Author Archives: Daily Encouragement

February 3
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“’I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.’”  (Revelation 1:8, NIV)

To know God is to know that our past, present, and future are all securely in His care.

Our God is the beginning.  There was nothing — and no one — preceding Him.

Our God is the end. . . without end.  No one — and no thing — follows Him.

Therefore, we need not continue to lament the things of the past for which we’ve repented.  What may be losses to us have the potential for redemption when abandoned to the eternal plan of God.  – Luther

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February 1
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“Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him.  ‘By what authority are you doing these things?’ they asked.  ‘And who gave you this authority?’”  (Matthew 21:23, NIV)

There are some things that God requires that confounds the watching world: Love for one’s enemies; forgiveness of those who have harmed us; rejoicing in trial; and hopefulness in adversity.

As a disciple of Jesus, be prepared to answer those who ask: “By what authority. . .?”, because the ways of God are sometimes foreign even to those who inhabit the “temple courts” as the chief priests and elders of the people did in Jesus’ day.  Our “authority” is our heavenly Father.  It is His spirit within us.  It is His word informing our decisions.  We aspire to be like Him.

As many of us were taught years ago by our parents: Resist “peer pressure”; and obey the teaching of the One who created us, and loves us — no matter what, and no matter who.   – Luther

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January 31
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“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.”  (Romans 5:3, NLT)

The only way to become a successful long-distance runner is to put in the miles over a period of time.  Anything less, and the runner fails because he or she lacks endurance.

God is building into us endurance (perseverance) through various problems and trials as a cross-country coach might send his runners over rough, hilly, trails; and through spongy meadows, knowing that in order to overcome, a runner must first endure.

God is fitting each one of us for His purposes.  Trials and problems come into our life only with God’s permission.  He permits them only to the extent that they are necessary to run the course we cannot yet see — or to run beside the individual we have not yet met.

When we keep in mind the beneficial outcomes of our trials, we can rejoice.  – Luther

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