Encouraging Words Devotional

Do You Have A Broken Heart?

In her book The Broken Way, Ann Voskamp tells about the time her daughter Shalom came to her, paper heart in one hand and a roll of clear tape in the other.  Tapping her chest, Shalom observed, “We need to tape hearts right to us, Mama….So we always know His love’s around us everywhere.” The words struck a note in Ann’s mind. She writes:

“If only we could all wear a heart right across the center of us so there was always this knowing: God has not forgotten you.   God has not abandoned you….

“Shalom looks down, smooths out her paper heart…. And then the inevitable happens, what always happens: the heart breaks, rips right down the center.”

What Is Your Dream?

If you are between the ages of 22 and 37, society has labeled you a millennial. Do you hate being called that? I understand your feelings. “Business Insider” says that most people over 40 tend to clump all millennials together as “spoiled, lazy, selfish, obsessed with technology, superficial, indecisive, [and] disrespectful.”[1] No wonder you hate the title.

 

[1] “Business Insider,” https://www.businessinsider.com/why-i-refuse-millennial-label-2018-5, accessed 6-30-19.

 

He Is God Of All

Many times in the Bible, God calls Himself the “God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” I can understand why He called Himself the God of Abraham, because Abraham was a man of faith. I’m also not surprised He called Himself the God of Isaac, because Isaac was obedient—even when it nearly meant his death!

How To Live Given

Near the end of her book The Broken Way, author Ann Voskamp leaves her readers with a challenging thought in just two words:  live given.[i] She encourages us to change our attitude toward the circumstances in life that make demands on us. Most of us have a rough idea what we think we’re going to do each day. But often when needs and interruptions crop up unexpectedly during our day, we grow resentful.  We tend to feel that others are “taking” from us. Yes, we tend to “live taken” instead of “given.”

 

[i] Ann Voskamp, The Broken Way (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2016), 215.

 

You’ll Learn!

Her baby was just two weeks old when missionary doctor Margaret Brand received a note from Dr. Carol Jameson, director of the Vellore, India hospital.

Feed On His Faithfulness

There’s a verse in Psalm 32 that says, “Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness” (NKJV).  

“Feed on His faithfulness!” I like that phrase.  It infers that all our needs will be met because God is faithful to His promises. 

Are You Sure You’re Going To Heaven?

I wouldn’t want you to read or listen to Encouraging Words and not know how to be sure you’re going to heaven when you die. It’s just too important a matter not to know for sure. Your eternal future depends on whether you have a personal relationship with Jesus, because that relationship determines where you will spend eternity.  So, this devotional is dedicated entirely to just that one thought: do you know for sure that you have a personal relationship with Jesus?

Here’s What Grace Looks Like

Mephibosheth—what a long and unusual name! It would be hard to print his name on the back of a basketball uniform! Mephibosheth was the five-year-old grandson of King Saul, the first king of Israel.

Get Outside And Be Renewed!

I’ve found a cure for the blues.  Well, it works for me, anyway, and maybe it would work for you. It’s very simple—just get outdoors and take a look at what God has made. 

God Is Bigger Than Your Problem

Scientists recently discovered in space the largest ball of hot gas that has yet been found. “The size and velocity are truly fantastic,” says one of the physicists who discovered it.