Encouraging Words Devotional

How to Find Answers

I love meeting the people who’ve read the books I write because it’s an encouragement that the written words have blessed someone else. 

 

Sometimes I’ll add, “You know, I read the books over again myself, because I haven’t learned all those lessons yet.”  I’m usually answered by a half-smile and an incredulous look that communicates they don’t believe me that I re-read my own books. But it’s true.  You see, most of what I write comes from reading God’s Word in my personal time with the Lord. The best way I can describe those times is that God seems to open a window on a verse in the Bible so that His light shines in, and He helps me begin to understand better what He is saying. 

 

Then I think, “Maybe someone else could be helped by those thoughts, too,” and I jot down the ideas for a devotional selection for a new book.  But does that mean I’ve immediately learned the lesson God is teaching me? Oh, no--not in any way.  I’m a slow learner.  I have to read something again and again for the truth to become part of my life.

 

Like you, I’m on a journey toward understanding the life God wants me to live. And I certainly haven’t arrived yet.  I like to call it “a journey into grace.”

 

That’s why as you read your Bible, it’s a good idea also to journal.  If you do, you won’t waste any of the truth God is teaching you through His Word. You can go back and re-read those lessons over and over again. 

 

We’re all seeking answers. So, take each truth God shows you, write it down and put it into practice.  And, yes, it’s okay--in fact, it’s a good idea to re-read what you’ve written.

When You're in Transition

After working as a newscaster in Asia for four years, Ali Kennedy made plans to return to the U.S.  Because she had no idea where she would live or what she would be doing in this next phase of her life, she felt uneasy about the change. Her friend counseled her that she was like a trapeze artist who had let go of one bar and was soaring through the air reaching for the next bar. She advised Ali to study what a trapeze artist needs during the transition when she is suspended in air between the two bars.

 

How to Get to Safety

Peggy Smith stood observing their old mother hen and her brood of chickens that were scattered all over the yard. As she watched, she began to notice the shadow of a hawk circling overhead. The drama played out before her.

When Suffering Doesn't Go Away

You may have read the story or seen the movie of Joni Eareckson Tada, a woman who because of a diving accident became a quadriplegic at the age of 17. As you can well imagine, when the accident happened she struggled. Since God is all-powerful, why hadn’t He prevented the accident? Or, why didn’t He heal her paralysis?

5 Truths for Your Journey

I want to encourage you that in this life, the Journey into Grace is a long process, so don’t get discouraged if you trip and fall along the way. Here are a few things I’m still learning.

Waters, Rivers, and Fires

Recently something happened in our family that brought me to tears. Oh, I know God is going to bring good out of the situation eventually, but it hurt just the same. I spent most of the night praying--not because I’m “spiritual” but for the very practical reason that I couldn’t sleep.

Valleys

In life, we all like mountaintop experiences better than valleys. But the truth is that valleys are inevitable. Jesus didn’t want us to be surprised by these difficult times, so just before He died on the cross, He warned us, “In the world you will have tribulation” (John 16:33). It’s not a matter of if; it’s a matter of when.

Treasure in a Dark Place

In a little book called “Diamond Dust,” I found an anonymous quote that caught my attention.  Here it is: “If, in spite of all your tears and prayers, God has left you in a dark place, perhaps it's because He knows there are still treasures to be found there.”

The Story of a Nail

Missionary Hubert Mitchell set off into the thick jungles of Sumatra to reach an animist tribe deep in the heart of that country. On the way he stopped to buy fish and some cans of mandarin oranges, and then continued on the trail. Eventually he came to a group of people who at first were afraid, but Hubert’s assistant persuaded the Chief that Hubert had come from a great distance with a wonderful message called "Good News."

The God of All Comfort

The day was my birthday, and no one could have had a nicer celebration as I enjoyed a beautiful tea with friends and family--truly a red-letter day.