiveness, hypocrite, joy, love, Nobody's perfect, Peace, redemption
According to Webster, a hypocrite is a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings. Unfortunately, I do that often, so by that definition I reckon I’m a hypocrite. Webster also defines a hypocrite as a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion. I think most who know me, will agree I don’t fit that definition. I make no bones about the fact that I am who I am, and what I am is a terribly flawed human being. Oh, I’m not as bad as I used to be, but I’m still far from what I could be. The thing is, all I’m trying to do is encourage others, using the Bible as my guide. I try to find and focus on the good stuff and hope what I write will help others find and focus on it too. That’s it! So, if being me trying to be a better happier me and trying to help others be better and happier too, while at the same time being plain old messed up me, is being a hypocrite, then I am one! And… I’m okay with that.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23
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April 6, 2019 at 8:17 am · Filed under Daily Encouragements, Food for thought, God's beauty, God's love, Inspiration ·Tagged crying out to Him, faith, focus, hope, never look away, peace love, trusting God
No matter what our troubles might be, no matter our worry or strife, Jesus will give us peace, and all we must do is love Him and trust Him. Most of the time, we trust Him with the little problems, but when a large one comes along, we tend to dive right into despair and worry. Then when we realize He’s our only hope, we turn to Him and cry out for His help.
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28
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March 21, 2019 at 1:04 pm · Filed under Daily Encouragements, Food for thought, God's beauty, God's love, Inspiration ·Tagged faith, hope, love, Peace, Thankfulness, What do we want from God, What does God want from us, when troubles come
In the last several years, when times were tough—those times when I questioned not only my faith in God, but his faith in me—I would often ask Him, “What do you want from me?” It seemed I was getting nowhere fast and doing nothing for Him… or me. Of course, He never answered. Or did He?
But these days I’ve come to the realization that I had things backward those times when I asked God, “What do you want from me?”. I have a good life. I’m not rich, and far from famous, and some parts of my life could be better, but all-in-all I have no reason to complain. God has blessed me with so much, and yet I have the nerve—too often—to complain. It dawned on me recently that God, who’s given me so much and continues to bless me with peace, joy and love—more abundantly than I ever have, or will, deserve—Is the one who should be asking me, “What do you want from me?”.
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March 15, 2019 at 9:29 am · Filed under Daily Encouragements, Food for thought, God's beauty, God's love, Inspiration ·Tagged faith, forbearing, forgiveness, God's love, grace, hope, kind, love, Peace
Kind, as defined by Webster: showing a gentle and considerate nature. God is most definitely gentle and considerate in His dealings with us. Another definition of the word kind more aptly fits God: forbearing. Forbearing is defined as: refraining from the enforcement of something that is due.
Thankfully, we love and serve a kind, gentle, considerate, and forbearing God. And when we love Him, His love will dwell in our hearts, and His kindness will show in our actions.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 1 Corinthians 13:4
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March 8, 2019 at 9:11 am · Filed under Daily Encouragements, Food for thought, God's beauty, God's love, Inspiration ·Tagged faith, God's love, hope, it's only in your mind, love, nothing or no one, redemption, separated from Christ, straying from the path, unworthy
Nothing, or no one, can separate us from Christ. When we give our life to Jesus, we are forever joined with Him. We might wander away from Him at times, but we cannot be separated from His love. Whether we recognize it or not, once He’s there in our heart, soul, and spirit, He’s there.
Consider this: even though we may think we have strayed far from Jesus, it is only in our own mind we have done so. And those times we feel unworthy of His love, that too, is only in our mind.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? Romans 8:35
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