Tag: Encouragement

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

As we step into Monday, the weight of responsibilities can sometimes overwhelm us. The start of a new week often brings a mix of anticipation and pressure. Deadlines loom, schedules fill up, and our minds race with the tasks that need to be done. Yet, Ecclesiastes 3:1 offers a comforting reminder: God has appointed a time for everything. His timing is perfect, even when it feels delayed or unclear. Trusting in His plan allows us to release anxiety and embrace peace, knowing He is orchestrating every moment for our good and His glory.

Reflect today on an area of your life where you’re waiting on God’s timing—perhaps a career decision, a relationship, a personal dream, a personal goal, or a season of healing. It’s easy to grow impatient, wanting answers now, but God’s delays are not denials. His perspective is eternal, and His plans are purposeful. When we surrender our timelines to Him, we find rest in His sovereignty. Instead of striving or worrying, we can lean into faith, trusting that He is working even when we can’t see it.

Think of the seasons in nature: seeds planted in spring don’t bloom until summer, and trees shed leaves in autumn to prepare for new growth. Similarly, God’s timing in our lives has purpose, preparing us for what’s next. Today, choose to trust Him with the unknowns. Let go of the need to control, and invite His peace to guide your steps. As you move through this Monday, let each task, conversation, or challenge be an opportunity to rely on His wisdom and timing.

God’s timing also invites us to be present in the moment. While waiting for the next season, we can miss the lessons and blessings of today. Ask God to open your eyes to His work in the here and now. Whether it’s a kind word to a coworker, a moment of gratitude, or a chance to serve, embrace this day as part of His perfect plan. By focusing on the present, we align our hearts with His purpose, trusting that He is weaving every moment into a beautiful tapestry of grace.

Heavenly Father, I ask You to guide my steps and lead me into Your perfect plan for my life. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

³³ I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. ~ John 16:33

We are taught that life is a series of hilltops and valleys… It’s either, or, but not both at the same time. But that doesn’t seem to be the case at all. It might seem that way when we are on the hilltop, or especially when we are in the valley. We can’t see the forest for the trees.

When all hell breaks loose against us and we can’t even seem to see a hill, much less a hilltop. It’s hard to see the good. It’s hard to stay encouraged. It’s hard to remain joyful.

But to suggest that life is a series of hilltops and valleys would suggest that life is either all good, or all bad. If that is the case, if life is either 100% all good, or 100% all bad, at any given point of time, then how can we rejoice always if it’s all bad, 100% bad? The quick and simple answer is, you can’t, because there would be nothing at all to rejoice about.

There is no problem rejoicing when we’re on the hilltop and life is 100% good. But how can we rejoice if life is 100% bad? So, life is not a matter of hilltops and valleys, but rather, life is like a railroad track.

Train tracks are built with two tracks so that the train rides smoothly on it. There is one track on the right side, and there’s another track on the left side, and we are the train that runs on those two tracks.

The train cannot run on just one, it needs both. It needs the two tracks to safely reach its destination. And if the train runs off the track, or derails, then there is a crash which ends in much loss of product, whatever the train is hauling, and even loss of lives. The environment around the crash site might even be impacted by the crash, depending on the type of material, and if it was toxic or not.

Life is much the same way. On one side we have the good, but on the other side, running parallel right alongside, we have the bad. And when you have a derailment in life, it can become very toxic depending on how you handle the situation. The more anger, the more wrath the more the environmental toxicity.

So, here is how it works. Those tracks that the train runs on, they take that train to its destination. The train cannot move without them. Likewise, the tracks of life have brought us to where we are now. It’s those ups and downs of life that have shaped, molded, and made us who we are today. The things that seem so huge, and even life changing, or life threatening, sometimes turn out to be minimal; or at least, not as impactful as it had appeared to be.

Peace. Love Go Forth and Ride Out The Tracks.

^11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” ~ Jeremiah 29:11^NIV

When I was a kid, I had a teacher, at a Christian school, once tell me that God doesn’t desire to save everyone. Some people He created simply for Hell because He didn’t want them. When I quoted Jeremiah 29:11, she said that that verse is only for the exiled Jews. She then refused to let me respond and just continued speaking over me.

But I want you to think about this for a second Peter tells us in 2 Peter 3:9

⁹ The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Therefore, that teacher wasn’t just wrong but blasphemous as she told such a bold-face lie on God. So, then is Jeremiah 29:11 also for us today? Yes, of course it is. Does God not have plans for us? Does He not want to prosper us? Does He not want to withhold harm from us? Does He not have plans to give us hope and a future? Of course He does. These are our promises as well.

Yes, they were spoken to the people of Judah when they went into the Babylonian exile, but we, as God’s people, can claim them as well because no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly (Psalms 84:11b).

In his message from God, Peter assured us that God does not show partiality to any people, what He has for one, He has for all. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither male nor female when it comes to God’s great promises, and access to Him (Colossians 3:11). We are all the same. With the same opportunities. The same blessings. The same plans. There is no: This is for one but not the other.

The Jews were under the same erroneous understanding. They thought that salvation was only for the Jews, and God’s great promises were for them alone, since the promises were given to them. Paul also corrected that misunderstanding when he iterated the very same thing in Romans 2:11. Listen to me, God loves us. He wants what’s best for us. He will never leave us nor forsake us. God is our defender and our provider. We all have a call and plan for our lives. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Hold Fast To His Plans.

²⁷ And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” ²⁸ And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, “My lord Moses, stop them.” ²⁹ But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put His Spirit on them!” ³⁰ And Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp. ~ Numbers 11:27-30

¹⁶ But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: ¹⁷ ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; ¹⁸ even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.’ ~ Acts 2:16-18

The Day of Pentecost came around 1200 to 1400 years after Moses. It took almost 1500 years for Moses’ prayer to be answered. His prayer that all people could have the Spirit of the LORD on and in them. Moses was long gone, but the desires of his heart were fulfilled. God didn’t forget about Moses’ prayer. He didn’t forget about his desire. God fulfilled it on the Day of Pentecost when He poured out His Spirit on all flesh.

Your prayers may not come to fruition in your lifetime. You may not see them come forth, but they aren’t forgotten. They haven’t been thrown out or discarded. God has never forgotten us. He has never abandoned us. When we delight ourselves in the LORD, He gives us the desires of our hearts.

If God remembered Moses’ desires and brought them to fruition almost 1500 years after he was gone, how much more will He fulfill the desires of His Church? Those whom He dwells with and through. Those who He has washed in His blood and redeemed for His purposes.

Pentecost isn’t just about the founding of the Church. It’s about promises being fulfilled and God’s never-ending love and devotion to His people.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Desire.

All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. ~ Acts 2:4

For ten days 120 people went into the Upper Room and spent time with the LORD in unity. They waited together with one goal in mind, to wait for the promised Holy Spirit. These 120 were the first official members of the body of Christ, yet they weren’t all named. Matter-a-fact, the majority are not named. These weren’t high society overly important men and women, these were just common people.

God doesn’t just use the important, influential, high society men and women. God uses willing hearts who are obedient to His call. We don’t need a huge bank account, important name, or large platform in order to be used by God. You don’t need to be extraordinary—you just need to be available.The Spirit will do the rest.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Be Available.

¹⁸ The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, ¹⁹ to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor. ~ Luke 4:18-19

Jesus is The Way, The Truth, and The Life. That is who Jesus is, and He has done all of that for us. We are living in the year of the LORD’s favor, which speaks of the fiftieth year—the year of Jubilee, because of Him.

Jubilee was the year when all was forgiven. All debts were canceled, slaves were set free, and all property, the inheritance, reverted to its original and rightful owner … And it was Jesus who accomplished all of that for us. But He didn’t leave it at that; He gave us even more …

Eternal life with Him in blissfulness. No eye has seen. No ear has heard. No mind can imagine all that God has in store for us. He’s coming back to get us one day. The day that the Apostles and the early believers called the ‘Blessed Hope,’ or our ‘Blessed Hope.’ So, be encouraged. Kindle your flame. Build His Kingdom.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Prepare For His Return.

⁵ God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. ~ Romans 5:5

As we wrap up our “Abundant Life” journey, let’s pause to marvel at God’s love—the pulse of it all. Paul assures us that “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:5). This love isn’t a mere drip but a deluge, an overflowing fountain that floods our very souls, saturating our every step because His is a steadfast love that lasts forever, through His Holy Spirit. It’s the thread weaving through “Life More Abundantly,” where Jesus offers fullness (John 10:10), to “Help My Unbelief,” where faith falters yet holds (Mark 9:24). This love—steadfast and eternal—lifts us with grace (Abundant Grace), steadies us with peace (Abundant Peace), and fills us with joy (Abundant Joy).

But Jesus didn’t intend for this love to stop with us. “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). This isn’t a cozy keepsake—it’s a bold marker of who we are. Hoard it, and it fades; share it, and it blazes, showing the world Christ’s transforming power.

Take Sarah, a single mom drowning in bills and loneliness. Her neighbor, Mark, saw her weary shuffle and offered to mow her lawn—no strings attached. At first, Sarah blinked, unsure, but as the mower hummed, a weight lifted. Then came a hesitant “thank you,” a chat over lemonade, and soon, a friendship. She felt truly seen—not just noticed, but valued—and Mark found purpose. That’s Life to the Full (John 10:10): love poured out, forging connection. We can do it too—tune out distractions, listen intentionally, hear a friend’s struggle, and echo Jehovah Shammah, “the LORD is there” (Ezekiel 48:35). It’s a simple step that heals a fractured world.

Then there’s James, stewing over a friend’s betrayal. Inspired by Abundant Grace, he texted, “I forgive you—let’s move on.” Tough? Yes. But the Spirit’s love fueled it, mending their bond and healing their relationship, Ephesians 4:32 in action. We, too, can choose kindness over venom, letting Romans 5:5 spill into our daily life with words of hope.

Finally, picture Maria, grilling burgers for neighbors. Laughter erupts, stories flow—it’s a slice of Abundant Joy (Psalms 16:11). It doesn’t take much—a coffee, a prayer night—to reflect God’s steadfast love. So pray boldly, “LORD, show me one person to love today.”

This abundant life isn’t just ours to hoard—it’s for sharing. God’s love, flooding our hearts, demands an outlet. As vessels of His grace, peace, and joy, we extend His love through Spirit-led acts, overflowing with Abundant Love to transform our world, one connection at a time.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your steadfast love. We love, because Your Son Jesus first loved us. Help me share Your love so that others can be ministered to. Healing comes through Your love, Your steadfast love. Let every soul say, “The steadfast love of God is forever.” In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age. ~ Titus 2:11-12^NIV

In a world where we often feel weighed down by our shortcomings, failures, and struggles, God offers us something extraordinary: His Abundant Grace. This grace isn’t earned or deserved—it’s freely given, a lavish gift flowing from His heart of love. The Apostle Paul captures this beautifully in 2 Corinthians 12:9, where God declares, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” What a promise! When we’re at our lowest, when our strength fails and our weaknesses loom large, His Abundant Grace steps in—not just to patch us up, but to empower us, transforming our frailties into a canvas for His strength.

This Abundant Grace meets us in our deepest need, offering forgiveness where we’ve fallen short and mercy where we’ve strayed. It’s the grace that lifts us from the mire of guilt and shame, assuring us that we are seen, known, and loved by a Savior who bore our burdens on the Cross. Through this Abundant Grace, we experience the Abundant Life Jesus promised—a life not defined by our perfection but by His provision. Paul himself embraced this truth, boasting gladly in his weaknesses so that Christ’s power could shine through (2 Corinthians 12:9). And so can we. When we surrender our inadequacies to Him, His Abundant Grace becomes our sufficiency, turning our brokenness into a testimony of His mercy.

Let’s pause and reflect: Are there places in your life where you feel weak or unworthy? Bring them before God today. His Abundant Grace is more than enough, and it’s freely given, endlessly sufficient, and powerfully transformative. It’s the heartbeat of the Abundant Life, where forgiveness washes us clean, mercy restores our souls, and His strength carries us forward. Receive it with open hands, and let it lead you into the fullness of His love.

Heavenly Father, I surrender all to You. All of my cares, my worries, and all of my concerns. I confess all of my shortcomings and all of my mistakes. Please forgive my straying, help me to live a life worthy of Your Abundant Grace that You have lavished on me. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.