Encouragement To Me

 
I'm sharing some words written by various people that have encouraged my heart recently.

Joy . . . "True joy comes from the fullness of the Holy Spirit and results when we recognize that we are completely accepted in Christ--that no circumstance or trial or failure on our part can alter our standing with God. (Gal 5:18,22)  . . . "Thank you for teaching me that there is more joy and genuine laughter in Your Kingdom than in this world. Help me to rejoice--to enjoy the abundant life Jesus gives."  Nancy McGuire, Rest Assured

Hope . . . "Our hope in Christ is surer than anything we can see and experience on this earth, and we arrive at that place through faith . . . Faith is a commitment to walk in the footsteps of Christ, not knowing what lies ahead, but knowing that He is with us, therefore we can take the next step . . . Lord God, thank You for the very real hope I have in You. You in all Your goodness, power, mercy and love makes the hope I have much more than mere wishful thinking. Hope in You, rooted in Your written Word and in the risen Christ, gives me confidence about life on this earth and about eternal life." (Hebrews 11:1) 100 Favorite Bible Verses

Song in the night . . ."I call to remembrance my song in the night." Psalm 77:6  "Light comes out of darkness, morning out of the womb of the night . . . I learned for the first time that the world's supply of attar of roses comes from the Balkan Mountains. And the thing that interested me most is that the roses must be gathered in the darkest hours. The pickers start out at one o'clock and finish picking them at two . . . forty percent of the fragrance of roses disappeared in the light of day." Mrs. Charles E. Cowman, Streams in the Desert, May21 devotion

Darkness . . . "Darkness brings dew and refreshment to the foliage of the tree . . . darkness is the time during which a tree restores its strength, replenishes its energy, refreshes its fevered life, and finds respite from the heat and activity of the day . . . God in His infinite wisdom and mighty power, can use the darkness to enrich my life and strengthen my walk." W. Phillip Keller, Songs of My Soul,May 20 devotion

 
Even me . . ."How encouraging it is to find very few super saints listed among those God has placed on His honor roll. They are mostly ordinary, easy-to-overlook people who had faith in an extraordinary, miraculous God and stepped out to act on that faith . . . [God] knows your gifts, your hindrances, and the condition you're in at every moment. And He also knows something you can't possibly know--every single person who's in desperate need of receiving His touch through you. God will bring you to that person at exactly the right time and in the right circumstances." Bruce Wilkinson,The Prayer of Jabez, Welcome to God's Honor Roll

Just yesterday I was reminded of this . . . if you are happy; if you are in good health; if everything seems to be going well, and you're smile is big and  happily shared, remember that this is the time to embrace yourself in God's Word, to read and study the Bible and fill yourself up and overflowing with His Love. For when things get hard, and you're hurting and don't know what to do, you won't be able too. But you'll already be full, and all you've filled yourself up with will be enough to get you through all things.

And from Gloria Gaither's May 20th blog post "I Wish You" where she shared Ephesians 3:17b-19:

"May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love; and may you be able to feel and understand, as all God's children should, how long, how deep, and how high His love really is; and to experience that love for yourselves, though it is so great that you will never see the end of it or fully know or understand it. And so at last you will be filled up with God himself."