Pastor John D Jakes

Pastor, author, husband, father (the roles keep switching day by day)

The Power of Encouragement

This week I am thinking about God’s uncommon faithfulness. He was faithful to Paul when he was heading to Rome. Paul’s relationship with God tells us much about God’s relationship with all of His people. God is faithful. He encourages. He works when we cannot see Him. He cannot be stopped! (See Acts 27-28)

This got me thinking… It isn’t that God can’t do these things when a person doesn’t believe in Him. It’s just that the person who doesn’t believe, won’t see God working. They may give credit to luck. They may give credit to themselves. Too often, the person who is going through a rough patch won’t even see the good in their lives at all. How sad is that?

With all that said, it makes me think about the person who doesn’t know (or remember) that God is there for them. Have you ever noticed how comforted or transformed that person becomes when they learn of God’s abiding presence and power to care for them? It’s like the transformation in the picture above. We may feel beaten down, ugly, and small. God’s Word tells us that we are loved, important, and cared for. We are new creations! We are suddenly different. Our circumstances may have not changed, but our hope has. Our understanding of ourselves in God has.

That is the power of encouragement. If you are here today and you don’t know it – Know this: God is real and He wants to care for your life in Jesus Christ! Won’t you live in that knowledge today?

If you are here and you have forgotten it – You can be that voice of encouragement to someone today! Be the voice for someone. Who knows? You may even be speaking for God…

Something to think about,

Pastor John

Pastor John

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One response to “The Power of Encouragement”

  1. annetteb8578136af Avatar
    annetteb8578136af

    Thank you. Yes, we all need encouragement from time to time. I had a rough patch myself this week, and I felt God direct me to a certain devotion that I hadn’t picked up in a long while. In Jesus Calling, May 22, I read…..”When things don’t go as you would like, accept the situation immediately. If you indulge in feelings of regret, they can easily spill over the line into resentment. Remember that I am sovereign over your circumstances, and humble yourself under My mighty hand. Rejoice in what I am doing in your life, even though it is beyond your understanding. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. In Me you have everything you need, both for this life and for the life yet to come. Don’t let the impact of the world shatter your thinking or draw you away from focusing on Me. The ultimate challenge is to keep fixing your eyes on Me, no matter what is going on around you. When I am central in your thinking, you are able to view circumstances from My perspective. I Peter 5:6: John 14:6″ Wow, when I read that, I was so very encouraged. It reminded me that God is in control, even if I may not like the way it’s going. I can just trust Him and humble myself in submission to His plan. So, I just keep my eyes on the cross and stumble onward. Once I realized this, my anxious heart was calmed, and I could relax in Him. I was so grateful for that encouragement. I just wanted to share how God encouraged me this week. Thank you,

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