Daily Encouragement

“Now that we know what we have — Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God — let’s not let it slip through our fingers. We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all — all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.” (Hebrews 4:14-16, The Message)

If you believe that asking for help as a sign of weakness, you’re right! It is a sign of weakness.

Knowing our true state, God has provided the example of His Son — tested in every human situation, and having passed each test with a perfect score; and He has provided His own spirit to give us the inspiration and the power to succeed.

Trouble and trial stalk us like prey. “Take the mercy. Accept the help.” – Luther

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June 25

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“Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not.” (Acts 7:25, NIV)

It surprises us — as it did Moses — that others do not realize our status as God’s rescue agent. From “the outside looking in,” we see situations differently than those in the crisis.

At such moments — when we are filled with enthusiasm, energy, and ardor — we need to guard against the temptation to become “tactical”; that is, to become more concerned about a particular, single battle than we are the entire war. Many have lost wars despite having won most of the battles. The key is to choose, and to fight, the right battles.

Above all, it is crucially important that we keep our ego in check. The recognition and praise of others is a poor barometer (as we saw with Jesus on Palm Sunday when he entered Jerusalem to the praise of the people, only to hear many of those same voices call for His crucifixion a few days later).

Instead, work assiduously for the honor and the glory of our heavenly Father. – Luther