Encouraging Words for Today

It’s a wee bit windy here in the Walla Walla Valley. The wind blew all last night, with gusts up to 50 mph. Trash cans have been turned over and blown into the street, branches are broken, and anything not secured is in danger of blowing a way. I tried to go for my morning walk, but had to turn back, because I was being knocked back and forth by the wind.

Wind has enormous power for change. The Bible speaks of “four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, hold back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or any tree.” (Revelation 7:1). The four angels are instructed to hold back the wind until God can “put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” (v. 3).

I knew the wind we are experiencing in Walla Walla were coming. We’d seen the forecast, so we were not surprised, so we had time to prepare, to make sure everything that might blow away was secure. But even though we knew the winds were coming, we didn’t realize they would be this strong.

Likewise, we know God will not hold back the “winds of strife” from this earth forever. A day is coming in the near future when those winds will be loosed and there will be “a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then.” (Daniel 12:1a).

Just as we knew the winds were coming, so we know difficult times lie ahead for this earth. But don’t need to be afraid, because we are promised that “at that time [God’s] people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered.” (Daniel 12:1b).

No, we don’t need to be afraid, but we do need to be prepared. Now is the time to get your life right with God, “now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2). Give Jesus your heart today. Don’t wait until tomorrow.

The winds of strife are coming. Today “put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” Ephesians 6:13).

“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV).

Have you ever wondered about this text? I sure have. How can God expect you to give thanks when your world seems to be falling apart, when you lose your job, are felled by illness, or have been rejected by someone you love? How can you be grateful for loss, disappointment, and suffering?

The truth is you can’t and God isn’t asking you to. The text doesn’t tell you to be thankful “for” all circumstances. It says to be thankful “in” all circumstances. When you are a child of God you can be thankful in whatever situation you find yourself. Why? Because you are never alone. “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV).

Today, you may not feel too thankful “for” the circumstances you find yourself in, but you can be thankful that your Heavenly Father will be with you “in” it every step of the journey. So, no matter what comes your way today, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” (1 Chronicles 16:34).

One of the most annoying things I run into at work is when a patient won’t put their phone away so I can get a decent history. I’m trying to figure out what to do for them and they’ve got their head down the entire time texting or scrolling through some social media site. It’s even worse when it’s a parent and they can’t put down their phone long enough to tell me what’s wrong with their kid. Arghh!!

Unfortunately, I do the same thing to God. He’s trying to communicate with me, to keep me on the right track, to build a relationship with me, but I’m so distracted by my work, the bills, some TV program, or, yes, my phone, He can’t get my attention. I’m so caught up with the cares and distractions of this life, I miss out on the most precious thing of all – time with my God.

God knew we would be like this, so He built a pause into our weekly routine, 24 hours when we can put all these worries and cares aside and reconnect with Him. This precious gift is called the Sabbath and it’s my favorite day of the week. For one whole day I get to stop worrying about work, what’s happening in the news, or any of the other innumerable things that grapple for my attention the other 6 days of the week, and just spend time with family, friends, and, best of all, Jesus.

Keeping the Sabbath is not a way to earn your way to heaven. Keeping it isn’t being legalistic, it’s being smart! We all need a break once in a while and the Sabbath is just what we need at the end of a busy week. It is a precious gift God gave us at the very dawn of creation when He “blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” (Genesis 2:3 NIV).

This evening, as the sun sets and the Sabbath begins, take a break. “Come aside…and rest awhile.” (Mark 6:31 NKJV). Put away whatever has you distracted, whether it’s work or bills or maybe even your phone, and reconnect with Jesus. Give Him your full attention for 24 hours and discover for yourself what a difference the Sabbath can make.

Do you ever feel ordinary? Nothing special? Inadequate? I think we all do at one time or another.

When I face an especially challenging set of patient symptoms, I long for the insight of Alexander Fleming, who discovered penicillin, or Jonas Salk, the creator of the polio vaccine. But no, I’m just an ordinary PA, seeing ordinary patients, who sometimes have extraordinary problems. And sometimes I ask God, “Why me?”

That’s how Moses felt. For the last 40 years he’d been leading a quiet life in the wilderness, just tending a few sheep, doing nothing special with his life. He was just an ordinary shepherd, leading ordinary sheep through ordinary days. But then he saw that burning bush and His whole life changed.

When Moses encountered God on that fateful day and heard what He wanted him to do, he drew back in fear. Moses had never felt so ordinary, so inadequate, in his entire life. He said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11 NIV).

But God was ready for him. He said to Moses, “I will be with you.” (v. 12). That should have been enough, but Moses still balked. So God did something extraordinary with something ordinary. He said, “What is that in your hand?” (Exodus 4:2).

Moses looked in bewilderment at the shepherd’s rod in his hand and replied, “A staff.”

Well, you know the rest of the story. God turned that staff into a snake, used it to transform water into blood, to part the Red Sea, and to save an entire nation. God used the ordinary to do the extraordinary and changed the world.

God can do the same with you. No matter how ordinary you feel, God wants to do extraordinary things in your life, if you will let Him. This morning, He says to you, “What is that in your hand?” What are your talents, your skills, your passions, your resources? He wants them all, no matter how ordinary. Just give them to the Father today. Then get ready! Your ordinary life is about to become extraordinary!

“I wanted to tell you, thank you.” These few words, spoken in a quiet voice by my patient’s mother, stopped me in my tracks. I was busy writing out discharge instructions for her child, my mind focused on the task at hand, but these words broke my concentration. Turning to her I asked, “What do you mean?”

Turns out I’d seen her other daughter a few days before. This child, who is developmentally delayed, had been very uncooperative and the exam had not been an easy one. The mother told me, “You and your staff were so gentle and patient with her. I was going through a rough time and seeing how you treated my daughter made such a difference for me. It encouraged me to keep going.”

It’s amazing how a kind word can change a person’s whole perspective. This mother’s expression of gratitude changed my whole day. I’d been feeling rushed and stressed, complaining inside about all the little things which hadn’t gone right, but this mother’s simple words helped me refocus on what really matters and changed the whole trajectory of my day.

It’s so easy to look at the negative in this life, the small annoyances, the little detours every day holds. How much better to do what this mother did, to look for the good, and find ways to brighten someone else’s day with a kind word or a little compliment.

We each have a choice today. We can murmur and complain and make everyone around us miserable or we can look for the good in the world and the people we meet. Today let’s “encourage one another and build each other up…” (1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV). Who knows? Just a couple kind words could make a huge difference in another person’s outlook today. I know they sure helped mine.

God bless and have a wonderful day!

Most of the time when I meet someone, they’re first question is, “How’s it going?”. Many times I’m tempted to tell them the truth, that it’s been a lousy day, that I’m tired and discouraged, and that nothing seems to be going right. But I know they don’t want to hear that, so I dutifully reply “Pretty good” or “Not bad.”

The thing is, even if I told them how I really felt, they couldn’t do anything about my problems anyway. Besides, they have enough problems of their own. They don’t need me dumping on them and just bringing us both down.

No, far better to take my problems to someone who can do something about them – my Heavenly Father. He even invites me to do this, telling me, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7 NIV). And James 4:10 tells us to “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”

There’s nothing we can throw at the Father that He can’t handle. He’s got the answer to all your problems and “when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

No matter what you’re facing today, God’s got you. Trust in Him and He will give the strength to “run and not grow weary…walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31). He’s got an answer for all your problems and “will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19.

So, the next time someone asks you “How’s it going?” don’t dump all your problems on them. Instead tell them the truth – God is in control!

The results are in! The votes have been cast, the majority of the ballots have been counted, and the people have spoken. For many it is a day of rejoicing, for many others a day of disappointment and trepidation, “men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth…”. (Luke 21:26 NKJV).

Whichever camp you find yourself in this morning, one thing is certain. This election is over. What’s done is done and now we must move forward, looking toward the future. There’s no turning back. No second chances.

And yet there is! A second chance, I mean. No, not for the election. That’s over and done. But YOU still have a second chance, a second chance to give your heart to Jesus, another opportunity to make Him the Lord of your life, to claim the home in Heaven He has prepared for you.

You still have time to make your choice, but don’t wait! Just like elections, God has set a day of reckoning. When that day comes, there will be no more second chances, “for at the appointed time the end shall be.” (Daniel 8:19).

At that time, a voice will declare in the Heavenly courts, “He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.”” (Revelation 22:11).

But do not despair. That day has not yet come, but it is coming soon. Now is the time to cast your vote for Jesus. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2). Now is the time “to make your call and election sure.” (2 Peter 1:10).

Don’t wait, my friend. Choose Jesus today. Give Him not just your vote, but your life, right now, and every day till He comes. If you do then you need not fear tomorrow, because you can know without a doubt you are on the winning side.

Today is one of those turning points in Earth’s history. It’s Election Day here in the United States. Millions of ballots have already been collected and millions more will be cast today. By late tonight (or maybe tomorrow morning) we will know which direction our nation will be headed in the next four years.

I am not going to argue for one side or the other. That is not the purpose of this blog. I’ve cast my vote and I hope you have too. The rest is in God’s hands. And make no mistake, God is in control, no matter what the outcome. “He controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings.” (Daniel 2:21 NLT).

No, my purpose today is to remind you of a far more important election, one that has already occurred. The Bible tells us, “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.” (Ephesians 1:4). Long ago God cast His vote for you and He sealed His choice with the blood of His Son, who died that you might live. No matter what happens today, you may know this one thing, without a doubt, “that you are the Elect of God.” (1 Thessalonians 1:4 RGT).

“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved”, let’s act like it today. As we deal with others, especially those who disagree with us, let’s “put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another…”. (Colossians 3:12-13 NKJV).

While the United States is a great nation and we are proud to call it home, we must never forget our true citizenship lies elsewhere, for “we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.” (Philippians 3:20 NLT).

Our true home is in heaven, but while we are here let’s put aside our differences and together “work for the peace and prosperity of the city where [God] sent [us] into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine [our] welfare.” (Jeremiah 29:7 NLT). As the Elect of God, let’s act like citizens of Heaven and treat others with kindness, sharing His love with everyone we meet – no matter what side of the aisle they might be on.

I love the end of Daylight Savings time each fall. I love that we get an extra hour in the day. Most people like to use that extra hour to get some more sleep. Not me! For me it’s bonus time, time to get an early start on the day, to get more done. And, as busy as last week was, I can use that time.

Time is a finite entity, at least on this earth. There are only so many minutes in the day, so many days in a lifetime. In Ephesians 5:15-16 Paul encourages us to “be careful how you live. Live as men who are wise and not foolish. Make the best use of your time.”

Each of us gets only so many hours per day. Today you get an extra one. Don’t waste it. Use it to spend a little extra time getting to know your Savior, to help a friend, to share a kind word with the cashier at Walmart. And don’t stop with today. Use every hour of every day to live for Jesus, making the best use of your time to make a difference in the lives of those around you.

As the old song by the Steve Miller Band goes, “Time keeps on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’ into the future.” So make the best use of your time today and “Feed the babies who don’t have enough to eat. Shoe the children with no shoes on their feet. House the people livin’ in the street.”

God has given you a gift today – time. Use it wisely before it slips away.

We got our first frost this last week and Ana’s garden is looking pretty sad. The tomato plants are drooping, the leaves on the squash are turning brown, and the flowers are all wilting away. It’s sad to see what was once so beautiful now dead and dying.

That’s the way of life though. Everything of this earth is temporary. As Peter said, “All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass.” (1 Peter 1:24 NKJV). We work and strive to get ahead, but disease still strikes, recessions still come, and gardens still wilt under the first frost of Fall. Old age still happens and all our efforts come to naught.

It’s no wonder Solomon, although surrounded by untold wealth, still lamented, “Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labor in which I had toiled; and indeed all was vanity and grasping the wind.” (Ecclesiastes 2:11).

It would be easy to get discouraged by the temporariness of this life, but there is one thing that brings us hope – God’s Word still remains. “The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” (1 Peter 1:24, 25).

Everything else will fade away, but we can always count on God’s Word. Even when all else fails us, the promises in God’s Word still stand. The Word who was in the beginning and was with God and was God, still reigns in Heaven. In Him is still life and that light is still the light of men.

Let Jesus guide your steps today. Let His Word be a lamp to your feet and a light to your path. (Ps 119:105). No matter what comes your way, hold tight to Jesus. In this world gardens will fade and plans fall through, but there is one thing which you can always count on, one thing which will always endure – the word of the Lord. Make it the center of your life today and every day till He comes.