ENCOURAGE YOURSELF

Restore unto me the joy of thy
salvation; and uphold me with
thy free spirit.
Psalm 51:10

January is a tough month mood-wise and it doesn't seem to get better as we go into February unless we do something to get a grip on the problem. Feeling down, blue, discouraged, upset or whatever we want to call it is all very personal. I know that circumstances and negative people can play a great part in it all. When we get down to the bottom of the issue though, for a Christian, these “downer” feelings we all experience, are very personal. Christians may even feel guilty when dealing with such feelings, but afraid we are not immune from them.

I've been checking some Psalms lately written by David, Psalms written when he was alone and in great distress. He, in many cases, was struggling with either his son or Saul trying to chase him down in order to kill him. He had to hide out in desert places, caves and was usually on the run day after day. He had no one to be his cheerleader, to prop him up emotionally, to help him find hope in future days. I doubt any of us have had that kind of discouragement in our lives, at least to that extent.

In our everyday lives though, there are times we feel we are on the run, tired from the rat race of life, facing health issues, loss of employment, children deciding to do their own thing, perhaps having to be a caregiver, mid-life crisis, aging issues etc. These are things everyone may face at one time or another. Just getting through the holidays can be very tiring and even lead to depression for many, even for Christians. Somehow, we Christians are expected to rise above the fray, keep a stiff upper lip, never losing the smile while always appearing perky and upbeat
.

Let's be real that when we are going through a really tough, low time, most of the time, there will be nothing anyone can do to lite us up out of that low time. I have friends I can call who would sense where I am in spirit and who would do their best to encourage me. Some might let me just talk things out. I have some who would share Scripture with me and some who would pray with me. As dear as they are and as much as I appreciate them, their encouragement may be only a “sugar pill” that wears off pretty quickly. I either want an answer to what is eating at me and do something about it, or, if it is something over which I have no control, it must be given over to the Lord totally for his keeping or action.

David wrote Psalm 63 while he was hiding out in the wilderness and in this Psalm, I saw some things he seemed to have nailed down in his life that kept himself encouraged. He was in a position over which he had no control except to keep on the run or find the next hiding place. He found encouragement in reconfirming some spiritual concepts that had been such a vital part of his life. For instance:

V 1: O God, thou art my God..

There was no doubt as to his standing with God. That was as sure to him as the air he was breathing. When in the “pits” there are even Christians who tend to fall back even questioning God's existence...not David.

Despite David's desperation, also in this verse, he re-affirms:
“early will I seek thee...my soul thirsteth for thee.”
Even in his dire straits, he still sought God and still had a thirst for God in his life.
Through this Psalm, I saw David determined to be a man of praise. He also spoke of having times of meditation on God.
 

We could pick out several things from this Psalm that indicates how David kept himself encouraged and in every instance, David was taking his focus off of himself and onto his God. I'm not sure about you, but I know about me that in low times, my eyes are on myself and focus has been moved from God. I wallow around in my own self-pity as if that will solve anything.

What if we don't feel like praying or reading our Bibles in such a time? I'm so grateful that my Heavenly Father loves me unconditionally and understands every fiber of my being. He understands my moods be they up or down and reasons for them. He knows as I try to read my Bible that my teary eyes may blur the words I try to read. He also knows I may not be able to articulate my feelings to Him. I've had a rough few days as I write. It helps me at times to just sit and say His name...Jesus, Jesus. I have a couple of Bible passages I like to read that aren't very complicated. Some of these: Romans 8:35-39, Phil. 4:4-7, Ps. 91:1-4 (When feeling down, it's not the time to launch out on a study of Revelation.)

I had to smile at something from Proverbs 27:9 I happened upon today. Just the first half of that verse says: “Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart...” I remembered on a tough day how good a warm bath felt with either bath salts or nice-smelling liquid bath soap and then to get out and just lavish some lotion (ointment) on my body. Sooooo relaxing and I felt better. By the way, while soaking in that wonderful water, it really loosens up our prayer voices as well as calming our troubled spirits.

We should always aim to be encouragers for those who need it. Sometimes, we can just give them some tools with which to encourage themselves, tools we've found ourselves that work. Those are tools we can always pull out and use at anytime, anywhere, especially when we are in our own desert place.

Thank You Father, for Your presence during my down times, times I don't understand what's going on and feel so frustrated. Thank You for Your love and mercy that I just can't do without. In Jesus' precious name....Amen

THE OLD BUCKET

For as he thinketh in his
heart, so is he...
Proverbs 23:7a

Among my sweetest memories are those when I spent time, sometimes even a few days, with my Aunt Dora and Uncle Bob down on their farm. It wasn't a fancy place, but was a warm and very small place where they had raised three children. Where they put them, I have no idea, but it had to be cozy at best. I loved that place more than I can express. The farm itself had many special crooks and crannies from the hen house, and hayloft to the back pasture with the stream that ran through it. When I go through a difficult time, I run to the secret place in my mind to that farm where I can almost feel once again that I can jump in the hayloft or run through the fields with the wind blowing in my very thin hair.

All of those things I expected from a farm, at least as I had read about farms. However, the one thing I found the most unique was the well just outside their back door. When I got big enough, Uncle Bob, after some instruction, would let me go to the well for fresh water to be retrieved with a bucket dropped down into the well by a rope. I had to carefully remove the wooden cover kept on top of the well which was a tough job in itself. I was cautioned that after pulling water up from the well, ALWAYS cover the well back up in order to keep things from the air, including insects from getting into the well and tainting the water in some way.

Aunt Dora was a quiet, sweet and very mild-mannered woman. Uncle Bob, however, was very opinionated and wouldn't hesitate to let you know what he was thinking. That was true the first time I forgot to put the cover back over the well. He was doing all he could to protect their water supply. I guess at a young age, I didn't grasp the importance of protecting the purity of that well, but I certainly realize it's importance now.

When I read the above verse from Proverbs that speaks of the fact as to who and what we are isn't what people see or hear from us on an everyday basis. Solomon spoke in that verse as to the depth of who we are. We are a well of sorts that goes deep. No one will know but the Lord how deep you and I go. I heard someone say something very wise, and I'm sure it's someone famous and much smarter than I am. That person said, “Whatever is down in the well, will come up in the bucket.” Just think about that for a minute. Down deep in the well of who we are is what it is. There's only so much pretense we can display, but eventually who we really are is “going to come up in the bucket.”

Now I fully understand Uncle Bob's concern about the lid on the well. Whatever matter fell into the lid-less well was going to come up in the bucket with good drinking water. How disturbing when folks come to draw from our lives, expecting godly influence that they walk away disappointed with what “comes up in the bucket” of our lives.

One of my favorite Scripture incidents is found in John 4 where Jesus met with the Samaritan woman. This was someone he really shouldn't have been talking to according to the day's culture. We know that Jesus never thought much of human barriers when it came to speaking to the heart of people. In His conversation with her, He offered her and us as well, living water. He said if we drink of the water He offers, we won't thirst again. Then He elaborated by saying:

But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall
give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall
give him shall be in him a well of water springing
up into everlasting life.
John 4:14

How do we keep the deep wells of our lives clean and healthy... by keeping our wells flushed out with that wonderful living water. The lid over our wells is the Holy Spirit. He helps us filter what is and isn't important in our lives. If we allow the filth and bugs of this world drop into our hearts, it's going to be revealed in what comes up in our buckets.

In Matthew 6:21: Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount: “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” What comes up in our buckets? Those things that we treasure will come up and be revealed. The wonderful thing God provides for us is spoken of in Jeremiah 24:7:

And I will give them an heart to know me,
that I am the Lord: and they shall be my
people, and I will be their God: for they
shall return unto me with their whole heart.

So God wants to provide us every way possible to keep our wells clean and pure so that out of the purity of our hearts, love and the other things of God can flow freely. With all of God's provision, there should never be any surprises when the bucket rises from the depths of our wells, revealing what's in our buckets.

One fact we can bank on: Whatever is in the well will come up in the bucket. What condition is the well of my life in right now? Would I want a bucket of sorts to drop into the depths of my life, come up full to the brim with its contents revealed for all to see?

Father, I want to be transparent before others and You. I know You see everything and know everything about me. Keep me convicted, Holy Spirit, of those things that don't please You. Strengthen me to keep the well of my life cleaned out for Your honor and glory only. In Jesus' precious name....Amen

A PERSONAL SAVIOUR

For unto you is born this day in
the city of David a Saviour, which
is Christ the Lord.
Luke 2:11

Looking at a list of “personal items” a person should not share with others, I found some familiar things my Mother told me I shouldn't share with other people. I can recall being told to never share lipstick with a friend. I couldn't understand it at the time, but I know better now. On the list of personal items I found we should never share with others are: toothbrush, razors, towels, soap, combs and deodorant. Some of these may cause questions, but with some thought, I understand the list.

There is one thing we are always safe in sharing and that is our anything to do with our faith. When I asked Jesus into my heart as a ten year old girl, I kept hearing the phrase that I had accepted Jesus as my “personal” Saviour. Let me say that in our spiritual walk, we all have had a tendency to adopt spiritual phraseology, often not paying attention to what we are actually saying. When we use spiritual phrases, I know what we are saying and it sounds good, but it doesn't mean we full meaning of what we are saying. All this to say, we have come to use words of spiritual meaning we often don't think anything about.

Perhaps it's the season we have just experienced, but I've been pondering one of the major things I often refer to Jesus as being in my own life...my personal Saviour. What is a Saviour? The world tells us that a savior is one who saves, rescues or delivers someone from danger or a life threatening situation. There are some dictionaries that refer to “Saviour” in spiritual terms, even mentioning Jesus in Christianity Who fits that definition.

I found it interesting looking up the word “saviour” in a Bible concordance that it was found more in the Old Testament than the New. In the Old Testament, there was an anticipation of a coming Saviour. In the New Testament, the Saviour has come and has come into our lives even to this day. However, even now, I tend to think of Jesus as being Saviour not just for me, but for you, people in other churches and even countries...a Saviour I share with countless others...and that's okay. That's what makes us one huge family, a family we will live with for eternity.

What has stuck in my own mind as of late is that although my Saviour is universal, who died for every single human being, I must not lose sight of the fact that He died and lives for me only, on a very personal level. He is MY personal Saviour. In this relationship He is mine all mine on a 24/7 basis. Our relationship is so intimate, it's as if I'm the only person He died for, like I'm that important to Him. I would hope you feel the same way about Jesus.

As Christians, we share relationships. We share them in families. Children may vie for attention from parents. All relationships have distractions that take away the personal feelings. I don't know how He does it, but through Jesus' Holy Spirit, He has a way of being with us in such a way that each of us always has His total and undivided attention.

Going back to the definition of “saviour,” I found three things Jesus does in our lives on a very personal level. First, Jesus saves. Poetry and songs have been written using those two words. What a pity if you and I get so used to them, they lose their significance. Jesus does save and continues saving anyone and everyone who chooses to come to Him, accepting that free gift. Our salvation isn't conditional like some relationships are. Once His salvation is accepted, it's a done deal...ours for eternity. However, guess what...it's MY salvation as I'm looking at this personal relationship I have with Jesus.

Second, my personal Saviour rescues. I have often wished I had written every time Jesus spared me from accidents, illnesses and yes, even what could have been devastating relationships that had the makings of being very toxic and destructive. I understand He has rescued you as well, but for now, He's my personal rescuer.

Third, Jesus delivers. Have you ever found yourself in a mess and couldn't figure out how to get out of it? We've all been delivered from one thing or another....financial debt, legal issues, dangerous situations...there might be other situations where we've cried out to Jesus to just deliver us from evil if nothing else. In this personal relationship I have with Jesus, I can cry out to Him at any time of day or night knowing He can and will deliver me in ways the world knows nothing about.

Please don't be offended that I'm trying to take Jesus away from anyone. I just want us to think of Him as being ours in such a personal way that it might seem He's all ours individually. I have often heard the phrase, “If I had been the only person on earth, Jesus would still have come and died for me.” It's not a very logical statement when you ponder all of details, but I get the intent of it. Jesus sees me as His very own...my own personal Saviour.

By the way, remember those personal items we should never share with others? Jesus is a personal item we can share with anyone and everyone with no fear of contamination. Even then, He becomes very personal to anyone who accepts Him as Saviour.

Father, thank You for sending Jesus to be the Saviour of the world. Thank You for sending Him to be my Saviour in my world. I'm ever grateful for the personal relationship I can have with Jesus through Your precious Holy Spirit. I'll never know how You could love me so much. I love You more than I can express. In Jesus' precious and holy name....Amen

I Hate Interruptions

This people have I formed
for myself; they shall shew forth
my praise.
Isaiah 43:21

Interruptions have always been a problem for me. Maybe it's because I'm some kind of control freak. With interruptions, all control is lost. Interruptions to our routine can come in almost any form...phone call, doorbell, weather situation, sudden company, fender bender in a parking lot, illness, trip to emergency room, and on and on it goes. How we react or respond to these things can vary. It's important how we treat interruptions whether they bother us or not.

In recent days, I've reviewed some interruptions seen in Scripture. Some may have worked out in a positive way while others may of turned out not so well.

Adam & Eve: Life was good. Probably more than anyone we could ever know down through history, these two people probably had everything any folks could possibly want. They had all of the provisions of life anyone could possibly want. They had a close relationship with their Creator...life was good. ENTER: a serpent...not a snake as we know them now. There was no reason for fright or concern because we are told the serpent was nothing ugly or foreboding at that time. This interruption changed mankind on into eternity. Mankind would be born into and leave the earth fighting for their lives against Satan all because Eve and then her husband yielded to Satan's temptation.

David: I'm thinking of one thing in particular. David was a boy, a shepherd. The king had a need and because of David's reputation as a talented musician, was called from the fields into the palace to serve the king, using his music ability. David had been in the field with his sheep, going through his every day routine that was suddenly interrupted with that bidding. His life was changed from that point on as far as his relationship with the king who would later become jealous to the point of insanity toward David. David spent years running for his life from that king he loved and had served faithfully.

Moses: Raised in the palace in Egypt, through some circumstances that required his escaping to another place, found himself out in a wilderness, keeping sheep. It was such a dull, boring, hot and dirty job. Was this to be his fate? One day, a bush caught on fire right before Moses. If that wasn't a shock enough, there was a voice out of the bush. In that way, God placed a special call on Moses life to lead his people from Egypt to the promise land. That was quite an interruption. Moses fussed a little with God about his own inability to do God's bidding but in the end yielded.

Daniel: A grown man of prayer. He had a wonderful habit of opening his window toward Jerusalem daily and inside that window having a time of prayer. This ended up being used by his enemies to try to destroy Daniel's life. He was arrested and hesitantly, the king was forced to stay with his own edict regarding worship of anyone other than himself, and had Daniel thrown into a den of lions. We know the end of that story though, how God spared Daniel in a miraculous way. His courage and loyalty stand as examples for all of us.

Saul (Paul): He had the order in hand to go to Damascus to round up all the Christians he could and place them under arrest. One can just sense his excitement as he headed out. This was a dream job for him and he could hardly wait to get to his destination and begin the round up. BUT...while on the way, a bright light hit him right in the face, a blinding light but with that light, Jesus spoke, getting Saul's undivided attention. We know the change in Saul right on that road. He went through a lot of teaching and even a name change. He began preaching the best he knew how of Jesus, now his Savior. We also have the wonderful benefit of some of his life history in the book of Acts as well as his written epistles.

Andrew, Peter, James and John: Fishermen...a very difficult occupation. It was a business often handed down from father to son and there's no reason it wouldn't be the same with these men. One day, their lives were interrupted. They were going about their various responsibilities, some mending nets...nothing different from any other day. Suddenly, though, a stranger, Jesus, approached them without notice and placed His call on their lives. He asked them to come with Him. He wanted to make them “fishers of men.” They left their nets and fellow workers and followed. It had been an ordinary day, doing the same ordinary things until they were interrupted. They didn't question or complain. They simply followed.

Mary and Joseph: Most of us know the excitement of engagement and planning a wedding. This couple was no different from other couples. Little did they know the major interruption that would come into their lives that would change every plan they had made. How many couples have an angel appearing to them with news that would change the course of mankind. Their lives were that of common folks, not of wealth or fame but asked to take on a responsibility most of us would view as being impossible to tackle. They both responded with humility and in agreement with God. Mary gave birth to Jesus while Joseph became His earthly father.

The list could go on and on of folks in the Bible, whose lives were interrupted in some way, often interrupted by God. I have come to learn that most interruptions in my life are often of God too. I've had calls of someone needing advice or even directions. Unplanned trips to the ER or doctor's offices end up being God nudges. Most interruptions in the lives of Christians result in being “divine appointments” of some kind even though we don't understand that fact at the moment. As Christians, Jesus has every right to call on us...interrupt us...any time He sees fit. May we respond giving Him all glory as we function on His behalf.

Father, forgive my impatience with interruptions that come into my life, interruptions You know all about. Help me understand that You have purpose in everything that happens in my life. Thank You for the power and insight You give me to serve You well. In Jesus precious name...Amen

THREE DEGREES OFF

I press toward the mark for the
prize of the high calling of God
in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:14

It had to be more than fifty years ago that I saw a full-blown picture in Life Magazine of an experimental rocket launched by our country with the intention of it reaching a certain point at a certain time. The picture was inspirational, an indication of things to come in our future. I don't believe NASA was even a reality at that point. but the future was looking good for our country where the space race was concerned. At least, that was the hope resting on that rocket as it soared through space.

A problem of some kind developed with that particular rocket. Oh, it didn't explode or crash into anything as I recall. There was one major problem through that caused the launching to be a complete failure. The rocket had not reached it's predetermined place of arrival, at least not quite to the exact designated goal. I was surprised to see that the rocket had missed it's goal by three degrees. That sure didn't sound like much to me for all of those project members to get so upset over. As I read further though, I found what I consider three degrees was not three degrees to those experts. You see, each degree to them amounted to hundreds of miles. For that rocket to miss it's destination by three degrees was astronomical, so to speak.

Perhaps we could think in terms of “three degrees” when it comes to one's spiritual walk. I've often wondered as I've considered three degrees (three D's) that should be large parts of own our spiritual guidance systems. I'm thinking of : DIRECTION, DEVOTION and DEDICATION.

Let's begin with Direction.

Direction has everything to do with the rocket itself. No rocket....no flight....no problem. There was a rocket and it had it's own destiny and that destiny was to leave the earth and arrive at a designated location far from the earth. That was it's job...it's only job. You and have obviously been born, made to be on this earth. The goal for every human being as far as God is concerned is that we eventually arrive in Heaven. If that “degree” is off, only death is the result. The answer is, while we are here, we are made and created for God. We have purpose, each one of us. Eventually the goal is to be with Him in Heaven, but He has to make available the equipment for this purpose. It is His Son, Jesus, who blesses us with salvation when we go to Him, repenting of our sin and accepting Him as Savior. It all begins with that relationship. Without that relationship, there is no point in even reading about the other two D's.

Taking for granted the Direction in our lives is taken care of, we move to Devotion.

Once that relationship is established with Jesus Christ, we need spiritual fuel to keep us going just as that space rocket required a very special fuel for lift off and soaring into space. You and I need regular fueling with the power found in God's Word. When we get low on fuel, we can malfunction in so many ways in every day living. When our prayer life is at low ebb, we become even more dysfunctional. This spiritual fueling process is often referred to as having a regular “quiet time.” Those times are important, but I'm not sure even they are enough for the spiritual strengthening we need in our day. I will interject that another D that might be appropriate here is that of “desire.” When we owe God so much (not that we can ever repay Him), there should be a sincere desire to spend time with Him in any number of ways.

Last of the degrees I would consider is number three....Dedication.

Once we are in a salvation relationship with Jesus and we are maintaining a fruitful devotional life that is alive and satisfying, we should consider ones Dedication to the spiritual activities the Lord makes available to us. The very basic of this dedication should be our faithfulness to God's house. There should never be a debate on a Sunday as to “are we going to church today?” For whatever the reasons, it shouldn't be a debate...it should be automatic that we attend both Sunday school and church. If there are other opportunities through Bible studies to be in study with others, we should do that as well. Then depending on our abilities and spiritual gifts, we should make ourselves available to be of service in our church however we can serve. If we take on a ministry (not a job) we should do it as unto the Lord, faithful to the task to the best of our ability.

Our first degree is vital, but the other two are very important as well. Failure in any of the three areas is going to throw us off target. Three degrees may not seem like much in the whole scope of things, but they are major....major to us, to others and to our Heavenly Father. In God's power, my prayer for each of us is that we do all in our power to stay spiritually on target. There's too much at stake for us to miss any target.

Dear Father, thank You so much for saving me and for loving me even when I disappoint you. Forgive me for not being as devoted and dedicated as I should be when I tend to go my own way. I want to be centered in You. Give me Your power in serving you more and better. Thank You for Jesus in Whose name I pray...Amen