Today I am grateful for times of encouragement. I received encouragement yesterday in many forms. Words of affirmation from friends, revelation of some things from God, another pound forever gone on the scales, the sermon God has for Sunday finished...the list goes on and on. I am so grateful for my life. God is so, so good to provide exactly what I need. He puts people before me to love on me such as Alex asking me to stay for dinner last night. He blesses me through conversations such as Chrissy sharing with me about a health insurance option for me to check out. He gives me opportunities to love on people with His love through listening in times of stress in their life. He uses me to be a tool of encouragement to others which opens my eyes up to how blessed I am myself. The Lord took me to Psalm 89 this morning. This Psalm was written by David with a typical reaction to life. He praises God for all He has done for him and then turns to lamenting about life. Many times we are like David. When life is 'good,' we praise God but then when it becomes challenging we become crabby with Him. We need to praise Him at all time. We need to praise Him on the mountaintop and in the valleys of life. Sometimes it takes searching to find reasons to praise Him but there are always reasons to be found. The more we praise Him the more we will get our focus off ourselves and the issues in our life. Verse fifteen in Psalm 89 tells us when we learn to praise God we will be content. This state of being does not mean everything is perfect. It means we have God's love, mercy, and grace to see us through 'tough' situations. We have His strength to put one foot in front of the other when we feel like we cannot go on. He encourages us in so many ways. Sometimes we may not see the ways He encourages us but they are there. He blesses us no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in. I am reminded of a song Cain sings called "I'm So Blessed"...
And when I count the problems that I see
Hope looks all but gone (Yeah)
But when I count the ways You're good to me
You got me counting all day long, oh, yeah
I'm so blessed, I'm so blessed
Got this heartbeat in my chest
No, it doesn't matter about the rest
If I got You, Lord, I'm so blessed
Dear Jesus, Thank You for the blessings of yesterday and the ones ahead today! Thank You for my visit with Chrissy, time with Cait, and Alex making dinner and inviting me to stay! Thank You for the ways You used me to encourage others yesterday! I pray my words were soothing balm in the hurts of life. Cleanse me so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You. Go before me today and use me as an instrument of Your love. I pray for many going through 'tough' days to experience Your peace. My Momma; my sisters Linda with the death of a sister-in-law, Sally, and Mary; my brother Richard; Ben and Colleen; Pete and Delores; Steve; Cait; Rhonda; Jack; Mike; Norma Hall; Sharon Sebolt and her parents; Cyndi; some young ladies with anxiety; a young man out of rehab who needs strength in his daily walk; Mary Lilley; a husband/father separated from his wife; Brooklyn; Kristen Batten; Amber; families in turmoil; Gay and Doug; Rick; Serena and her husband; and many others. I also pray healing prayers over many who are dealing with 'c' and/or going through treatments...Chrissy's cousin; Shirley Jones; Preacher Bill Watts; Cait's friend with leukemia; my pastor friend with daily chemo; Little Ivy; Little Judson; a young girl in our community; a lady whose breast cancer has returned; a lady diagnosed with stage two breast cancer; a lady diagnosed with throat cancer; my friend with pancreatic cancer; Sue Danhoff's husband Harv; Michele who starts treatment this week for breast cancer; and a young lady awaiting cancer testing. I pray for: the Long Family, Becky, Russ, a couple contemplating divorce and another couple having serious issues. Thank You for continued healing for: Pastor Tommy and Pam, Baby Henry, Kaye, Darryle and his family, Pastor Jason and Pastor Mike. I pray for a father with a prodigal daughter to know You have not left him. Lord, once again I pray today will be the day the MS tingling dissipates. Thank You for being My Blessing Maker! Amen.
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