encouragement

Psalm 26, Proverbs 26

The Lord used several situations to humble and encourage me yesterday, and as I read these verses this morning, I realized that I need to record how the Lord spoke to me yesterday:

Psalm 26:6 ... I come to your altar, O Lord,
7 singing a song of thanksgiving and telling of all your wonders.

As I read the beginning of Psalm 25 yesterday morning, I began to sing the Third Day song based on that passage.  Simply singing that truth was so helpful to set my mind on the spirit.

I am privileged to pray with our pastor and several Brothers before our services each Sunday morning, and it was so encouraged to hear these older Brothers pray.  Praying with them gives you a sense of eternity and strong faith in God.

We had a baby shower before Bible study for one of the couples in our group, and they are such kind and sincere people.

Bible study was so encouraging, because (like one of my Brothers said a few days ago) exercising your spiritual gifts allows the Holy Spirit to flow through you. 

I filled in for someone at the preschool check-in station after Bible study.  On my way there, a dear Brother stopped me in the hall and told me that he ran across my blog (linked from someone else's blog), and he told me that one of the prayers that I had written around Christmas really ministered to him.

Perhaps the most humbling and most encouraging experience was while I was working at the check-in station.  A middle-aged Hispanic lady approached and asked if I could page her daughter-in-law.  She explained that her son had come with her to church but he was not feeling well, so they needed to go home and they were all riding together.  As we waited, she went on to explain that her son had been hanging around with the wrong crowd and recently dropped out of high school.  She said that she had been praying that he would come to church with her, but until this past week, he wouldn't.  But just a few days ago, her son lost control of his car as he was entering an apartment complex and crashed into the brick and concrete column at the entrance.  He told her that just before he crashed, he tried to straighten out the car, but he felt someone push him out of the driver seat into the middle.  The concrete block smashed right through the windshield and into the driver seat, and he miraculously escaped the crash with only bruises and cuts.  He told his mom that he knew that God had given him a second chance.  She was so thankful that he had come to church with her, but she was especially thankful that when her son went to the young-singles department, someone walked right up to him and welcomed him; he's pretty intimidating looking - 6' 5", shaved head, tattoos on both arms.  But someone welcomed him and visited with him.  He told his mom that he wanted to come back next week, but he was still in pain from the wreck and needed to go home to rest. 

As we continued to wait for her daughter-in-law to respond to the page, she continued to share her amazing testimony, and I began to realize that the Lord had arranged for me to hear how He was working in her life and the lives of her family.  She told me that her older son and daughter-in-law had been having a rough time, and she asked her son, "Do you love your family?"  He told her that he did, and she told him, "Then you need to bring your family to church."  She said that she set up an appointment for them to visit with the married adult minister at our church, and they were so encouraged and got plugged in after that meeting.  Recently, they were both baptized in our fellowship!

But the Lord blew me away as she told me more.  She said that a few years ago she got throat cancer, and that she lost everything during the treatment.  She couldn't work during the treatment, and she became homeless for some time.  But her face brightened as she told me that she has been in remission for six months, and she is now working three jobs and is able to have a place to stay and pay her bills.  She said that her family wasn't able to have a typical Christmas celebration this year, but she told her family that she was thankful to God that her family was together and safe and healthy.  But just before Christmas, a group from our church showed up at their doorstep with Christmas presents for their family and some cash to help out with bills!  She said that if you ask her grandchildren today who gave them the presents, they will tell you, "The Church gave us these presents - the Church of Jesus."  Hallelujah!  That is the Body of Christ!  Hallelujah!

Yesterday evening one of the Brothers that joined recently joined our class sent me an email telling me that he appreciated my purposeful planning and teaching each week.  One of the other Brothers that asked me how I was doing and sincerely listened to me yesterday sent me an email this morning saying that he was praying for me.

How wonderful is the love of the Father, demonstrated through the Holy Spirit working through His Children in the Church of the Son!

Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for your rich love, your mercy, and your grace!  May your name be praised among the nations!  Thank you for you kindness to me, and thank you for encouraging me through the Brothers and Sisters in the Body.  Lord, thank you for humbling me through these interactions yesterday.  Lord, please forgive me for my lack of faith.  Please help me seek your face.  Lord, please use me to communicate your love to others.  May I be a vessel for you to pour out the love and victory of Christ through your Holy Spirit.  I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.