… so that he can encourage others …
Summary: We live in an imperfect world. Sometimes our words go astray or are misused. We need encouragement in the struggle against darkness. God’s Word provides us with a bright hope in dark times.
Words are a bit like soldiers in a king’s army. We are the ruler of our own kingdom, and we send out words to make our thoughts known to the world. Like real soldiers, words take on a life of their own. Sometimes they convey the message you asked them to, and other times they don’t.
Many hundreds of years ago, a man named Paul wrote some words. These words were inspired by the Holy Spirit and received by Titus, who then shared them with other believers. They, in turn, lovingly copied the words and passed them down from generation to generation.
Sadly, the words of Paul to Titus and others have been used to justify all kinds of machinations. The Reformation occurred, in large part, because the Church at that time had twisted the Bible’s teachings into a plot to extort money from people.
Today, Satan appears to be using these missteps of past generations to justify more missteps. He uses his twisted logic to point our eyes towards the vast darkness of uncertainty, enticing us to look away from the Light that is God’s truth.
We desperately need encouragement.
All of us need it. Not just you, not just me. All of us. Those who are called to be leaders in the church are also called to hold “firmly to the trustworthy message.” Without this message, we have no hope. Leaders are called to be leaders because they have been given the ability to hold fast to the message God has given us.
I thank God for those leaders in the Lord’s Church who understand the Word and are able to encourage others with it. I pray that God encourages them, too. I trust that through God’s Word, through the “trustworthy message” that Paul and others have passed down to us, God is able to provide the encouragement that is needed.
We are in a battle. Some say it is a battle for souls. Some say it is a battle against evil. Both are true. These are dark times. As Peter writes in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
Application: When you see a brother or sister in Christ struggling in the battle against evil, encourage them.
Food for Thought: How can we encourage each other with God’s Word?
We could come up with an excellent blog highlighting God’s word. If I did, I would probably title it something like three minute Bible.com.
We encourage people with God’s word by knowing it and proclaiming it into their situations in life. God’s word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Psalm 119: 105.
Nice! 🙂
Thanks, Rich. I hope the blog is an encouragement! I realize that the paths we tread here are sometimes esoteric, but I do enjoy the “deep dive” into God’s Word every day. It is encouraging to me because it helps me see the deeper meanings that provide the foundation for the Word.
That three minute Bible.com could catch on Rich.
How can we encourage each other with God’s Word?
Find a quiet place and share what God is doing in our lives, revealing in our hearts.
My bring me back to reality verse is Matthew 6:33, ” But first and most importantly seek His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you also. “
Jesus is pointing us back to the first commandment of His summation of the whole law in Matthew 22:37-39. Powerful words.
As Christians, we have one real objective, and that is to abide in Christ, John 15:1-11, walking by the Spirit, Galatians 5:16, and being in Christ.
Seeking His Kingdom and His righteousness, His way of being and doing right, His attitude and character, we find ourselves living each moment in the presence of God, full of faith, full of the Spirit, and loving what is right. We place ourselves under God’s authority. On earth, this would include physical as well as emotional and spiritual sickness, death, sin, pain, discouragement and unbelief.
Seeking God’s Kingdom and his righteousness is a full-time job. God opens our minds to work we seem to have missed, presents opportunities we had not seen. We find ourselves without the time, energy, or mental capacity to also worry about “all these things of the world” temporal matters, issues which the world system presents as a distraction to pull us away from our true calling.
Living in God’s truths bring peace and true joy into our hearts because this is where we now belong. God has called us, we have said yes, now we can only be happy doing what we know is right rather than sitting in sorrow as we watch all we once valued fall apart. It always been falling apart, we just did not see it until we became a new creation of God.
Well said, Ron.
There is a mystical quality to walking in faith. We cannot “see” with our eyes of flesh. We have to rely on our inner eyes. With these inner eyes we look for the things that are unseen. Thank you!