Encouraging Words for Today

I’ve pretty much stopped watching the news in the last couple months. Occasionally I will turn it on if I’m just feeling too upbeat and need something to reconnect me with my inner depression, but for the most part I leave it off.

Don’t think I’m uninformed. I still keep track of the major stories, but I’ve grown tired of the constant flow of negativity which spews from news anchors’ mouths each evening. I mean why subject myself to more stories of senseless violence, infidelity, or the latest boneheaded move by our politicians? If I want to see stuff like that I can watch Law & Order. At least there the acting is good!

I’m trying to do the same thing in my personal life. I realized it’s way too easy for me to focus on the negative and miss out on the blessings God pours out on me everyday. This doesn’t do me any good and brings everyone around me down too.

In the book Help in Daily Living, p. 29, the author warns, “While we are counting up the disagreeable things, many things that are pleasant to reflect upon are passing from memory.”

I don’t know about you, but that’s not how I want to live my life. I’ve decided to instead follow Paul’s advice in Philippians 4:8 where he says, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

In spite what the news might want you to think, there is so much in this world that is still true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and worth thinking about. Sunrises and sunsets. Budding flowers and laughing brooks. Selfless souls who give their lives to help others and talented artists and musicians who fill our world with beauty and song.

This morning, let’s decide to stop dwelling on the trash. Let’s fill our minds with the good and reject the bad. Instead of repeating the latest gossip, let’s look for the good in everyone we meet and “if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise,-think on these things.”

God bless and have a positively amazing day!

Your Turn: What is one thing in your life you are thankful for, that makes you smile? Share it in the comments below, so we can all “think on these things.” Thanks and God Bless!

Last evening, after it stopped raining, my wife said, “Listen, the peepers are singing.”

My reply? “I can’t hear them. I don’t have my hearing aids in.”

Having hearing loss can be a real pain. I miss out on so much. Not just the peepers, but the song of birds, the gurgling of a stream, a friend’s soft voice. But what a difference when I put my hearing aids in! Suddenly the world becomes a very noisy place (usually in a good way)!

With my hearing aids in I can hear bees buzzing in the flower bed outside our window and birds singing in the trees. Music becomes richer and the volume can be turned down on the TV. Most importantly, I can hear when Ana calls, which makes her happy and, as the saying goes, “Happy wife, happy life!”

Sometimes I wish they made hearing aids tuned to the voice of God. I want to follow Him with all my heart and to do His will, but it’s hard when He seems so silent. I pray and all I hear is crickets (if I have my hearing aids in, that is). I sit and meditate, but the universe remains quiet.

I realize the problem is not with Him, but with me. I’m spiritually deaf. Thankfully, He understands my disability and has provided a solution. It’s called The Bible.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV tells us, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” And Romans 10:17 NKJV says, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

In the pages of Scripture God speaks, sometimes in thunder, but more often in a loving, still small voice. He tells me His hopes and dreams for me, His plans for the future, and, most importantly, His deep love for me – His deaf, wayward child.

The Bible is God’s answer to our spiritual deafness. However, just as my hearing aids do me no good unless I turn them on, so the Bible will do you no good if it sits on the shelf.

If you want to hear God speak, open its pages and “Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding.” Prov. 2:2. Let your prayer be, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.” 1 Samuel 3:9 NLT.

If you do this every day, I promise this – you WILL hear God speak. “Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, ‘This is the way you should go, whether to the right or to the left.’” Isaiah 30:21 NLT. You’ll discover He’s been talking to you all along. You just needed a little help to hear!

God bless, have a great day, and “Hear the word of the Lord.”

I’m thankful for my wife, who fills my life with love. I’m thankful for my children, who bring me so much joy. I’m thankful for my parents and siblings, for my wonderful family. I’m thankful for my home in this beautiful valley, for my church, for my amazing co-workers, for the food on my table, for… I could go on and on. I have so much to be thankful for!

But What About the Bad Stuff?

It’s easy to be thankful for all these good things, but what about the not-so-good things? Am I thankful for them too? Am I thankful for my aching knees, pain in my back, unfulfilled hopes and dreams? Am I thankful when a loved one dies or a friend disappoints? How about when the flu hits and I can barely get out of bed? Am I thankful then?

In 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Paul says we should “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Once again Paul seems to command the impossible. First he tells us to “Rejoice always” (v. 16), then to “pray continually” (v. 17) and now he wants us to be thankful about everything. What is with this guy, anyways?

“In”, not “For”

To really understand what Paul is saying we have to look closer at the text. Paul doesn’t say we should “give thanks for all circumstances.” I mean, we’d seem pretty callus if we told someone whose child had just died they should be thankful he or she was gone. And I know I wasn’t thankful for the kidney stone I had a few weeks ago!

No, Paul says we should “give thanks in all circumstances.” He’s talking about our attitude, not our feelings. He’s telling us to have an attitude of gratitude.

If I suffer a setback in my personal life or things aren’t going well at work, I’m not thankful for the circumstance, but I still have a thankful attitude, because I know “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28.

If a friend turns his back on me or a loved one leaves, I’m not happy I have to go through the pain, but I’m grateful I don’t have to go through it alone, “because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” Hebrews 13:5.

Even when I lose someone dear and my heart breaks with grief, I am thankful for the hope of the resurrection, the promise that someday soon God “will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:4.

It’s About Relationship

This “attitude of gratitude” is not something which come naturally, but is a result of a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. Paul tells us, “Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him.” Colossians 2:7a NLT.

When you accept Jesus as your Savior and spend time with Him day-by-day, you will learn to “Rejoice always”, “pray continually”, and “Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” Colossians 2:7b NLT.

Today, lean on Jesus, trust in His love and let Him give you an attitude of gratitude. Make Him the center of your day and “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

God bless, have a wonderful day, and remember – “always be thankful”! (Colossians 3:15 NLT)

I don’t know about you, but Paul’s command in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to “without ceasing” (KJV) sounds about as unreasonable as his previous instruction in verse 16 to “Rejoice always”.

How can we possibly “pray without ceasing”? It’s just not practical. After all, we’ve got to make a living, eat, sleep, and generally just live, so how can we be expected to pray all the time? Besides, at my age, my knees can’t take that much kneeling!

Yet Paul’s instruction is clear. We are to “pray continually.” (NIV). Even Jesus told His disciples “that they should always pray and not give up.” Luke 18:1 NIV.

The problem is we have too narrow a view of prayer. We think of it as a hurried entreaty in the morning for protection or a sleepy whisper at night as we crash into bed. We limit it to times of crisis or moments of pure joy, when, in fact, it should be a continual feast, a constant back and forth conversation between two dear friends all through the day and into the night.

You see, prayer is not just something to be done in church or when you need God to grant you a wish. It is more than kneeling by your bed or folding your hands for the blessing on a meal. Prayer is about relationship.

Prayer is spending time with the love of your life, the center of your heart, your Best Friend. It is walking with Jesus, talking with Jesus, clinging to His every word, finding joy in just being together as you go about your day.

Ellen White, in her beautiful little book Steps to Christ, describes prayer as “the opening of the heart to God as to a friend.” (p. 93). Later she says, “Unceasing prayer is the unbroken union of the soul with God, so that life from God flows into our life; and from our life, purity and holiness flow back to God.” (p. 98).

In Ministry of Healing, p. 511, Ellen White advises us to, “Cultivate the habit of talking with the Saviour when you are alone, when you are walking, and when you are busy with your daily labor. Let the heart be continually uplifted in silent petition for help, for light, for strength, for knowledge. Let every breath be a prayer.”

“Praying continually” isn’t complicated. You don’t have to get down on your knees or hide in the closet. Just open your “heart to God as a friend.” Talk with Him as you drive your car, do your work, go about your daily routine. Make it a habit to, “in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.’ Philippians 4:7 NIV.

This week, give it a try. Make your “every breath a prayer”. “Pray without ceasing.” Open your “heart to God as a friend.” Just enjoy being with Him, talking with Him throughout your day, and may “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,…guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:8 NIV. Amen!

A couple days ago we discovered the answer to the age old question, “What is God’s will for your life?” We learned His will is for us to, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances…” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

This is good news, but I have to admit I have a little problem with that first part -“Rejoice always.” Is Paul serious? Always? Apparently so, because he says it again in Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”

This all seems rather extreme, don’t you think? I mean does God really expect me to rejoice when I lose my job, when others insult and persecute me, when my child turns away? How can I possibly rejoice when a loved one dies? That’s asking a little too much, isn’t it?

Jesus Makes the Difference

In our own strength this is impossible, “but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26. Jesus makes the difference. He came that we “may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10. With Jesus in your life, no matter the circumstances, you can “rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.” John 16:22.

Without Jesus in our lives this world is a pretty dark and dreary place, with little hope and little reason to rejoice. But with Jesus we see life through new eyes and, even in the worst of circumstances we find reason for joy. With Jesus:

• If you lose your job you can rejoice, because you know, “…God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19.
• “When people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you…“Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven…” Matthew 5:11, 12.
• If a child’s strays you can have hope, because God promises, “I will contend with those who contend with you, and your children I will save.” Isaiah 49:25.
• When trials come your way, “In all this you greatly rejoice….” because you know “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.” 1Peter 1:6.
• Death is not a permanent “Good-bye”. Instead it becomes,“See you later”, because we know someday soon “…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, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17.

“Rejoice always” may seem a ridiculous command from a human perspective, but when we bring Christ into the equation, how can we do anything else?

Invite Jesus into your heart today and your life will never be the same. Sorrow will be turned to joy, despair to hope, and grief to celebration, as you learn for yourself what it means to “Rejoice in the Lord” – Always!

God bless and have a wonderful Sabbath!

Do you ever wonder what God’s will is for you? Well, it’s really quite simple. You don’t need to read a book, take a course, or go to a seminar, to figure it out.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 tells us clearly that God’s will is for us to, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances…”

That’s it! Pretty simple, right? But impossible on our own. Even the mighty apostle Paul, when He declared, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation…” admitted he could only “…do all this through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:12 and 13.

The secret to living continually in God’s will is to live continually in Christ, leaning totally on Him for strength to face each day. It is only when we do this that we will be able to “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12 NIV.

This morning, stop trying to figure out God’s will for your life and start living His will for your life. Give your heart to Jesus and “be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2.

God bless! Have a wonderful day! And remember, no matter what comes your way to Rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks!

There are very few things you can be certain of in this life.

• We know the sun will rise tomorrow, but we don’t know if we’ll still be here to see it.
• The weather report may say it’s going to be 80 degrees and sunny, but who hasn’t gotten caught in an unexpected shower of “liquid sunshine”?
• Couples pledge each other their undying love, but the divorce rate testifies to the fact that even in love we can’t always be certain.

There is one thing we can count on, however – Eternal Life!

Our Heavenly Father loves us so much “He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16. No “ifs, ands or buts” about it! If we believe in Jesus, eternal life is ours.

The amazing thing is, God didn’t even wait until we deserved it, “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” Romans 5:8.

You don’t have to wait till you can keep the law perfectly to know you are saved, “For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.” Romans 10:4.

None of us know what challenges today may hold. We can only imagine what tomorrow may bring, but “you may KNOW you have eternal life.” 1 John 5:13.

Marriages may fail, friends disappoint, weathermen get it all wrong, but you can count on this – “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9.

Eternal life is yours today, if you’ll only believe. What’s holding you back? Don’t live any longer in fear of tomorrow. Put away your doubts and worries and just “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you WILL be saved.” Acts 16:31. Count on it!

Do you believe in God? Good! That’s a great start, but it’s just that, a start. James 2:19 says, “Even the demons believe—and tremble!”

I may believe I can scale a mountain, but that doesn’t do any good if I chose to stay in the valley. I might believe I can run a marathon, but I’ll never do it by sitting on the couch.

Faith is so much more than belief. It is more than a mere mental acceptance of a truth. As James goes on to say, “…faith, if it does not have works, is dead.” (v. 17).

Faith is not passive. It is belief put into action! Columbus may have believed in a New World, but he never would have found it if he hadn’t gotten into the boat. Neil Armstrong never would have stepped on the moon, if he hadn’t risked leaving the earth.

Faith always results in action. Consider some of the heroes of faith mentioned in Hebrews 11:

Abel brought an offering. (Hebrews 11:4)
Noah built an ark. (v. 7)
Abraham left home. He also offered his son. (v. 8, 17)
Moses rebelled (v. 24)
Israel walked through the sea (v. 29).

And there were so many others – Gideon, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets. These people put their faith into action and, as a result, they “…overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice,…shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword…They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. Women received their loved ones back again from death.” (Hebrews 11:32-34).

True faith believes AND acts! Anything less is worthless! Faith always looks forward. “Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead” faith presses onward “toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14.

What is God asking you to do today? What risk does He want you to take? What challenge has He called you to face? What impossible goal has He put on your horizon? Whatever it is, believing is not enough. “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? …faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

You say you believe in God? Prove it! Put your faith into action today! Risk everything for Him who gave His all for you. Take the leap! Who knows? You just might change the world!

I woke early this morning and stepped out on my front porch to enjoy my favorite part of the day – the minutes just before dawn. The moon, though partially hidden by clouds, still filled the valley with soft light. As I stood there, drinking in the peace and quiet, the clouds drifted away. Suddenly the world around me got incredibly bright, as the full moon, no longer obscured by the clouds, filled the valley with light.

This is how it is when we experience Jesus for the first time. Before then the Bible seems obscure, God a vague notion tickling at the back of our minds. Our own preconceived notions, our prejudices, our doubts, cast a veil over our understanding, so we cannot fully grasp the wonder of God or truly understand His Word. 2 Corinthians 3:14 says, “…this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ.”

What a difference, however, when we chose to believe. Paul says, in verse 16, “…whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.” Suddenly, God’s Word takes on new meaning and our minds are opened to understand for the first time. When this happens, “Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.” Ephesians 3:17

As you continue to bask in the light of the Word, for the first time you will “…have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.” Ephesians 3:18.

The wonderful thing is, it just gets better, for “The way of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until the perfect day.” Proverbs 4:18.

Just as the light of the moon gives way to the sun with breaking of the day, so your experience in Christ will continue to grow until, “…all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.” 2 Corinthians 3:18.

I pray today you will experience the love of God in your life like never before. As the dawn breaks on this beautiful new day “May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully” and may you “…be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that come from God.” Ephesians 3:19.

This morning “…come boldly and confidently into God’s presence” (Ephesians 3:12). Ask HIm to remove the veil, so you “can see and reflect the glory of the Lord.” Then go out into this dark world and, in everything you do today, let your life reflect the Son!

God bless and have a beautiful day!

I’m a creature of habit. Most of us are to some extent and when we get out of our normal routines it can really mess us up. This was made especially clear to me this last week.

For the last year I’ve been writing an almost daily post on EncouragingWordsforToday.com and on Facebook. These have been just little devotional thoughts to hopefully give people a positive start to their day. Well, last week my routine got messed up.

It started out innocently enough. I got a late start to work on Friday, so didn’t have time to write. Sabbath, we went to Walla Walla to visit our boys and their wives. We had a great time, but my writing got shoved to the side. I intended to post on Monday, but had an appointment Something else came up on Tuesday and Wednesday and, before I knew it, over a week had gone by since I’d last written anything.

In looking back at this experience I’ve been amazed at how just this little change in my routine has affected me. I’ve been staying up later and, consequently, getting up late and getting less done. The more days which went by without writing, the less I wanted to write. Last Wednesday, on one of the most beautiful days of the year, I found myself depressed and out-of-sorts, for no apparent reason.

I realize now I need this routine of daily Bible study and writing, even more than the people who read my posts. Digging deep into God’s Word for little gems of truth, strengthens my faith and gives me a foundation on which to build the rest of my life. Most importantly, it keeps me connected to my Heavenly Father, which is something I literally can’t live without.

Jesus knew the importance of routines. Mark 10:1 says, “Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them.” In Luke 4:16 it says, “He went to Nazareth…and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read…”. Prayer was an important part of His routine. Luke 5:16 records, “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”

Time with His Heavenly Father, at church and in private prayer, was a priority for Jesus. So was service to others, so He made these things part of His daily routine. If Jesus, the Son of God, felt the need for routine daily communion with God, how much more important should it be for us today?

What are your routines? Is daily Bible study and time spent talking with your Heavenly Father one of them? If not, then why not start today putting time with Him back at the top of your list? It’s a choice you’ll never regret – I promise!

So, until tomorrow, God bless and have a great day – routinely speaking!