Early one morning I was in my room trying to wake up, drink enough coffee, and read enough of the Bible to summon my courage for a long day. From the other room I heard my beginning reader lisping out a sign that hangs in my kitchen, “I, can, do, all, things…” Isn’t it amazing how creative God is at delivering encouragement to us when we need it? My little reader was just practicing some words she saw, but she sent them right to my heart. “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”
There are two parts to this. The first is how awesome it is that God brings us encouragement right when we need it. This encouragement can come from just about anywhere if we are paying attention. The second part is God can and does use us to bring encouragement to others, even if sometimes we are unaware of it.
An example of this is when I was sitting in a waiting room, feeling somewhat anxious for my daughter who was undergoing some tests. From behind me I heard someone sweetly singing Sunday school songs to her little boy. This woman probably thought she was just keeping her son entertained as they waited their turn, never dreaming as she sang how deep and wide God’s love is, that she was ministering to my anxious mommy heart.
My challenge and prayer for us this week is to keep our hearts and eyes open for God’s encouragement to us. Also that we would continue to live in such a way that God can use us to encourage others, even if we are unaware of it.
“I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” I Thessalonians 5:11
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