Seven Encouraging Truths

TRUTH 1: Everything is for God’s glory

Therefore: Everything God causes or allows is first and ultimately for His glory.

Personal Application: As you strive toward the goal of glorifying God in everything, you are able to rejoice in God being glorified in and through your personal circumstances.

Scripture: 1 Chron 16:35; Ps 19:1-3, 57:5, 11; 79:9; 106:47; 108:5; 115:1; Is 42:8; 48:11.; Jn 12:28

TRUTH 2: God loves you and this truth will never change

Therefore: Everything that happens to you comes from God who loves you.

Personal Application: “Just because you don’t see how something can be good doesn’t mean it isn’t good” (Tim Keller).

Scripture: Ro 8:31-39; 1 Jn 4:16; Mt 7:7-11; Jn 3:16; Ja 1:17

TRUTH 3: Everything is for your ultimate eternal good

Therefore: Since God is your ultimate good, everything is working to conform you to the image of Christ, which results in holiness and godliness, which glorifies God.

Personal Application: You are able to rejoice in all things knowing what God will accomplish.

Scripture: Ro 8:28-29; Phil 2:13; Ja 1:2-4

TRUTH 4: God is in control of you, your circumstances, everyone else, and all life events

Therefore: There is no need to worry or be anxious because the one who loves you is in control, is sovereign, and providential in all things. See #3 above.

Personal Application: All you can do is all you can do and all you can do is enough. Therefore rest in Christ (Mt 11:28-30).

Scripture: Isaiah 46:9-10; Daniel 4:35-36; Phil 4:4-6

TRUTH 5: Trust God unconditionally

Therefore: God knows better than you what is best, proper, right, and needed. Therefore do not worry about God getting “it” right, He always does.

Personal Application: You can live your life in God’s Sabbath rest.

Scripture: Mt 11:28-30; Pr 3:5; Heb 11:1-2; 4:9-10

TRUTH 6: Satan can only do what God allows (See #1-5 above)

Therefore: Do not fear Satan at any time over anything.

Personal Application: God uses Satan to bring about your sanctification and His perfect will.

Scripture: Job 1-2; Mt 12:28-29; 1 Jn 4:4-B

TRUTH 7: Expect hardship as part of God’s call… to increase your joy and rewards

Therefore: You can rejoice in this life knowing what awaits you (Col 3:1-3).

Personal Application: Live to hear God say, “Well done!” (Mt 25:21).

Scripture: Mt 5:10-12; Jn 15:20; Ro 8:16-18; 2 Cor 12:9-10; Phil 1:29; 1 Pet 4:12-14, 2:19-21

Comforting Thoughts

Meditate on these passages. Think on them at length. Mull them over in your mind. Ask God to drive them deep into your heart. Now, read the following S-L-O-W-L-Y.

2 Chron 16:9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward Him.

Ps 34:7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them. 15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and His ears toward their cry. 17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. 18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,  but the Lord delivers him out of them all. 22 The Lord redeems the life of His servants; none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.

Personal reflection: God Himself is our comfort. His presence and favor is our salvation… NOT Him changing situations or circumstances to our liking. Thus Paul wrote in Philippians 4:11-13…

I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

So I conclude with one of my favorite passages… from Habakkuk 3:17-19… (Please read… again… slowly)

Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. 19 God, the Lord, is my strength; He makes my feet like the deer’s; He makes me tread on my high places.

Praise Be To God Alone!

Posts For Fellow Strugglers

I’ve decided to put in one place some previous posts for those who need encouragement while in struggles. I wrote most of these for myself during times when I needed help. My prayer is for others to be encouraged as God has encouraged me. I may update it from time to time…

When you Struggle, Remember

The Best Place To Find God

When You Get Fired or Terminated

Making Good From The Unexpected

God’s Answer To Why He Wounds Us

God Uses Satan To Keep Us From Sinning

A Powerful Example Of Forgiveness

Understanding “Untimely” Death

The Ministry Of Angels (Part 2)

For When You Are Afraid

The Blessing Of Music When We Struggle

Considering That Stress Is A Test

16 Reasons Why Christians Suffer

Scripture For Hope And Help

Control Freaks Really Can’t Control Anything

God’s Preemptive Strike

Sometimes God uses Satan to take a preemptive strike in our heart to KEEP US FROM sin AND build our faith BEFORE we would have failed.  Paul called it his “thorn in the flesh.”  Consider the Scripture from 2 Cor 12:7-10…

To keep me from being too elated by the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from being too elated. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

“To keep me from” is how Paul described God’s preemptive strike at his heart.  Paul realized the “messenger of Satan” was God using Satan to prevent pride entering his life.  Get that!  To PREVENT.

There are times God uses Satan to PREVENT Christians from falling into sin!  It is possible that what you are going through (Or will go through) is NOT because you failed… or sinned… or did anything wrong, but rather it is a “pound of prevention” from the hand of God!  Meditate on the love of God in this truth.

When hardship, difficulty, or trial enters your life… ask God to reveal to you what He is doing in you for His glory and your good!  Instead of fighting God’s sanctifying work in you, be still… listen… pray.  You may very well live in verses 9-10 as a result!

An Apostle’s Struggle With Depression

Ever felt alone… mistreated… depressed… in need of a pick-me-up?  If so, you’re not alone!

When we think of Paul, we usually think of his spiritual and emotional strength.  We usually remember passages he wrote like… “When I am weak, then I am strong.”  But it’s not often that we meditate upon when he struggled.  Consider one time when he was alone… abandoned by friends… having been maligned and treated unfairly.  This is found in 2 Timothy 4:9-18.  To the young preacher (Timothy) Paul wrote…

Do your best to come to me soon. 10 For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. 11  Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. 12  Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. 14  Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. 15 Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. 16 At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! 17 But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Even Paul had his detractors… those who not only opposed him but caused great harm to him (Alexander).  At the time when he needed support and help most, he was abandoned by everyone including Demas, Crescens, & Titus.  In the midst of hardship that came into his life BECAUSE he was honoring and serving God, what did Paul request?  Four things…

A personal visit from Timothy.  Never underestimate the abililty of being an encourager for another person.  Never hesitate to ask a person to come by your side to encourage you when you need it!

A cloak.  It may be that the time of year had come that Paul needed clothes to protect him from the elements, possibly to keep him warm.  When we are struggling basic physical needs are important.  Never overlook how a simple act of bringing something to someone can encourage them.  Never hesitate to ask for a basic need in your time of need.

Books.  We don’t know what books these were.  They could have been some kind of writings that refreshed Paul about Scripture.  What we do know is that somehow, someway, these books were vital to strengthen Paul in his time of need.  We should not neglect how the writings of other Christians to bless us throughout our life.  I have four or five books that I’ve read over the years that are my favorites because of their wisdom and encouragement.  I hope you have favorite Christian books that you read often.

Parchments (Scripture).  Note Paul wrote, “Above all, the parchments.”  More important to Paul than anything else… a person, clothes, or books… was Scripture.  The souce of encouragement for every Christian is God’s Word.  It is more important than people, physical needs, or anything else.  Scripture is our bread… our water… our oxygen… it is our life’s blood.  Without God’s Word we die.  In Scripture we heard God’s voice… His Spirit comforts us… He strengthens us… He builds us up.

Conclusion: When struggling our “go to” source for help is The Word.  Devour it.  Meditate upon it.  Reflect upon it.  Ruminate upon it.  From there access all the others… people, physical needs, or whatever else… but don’t neglect Scripture!

God’s Steadfast Love

If you haven’t read Psalm 136, you need to.  It’s a classic, Holy Spirit inspired “7-11 song” (Same 7 words repeated 11… uh… 26 times).  The phrase repeated 26 times is… “For His steadfast love endures forever.”

No matter what you do, you cannot make God love you any more or less than He does right now.  It is because Jesus loved you that God loves you and visa versa.  That is a blessed thought!  If you began when you woke up this morning, you could not name all the reasons you should be thankful to God for His blessings.  You’d run out of energy before you ran out of reasons to thank, praise, and bless God for His steadfast love.

When and why does God’s love endure forever?  How do we know His love endures forever? 

Because He is good (v 1), He’s the God of gods (v 2), He is worthy of thanksgiving (v 3), He alone does great wonders (v 4), He created the universe (v 5), He created earth (v 6), He created the stars (v 7), He created the sun (v 8), He created the moon (v 9), He has the power of death (v 10), He delivered Israel from Egypt (v 11), His power is supreme (v 12), He divided the Red Sea (v 13), He brought Isarel through the Red Sea safely (v 14), He killed Pharaoh’s army in the Red Sea (v 15), He led Israel through the wilderness (v 16), He struck down great kings (v 17), He killed great kings (v 18-20), He gave their land to His own (v 21), And to their children (v 22), He is merciful (v 23), He rescues His own from danger (v 24), He gives food to all (v 25), He is worthy of thanksgiving (v 26).

God’s love doesn’t change.  God doesn’t change.  He is the same yesterday… today… and forever.  Because He is merciful to you and me… we are allowed to take another breath.  Because God is good… He forgives our sin.  Because God is gracious… we are sustained in all things.  No matter what you do… once you are His child, that can never change.  As it is written in Romans 8:38-39…

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

For Those Who Struggle (Part 4)

When we are struggling we need hope.  We need comfort.  We need to know GOD is with us.  There is a passage in Matthew 23:37 where it is recorded Jesus said…

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!

Too many times people… including Christians… miss the desire God has to comfort, protect, shelter, and strengthen us.  He is read, willing, and able… like no one else… to give us what we need… HIM.  God is our comfort!  God is our strength!  God is our refuge… a very present help in time of trouble!

If people would just trust God!  If they would just do what He calls them to do!  If they would realize that Jehovah God’s promises are true.  Then they would know the peace that surpasses all comprehension.  Then they would have HIS peace that guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus!  Consider…

1 Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, 7  casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11  To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8  Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts…

Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

How do you do those things?  How do you “Cast all your anxieties upon Him?”  How do you “Draw near to God?”  Through prayer, Scripture, and reflecting on God.

Every time you read Scripture you are hearing God’s voice.  Not audibly of course, but you are hearing Him “speak” His eternal truths.  “Casting” and “Drawing near” are done by reading and meditating on Scripture.  Through prayer ask God to work His truth in these passages into you.  Do it regularly.  Do it often.  Believe God.  Trust God.

Steve… thanks for the picture!

For Those Who Struggle (Part 2)

God endowed music with great power.  There is something about words set to music that can stir the soul powerfully.  As with most things, this power can be used for good or evil.  I’ve found that when I am struggling that listening to the right kind of music and bless, encourage, and strengthen me.  I’ve found that God uses music that glorifies Him to get my mind off what is temporary (This world) and focused on what is eternal (The God who inhabits heaven).

I have put together a series of songs from CDs I’ve purchased through the years called, “Streams In The Desert.”  I listen to the songs when I need encouragement… when I want to be closer to God through worship.  Over the years I’ve added to and modified the list.  Here are the songs as they exist now (Their order is important for me).  Also… for a couple of the links focus on the words, music, and message.

Praise You In This Storm (Casting Crowns)

Voice of Truth (Casting Crowns)

I’m Forgiven (Charlie Hall)

My Finest Hour (Matthew West)

In Christ Alone (Travis Cottrell)

I Then Shall Live (Gaither Vocal Band)

Glorious Day (Casting Crowns)

I Am (FBC Odessa, Tx)

He Is Alive (Travis Cottrell)

Jesus Saves (Travis Cottrell)

Trading My Sorrows (I-Worship)

Trust In You (Jeremy Camp)

Swing Low Sweet Chariot (Acapella version.  Artist unknown)

Give Me Jesus (Fernando Ortega)

Before… during… and after my quiet time I’ve listened to these songs.  When walking, travelling, and in my bed at night… I’ve listened to these songs and been encouraged.

Suggestion: Make your own playlist or CD of songs lifting worship to God (That’s important!).  Play it often.  Learn the words.  Worship God.  Be encouraged.

At The End Of The Day…

At the end of the day… there are undeniable truths… for Christians…

Our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life… (Luke 10:20)

The best is yet to come… (Philippians 1:21)

However bad it is, it will get better… (1 Peter 5:6-11)

Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ… (Romans 8:38-39)

Jesus will never leave or forsake us… (Hebrews 13:5b)

God will not put any more on us than we can handle with Him… (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Those of this world do not determine our worth, God’s view of us does… (Romans 8:31b)

No matter what… at the end of the day… these things are true.

Our Blind Spot

Confession.  The idea for this post came to me after a person asked me to lunch.  During that time he spent 45 minutes telling me everything about himself.  That wasn’t my “Ah Ha!” moment… it was what I was thinking as he was talking!  I thought along these lines, “I wish he’d hush so I could tell him a few things about me!” It was at that moment I was convicted of how selfish I was being… God showed me a blind spot in my life.  And I didn’t like it…

By definition a blind spot is something a person doesn’t see.  Everyone else can, but the person himself cannot.  I’ve recently noticed a blind spot everyone else has, which by the previous two sentences means I have it too. My prayer is that as I am realizing my blind spot I will work to minimize it’s effects.  But that’s another post…

Every Person’s Blind Spot Is… Self-centeredness. You are self-centered and so am I.  I know that because everyone prefers to talk about themselves than listen to others talk about themselves.  Everyone is more concerned about how things affect them than how others are effected.  Everyone wants attention, recognition, and to be noticed… me included.

There’s only one problem with that… what Jesus said in Scripture.

Mark 9:35 “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”

Matthew 23:11 The greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less. Read that again.  God has called Christians to build up others… to encourage others… to put others before ourselves.  That glorifies God.  Ways to overcome/combat self-centeredness…

Use humor to encourage others, not get a laugh at other’s expense.

Turn all conversation to other’s and their needs and don’t use it to extol your own accomplishments.

Listen to people closely and intently as they talk… eventually you’ll find a reason to pray for them.

Find a tangible way to encourage people.  Simple things like a note, email, or phone call can bind up the heart of the wounded… and trust me… everyone is wounded.

Remember people and build them up.  Let them know that they are important to you after the fact.

(Now for the one negative suggestion) DO NOT talk so much about yourself when you converse with others!  If they ask a question, answer it… but do it in a manner that glorifies God.

Enough about what I think, what about you?

The Toilet Paper Debate And Church…

This comic owns me from Comics.com by Steven Pastis.

Churches and church members argue and fight over the silliest things!  We snicker when they fight about carpet color… where to put the flowers (In the baptistery or in front of pulpit?)… or style of music.  One church I served had a number of members get bent out of shape because we didn’t do “The Birthday Barrel” each month after worship (You don’t want to know that story!).

Yet for some, these are serious matters… worth whacking someone on the head for.  Goodness knows there are plenty of church members who’ve believed it was their call to whack a minister over the head “For the good of the church.”  And there have been more than enough ministers who’ve done the same thing and called it preaching!

I have listened as people question the faith of my dad for smoking as defiling God’s temple.  Yet the accuser had a critical spirit toward anyone who didn’t agree with them AND he was overweight (Didn’t Jesus say something about it’s what comes out of a person that defiles them?  I also think there is something in the Bible about gluttony too.).  I abuse my temple by pouring several ice coffees into it every day.  One day I might change because of God’s conviction (Or inability to sleep), but not because someone guilted and criticized me.

The worst case is when Christians condemn and judge those who aren’t Christians in the name of Christ… and do it with a harsh attitude in the process.  Nothing gives Jesus a black eye like how those people act.

How nice it would be if we Christians did something so radical as taking serious the Gospel and the Scripture.  Wouldn’t it be a blessing if we didn’t have to blow out other’s candle thinking it made ours brighter?  It would be refreshing for laughter not to come at the expense of others, but from a heart that can find humor in other ways.

Consider Colossians 3:12-15…

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

The Best Football Motivational Video

I love football… and this is probably one of the best motivational videos I’ve seen.  The mindset applies to everything, not just football.  Enjoy…

God Called Me On My Cell Phone Today!

Well… sort of.  Actually a good friend call me… but the timing was all God!

I’d been having a tough few days emotionally.  I had been in a funk and just couldn’t seem to pull myself out of it.  When I caught myself just staring at the computer screen and not remembering how long I had been doing it, I knew it was time to get out of the office for a bit.

As I was telling the secretary where I was going… my cell phone rang.  I saw the name and told the secretary, “God is calling me right now.”  What I meant by that is that I knew my friend well enough to know he had something to say that would be a pick up.  And boy was I right!  He spent some time telling me about something God had shown him in  the Scripture.  And guess what… it was exactly what I needed!

Point.  When a name flies through your mind that you think is a random thought, consider instead that is the Holy Spirit prompting you to call them and give them a word of encouragement.  Don’t blow it off… you may give that person just what they at that moment!

To my friend… Ryan… God bless you!!

When Friends Are Suffering

  Sooner or later one of our friends will have a tragedy enter their life.  It could be the loss of a spouse, child, job, or their health.  There are many well meaning Christians who want to help, but don’t know exactly what to do or what to say.

  DON’T!  Don’t go spiritual or Bible on them.  When a Christian is suffering they probably already know the texts you might mention, but there is something to be said for knowing what to say and WHEN to say it.

For instance… don’t tell people after a tragedy “Well you know God causes all things to work together!”  Don’t say, “Well you know God is in control of all things!”  Don’t say, “You know you’ll need to be strong for others.”

If you say any of those things you should be made to sit in a corner. 

But there is a passage I suggest you read to them.  After Job lost all his property… assets… and children, in the space of afew minutes, Job reacted.  Consider what is found in Job 1:20 and following…

   Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”  22 In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.

God gives us emotions to help us heal.  There is nothing wrong or sinful about grief.  Especially for Christians!  Consider…

   We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers…  that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.

Did you catch that… as others do who have no hope!  Christians CAN grieve AND be hopeful AT THE SAME TIME!  It is possible to be “sorrowful yet always rejoicing!”

How is that Christians (!) can endure tragedy and difficulty and yet not be destroyed emotionally and psychologically.  It is because our hope (What we tie our self worth and well being to) is not tied to this world.  Christians live with a heavenly mindset (CLICK HERE!).  We have set our mind… heart… emotions… self esteem… and joy on eternity where Jesus is!

So what do we do in the first few moments when a tragedy hits in a friend’s life?  Go to them… love them… cry with them… pray with them… just be there.  Then at some point, you will have opportunity to share truth that will strengthen them.

Graduation From Auburn!

  My first born child, Amy Michelle Ethridge, is graduating from Auburn University today with a degree in Speech Pathology/Disorders!  It is a time of great celebration and rejoicing in our family.  I have no problem saying with great pride… CONGRATULATIONS AMY!

  However… it wasn’t long back when she called me weeping uncontrollably.  In that call the first words I heard her say were… “I’m a weed!!” 

  I didn’t understand what she meant, so I asked her to explain.  She said that the class she was taking was really hard… it was a class they used to “weed out” the students that couldn’t cut the mustard.  She wanted to quit… give up… and change her major because, as she put it… “I’m a weed!!”

I spent some time encouraging her… affirming her… reminding her of all the other times she didn’t think she could do something, and did.  I reminded her of the times she had prayed and God answered and to rely upon Him.  I reminded her that the degree she was seeking would be worth something because not everyone can do what it takes to get that degree.

I told her to look forward to the day of how happy she would be and thankful to God when she walked across the stage to get her diploma.  I told her that when things got hard in classes to remember how great her reward would be when she finished all her classes and she could move that tassel.  I reminded her that she was smart, intelligent, and could do the work because God had given her that ability.

Since that call, every time she called telling me her grades in her classes I reminded her… “You ain’t no weed!”  Today she knows she is NOT a weed!

All I did was what Paul told us to do when life is tough.  He wrote as recorded in Colossians 3:1-4…

   Seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2  Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Way to go Punkin!  Congratulations!  You ain’t no weed… you’re a beautiful flower for God in His kingdom!  So next time something hard or difficult comes up in your life, remember… you ain’t no weed!