Skip to main content

Monday... But it is so easy to do the opposite.


Acts 20:2a (MSG), "Traveling through the country, passing from one gathering to another, he gave constant encouragement, lifting their spirits and charging them with fresh hope."

Monday... But it is so easy to do the opposite.

Over in Acts of the Apostles in chapter 20:2a (MSG), Luke the writer of this book says, "Traveling through the country, passing from one gathering to another, he gave constant encouragement, lifting their spirits and charging them with fresh hope."


That is such a great verse. I love how The Message puts it, "He gave constant encouragement, lifting their spirits and charging them with fresh hope." Luke was talking about the Apostle Paul. Luke was one of several men who traveled with him on his missionary journeys. He saw first hand what was happening.

Now verse 3b (NLT) says, "He was preparing to sail back to Syria when he discovered a plot by some Jews against his life." Over and over this happened.

At the end of chapter 19 it tells of his being brought into court. So verse 1 of chapter 20 says, "When the uproar was over, Paul sent for the believers and encouraged them. Then he said good-bye and left for Macedonia." Verse 2a (MSG) says, "Traveling through the country, passing from one gathering to another, he gave constant encouragement, lifting their spirits and charging them with fresh hope."

Yes, we too many times do the opposite. But Paul shows what we each one really need to do and what we really can do. Our friends need encouragement and hope, our spouses and kids need constant encouragement and fresh hope. And so do we as individuals.

"Traveling through the country, passing from one gathering to another, he gave constant encouragement, lifting their spirits and charging them with fresh hope."

Now Psalm 97:10 (AMP) says, "You who love the Lord, hate evil; He protects the souls of His godly ones (believers). He rescues them from the hand of the wicked." Yes he does!

And then verses 11, "Light is sown [like seed] from the righteous and illuminates their path, and [irrepressible] joy [is spread] for the upright in heart [who delight in His favor and protection]."

So what are we encouraged to do? Verse 12 says, "Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous ones [those whose moral and spiritual integrity places them in right standing with God], and praise and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name."

And that will make such a difference in those lives around us. and in our own lives.

Verse 11 in The Message says, "Light-seeds are planted in the soul of God's people, joy-seeds are planted in good heart-soil." So let's share that. Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Friday... We have this hope of expectancy.

Psalm 5:3 (NLT), "Listen to my voice in the morning Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly." Friday... We have this hope of expectancy. Now David found a great way to start his day. He says in Psalm 5:1-3 (NLT), "O LORD, hear me as I pray." And that is a great place to start. It really is. Morning sunrise He goes on, "Listen to my cry for help, my King, my God, for I pray to no one but you." And that is so important. We don't try to pump ourselves up by ourself. No, we pray to no one but you, God, my LORD, my King. Now this relationship with God is so, so very important. And then David says, "Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD. Each morning I bring my requests to you" And that is so great. And then he says, "and wait expectantly." Yes, we have this hope of expectancy. We are experienced. That is what a relationship with God and a moment by moment connection does. It makes a difference in our daily wa...
Post a Comment
Read more

Friday... Yes, we can know this to be true.

Psalm 12:6 (NLT), "The Lord's promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over." Friday... Yes, we can know this to be true. Maybe this is what you want to say in this day in which we live. Psalm 12:1-2 (MSG) says, "Quick, I need your helping hand! The last decent person just went down, all the friends I depend on gone. Everyone talks in lie language; lies slide off their oily lips. They doubletalk with forked tongues." Do you ever feel that way?" Have you found that to be true? Well David the writer of this Psalm continues and says in verse 6 something to encourage us, to lift us up, to give us hope. Psalm 12:6 (NLT) says, "The Lord's promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over." The Message Paraphrase says verses 6-8 this way, "God's words are pure words, pure silver words refined seven times in the fires of his word-kiln, pure on earth as well as in heaven, God, keep ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Friday... So what is it that you really fear?

1 Corinthians 15:57 (NLT), "But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ." Friday... So what is it that you really fear? Yes, fear holds us back. It seems to take hold of us so that we can't even really enjoy living. Now I have found that one of the best ways to handle fear is to solve the problem of what we fear. Let's say that death is what we really fear. Everyday we wake up afraid to get up because we are afraid to do anything because we are afraid to die. And that is so understandable. Now I have found the solution to fearing death. I have through faith taken care of my fear to die. 1 Corinthians 15:57 (NLT) says, "But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ." Verse 22 (CEV) says, "Adam brought death to all of us, and Christ will bring life to all of us." Death was not God's plan. Adam was created for an eternal life but he and his partner, Eve blew it and sin a...
Post a Comment
Read more