Words of Encouragement, Part 2

John 6:27a; "Don't be so concerned about perishable things like food, spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you..." (NLT). Life can bring many challenges into each of our lives. Many of these challenges can become a distraction to us; we can feel the pressure to become discouraged or distraught by all of the events that are taking place around us. It is during these moments that the Spirit of God can give us the inspiration to receive encouragement from God. When your world seems to be crashing down around you and nothing is going well, it is a comfort to know that God already knows exactly what you need. This morning I have thought about the number of times that God used different people to bring to me the reminder that God is the true source of my hope and peace. It is during these difficult times that we can sense the presence of God bringing to us the "energy" to seek the eternal things of God and not allow the temporary challenges of life to overwhelm us. This "energy" can come from external sources (fellow believers, sermons, music, etc) or this "energy" can come from an internal source. David taught us that there would be times in which we encouraged ourselves. I believe we do this through the power of reflection and memory. We revisit moments in which God provided the strength that we needed to face the events of life on that particular day. We also encourage ourselves through the recognition that God is in charge of our life regardless of what events are taking place and that He is still worthy of our praise and adoration. We can encourage ourselves as we read the promises of God found in the declaration of His Word to His family. Be open to responding to whatever method God may use to bring encouragement to you today. God has not forgotten you neither has He forsaken you; BE ENCOURAGED today by His presence in your life.