Tag Archives: encouragement

March 26, 2016

Strengthened by God’s Word-Day 10

By marilynnchadwick

Welcome to 21 Days of Strength!  We’re at just about the half-way mark.  I don’t know about you, but I’m always looking for words of wisdom on how to “do life” in Christ.  How to gain new strength for the journey ahead. My friend Donna always has just the perfect word of encouragement.  Hope you’ll be strengthened by her practical and powerful tips.

GUEST BLOG:  Donna Elyea

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making t bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10-11).

Recently I had an emotionally straining week as I encountered some hard and new-to-me challenges. On one beautiful afternoon I realized I just needed to get out in the sunshine for some physical exercise and to clear my mind of discouraging thoughts. A friend had just commented that “nature is God’s best missionary.” I experienced the truth of that statement as I set out for a walk with hints of Spring showing themselves all around me.

 As I walked, I felt God restoring me and one specific Scripture came to my mind. I began to rhythmically recite it over and over again as I strode along, “Greater is He who is living in me than he who is in the world.” I drilled this thought into my spirit as my mind was renewed with every step. I think I recited that verse for at least a mile and a half of my walk that afternoon until it had become part of me.

 I returned home feeling rejuvenated by hope and stronger in both mind and body. I needed God’s Word to wash over me and, as it did, I felt cleansed of troubled thoughts, refreshed, and encouraged by His Holy Spirit speaking this verse into me.

 Isaiah 55: 11 tells us that God’s word will accomplish His purposes. I certainly love the way God has used His Word to wash over me, renew my mind, and thus strengthen me from the inside out!

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March 25, 2016

Health Food for Your Soul-Day 9

By marilynnchadwick

Where do you find strength when you feel weak? When your hopes grow dim? King David faced a traumatic crisis—his village was plundered and all the wives and children taken captive. The Bible tells us he “strengthened himself in the Lord.” God filled him with strength and empowered David and his men to recapture all that had been stolen(1 Samuel 30).

So glad you’ve dropped by for 21 Days of Strength. I hope you’ll find a word or a suggestion that encourages your heart and helps you grow strong.

I asked several friends for practical tips on how they strengthen themselves in the Lord. All agreed on the importance God’s Word as a means of encouragement.

But their answers for what this looked like were as varied as their personalities. As on friend put it, “I like to read and meditate on God’s Word. But with my creative and artistic side, I find it helps to actually draw the verses. Sometimes I embellish them with designs and colors. I meditate on the words of Scripture as I do this.”

Another has a more musical bent. Listening to worship music feeds her soul. After all, many worship songs are simply the words of Scripture put to melody. One young man prefers to hear the Word of God through preaching. Still another friend feels especially close to God through nature. So she likes to meditate on a special promise from Scripture as she walks outside. You get the point. God has wired each of us in a unique fashion—so it helps to experiment to learn how best to nourish our soul.

My friends all stressed that encouragement from other believers is vital. One confessed that sometimes he tries to find strength on his own. “Finally, after going around in my head, I realize I need to get perspective from somebody else,” he admitted. “And after a few minutes of talking things over with a friend, I realize that this was what I needed all along.” The Christian life, we agreed, is not to be travelled alone.

Each has discovered that giving hope to someone else who is hurting brings strength. One friend sends encouraging notes to those whom God puts on her heart–she’s done this for years.   Writing notes, she admits, always lifts her own spirits.  I’ve personally been on the receiving end of some of her beautiful words of encouragement.

God’s economy is upside down. We give life away, only to get it back in return. We grow strong as we pour out our strength to others. I’ve discovered that encouraging the broken hearted brings strength and even healing—both emotional and physical. So Isaiah 58:10 has become one of my life’s verses: “If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday” (Isaiah 58:10 NIV).

How about you? What brings strength and healing, to your soul?

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December 1, 2015

30 Days of Hopeful: Day 13

By marilynnchadwick

So glad you’re joining us for 30 Days of Hopeful.  We’ve been talking about ways to build our hope–sometimes in short supply these days.  It’s clear from God’s Word that hope is vital to our spiritual life.  Crucial to our mental health.  Humans don’t function well without hope.  I’ve even heard it said that “something to look forward to” is a key factor in those who age well.  Let’s face it.  We all need hope.

It’s a mistake, though, to look at hope as a solo journey.  God made us humans to live together in community.  So if we want to be filled with hope, it helps to find some follow travelers with whom we can “do life.”  Sadly, the down side of what Americans refer to as “rugged individualism” is that we sometimes forfeit the teamwork that could help us keep our hope strong.

We learned earlier that through “endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4).  Let’s take another look at the next verse, which reminds us that God is the one who gives us the “hope-giving” endurance and encouragement:  “May God, who gives you this endurance and encouragement, allow you to live in harmony with each other by following the example of Christ Jesus” (Romans 15:5 GW).    

Do you see the point here?  God not only gives us endurance, encouragement through His Word, but also the ability to live in harmony together.  And harmony helps keep our hope vibrant and alive.  We see another reason to live in harmony in the next verse:  “So that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 15:6).

Simply put, God likes it when we’re like-minded.  And when we live in harmony with one another, it not only fuels our hope, but it also brings Him glory.  And when we glorify God, we can’t help but overflow with hope.  Is there someone in your path today who needs your words of hope-giving encouragement?

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November 30, 2015

30 Days of Hopeful: Day 12

By marilynnchadwick

“How can I grow my hope?”  The woman sounded near-desperate.  She was weary from battling a long illness.  She felt weak.  Unworthy.  Unable to strive any longer.

So just how does one grow hope?  Especially when feeling weak and broken?  It’s not like you can suddenly will hope to appear.  And if hope is only for the strong, then the news is not good for any of us–we’re all weak and broken at times.  But must of us recognize it when hope springs up in our heart.  And we sure know when it’s missing.

What would you say to someone who needs hope?  You may care deeply for your friend or loved one, but you can’t physically give them the hope that lives in your own heart.  You can try to encourage.  Speak words of life.  Point out reasons to dream and not give up.  But you can’t cause hope to magically appear.

God knows we all need hope.  His Word encourages us to grab hope through the good news of the gospel:   “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4 ESV).  Simply put, God’s Word reminds us that hope comes through perseverance, as we draw strength and inspiration  through the Scriptures.

But what if you’re like my friend--unable to endure or even read the Bible for hope?  The next verses read more like a prayer especially for you: “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement…” (Romans 15:5-6 NIV).

Did you catch that? God is the one who gives us the endurance and encouragement we need. We may be weak and faltering, but we can still go to God as His child, and receive the strength and encouragement we desperately need–straight from His hand.

In case we still need one more push toward hope,  the Bible points us to God as the giver of hope itself:  “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13 NLT).   One version even refers to Him as the “God of hope” (Romans 15:13 ESV).

So if you need hope today.…and if you’re feeling a little too weak to endure or draw strength from the Scriptures…my prayer is simply that the “God of hope,” Himself, will fill you to overflowing with hope through the mysterious, unexplainable power of His Holy Spirit!

 

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