Encouraging One Another

When you're feeling down, go find somebody else who needs help and encourage them.

Too many times we get so focused on ourselves: Our needs, wants, problems, and situations. We have to remember that we are all in this race together and we all need each other!! I've been thinking about this a lot and as the days grow darker, it's becoming clearer and clearer that we really need each other.

Jesus
Others
You

This is the recipe for true joy! Don't focus on what's going wrong! Get your mind on Jesus! When you're focused on Him, you will also be focused on His work (others). When we live this way, God will take care of us and meet our needs.

The person who first focuses on themselves is most likely a miserable person.

Encourage your brothers and sisters! They need you, and you need them!

Spiritual Detours

Have you ever been driving down the road in a hurry to reach your destination, when to your dismay you see a big, orange sign reading 'DETOUR'?

"Oh, great! I've never been this way before! How am I going to get there now? How long is it going to take me?"

Detours are things that catch us by surprise, suddenly forcing us to go a different way or direction then we had originally planned. However, there is a reason for the detour. Usually it means that part of the road you had planned to travel is being worked upon and being made better. Maybe it's to keep the travellers from some type of danger. Sometimes having to take a detour will actually help you learn a new way of getting somewhere! Being forced to go down a road you have never travelled leads to discovery, a new path which we will most likely remember in the future. "Hey, I've been there before, I know where that road goes now!"

Sometimes God interrupts our own plans for life and sends us on a detour down some paths we never intended on travelling. When we see a big, detour sign blocking the road we had our heart set on, it can be rather frustrating and even discouraging. When we focus on our will and have our lives going the way we think they should be going only to be "re-routed", it can prompt to ask the question, "why, God?" Have you ever suddenly found yourself in a situation wondering how you got there? Job less? Hospitalized? Alone? Losing a loved one?

There have been times in my life when I was suddenly placed on a different path than I had chosen and could do nothing about it. It can be scary going down a road that you have never been on, not knowing what the next turn will bring. Yet when God sends us down a new path, we must trust Him, for He tells us in His word,
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.  (Jeremiah 29:11)

The beautiful thing about serving God is knowing that He really does have our good in mind. We cannot always see the good at the beginning; rather, we may see much that does not appear to be good. However, in the end we know that God will have His way in us and make our lives something beautiful.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
After you've travelled that new, unknown road once or twice, you'll be able to tell somebody else who is sent down that same path how to find their way. Life brings trials and losses to everybody, but we can still win if we will learn and chose to trust in Him.

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

To him that overcometh...

Do you find yourself stuggling with the same thing over and over?

 

If you want to overcome that problem, you can! It takes prayer and giving yourself to the right things. Jesus made a lot of promises to those who would overcome. Overcoming a major problem or flaw doesn't happen overnight, so don't get discouraged if you're not a brand new person when you wake up in the morning! Of course, a good Holy Ghost prayer meeting can take care of a lot of problems very quickly! Of course, it takes us working at staying prayed up. Nobody else can do it for you!

 

Have you already overcome something, like a bad habit or a sinful lifestyle? Does the devil come back and try and rub your past in your face?

 

When the enemy of your soul reminds you of your past, remind him of the blood of Jesus that washed your past away, and then remind him of his future!

 

 Rev_2:7

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

Rev_2:11

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

Rev_2:17

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

Rev_2:26

And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:

Rev_3:5

He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

Rev_3:12

Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

Rev_3:21

To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

Rev_21:7

He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

When we overcome, we can claim these for ourselves!! God is so merciful!

Trusting

What does it mean to trust someone?

Trust: 

1. reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence.

 

2. confident expectation of something; hope.

 

3. confidence in the certainty of future payment for property or goods received; credit: to sell merchandise on trust.

 

4. a person on whom or thing on which one relies: God is my trust.

 

5. the condition of one to whom something has been entrusted.

You don't have to live long to find out there will be times in life when you really don't know what you're going to do or how the situation that you're in will ever work out. Often times God brings us to these unpleasant places in life to help us realize how much we really do need Him. He can't always do what He wants to do with our lives if we aren't completely surrendered to Him. Learning to trust in Him is something that we all need to do.

Many are afraid to trust God, because they aren't in control anymore. But what happens when we take up the reigns ourselves? It doesn't take long to learn that we can easily destroy ourselves if we're not careful.

Know that God cares about you and has a plan. A good plan.

Jer 29:11
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Jer 29:12
Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
Jer 29:13
And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

God truly knows what He is doing! He knew you before you were ever formed in your mother's womb. It doesn't matter if you've been abused, mistreated, or neglected. It doesn't matter if you feel you've already ruined your life. If you will turn to Him, and give Him the pen, He'll write the story of your life and give it a good ending.

Heb 12:2
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 is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

He still has a plan for YOU! Trust Him!