“The Eternal One’s reach is not so short that He cannot save you. His ear is not so deaf that He cannot hear you.” (Isaiah 59:1, The Voice)
What encouraging words! What hope! What assurance!
“Your persistent wrongdoing has come between you and your God; since you constantly reject and push God away, He had to turn aside and ignore your cries.” (Isaiah 59:2)
Did you just hear the tires of encouragement squealing as we slammed on the brakes? Did this just become Dr. G’s morning cup of discouragement?
I hope not. And we won’t be DIScouraged if we have a good grasp of what it means to be ENcouraged.
To be encouraged means to have your courage increased. It is not being told you are ok. It is not being told that everything is going to work out fine. It is not always a pat on the back.
Sometimes it is a kick in the pants. Not literally, but I hope you get the point. Encouragement may be a wake-up call.
The encouraging part is not that I’m ok and you’re ok. It is that God is ok. Which is more discouraging: (1) that my self-centered actions have caused God to put His actions on hold or (2) that my problems are more than God can handle?
If God really is unable to handle the circumstances of my life, the possibility of encouragement is gone. But, if I can reconnect with God through becoming Christ-centered instead of self-centered, then I can be encouraged even while the difficulties linger.
Question: What is the most encouraging truth you can think of today?
Leave a comment below. Our community would benefit from your perspective.
