Encouragement Archives | Page 2 of 21

September 10, 2026

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September 10, 2026

Who . . . or What . . . is First in Your Life?

“Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.” Malachi 3:8 (NKJV) In today’s society there is lots of pressure to have the best of everything. TV ads tout, “You deserve it!” Then, subconsciously and sometimes unrealistically, they embed in the minds of the susceptible that they can have it all. Lynda faithfully tithes to her church each payday, and also gives offerings. At Lynda’s workplace, though, Dana, a new employee, is hired. Beautiful and single, she dresses in name brand styles and drives an […]

September 9, 2026

Truth

“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.” 1 John 4:1-3 (NIV) When a person is teaching or following a way that […]

September 8, 2026

September 8, 2026

Ed’s Perspective

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:7-8 (NIV) These are words from a letter that the aging Apostle Paul sent to his young protégé, Timothy, as he was coming to the end of his life and ministry. Today I talked to Ed, a godly elder in his last days here […]

September 7, 2026

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September 7, 2026

Don’t Run Away Like Jonah

“I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people.” Jonah 4:2b (NLT) The story of Jonah tells of God’s judgement, and of His mercy. Nineveh was a very violent and wicked place. God is holy and can’t stand sin, so He planned to destroy it. He commanded Jonah to go to Nineveh to warn them, and to preach repentance. But Jonah had no love for those people. He knew about God’s forgiving heart, so he went in the opposite direction! You […]

September 6, 2026

September 6, 2026

Expressing My Gratitude

“What you say flows from what is in your heart.” Luke 6:45 (NLT); “I thank my God every time I remember you.” Philippians 1:3 (NIV) Some people may think that sending “Thank You” notes is old fashioned. However we do it, it should never become old fashioned to acknowledge our appreciation for others. Like the verses above say, if our hearts are in the right place, then it should be natural to speak words of thankfulness, or put it in writing. I have tried to remember to do this, but I know I have failed many times. Often, we might […]

September 5, 2026

September 5, 2026

When We Need Courage

“Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” Esther 4:14b (NLT) Whenever I read the Book of Esther, I am always so impressed with the courage that Esther showed in many ways. I especially notice it when she requested to appear before King Xerxes uninvited. In that culture, to do so could mean death. Yet she did as requested by her cousin, Mordecai. He thought that maybe there was a reason that Esther had been made queen for this very time—to help her people. She had courage, and went before the king uninvited, […]

September 4, 2026

September 4, 2026

The Lord is My Portion

“The Levites have no portion among you, for the priesthood of the Lord is their heritage.” Joshua 18:7a (ESV) After I devoted my life to the Lord, I went to Bible college. I was tested there—academically, spiritually, and personally. It was a long road. Part of that journey was trying to adjust to a different society. As a Native American coming off the reservation, I was a minority. My worldview and strange sense of humor were basically a foreign language to those around me, and not to mention I was considered an “older than average student.” I didn’t do well […]

September 3, 2026

September 3, 2026

Truth and Lies

“He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44b (NIV) Have you ever thought about how much damage a lie can do? According to the above scripture, the father of lies is a murderer. Murder brings a lot of damage and pain! Wes and I got married at age 19 in the mid-1960s. Back then, a lie was a great offense, even in secular society. I don’t have room to […]

September 2, 2026

September 2, 2026

You’re Still There, God?

“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” 1 Peter 5:10 (ESV) After lifting something too heavy, things went very wrong with my health. I ended up in emergency surgery for an umbilical hernia that strangulated. After surgery, my body rejected the mesh they’d put in, and I had three surgeries in three months in an effort to save my life. I spent over 120 days on a couch, as my body tried to heal. Home Care […]