Be Encouraged

1 Samuel 30:6(b) says "but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God". Reflecting this week on how important and priceless it is for us to encourage others, I looked to the concordance for the scriptures containing the word "encourage" and was surprised that it appears very few times. It was not surprising, though, to find that one those verses contains a lesson for us in encouragement.

We all need encouragement on a regular basis. We need to encourage one another, be generous with our thanks and recognition for each person's gifting and talents and for the little things that often go unnoticed. As much as we need to give encouragement, we are also built up by the encouragement we receive from others. Usually I would have stopped here in my thought on encouraging one another, but God's Word gives us another step.

Absent the encouragement of another we have the gift of encouraging ourselves in the Lord. What a wonderful thought! When we are down and out and discouraged, we can escape to the presence of the Lord and encourage ourselves. Our Father will relish the opportunity to renew and inspire us. He is our biggest cheerleader.

Now, go get your encouragement!

What's Following You?

Read Lamentations 3:21-23
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Lam%203:21-23&version=9

What’s following you these days? Sometimes the consequences of our own bad decisions seem to follow us throughout life. While we may have moments when it seems they are at last truly behind us, we often turn the corner to find them standing in our path again. Are you looking over your shoulder, waiting to see what trouble may be gaining on you? Are you winded from trying to stay ahead of life’s trials?

Psalm 23:6 says “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Imagine now that you are running just ahead of a tidal wave about to be overtaken by . . . what? Trouble? Yes, if you choose. But it doesn’t have to be that way. When we choose Christ and decide to follow Him, His blood covers our sins. The tidal wave of goodness and mercy now pursue us – great, isn’t it? A tidal wave of blessings, God’s covering, always on our heels.

Now, what’s following you?

Heavenly Father, my Shepherd, thank you for your goodness and mercy. I choose You.

God is not waiting for us. He is pursuing us . . . like a highway patrolman pursuing you down the interstate with lights flashing and sirens blaring to get you to stop –not to give you a ticket, but to give you a message so good it couldn’t wait till you get home. Charles Stanley, Into His Presence

A Think Ye Devotional from
Rainbows & Mustard Seeds Ministry
Written by Tina Neeley

Hope Deferred

Hope deferred makes the heart sick; but when dreams come true at last, there is life and joy. (Prov 13:12 TLB)

I have recently found myself thinking about the meaning of this scripture. “Hope deferred” what does that mean exactly? In The American Heritage Dictionary hope has been defined theologically as the desire and search for a future good, difficult but not impossible to attain with God’s help. Deferred means delayed, so what causes us to have delayed hope?

As Christians, we are not without hope, yet our lives are often lived as if we are hopeless. Since we can safely put our hope and faith in the Lord and His promises, delayed hope can certainly be a strategy of the enemy. For many years I have refused to allow myself to dream, giving this scripture special meaning for me. I have wasted many years of my life pushing down the desire to write, believing that to pursue a dream would be to waste my time and attention on foolish things and distract me from dealing with the realities of my life. My God is not restricted by my realities, yet I failed for many years to even consider it.

This blog is a dream come true. I have written more in the past six months than I have written in most of my adult life, and I can honestly say that I have found life and joy in pursuing this dream. I was slow to permit myself to dream, but I am no longer bound by that particular stronghold. Rainbows (promises) and Mustard Seeds (faith) represents my faith in His promises and my resolve to pursue them for the rest of my life.

I encourage you to search your heart and give yourself permission to dream. Seek God’s will for the direction of your dreams. Don’t delay the life and joy that comes from placing your dreams in the hope of the Lord. Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you that hope in the Lord! (Ps 31:24)

Heavenly Father, uphold me according to thy word, that I may live; and let me not be ashamed of my hope, for you have said, blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. Amen (Ps 119:15; Jer 17:7)

Father's Day

The Lord is like a Father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. Ps 103:13 NLT

The calendar says today is Father’s Day. Well, every Sunday is our Heavenly Father’s day. And because every day we live is a gift from God, every day is actually Father’s day. Are we conscious of this? Most of the time, I think, the busyness of life keeps us from recognizing it.

The tired and discouraged employee may see the new day as another dread. The chronically ill person may see the day as another day of pain. The grieving wife or mother may see the day as a long, silent, empty day that must be endured. For most, it is often just another day in the rat race of life.

To those who trust and hope in the Lord, it does not have to be this way. Sometimes we just have to be reminded of it.

Happy Father’s Day, Ya’ll.

ADJUST THE SAILS

Scripture: Read Psalm 107:23-31

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps%20107:23-31&version=31



“We cannot direct the wind but we can adjust the sails.” – Chinese fortune cookie

Saving the tiny slip of paper from the fortune cookie for future consideration, I immediately saw this as a reminder from God. The winds of the storms of our lives blow hard at times. Often we feel like small sail boats tossed in the midst of a dark, raging sea, holding on for dear life.
Oh that we could see our way clear to turn our sails and our eyes upon Jesus before we find ourselves in the midst of the storm! Our Savior calmed the sea and walked on water. True, we have no ability to direct the wind, and we will face times of trials and discouragement, but we have hope and promise in Jesus.

Prayer: Heavenly Father who calms the sea and walks on water, help us turn our sails toward You before we find ourselves in the eye of the storm.

Just think . . . .Do you need to adjust your sails?

The Winds of Fate
by
Ella Wheeler Wilcox

One ship drives east and another drives west
With the self-same winds that blow;
‘Tis the set of the sails
And not the gales
That tells them the way to go.
Like the winds of the sea are the winds of fate
As we voyage along through life;
‘Tis the set of the soul
That decides its goal
And not the calm or the strife.



A Think Ye Devotional from
Rainbow & Mustard Seed Ministry
Written by Tina Neeley

A Special Treasure

Have you ever felt like a treasure? Recently I noted in my journal that I love the feeling I get when flipping in my Bible from the concordance to the scriptures on a quest for scripture that supports an idea or treasure I feel God is helping me unearth. Strangely enough, I noted, I am one of God’s treasures. The King James Version of Exodus 19:5 states “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people.”
Peculiar in this scripture actually means special. I’m sure most of us can associate with feeling peculiar, but feeling special and like a treasure is not quite so common or comfortable to us.

"Obey my voice and keep my covenant" was spoken by God to Moses as a message to the Israelites and is likened to the New Testament call of Jesus “Follow Me.” If you have accepted Jesus as savior and answered His call you are a child of the King, and a treasure indeed.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Rom 8:14 KJV

Why Write? Pass the Coin

Since December 17, 2007, I have felt very strongly that God was encouraging me to write and learn all I could about writing. Often I question myself on whether or not I actually have anything to say worth hearing. Although I've not literally searched for the statistic, there are no doubt millions of blogs -- everyone has something to say about something. Who am I to add to the pile?

I have noted inside the cover of my journal the following quote in answer to these doubts of mine: "So whenever you hear a good thing just put it down, because if it's good for you it will be good for somebody else; and we should pass the coin of heaven 'round just as we do other current coin." - D. L. Moody in the introduction to the Bible Readers Guide by F. S. Schenk

Rainbows and mustard seeds........Rainbows - promise..........Mustard Seeds - faith. God gives His promises and asks only for the tiniest speck of faith to open the windows of heaven and secure our salvation.

Heavenly Father, sometimes I make things too complicated. Let me realize the foundation of my faith rests on simple trust in You. Lead me one step at a time. Amen

The Think Ye Story

As I slept June 7, 2007, God gave me a dream. In this dream, Philippians 4:8 was shown to me as a flower. This verse says: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” “True, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy” were each inscribed on the petals of the flower, with “think on these things” in the flower’s center.

God has engraved this scripture upon my heart. Confirmations abound that He has great plans for my life, and the key to reaching His goals is to keep my thoughts focused on these things. I believe this is the key for all of God’s children. At times we all need our focus redirected and reminded that God has great plans for His children.

God is so good, and I hope that you will allow Him to reveal His faithfulness to you. I pray as you read these devotionals and random thoughts your attention and thoughts will be redirected to things true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy.