We live in stressful times, around us and within sometimes.
Life is not restful like it used to be 30-40 years ago.
Situations and circumstances are challenging for many.
I would like to give you some encouragements from scriptures
I was inspired with today on BibleHub……one of the
best websites for building yourself up on God’s Word.
And we need to do this friends, each day. For those who
“don’t have the time” especially. We need to make time for reading
His words of Life for sustenance and strength.
From them often, can come healing-virtue, mentally, emotionally
and spiritually.
This can even benefit us physically. Neuroscientists report that
our thoughts do have a bearing on our health. Yes, the bible says that
“as a man thinks, so is he”. We can think up a real storm sometimes
just by thinking too much. Believe me, it’s true…..I have experienced
this years ago. One can feel quite ill where negative thoughts
or reflections run rampant……especially if someone has upset you
and it lingers for several hours or even days.
If it’s a person or situation,we must learn what I call the principle of displacement.
That is by taking some verses of scripture – even one repeated is good for this –
and speak them out loud (verbally) so we can experience a change on the inside.
I have a few Christian friends this works wonders for. Your heart must
be in it (as a simple act of will or faith).
Practiced often enough, we can start to believe the words we are speaking
over the troubled thoughts we were thinking. Practiced daily, we can decide
how our mental real-estate is going to be used – to benefit us rather
than hinder us. Rom 10:9 says “if you believe in your heart and confess with
your mouth Jesus as Lord, that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved”.
And for most of us, we leave this after the day we found Jesus.
There is a principle here. Terry Law, who wrote about the power of confession
(a form of Christian affirmation found in scripture) says that we believe the
words we speak more then anyone’s and if we confess scriptures daily
(speak them audibly) this can work two ways – our hearts can also start
believing what our mouth says.
Jesus is referred to in scripture as the “Captain of our Salvation”…….He is also
referred to as the “High-Priest of our confession”……so obviously He wants us
to keep confessing His Truths in scripture.
Some Encouragements
Psalm 27:1 “The LORD is my Light and my Salvation”……Psalm 119:130 “the entrance of Your Words give Light”……so just like we can pray to The Lord to bring His Light into a situation and He is our Saving Help……”a very present help in situations” (Psalm 46:1) We can speak His Word into situations. This is a good practice that Jesus did Himself in scripture, He quoted/spoke OT scriptures in situations
throughout the Gospels.
This is a way we can bring light into a situation and disperse the darkness of despondency, gloom, doubts and fears. The Lord brings Light into the darkness and so does His Words. We can help ourselves to as much as we like. “From the fruit of our lips we can enjoy good things” (Psalm 13:2)
One translation says “we are satisfied”.
Do you know that we can experience sweet fruit, sour fruit and bitter fruit in our lives with the words of our mouths? It’s true! The psalmist said
“The Lord is Good,
and Faithful is His Love.
Let the Redeemed SAY SO!”
“Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, For His loving-kindness is everlasting.
Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand
of the adversary……” (107:1,2)
The Scripture Inspirations from Today
Two translations from Hebrews 12″1 “Since we are surrounded with a great cloud of witnesses (NIV) we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially sin that distracts us. We must run the race that is ahead of us and never give up”. (GWT)
One version says that “we are surrounded with so many examples of faith” (GWT) they are there in Heaven ahead of us, cheering us on. Cheer leaders have been seen in Heaven watching over us by some who have had a NDE experience
(they died and were sent back).
So let us not lose heart anytime but always be of good courage because we have Heaven to back us up in life’s challenges. Let us run together that race.
Rejoice in The Lord and again I say Rejoice……today and every day!
We need to “throw off every encumbrance” (BSB)
“everything that hinders” (NIV) and
“sin that clings so closely” (ESV)
“especially the sin that trips us up (NLT)
Most translations say “let us run with endurance the race that is set before us”
and others say patience, so let’s be patient with ourselves when we feel that we have not performed well and with God when we think He should have stepped in and changed things! Hey?
Hebrews 12:2 speaks of “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (KJB)
The NAB refers to Jesus as “the Perfecter of our Faith” and says “fixing our eyes on Him”
so we need to keep our eyes on Him sometimes and not give up. Our flesh (humanity part of us)
wants to so easily give up sometimes. I have a song the Holy Spirit gave me years ago
based on scripture:
“My flesh may fail and my heart may also but this I know that I can rely on my God. For He is the Strength of my heart and my portion forever. For me it is Good just to be near him –
I have made Him the Refuge of my heart” (Psalm 73:26)
“He is the Pioneer and Perfecter of our Faith” the BSB and ESV tells us. So we are not alone in this Faith-Walk. He is the Founder of it and knows how to best equip us so we can run that Race and receive our reward when He has perfected us – like a Personal Trainer.
“CHRIST IN US THE HOPE OF GLORY” UNTIL WE GET TO GLORY!!!
GWT says “We must focus on Jesus, the source and goal of our faith. He saw the joy ahead of him, so he endured death on the cross and ignored the disgrace it brought him. Then he received the highest position in heaven, the one next to the throne of God”.
And the Aramaic Bible says “Let us gaze at Yeshua, Him who is The Author and The Perfecter of our faith, who for the Joy that was His……..” So there is JOY for Overcomers as we Look to Jesus and consider Him who has gone before us. Let’s steady our eyes on Him.
BSB (Berean Study Bible) NIV (New International Version) NLT (New Living Translation)
NAB (New American Bible) ESV (English Standard Version) GWT (God’s Word Translation)
You will find these translations and More Here
The original Greek and Hebrew languages are so rich, no English version
can capture it all, so I like to see different versions. There is benefit in this.
May all His blessings shower you. Peace, Grace and Joy.
“We are His workmanship”
A piece of tapestry looks untidy on the reverse side. We can just see some good colors.
Together the dark colors and the nice ones make a pretty picture on the right side
when completed.
Our story has many different chapters – some good, some not so good – He knows
the good ones in advance and also our Testimony completed
when we reach Heaven’s Shores!
Let’s rise above things……
Isaiah 40:31 “Those who wait for Yahweh shall renew their strength. They shall mount upon wings of an eagle and fly high. When your hope is set in Him, He makes you to run and not grow weary and walk without fainting”.
Psalm 84:5-7 says that “when our trust is in The Lord, He makes us to go from strength and our valley becomes a place of springs.
Mathew Henry goes on to say “when God begins a work of Grace, He will perfect it.
In our own strength we faint but having our heart and hopes in Heaven,
we shall be carried above all difficulties, and be enabled to lay hold of
the prize of our high calling in Christ Jesus.
The eagle’s eye has three lenses. One for the earthly – that’s to relate to things in daily life – one for flying in the air – that’s one for spiritual things – and one for when they are
really high – that’s when we are moving in the faith realm and seeing things from
His perspective. It all starts with trust and expectations ……not spending too much time looking around and dwelling on earthly things but lifting our vision higher
and soaking in His Presence.
May Christ be with your spirit.