Encouraging Words for Today

I love the Fall! The bright morning sunlight, the crisp fall air, the cooler temperatures, all tell me that change is coming. I feel invigorated, released from the heat of summer, looking forward to the days ahead.

My favorite part of Fall is, of course, the beautiful colors of the leaves. All summer long the trees have kind of blended together, all wearing the same dark green, making it difficult to tell where one tree ends and another begins. But those first cool nights of fall hit, change begins to happen. The dropping temperatures stress the leaves, but this only serves to bring out the beauty which was hidden within. Suddenly, each leaf is unique, each tree displays its unique palette of color.

At one time or another adversity comes to each of us. Like the falling temperatures of autumn, hardship stresses our resolve. How we respond tells a lot about what (or Whom) we have inside. Will the stress cause us to wither away or will it allow our inner beauty, the beauty of a Christ-like character, to shine through?

James 1 tells us to “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (vs 1-4 NIV).

Today, when things don’t go quite your way, don’t give up, but “Consider it pure joy…”. God is at work, testing you, refining you, “that the proven genuineness of your faith…may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:7). Let Him do His work, that your true beauty may be revealed, that beauty “which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27).

Have you ever been driving down the road, just enjoy the trip, when a detour sign suddenly appears? Before you know it you’re headed off some side street headed away from where you want to be. Detours are a pain!

Right now there’s a lot of road resurfacing being done in Walla Walla. As I drive around town I run into one detour sign after another, all seeming to point me away from where I want to go. It can be frustrating!

Sometimes life can feel like that. You set off in one direction, with a goal in mind, only to run into a detour that sends you down a completely different path or makes it take longer to get where you wanted to go. You fuss and fume at the change, but you have no choice but to follow where the signs are leading.

The thing we forget about detours is they’re there for a reason. They steer us away from danger, directing us around obstacles, and show us a better way. If we will trust in the engineers who created them, detours may actually get us where we’re headed a lot faster than if we just barged ahead, ignoring the signs.

Our Heavenly Father tells us in Isaiah 48:17, “I am the Lord you God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.” Sometimes God puts detours in our path, which can be frustrating from our limited human perspective, but He sees the end from the beginning and always directs us in the way that is best for us in the long run.

Today, put your trust in the Father. He knows what He’s doing. When He puts a detour in your way, instead of getting frustrated, follow His leading. If you do, you will never lose your way, and someday you’ll end up where you wanted to be all along – safe in your Heavenly Home.

When I started Encouraging Words for Today several years ago, I didn’t realize how often I would be the one needing encouragement. Trying to come up with an encouraging word day-after-day can be a challenge, especially when life throws you a curve and it’s hard to just put one foot in front of the other, let alone string two words together in a sentence.

There have been times when days and even months have gone by without me posting, because I just had nothing to give. But then someone will express appreciation for something I’ve written or said and that’s just what I need to get started again.

That’s what happened a couple days ago. It’d been a busy week and I’d missed posting several times. Feeling a little discouraged, I was talking to a neighbor when, just as the conversation was winding down, he said, “Oh, by the way, I read your column regularly.”

“Column?” I asked. “Oh do you mean my blog, EncouragingWordsForToday.com?”

“Yeah,” he said. “I’ve always believed in God, but He’s been just someone I just call on when I need something. What you’ve written has made me think I need to get closer to Him.”

I was blown away! I didn’t even remember telling him about my blog, but here he was telling me it had made a difference for him. His words were just the encouragement I needed after the rough week I’d had. Right then, I determined to get back to writing as soon as I could, sharing an encouraging word, just like he’d done for me.

The Bible tells us to “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up…” (1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV). The fact of the matter is, we each need each other. We’re all on this journey together. This world can be a discouraging place and you may never know what a difference an encouraging word will make in someone else’s life today.

So, thank you Gary, for speaking up. I really needed it. And let’s all follow his example today and “encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today’…” (Hebrews 3:13). Don’t be shy!
Speak up! Because even “encouragers” need an encouraging word now and then.

Every patient I see in the clinic where I work gets printed Aftercare Instructions. These contain my recommendations for what medicines they should take and how they should care for themselves so they can get over whatever condition they came in for. If they follow these instructions carefully they have a good chance of feeling better soon.

Sometimes, however, I think Aftercare Instructions are just a waste of paper. Why? A study was done several years ago found the most common item in the trash outside Urgent Care Centers or ER’s was Aftercare Instructions. These patients came to see a doctor, spent hundreds of dollars, and then throw away his advice! Crazy!

Don’t we all do this, however? We come to the Heavenly Physician, seeking healing and relief from our illnesses, our worries and cares, our guilt, and He welcomes us, declaring, “whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” (John 6:37 NIV). He listens to our complaints, then, through His Word, provides us with Aftercare Instructions which, if followed, could change our lives.

And what do we do? We throw away His advice, ignoring His instructions, and choosing to continue stumbling along, doing our own thing. Then we wonder why our lives are such a mess. And who gets the blame? God.

It doesn’t have to be this way. 2 Timothy 3:16 NLT tells us, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.”

In the Bible God has given us everything we need to lead happy fulfilling lives. If we follow His Aftercare Instructions, we can find healing for our wounded souls and hope for a better tomorrow. Today, don’t throw away His advice. Open His Word, follow His instructions, and there’s a good chance you’ll be feeling better soon.

What’s Your Story?

Sometimes I’m asked how we ended up all the way across the country, after growing up in upstate NY. I tell them we always had a hankering to go west and, when an opportunity presented itself, we went for it. The move itself is quite a story, with smoking trailer wheels, near accidents, lost pets, and trailer hitches falling off while pulling a trailer at 65 mph.

Our time since arriving in Washington has been a tale in itself, with several moves, a couple years living in our trailer home with no running water and a porta-potty for a bathroom, financial ups-and-downs, and seeing God open door-after-door (and close a few along the way). It’s been an adventure, but we’ve seen God work in amazing ways so many times. It’s not a perfect story, but it’s our story.

Through the apostle Peter, God tells us to “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (1 Peter 3:15 NIV). In other words, always be ready to share your story.

Witnessing doesn’t have to be complicated. Just like I tell others about how God has led us since leaving New York, just about your journey with God. Talk about your struggles, about the times you were tempted to let go of Him, and what made you hold on in the end. Tell about the good, the bad, and the ugly, and how He made something beautiful out of all the highs and lows.

Hearing the story of someone like you, someone who’s messed up, but still has found hope in Jesus, might just be the thing which helps someone else take that first step of faith into a new relationship with Jesus. And then they may end up sharing their story with someone else, and then they might share with another. Who knows? You may be surprised, when you finally stand before God’s throne, what an impact your story ended up having for His kingdom.

So, what’s your story? It doesn’t have to be perfect or even pretty. It just has to be yours. May God guide you today and give you courage to share your story with a friend today.

I’ve been blessed with long legs and I can cover a lot of ground quickly – sometimes too quickly!

Ana’s legs are not as long as mine and many times when we’re at the store I catch myself leaving her behind. When this happens I have to consciously make myself slow down, because I don’t want to walk ahead of her. That’s just rude. No, I want to walk in step with her, both in the store and in life.

Often I catch myself doing the same thing with God, running ahead of His plans for me, impatient to get where I want to go. At other times I end up falling behind, too timid to walk boldly through the doors He’s opening up for me. Either way leads to frustration and disappointment.

In contrast, Paul tells us “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” (Galations 5:25 NIV). The only safe way to walk through this life is to walk with God, not running ahead, not falling behind, but staying by His side every step of the way.

Today, if you will “keep [your] eyes always on the Lord”, keeping “him at [your] right hand, [you] will not be shaken.” (Psalm 16:8). Stay in step with the Spirit and He “will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go…” (Psalm 32:8). Keep walking with Him, stick close to His side, and He will guide you safely Home.

I didn’t get a post out yesterday because we had a minor crisis at our house. My daughter discovered water coming up through the floorboards of her basement apartment. This is never a good thing.

I finally tracked the source of the problem to a slow leak in the supply valve to the tub upstairs. It had been slowly dripping through an opening in the floor into a downstairs cabinet for probably several weeks and had now spread under the laminate flooring in the basement.

It’s amazing how much damage a little water can do. By the end of the day I’d torn out the cabinet, part of the ceiling, and ⅓ of the flooring. It was a mess! An expensive mess!

Like those little drops of water, it is amazing the damage little words can do. A few whispered criticisms or angry words, spoken in the heat of the moment, can wound deeply and leave permanent scars. Poorly chosen words can lead to hurt feelings and permanently damaged relationships. It’s no wonder James says the tongue “is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” (James 3:8 NIV).

But, while unkind words can wound, “an encouraging word cheers a person up.” (Proverbs 12:25 NLT). Kind words can heal a broken heart, soothe an anxious soul, and build bridges between people, and even nations.

As you interact with others today, remember little words, like little water drops, can have a huge impact, for good or evil, in someone else’s life. No matter who you’re talking to, “let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.” (Ephesians 4:29).

Have a Happy Sabbath!

Every morning, when I return from my walk, our two cats meet me at the door, asking to be fed. They follow me down the hall, curling around my legs and generally getting in the way, all the time yowling about how hungry they are. And every morning, without fail, I feed them. It doesn’t matter how good they’ve been, whether they’ve been climbing on the furniture or have left hair on the floor, I still feed them, because they are mine and, for some bizarre reason, I love them.

Like the cats, every morning I come to my Heavenly Father, asking to be fed the Bread of Life. I open His Word, expecting to be fed, and every morning, without fail, He fills me up. It doesn’t matter what I’ve done the day before or how good (or bad) I’ve been, He still feeds me, because I am His and, in spite of all I’ve done, He still loves me with an everlasting love.

The Bible promises that “The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” (Lamentations 3:22, 23 NLT).

No matter what you’ve done you can still come to the Father. Come just as you are today and ask Him to feed you from His Word. Just as my cats trust me to feed them each day, you can trust the Father to take care of you. He will never fail you.

Come to the Father today. You can trust Him. He will always give you what you need. Why? Because you are His and He loves you too.

In five days something is going to happen which I’ve been looking forward to for a long time – my Mom is coming to visit! I haven’t seen her in over a year and that’s way too long. I’m looking forward to catching up all the family news, watching her interact with her great grandkids, and just spending time together.

As much as I’m looking forward to the day Mom steps off that plane, there is another day I’m looking forward to even more. On that day “the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God…” (1 Thessalonians 4:16 NIV).

What a day that will be, the culmination of all our hopes, and the beginning of a new life that will never end. Loved ones, long separated by death, will be reunited. All our aches and pains, worries and cares, will disappear in a moment. Best of all we will see Jesus! With a glad shout we will declare, ““Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.” (Isaiah 25:9).

However, unlike with my Mom’s visit, where I know exactly what day and time she will arrive, we “do not know on what day [our] Lord will come.” (Matthew 24:42). Therefore, we must each day “be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when [we] do not expect him.” (Luke 12:40).

This week I will be putting the final touches on Mom’s room, preparing for her arrival. In the same way, as you look forward to Christ’s return, “Don’t let that day catch you unaware.” (Luke 21:24 NLT). Instead, “make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.” (2 Peter 3:13, 14). Through daily Bible study and prayer, prepare your heart and mind, so that when He appears you can welcome like I plan to welcome Mom – with a shout of joy!

The route I take on my morning walks isn’t always as smooth as I would like it. The pavement has cracks and crevices, which could (and sometimes do) trip me up. The sidewalks dip down and then up as they pass driveways. Some areas are uneven or broken. If I don’t watch my step it would be easy to fall.

However, one thing I know about the route I walk is, in spite of its imperfections, if I stay on the path, putting one foot in front of the other, it will eventually lead me home. The path may not always be smooth, but it always leads me where I really want to go.

Jesus told His disciples, “small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:14 NIV). He also warned, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).

The path God is leading you down may have its ups and downs, its narrow spots where you can’t see around the bend, but God is guiding your steps. So don’t lose hope. Don’t give up. The road you’re on may be narrow and rough, but it is the only road which leads where you really want to go – to Life!