ENCOURAGEMENT-12 (1 John 2:15-17)

ARE YOU DISCOURAGED AND IN NEED OF ENCOURAGEMENT?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves
the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in
world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride
of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The
world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will 
of God lives forever.
(1 John 2:15-17)

MEDITATION:
In a world that seemingly has gone mad, wouldn’t it be
great to hear something encouraging? We can become
saddened and even depressed when we see the turmoil
in our world today. When we have feelings of despair,
we can open God’s Word and find great news! If we do
the will of God, we can live forever!

Think about what that means – living forever starts with
right now, doesn’t it? Certainly it means that we will live
eternally whenever we pass through death, but it also means
we can enjoy life while we are living right now. And isn’t that
what we want – to live (really live) an enjoyable life each day?

In order for us to do the will of God, we have to start with loving
Him. We are not to love Him along with everything else; we are to
love Him more than anything else. If we love the things of the world,
then our love for God is diluted, isn’t it? We can love the world, or
we can love God, but according to His Word, we cannot love both.

We are even given some measurements to determine if our love is
misdirected toward the world. Love for the world means we selfishly
follow the lust of our flesh and our eyes. When we do that, it means
we have turned our back toward God, because we are giving much
of our attention to the world.

When pride arises in our hearts, it influences the things we do,
and we forget that God has given us everything we have (skills,
talents, spiritual gifts, success, etc.). Pride in doing a good job
and performing at your best is good thing, but when we read
in the scriptures that God hates pride, it is referring to an
arrogant pride (which includes an egotistical attitude).

When we have an arrogant pride, it is an indication that we are
becoming independent and feel less of a need for the Lord in our
life. We incorrectly assume that we can do just fine without Him.

Some have been misguided by Satan into thinking they will
‘help God out’ by handling some things on their own. Seriously?
God is God and He doesn’t need our help in the least. What He
wants from us is, our dependence, and not our independence.

When we depend on God, we create a closer relationship with
Him, and that in itself, is encouraging and refreshing. We know
how we can be easily attracted to the things of this world, and it
means that we will probably have to make a concentrated effort
to draw nearer to our Creator, but when we do, we will be reap
the benefits of our efforts!

Let’s be honest, everyone needs the assurance that someone will
always be there for us. Someone who knows us, cares about us,
and can comfort us during the deepest valleys of our lives. Since
God is the One we need, we should make every effort to grow
closer to Him through consistent prayer and reading His Word.

He knows more about us than we know about ourselves, so He is
uniquely qualified to meet our needs in all situations. When we
are discouraged, hopefully we have friends who will ‘come beside
us’ and want to help, but lack the ability to read our hearts in the
same way that God can. We should cherish friends like that, but
we still have a need for the Lord in our life at all times.

ACTION:
Do you want to start ‘living forever’ right now? Do you want
to start enjoying a good life in the midst of turmoil? If you do,
then follow the instructions from God’s Word. Love God more
than you do the world, and then, do His will.

Are you going through a difficult time right now? If so, then
how are you handling it? Are you in a silo trying to handle it
in your own strength, or have you poured out your heart and
concerns to the Lord and expressed your faith in His ability to
help you through your valley of despair?

The Peace of God Will Guard Your Heart (by Max Lucado)

When mariners describe a tempest that no sailor can escape, they
call it a “perfect storm”. Not perfect in the sense of ideal, but all
the elements, such as hurricane-force winds plus a cold front plus
a downpour of rain, work together to create an insurmountable
disaster. The perfect recipe for disaster.

Will I survive? When you present your requests to God with thanksgiving,
“the peace of God… will guard your heart” (Philippians 4:7 NIV). In other
words, as you do your part and release the worry to God, He does His part
by bestowing on you His perfect peace. You should be worried… but you’re
not. You should be upset… but you are calm. The peace of God transcends
all logic, scheming, and efforts to explain it.

When Paul was faced with a “perfect storm” at sea, he told the sailors,
“Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve
stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul… God has graciously
given you the lives of all who sail with you'” (Acts 27:23–24 NIV). On
the deck of a sinking ship, God sent angels to minister to Paul. He will
do the same for you. Unlike the world, His resources are limitless and
His peace is permanent.

Perhaps you’ve prayed and prayed and heard nothing. Don’t give up!
Rest in the truth that just as God sent angels to protect those in the Bible,
He will send His angels to protect you—even as your storm continues to
rage. When you gave your life to Him, He took you into His family as a
cherished child. He has purpose for your days, and invites you to join in
accomplishing His will in the world. He will use the storms to grow your
faith and trust in Him.

When you seek the Lord, you will find Him. So seek Him first. Lead with
worship and thanksgiving. Go first to your Father in prayer and praise.
Confess to Him your fears. Gather with His people. Set your face toward
God. Cry out for help. Admit your weakness. Then, once God moves, take
a step and move with Him.

Expect to see the God of ages fight for you. He is near, as near as your
next breath. You may be facing the perfect storm, but Jesus offers the
perfect peace.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, forgive me if I have too much love for the world.
Forgive me if I have too much pride and am ruled by the lust for
worldly things. I want all of my love to be directed toward you so
I can start enjoying life now, and look forward to an eternal life
in Your presence. Thank You for loving me at all times with a love
that cannot be duplicated by anyone in this world! Teach me how
to let Your love flow through me, so I will be an encourager to others
who are hurting. Give me the wisdom to remind them (and myself),
of the importance of sharing our hurts and concerns with You, and
how You love us and can help us more than we could imagine us in
all situations.”

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