Encouraging Words Devotional

How big is God? God Himself gives us some idea in His own words in Isaiah 40:12 where He asks the question, "Who else has held the oceans in his hand?" When I read that question, my next thought was, "I wonder how much water there is in all the oceans of the world?" Here's the answer: "The National Geographic Society tells us that there are 324 million cubic miles of water on the face of the earth."[1]

[1] https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/all-about-the-ocean/

Elizabeth Gilbert writes,    

Some years ago, I was stuck on a … bus in New York City during rush hour. The bus was filled with cold, tired people who were deeply irritated with one another, with the world itself. …. No mercy would be found here.

In the New Testament, Paul started out his first letter to Timothy by saying he was appointed to be an apostle by the command of his Lord. Here are his exact words: "This letter is from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, appointed by the command of God our Savior and Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 1:1). Since the word "apostle" means "one who is sent," Paul's assigned job was to carry out the instructions of the One who sent him—God Himself.

I really like this story from the book of Matthew:

The Pharisees—that is, the religious leaders of Jesus' day—came to Him plotting how they might entangle Him in His talk, saying, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men. Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?"

One Bible student has counted 3,237 different people mentioned in the Bible. Granted, we're not given all their names, but still, each one serves as an example—for good or bad. One is a man called Onesiphorus, a friend of the apostle Paul.

The man had a physical challenge—he was crippled and couldn't walk. The only way he knew to get support was to beg at the temple gate in Jerusalem. One morning the lame man awakened to what seemed like any other day. But on this day his life was to be forever changed. When the apostles Peter and John came to the temple that morning, he asked them for money. What they gave him could never be bought. "I have no silver and gold," Peter told him, "but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk" (Acts 3:6). The Bible says, "And leaping up he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God."

The apostle Peter urged us to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18). Knowing that's what God wants, my friend brought up very practical issue: "If I have 1,001 things to do every day, how can I grow in my relationship with the Lord when sometimes a quick prayer is all I have time for?"

Though my dad was in ministry for more than 70 years, my mom rarely spoke to groups in public. That's why after she passed away, I was so happy to find some speaking notes of hers. She brought a message based on Romans 12:1, where the apostle Paul writes, "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice"--reasonable in light of all that God has done for us.

I'm stunned by how much God loves us--no, actually I'm stunned by how much God loves me, especially on those days when I can't seem to do anything right and I feel so unlovable. Mornings when I stay in my pajamas until noon. Days when I resent being interrupted to help someone else. Evenings when I stay up too late doing "whatever" on my laptop or phone.

Asaph was discouraged--so discouraged, in fact, that he had about given up on God. In Psalm 77, Asaph asks five questions that convey the despair he was feeling: "Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable? Has his steadfast love forever ceased? Are his promises at an end for all time? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?" (Psalm 77:7-9). Asaph tells us he cried aloud and couldn't sleep. He was in a bad way!