in this, i will probably do a "Challenge" at the end of some entries that i do, just to get you thinking. i wont be cheesy and do a "devotional" thing like id do to a youth group.
today i wrote a long letter. i havent done that in a long, LONG time. especially if its a letter for someone else. but its a new thing now i think. it was a 5 page long letter, written to a very special leader in my life. she is just a beautiful spirited person, and i just really felt the Lord wanted to encourage her. she has led hundreds of thousands of people to Christ, witnessed miracles, prayed with thousands, loves people like you wouldn't believe, and somehow, the Lord has let her be in my life. i just really felt like the Lord was saying, "yes, she has an anointing, she is married to a wonderful husband, and has witnessed me work in so many ways, but she gives her all and that never gets appreciated by some people, especially who she pours out herself to". so i wrote her a letter of appreciation. sometimes we all just need a nice long letter. its not intended to flatter. its intended to strengthen. give confidence to them. let them know that someone notices how much they give. i found a joy, a new appreciation, for both her and for letter writing. the fact that i was writing more in one hour than i ever thought possible, made me smile. to get everything out on paper. now, i will probably edit it, but i like it for now. i felt the Lord speaking through me directly to her heart. we all need encouragement, from the homeless man on the street all the way to the President. we all need to feel appreciated, to feel like we hold value to another, to feel we have someone rooting for us. we can see millions of people healed, saved, receive breakthrough, but if we can't have someone rooting for us, we will not be able to go on strong. we will go discouraged. it sounds SO cliche, and completely overused. but its something that we need to do, especially at the end of the age.
When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed. Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia, ...(Acts 14:21-28)Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. (Ephesians 4:29)
In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ Acts 20:35
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Heb. 10:19-25
challenge: i challenge you to write one letter to someone today, just tell them that you love them, tell them that they rock your world. if you do that regularly, do it to someone you wouldn't otherwise do it to. that very well may save their life.
