Strength, Hope, and Encouragement

I meet a lot of wonderful people in my therapeutic water exercise class. They are such an encouragement and inspiration to me every day.

Margaret has serious heart problems and is on oxygen. She arrives in a wheel chair and enters the pool very slowly. Tubing runs from her oxygen tank to more than the width of the pool.

The first time I met her she had not walked across the width of the pool. As we talked she started walking with me toward the other side of the pool. I’m not sure she was aware of what was happening. When we got to the other side her face lit up with a beautiful smile of accomplishment.

I asked her if she wanted to return to the other side. “Only if you go with me, honey,” she burst out with laughter.

She has continued walking forward and back across the pool each day. She gets tired and moves slowly, sometimes stopping, but she is doing it with an attitude of happy commitment and the support and encouragement of all her new friends.

There are times when we need someone to help lessen our burdens; someone to walk beside us to cheer us on and give us hope and encouragement.

Help comes when we turn to God and trust Him to give us the strength we need for the day, peace and rest.

Scripture Thought: Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)

Get Through Hard Times: Live in the Spirit

We have been looking at attitudes to live by. We know what God expects of us. This week we will be looking at how the Spirit can help us grow and develop attitudes to live as God expects.

The Holy Spirit is with us. The Holy Spirit lives in every believer and this should show in our character, our attitudes, and the way we live our lives. Good character and good attitudes take time to grow in our lives. They require our constant attention to keep in step with the Holy Spirit. Walking with the Holy Spirit means asking and allowing the Holy Spirit to strengthen and direct us in what we need. We stay in touch with the Holy Spirit through prayer, daily reading of scripture, and a heart’s desire to follow God’s will for us. We know what God expects of us. We know we need and have the Holy Spirit to help us meet His expectations.

Tuesday – The Holy Spirit Lives in You

Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Sprit lives in you? 1 Corinthians 3:16

Talk it! Paul was talking about the character of the church or Christian community. Corinth had pagan temples but Corinthian Christians, themselves, were the only temple for God. Every believer is a temple for the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit lives in every believer and this should show in our character, our attitudes, and the way we live our lives.

Live it! Are you growing more Christlike in your attitudes or have your circumstances caused you to slip onto a different path? Who or what is guiding your life? Are you allowing your circumstances to crowd God out of your day? Where can you pay more attention toward giving more time to God? Choose to spend more time in prayer and studying scripture to get to know God and the Spirit that lives in you.

Pray it! Thank God for His Holy Spirit. Especially during hard times, ask for the Sprit to give you guidance and strength. Ask Him to renew your mind and heart each day. Ask Him to help you strengthen your desire to hang on to the hope that comes through walking in the Spirit through any of life circumstances.

Where is Your Hope?

My Hope is in Jesus!

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

Scripture Comments: Read today’s scripture several times. Where is your trust? Where is your hope? Nurture your hope through prayer, meditation, reading scripture and looking for opportunities to lovingly share the hope you have. Overflow with hope and spread the good news!


He is risen! He is risen indeed!

Please journal your thoughts today.

Where is Your Hope?

What is Your Answer?

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…
1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)

Scripture Comments: Christians have hope that gives them strength in daily life. You have access to peace and joy in happy times, ordinary times, and hard times. Your hope is noticeable to others. Others will ask you about it. You should be able to explain the reasons for your hope, for being a Christian. What will be your answer for the hope you have when someone asks you?

Look for opportunities that God puts before you to share, in love, your hope.

Please journal your thoughts today.

Where is Your Hope?

God’s Promises

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. Hebrews 6:19a (NIV)

Scripture Comments: Think about what an anchor does. It firmly and securely attaches to things and keeps them safe. Jesus, through his death on the cross, gave us the way into God’s presence. Hope, confidence in God’s promises, is like an anchor for our souls. Jesus interceded taking on our sins that separated us from God. This allows us to be adopted as sons and daughters of God. We are secure in His promises.

What promises of God are like “an anchor for [your] soul?”

Journal your thoughts today...

Where is Your Hope?

Focus on Christ

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV)

Scripture Comments: What cannot be seen or touched, but is eternal and forever really matters. A believer’s hope is not in the present world on earth. Our present world is temporary. Our hope is in Christ who died that we may live and live eternally. Christ cannot be seen or touched but His significance in a Christian’s life is very real. Focus on Jesus!

Where is your hope? Where is your focus?

Please journal your thoughts today...

Monday: Where is Your Hope?

He is Risen!

He is Risen Indeed!

Do you believe this? Has the reality of the resurrection of Christ caused a change in your life? Challenge yourself to spend more time in your love for God through daily prayer, meditation and reading scripture. Allow God's blessings to flow to you and through you.

Paul says, “I ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do…”
Ephesians 1:18 (The Message)

Please journal your thoughts for today...