Posted on by sufficientgrace4u

Rouse One Another To Good

I am exhausted. Exhausted from the daily news. Exhausted from politics. Exhausted from social media. Exhausted from technology. Exhausted from processed food. Exhausted from work and general busyness. Exhausted! And yet I continue to turn to all of these things, even though none of it makes any sense.

It is new year resolution time and I long for Peace. Time. Quiet. I long to spend time with God, to sit quietly with God, to listen to His word. I know this is what I need, but it is halfway through January and I haven’t made any resolution or taken any action to do better.

I was blessed this week to spend some time sitting on a beach, but it left me feeling more tired than ever because my thoughts were still in the busyness of the world.

Better than a beach, I was blessed to spend time with a dear friend who I haven’t seen in a while. And she gave me the greatest gift — the gift of friendship, the gift of time, the gift of reminding me how important our faith is and most importantly how important it is to rouse each other. In Hebrews, we are reminded:

We must consider how to rouse one another to love and good works. We should not stay away from our assembly, as is the custom of some, but encourage one another, and this all the more as you see the day drawing near.

Hebrews 10: 24-25

I have been roused. This is what I needed. We all know what is good, what is right. But the collective world spins in a different direction. It is critical that we rouse one another to love and good works, that we rouse one another to gather as God’s people and in His name, that we encourage one another to do good and to love.

Lord,

Thank you for making us in your image. Thank you for creating others in your image to assist us on this journey. Thank you for calling on us to rouse each other. Help me to continue to gather in your name, to rouse and encourage others as you have roused and encouraged me and to be receptive to your Word and encouragement. Thank you for providing us with another year. Help me to focus on your will and not my own. Help me to be a reflection of you to others. Thank you for sending so many good people, so many reflections of you, into my life!

Posted on by sufficientgrace4u

Sisters in Christ

Tonight I took a well-needed break with some good friends — my sisters in Christ.  A little rejuvenation from an otherwise stressful week.  And when I got home, the Bible opened here:

I give thanks to my God at every remembrance of you, praying always with joy in my every prayer for all of you, because of your partnership for the gospel from the first day until now.   I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.  It is right that I should think this way about all of you, because I hold you in my heart, you who are all partners with me in grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.   For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.  And this is my prayer: that your love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception, to discern what is of value, so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.

Philippians 1:3-11

Paul took the words right out of my mouth.

I read these words and think of my friends.  I give thanks to God for them.  I need to do this more often.  I am blessed with wonderful sisters and wonderful friends.  I know that God works through them and I am confident that He has good plans in store for them.  I hold them in my heart and pray that they will continue to grow in God’s love because when they grow, so do I.  God knows that we need community.  We need people.  God reveals Himself and His love through others.  I see God in my sisters.  I feel God’s love through them.  Together our faith is stronger.  Together I feel closer to God.

Thank you God for the wonderful people you have placed in my life.  Lord, bless them as you have blessed me with them.  Help them to grow in your love.  Help them to grow in knowledge and every kind of perception, to discern what is of value.  Help them follow the path to You.