Encouraging Words Devotional

Self-Confidence or Supreme Confidence?

I recently read a book where the author suggested that you replace old, negative, condemning thoughts about yourself with new, positive, encouraging thoughts and thereby raise your sense of self-esteem. She believes that by visualizing what you want your life to be, you can change it. But I have found that thinking positively about myself is simply not enough. Too often I cannot live up to my own expectations.

The God Who Gives Endurance and Encouragement

I like to read the Best Seller List to see what kind of books people are buying.  Many are fiction. Others are biographies—they’re some of my favorites. Most deal with various issues of life in the 21^st century.  But there’s one book on the Best Seller List that dates back more than four thousand years—yet people still read it today. Of course, it’s the Bible. Amazing, isn’t it, that people still read a book that was written so many years ago!

Freedom of Forgiveness

Ray Pratchard, in his book The Healing Power of Forgiveness, tells about a wise old monk and his young apprentice who were walking together along a forest trail. Their monastery had a rule forbidding all contact with women, but when they came to a river with a fast-flowing current, they saw an old woman weeping near the shoreline. “She asked for help, saying that she couldn’t cross the river on her own. Without a word, the older monk picked up the woman and carried her to the other side. She went on her way while he and his young colleague continued on their journey. Two-and-a-half hours passed without a word being spoken, but the young monk was seething on the inside.

Jesus—One Cell

Stop for a moment—take a deep breath and mentally come with me. We’d better tiptoe.

            See that manger? Look inside. What do you see? Nestled in the hay is a tiny newborn baby, wrapped tightly. He’s no ordinary baby. The very Son of God in human form! Who but God would come up with a plan to have a relationship with us that would begin with a baby!

How to Be Like Jesus

For years I’ve been fascinated by John’s words in the Bible, where he wrote that when Jesus comes back to earth, we will be like him, “for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).

God Is Able to Give You Much More

Amaziah, the king of Judah, was headed to war with 300,000 soldiers. But he didn’t think this was enough, so he hired another 100,000 from the nation of Israel, for which he paid a hundred talents of silver—a tidy sum that amounted to between three and four tons of the precious metal.

Waiting for God

We read about it in the Bible in the Old Testament. The Philistines and Israel were about to go to war and Israel’s King Saul and his troops were shaking with fear. They were waiting for their spiritual leader Samuel to come and plead for God’s help. But Samuel didn’t come. So, contrary to God’s instructions that only a priest was to offer the sacrifice, Saul offered up the burnt offering. Just as he finished, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.

Telling God I Love Him

Dr. Gary Chapman has become known for his books on the five Love Languages--five ways that love can be expressed—whether to a husband or wife, family or friends.  Here they are: gifts, touch, acts of service, words and quality time. Each of us has a primary way we best respond to love being expressed to us, using one of these languages.

True Love

I read the following on a wall plaque in a restaurant:

Love puts the fun in together

The sad in apart

The hope in tomorrow

The joy in a heart.

God Keeps His Word

Heather Reynolds is the founder and director of an outreach in South Africa that has saved the lives of thousands of children among the Zulu people. They call it God’s Golden Acre. In the face of insurmountable odds, Heather has provided a loving home for hundreds and hundreds of children with HIV-AIDS and those orphaned by the dread killer.