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Moving last year took a toll on me. Somewhere in the midst of lifting heavy boxes and moving furniture I pulled something in my left shoulder and my neck and I’ve been dealing with pain there ever since. I’ve tried heat and cold, stretching and muscle rubs and Ibuprofen and Tylenol. In the end, what has helped the most is the physical therapy I’ve been getting the last couple months.

The only problem with physical therapy is, sometimes it hurts! I’ve got great PT’s, but even though they’re careful, sometimes when they massage the knots in my shoulder or stretch the tight muscles in my neck it’s not the most pleasant sensation. However, in the end it’s worth it. I feel so much better after a PT session and with each session my neck and shoulder keep getting better.

The Bible tells us “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:11 NIV).

Sometimes God, in His love for us, has to give us a little “therapy”, applying gentle pressure, so we will let go of that cherished sin or stretching us out of our comfort zone, so we can reach higher heights in our walk with Him. It’s not always comfortable and sometimes it’s downright painful, but we must remember that God only “disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.” (vs. 10).

If I resist my physical therapist’s efforts, just because they hurt a little, I will never achieve relief from my pain. The same is true when it comes to God’s work in our lives. It may be uncomfortable at times, but if we will “endure hardship as discipline” (vs. 7), we will receive ‘the end result of [our] faith, the salvation of [our] souls.” (1 Peter 1:9).

So, if “for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials”, don’t despair. “These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:6, 7).

So, hang in there, because even in the pain, God is working everything together for your good. (Romans 8:28).

Just a quick note. Life’s gotten pretty busy in my little corner of the world, so for the foreseeable future, I’ll be posting just once a week. I hope to get back to the daily devotionals in the future. Please pray that God will continue to bless Encouraging Words for Today and guide in this ministry.

I’m so embarrassed!

Back in November I posted I was taking a break from writing so I could study for the Lifestyle Medicine Boards. (I passed, BTW! Thank you for your prayers.) My intention was to start posting again after taking the boards, but one thing led to another, life got incredibly busy, and now it’s been a month and a half and I haven’t written in weeks. Like I said, I’m so embarrassed!

The wonderful thing is, I serve a God of second chances. Even though I dropped the ball when it came to this blog, He’s right there to help me start again and get me back on track.

He’ll do the same for you. No matter how bad you’ve blown it, no matter how far you fall short of the goals you set, He is always there for you, ready to forgive and to help you make a new start.

So, if last year didn’t go quite as planned, if you, like me, had good intentions, but fell woefully short of where you hoped to be, don’t give up. It’s a new year, a new beginning, and God is eager to help you make a new start.

As you begin this New Year don’t let the mistakes and failures of the old year hold you back. Instead, “forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,…press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13, 14).

May God bless and guide you in the coming months and help you to always aim high, remembering “with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26).

In just 11 days I will be taking my Lifestyle Medicine Boards. I’m feeling both anticipation and apprehension. Anticipation because this is something I’ve wanted to do for three years, but have had to put off once due to illness and once because of our move to Walla Walla. Apprehension because this is my last chance to take this test and I don’t feel like I’m ready.

Thankfully, I’m not in this alone. I have a Heavenly Father who has promised, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” (James 1:5 NIV). I still have to put in the time studying, but I am confident He will give me the wisdom I need when the time comes.

I don’t know what challenges or decisions you are facing right now, but I do know God will give you all the wisdom you need if you will just ask. Call on Him today. He won’t let you down!

PS:

I’m going to be hitting the books pretty hard the next few days, so I may not be able to post to Encouraging Words For Today every day till then. Please know, however, you will all be in my prayers and I will get back to my daily posts ASAP. Until then, please keep me in your prayers too. Thanks and God Bless!

On my walk this morning the wind was blowing pretty hard. At times it was coming at me from the front, while at other times it hit me from the side or from behind. One moment it was slowing me down and the next it was pushing me down the street.

The leaves which had fallen from the trees were also being blown around, swirling down the street. Detached from the branches where they’d been growing all summer, they had nothing to hold them in place, so they were sent spinning in whatever direction the breeze was blowing at the moment.

Without staying in constant connection with Jesus, through Bible study and prayer, each of us is at risk of being like those leaves, “tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching.” (Ephesians 4:14 NLT). We must let “Christ…make his home in [our] hearts as [we] trust in him.” Then our “roots will grow down into God’s love and keep [us] strong.” (Ephesians 3:17).

If we do this “We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.” (Ephesians 4:14, 15).

Colorful autumn leaves blowing in the wind can be a beautiful thing to see, but Christians who are “tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching” are in danger of being swept away. Our only hope is to stay connected to Christ everyday and every hour and to “hold firmly to what we believe.” (Hebrews 4:14). Then, no matter how hard the winds of strife swirl around us, we won’t be blown away.

What do you usually do when a friend knocks at your door? Open the door, right?

Well, Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart right now. Don’t leave Him out in the cold.

Open the door and let Him in!

The Walla Walla Valley has been socked in by heavy fog all day. It’s a cold, damp fog that penetrates into your bones and makes you just want to get home and curl up by a warm fire.

The fog also makes travel difficult, because it’s hard to see more than a short distance in front of you. If you don’t know where you’re going it’s easy to make a wrong turn.

This is one of those times I’m grateful for GPS. I just program in my destination and, as long as I follow its directions, before I know it I’m where I want to be. How in the world we got anywhere before GPS is beyond me.

It’d be nice if life came with a GPS, something to tell us when to turn and which way to go. Thankfully, it does! It’s called the Bible. Psalm 119:105 tells us, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” (NLT).

If we will faithfully study God’s Word, asking the Holy Spirit for understanding, we will know the way we should go. It’s only when we don’t follow its guidance that we lose our way.

This Sabbath don’t wander in the fog of disbelief any longer, with no clear idea where to turn. Instead, let your prayer be, “Guide my steps by your word, so I will not be overcome by evil.” (Psalm 119:133). Then open your Bible and let God’s spiritual GPS guide you safely back into the light.

God Bless and Happy Sabbath!

I spent a good portion of today at WalMart, waiting to have the battery on Ana’s car replaced. The car wouldn’t start yesterday and we ended up having to jump it. I figured it was either the battery or the alternator but, since my mechanical ability is limited to changing the oil and filling the car with gas, I decided to take it to someone who knows what they’re doing.

Initial testing showed the battery was still good, but when they put it on the charger it wouldn’t hold a charge. So, I had to bite the bullet and buy a new battery. Batteries are a LOT more expensive now then the last time I bought one! Hey, but at least it’s not as bad as a bad alternator.

It’s easy to be content in our faith, going to church, singing in the choir, living a “good” life. It may seem to ourselves and others that everything is fine, but when put to the test, whether by hardship or temptation, we often fail, because we haven’t kept our spiritual batteries charged. When we need it the most we find there’s no power inside.

The only way to prevent this from happening is to stay connected to the Source, daily and even hourly recharging our spiritual life, through regular Bible study and prayer. Without that constant connection with Heaven’s Power we won’t have the energy we need when trials come our way.

Paul tells us “the word of God is alive and powerful.” (Hebrews 4:12). Take time today to stay connected to the Power found only in God’s Word. Then when you’re put to the test, “you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need.” (Colossians 1:11).

Ana gets to watch our grandson 2-3 times a week and it’s so much fun to watch him grow. When we first moved here he pretty much just ate, slept, cried, and pooped, but now he’s crawling everywhere, chasing the cats and getting into everything he can reach. He’s so much fun!

As much as we’re enjoying watching him crawl, we wouldn’t want him to stop there. We’re looking forward to his first step, his first word, and all the other milestones to come. We want him to grow strong and healthy, to keep advancing and growing into the person God made him to be.

That’s what our Heavenly Father wants for you and me. He loves it when we give our hearts to Him and are born again. God cherishes us, even though our faith is still immature. He cares for us, protects us, nourishes us, because He doesn’t want us to stay baby Christians. No, He wants us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18 NIV). God wants us to become “mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:4).

Every day we need to keep studying and learning. Keep reaching higher. Keep trying harder. Keep imitating Jesus and keep “growing in the knowledge of God.” (Colossians 1:10).

If we will do this “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.” (Ephesians 4:14, 15).

Our grandson is not going to be satisfied with crawling for long. He’s already trying to stand and will take his first step before we know it. I hope you won’t be satisfied with crawling through life either. Instead, I hope you will “crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.” (1 Peter 2:2, 3).

You’ve crawled long enough. It’s time to stand – stand up for Jesus!

A new fitness center opened here in Walla Walla a couple months ago. It’s state of the art, with lots of fitness machines, treadmills, free weights and other exercise equipment. Best of all, membership is only $10 a month for the first year! That’s a great deal!

I’m so glad I took advantage of this offer. Now, every time the monthly fee comes out of my checking account or I drive by the fitness center I think about the great deal I got and how wonderful it will be when I finally find the time to go workout there.

Yeah, that’s right. I’ve been a member for over two months and have yet to go there to exercise. That great deal I got isn’t going to do me any good unless I get up and go workout! I’m just pouring my money down the drain!

Sometimes people do the same thing with their faith. They’ve accepted the amazing deal our Heavenly Father offered when He promised if you “Believe in the Lord Jesus…you will be saved…” (Acts 16:31 NIV), but they never take the next step, by putting their faith into action. They forget that “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” (James 2:17).

God doesn’t give us salvation so we can just go on our merry way, only exercising our faith when we pay our tithe or say grace over our food. The Christian life is a life of action, of stepping forward in faith, stretching our boundaries, lifting heavy burdens off others’ backs, and running “with perseverance the race marked out for us…” (Hebrews 12:1).

Until I step into that fitness center and start lifting those weights, stretching my joints, and running on that treadmill my great membership deal is just going to be a waste of money. I need to commit myself to a daily exercise program if I want my strength to grow.

In the same way, you and I commit ourselves to regularly exercising our faith, by sharing the Good News with others and helping those in need, if we want it to grow. If we don’t we’ll never become the men and women God wants us to be.

So, “let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds…”(Hebrews 10:24). Let’s start exercising our faith everyday by telling others about this amazing deal God is offering for only a limited time – eternal life through Jesus Christ. And the best part? The dues are already paid!

I’ll never forget the day I saw Jesus and he let me wash his feet!

It was a normal day at the office. It had been fairly busy and I was tired when he walked in the door. You wouldn’t have recognized him. His hair was matted. His clothing was dirty and kind of ragged. A haunted, distant look was in his eyes and he mumbled his words as he checked in.

As I entered the exam room, a sour smell greeted me and I had to turn my head and catch my breath. When I asked him what he was there for, he pointed at his leg. Lifting the torn pant leg I found his leg was red and swollen, with weeping sores, and track marks clearly evident. Great, I thought to myself, another addict. Just what I need.

Trying to keep a professional attitude, I asked about how long his leg had been like this and what he’d been shooting up with. Then I got some water, poured some Hibiclens on some gauze, and began to clean pus from the sores.

That’s when I recognized him! It was like a voice whispered in my mind, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:20 NIV).

At that moment I knew I was washing the feet of Jesus! Not literally, of course, but still the feeling was so real I almost started to shake. Looking at my patient, my whole attitude changed. No longer was he just a dirty bum, an addict in need of his next fix. He was a child of God, my brother, a friend in need.

I’d like to say I then shared the Good News with him and led him to Christ, but I was too much a coward for that. I pray someone else down the road had the courage to do what I could not. Instead I finished cleaning and dressing his wounds and sent him home with a prescription for antibiotics. He left, to go back on the street, but for me something had changed. Never again would I look at my patients the same.

Now, I try to see Jesus in every patient who walks through the door. Sometimes he’s hurting or afraid. Sometimes he’s feeling down or has a cold. Sometimes he’s hard to find, but if I look hard enough he’s there, in everyone I meet.

How about you? Have you seen Jesus today?