Encouragement Topic

The greatest tool in the devil’s arsenal is discouragement. It makes us let down the shield of faith. Disappointment leads to discouragement which leads to disqualification. Moses had it and hit the rock twice, thus losing his opportunity to enter the Promised Land. Mrs. Job had it and became bitter. Naomi changed her name to Marah because of it.

Some of the most impressionable memories are those of personal encouragement. Most of us can easily remember timely words or actions of encouragement that took place even years ago.

When facing the uncertainties of life, insecurity sometimes wraps its ugly tentacles around our hearts. It whispers in our ear, “Yea, hath God said?” God is never the author of confusion. Confusion is a major weapon of the believer’s enemy. It brings relentless fear and must be defeated by the comfort of the Holy Spirit. Your tomorrow is already well-planned by your loving Heavenly Father, and His provision is there if you will only be still and know that He is God.

There’s nothing like a hospital room to condense your thoughts into the truly important. Something about the tubes, monitors, hoses, gloves, gowns, and even the smell all serve to rivet your mind on the eternal. During a recent visit to a hospital bedside, I read Psalm 34 with the family gathered in the room. As I read, several key truths—truths that really matter when you’re in the hospital—spoke to me: