Encourage Yourself

Saturday, September 14, 2024

Good morning, Lord

Verse of the Day:  Philippians 2:1-2

2 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

Memory verse: Psalm 42:2(New American Bible )

"My soul thirsts for God, the living God. When can I enter and see the face of God?"

Today's reading: Proverbs 22-24 2 Corinthians 8

Encourage Yourself

I want us to go back to 2 Corinthians 7 from yesterday just once more and think about the encouragement of which Paul spoke and ask us all to look inside ourselves.

Paul writes in verse 13: "This is the reason we have been encouraged."

I will list some of the ways Paul was encouraged by the Corinthians by verse:

Verse 10-The grief(pain) of being 'corrected' by Paul was handled in God's way, saying that they had turned back to God. The world's way leads to death.(They put their sin and pain in God's hands)

Verse 11- They  showed diligence, longing, and readiness to make things right. Their previous behavior was obviously sinful.

Verse 12- They showed how deep their devotion was.

I am not correcting anyone. This is about getting our feelings hurt when we have done wrong to folks around us. We should hear the Holy Spirit in our minds encouraging us to be renewed in confession to God and humility to one another.(Ephesians 4:23)

This is also about forgiving when we have been wronged. The Lord is patient with us-perfectly patient. We must humbly ask Him for that same patience to forgive those we feel are at fault.

In the power of the Holy Spirit and in His counsel, we should be diligent in seeking a Godly attitude in handling 'social' grief(hurt).

Philippians 2:5 ►New International Version

"In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus-(who)"verse 7, "...emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness.…

In light of God's patience with us and in light of these passages we should have a Godly readiness and a longing to make things right.

There it is...we should-so why don't we have that longing-that readiness? We have lost consciousness of the Mind Of Christ- consciousness of the divine counsel of the Holy Spirit.

So do as the Corinthians did-they ran to God and humbled themselves under His mighty hand.

Run to God, let go of your control and run to God and He will do it.

Encourage yourself...

...because He loves us...

Father in Heaven

Your name is greater than all my knowledge. Forgive me for not following and walking away and for thinking I need control. Lead me in this day  by Your bread and power and lead me away from self.

Patient and forgiving Father,

In the name of Christ Jesus,

Amen