The Gooch Lane church of Christ is a group of people in Madison, Alabama seeking to study the Bible and put God’s teachings into practice. We’d love to have you join us for Bible study and worship.
All in Encouragement
For all of history’s benefits, there is also a tragic element. Humans have a keen tendency to allow the past to master their present.
As pernicious influences seek to diminish this right, may every American cling to it more firmly, and may every child of God pray that this freedom continues and that it can be used to the glory of God.
We must make time to cultivate this attitude; it is a choice to be joyful. As Christians, we have been called out of bondage, darkness, and death through the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
Why did God send so many prophets to the Northern Kingdom which did not obey him? Because God loved them. Because a physician goes to those who are sick. Because a good shepherd knows which sheep are his.
“Which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’” (Luke 14:28-30)
God has made it clear not only that He wants us to pray, but also to trust that our prayers can have great impact. To this end, the apostle Paul admonished Christians to “pray without ceasing” (I Thessalonians 5:17) and the writer James stated, “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (5:16b ESV). A life devoted to prayer with a faith that trusts these prayers are heard by the Lord should build confidence in His children!
Loneliness is a terrible feeling that is easily exacerbated by difficulties or losses. Few of us could honestly say that we have never experienced this feeling, even though we have many people around us. Loss of loved ones, disappointments with family members, and disputes with brethren are only a few situations that can bring us to join the prophet Elijah in saying, “I alone am left.” It is for this very reason that God has filled the pages of the Bible with both commands to encourage and examples of encouragers.
