God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. Hebrews 6:10
Encouragement is so important for the follower of God!
Think about it, Jesus took twelve men from the masses and moved them into his inner circle. Day by day he taught them, encouraging them in the ways of God, the benefits of the new covenant, the Father’s promise of grace for all who believe, and the coming persecution that would begin with him and trickle down to his followers. Every day Jesus had another lesson to teach these men, and every day those lessons were peppered with encouragement.
Fight the good fight, He said.
Never lose your faith in God! He commanded.
Remember, He urged, You are light and salt in this place. Stay focused and be a blessing!!!
If you’ve walked with the Lord for any amount of time you know that being Christian doesn’t magically remove you from the toils and trials of this world. Far from it! In fact, a case could be made for the belief that God’s plan for Christians is that they would all be teachers of how to survive hardship and still trust in Him! It’s as if God is saying to our souls: show them, love them, forgive them, help them. Help them? The one’s doing the persecuting? I know, it seems like backward thinking, but it’s not. It is grace in its purest form.
When we hurt and rebound, responding with love, forgiveness, and grace for those who wound us, the truth of the gospel is proven to a dying world. We don’t do it for awards, or accolades, or even for our oppressors. We do it for Jesus, because of all He’s done for us!
Today, be encouraged. God sees, He knows, and He is keeping track. Your sacrifices do not go unnoticed. They are not swept under the rug, or blown away by adversity. Jesus knows them intimately, and God will never forget them. Whatever you do for Him, it matters.
When have you felt God’s grace moving you to forgive when it made absolutely no sense to you? What have you been given forgiveness that meant everything?
Lori's World 