We’ve been studying in our life group about Deborah, so encouraging as we seek to grow into Warrior Women. Two of our group plus their families fought Covid after we began this study, along with many of our church staff. With faith and grace, we all entered the prayer fight. It is with much joy that we can declare that everyone is on the road to recovery.

Despite these victories, I found myself weary and feeling defeated. Putting on worship, reading the word, declaring God’s goodness are my normal tools I use when I am feeling pressed in. Instead of my life opening up, I felt like I was getting smaller and more ineffective in my life. As I shared with our ladies’ last night, we discovered I wasn’t alone! Others were also feeling diminished and silenced in their sphere of influence. It felt like the hills of obstacles were growing into mountains, with no relief or response from prayer. During our time of prayer, one gal said the word “bully” and I realized we were all being bullied and intimidated into silence and inactivity.

How about you? Have you encountered that bully lately in your life? Those subtle or not-so-subtle taunts about how your God really will do nothing to change the circumstances? My personal family received two difficult diagnoses that are, in the natural, long term with no cure type issues. As we keep praying, the bully looms large and says “why bother”, nothing is changing or will change. Today, I am scheduled for a contrasting CT scan to help discover the cause of increasing pain in my left abdomen. The bully is trying to get me to focus on the worse case scenario, when we don ‘t even know what it is. I have held my ground and have chosen not to go there.

In life we have long-term battles. We can settle under them, or we can choose to continue to fight for victory. Our bully would like to cause us to shrink and settle for less than God’s plan. We have not heard a word from the Lord to stop fighting for total health, so we fight on. I choose to keep on knocking, keep on seeking and keep on trusting for His plan and His purpose to be revealed. Our bully goes around as a roaring lion seeking who he can devour, and I admit lately I think he has taken a few bites out of my soul. His bites include condemnation, accusation and doubt. With these bites, he wanted to leave behind an infection that would cause me to lose hope, stop believing and stop praying. His goal was to bring discouragement and cause my heart to be disheartened.

But his plan was uncovered. I will not grow weary in well doing. I will not stop praying and I will not stop trusting my God to do miracles. Deborah was a strong leader. She heard the word of the Lord and spoke victory to Barak. Barak had 10,000 fighting men; his opponent had 40,000 fighting men, plus 900 chariots. But Barak had the word of the Lord on His side, so do we. (Read the story in Judges 4 and 5).

It is humbling to admit the bully was winning in his battle to render me weak and wimpy. But the good news is that no matter how wimpy I feel, God is still strong. He continues showing off His might and power. This morning I realized the bully was attacking God’s character. My most precious Rock, the steadfast one, is always true to His Word. My mind was distracted by the bully’s words and his attempt to cause me to lean upon my own understanding, not His. Our Awesome God continues to work His work, no matter how we feel, and for that I am very grateful.

Father, we silence the bully’s words in our ears. We release your Words of life into every situation that looks contrary to God’s plan. We choose to trust you and your ways. We lean hard upon you and we know you will show us the path of life. In Jesus Name, Amen

After writing Faith and developing integrity last week, I found myself thinking about where integrity actually comes from. I realized it begins internally, within our own soul. I thought about my promises to myself I had never kept, you know, “I will eat healthier, exercise more”… Ouch. I discovered my own lack of internal integrity. Sometimes it is hard to keep promises to yourself.

It is the Catch 22 that Paul wrote about in Romans 7:17-20 But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can’t keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it, anyway. My decisions, such as they are don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong, deep within me and gets the better of me every time. Yes, how do we develop integrity despite our fleshly nature fighting for its way?

Paul goes on in verse 25: The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, bu tam pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different. (MSG) The answer is our dear Savior. I confess I messed up this week. Tired from grocery shopping, I went to return my cart. I must not have paid close enough attention as I put it away, because as I turned around, it went rolling out in the parking lot right toward a lady who was backing out of her parking spot. I ran to catch it, but it glanced off her car, startling her. This is where I really messed up. She thanked me for getting the cart and asked me, ‘Where did that come from?’ Instead of confessing, it’s my wayward cart, I looked around as if I didn’t know where it had come from! Talk about the lack of integrity. Even though there wasn’t a mark on her car, I still felt horrible for not owning up to the fact I had not put my cart back properly. Can I tell you why I did not just apologize? Not really. I am sure it was pride, fear and guilt that caused me to cover up my part. I feel ashamed of myself. Once again, I find myself in need of a Savior, and grateful I have one. Not only to forgive me of my sin, but to help me walk in honesty and integrity.

It was a split second reaction. I felt horrible immediately afterward. The accuser was there to say “and you just wrote about being a person of integrity”, shame on you. Yes, there was shame on me. I wish I could find her and apologize. It doesn’t matter that there have been other times when I have ‘done it right’, growing in integrity means you do it right. I am grateful for Hebrews 4:14-16 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. I am sure I will have another opportunity to humble myself and walk in integrity and honesty. I pray my response will be more honorable. The challenges to walk in integrity are all around us.

Father, I ask you to help me and others to walk in your ways with integrity, honesty, and humility. I am so grateful I have not only a forgiving Savior, but one who also chastises and helps me overcome my weaknesses. We run to you and your throne this day to find your grace and mercy to help us in our time of need. In Jesus Name, Amen.

So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands. Psalm 78:72 NKJV

God prepared David and took this gentle shepherd-king, and presented him before the people as the one who would love and care for them with integrity, a pure heart and the anointing to lead Israel, his holy inheritance. Psalm 78:71-71 The Passion Version

Do we even think about the importance of integrity in our everyday life? Probably not until something or someone lets you down does it even cross your mind. The Passion Version expands verse 72 and makes it clear the qualities David had as a leader were integrity, a pure heart, and the anointing. As I read these scriptures, I realized that integrity is something that is only in our control. Conviction of the Holy Spirit and our conscience can help remind us to live with integrity, but in reality, the choice is up to us. My integrity is just that, my integrity. Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. A person with integrity always seeks to reflect their ethical standards regardless of circumstance. It is something each person must develop within their own selves. A person without integrity has no internal boundaries or borders when temptation, tests, and trials arise. The quality of integrity shows up during the challenges of life. How will we respond? It is something we all want others to have in their relationship to ourselves!

There are many scriptures that talk about the not only the blessing of integrity but also the problems of those who live dishonestly.

Proverbs 19:1 Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool.

Proverbs 10:9 Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.

Proverbs 20:7 The righteous who walks in his integrity—blessed are his children after him.

Reading these scriptures, it seems obvious that everyone would choose to walk with integrity, right? However, we know it is not the case. Remember when Peter vowed he would never betray Jesus, and of course he did. Fear caused Peter to break his own vow. But the good news is we see God’s grace, mercy and anointing, strengthening Peter to the point he was martyred for his faith. In 2 Kings 5, we find the amazing story of Naaman, a commander of the army of Syria. He had leprosy. God connected him with the prophet Elisha, Naaman obeyed Elisha’s instructions and was healed. Naturally, he was grateful and wanted to give gifts to Elisha in gratitude. But Elisha said no. Unfortunately, Gehazi, Elisha’s servant out of greed, went to him, lied, ask for the forbidden gifts. His greed overcame his loyalty and showed his lack of integrity. Elisha called him out, and he went from Elisha’s presence a leper. As a leper, he could no longer be the prophet’s servant. He missed out on being part of some amazing miracles.

As believers, people expect us to walk in honesty, tell the truth, and be people of our word. Sadly, due to fear, like Peter or greed like Gehazi, our flesh often dictates our actions. So how do we grow in our integrity? First, by identifying what your core values are. The ones you refuse to compromise on. Find out where fear or greed may be areas of temptation and build up those walls. I believe as David worshipped God, God grew bigger and more real to Him, which allowed him to honor the things God honors. When he could have killed King Saul, he chose not to. He was a man of integrity. When he messed up, he owned it. A man of integrity does not have to be a perfect person, but he needs to own up to his mistakes. Gehazi, when found out, tried to cover up his actions.

This week, I admit, I dealt with two situations where integrity was breached. One was with a lawyer, the other a medical clinic. I am trusting the Lord to work through each circumstance, which is out of my control, and see Him bring good from them. I don’t think either of them deliberately set out to dishearten me, but they did. So my choice is to forgive and walk on. I don’t want to be a stone thrower of accusations or set myself up as an example of the integrous person around, because I am not. I can only choose to do my best to be a woman of integrity, relying on the Holy Spirit’s help. With a fresh understanding of how important it is to others for me to keep my word, I walk on, being quick to forgive.

Father, I ask you, help us in this area. I know we all want others to walk integrity toward us, but we need your help to do the same. Thank you for the promises we read in your word that come from walking in integrity. Fear and greed are two major areas where your people stumble. Please show us any place where our walls are down. As we grow in our trust in You and of You fear and greed will not have such a hold on us. Forgive us when we fall short, help us make it right, in Jesus’ Name.

I look forward to spending time each day in God’s Word. It is a time to hear and learn from Him. Except, I have a confession to make. I skipped reading a few chapters this week. Yes, I did. I knew the story well enough that my heart just did not have the courage to face it—as if that would change it! Sometimes there are situations in life that are the same way, difficult things I just want to stick my head in the sand and wish it away. But, as we know, that is not the way life works. We have to face it with faith and move on through. At the time, I just couldn’t bear to read the sad tale of Solomon’s desertion from the ways of the Lord. Hearing stories about people making poor choices in their lives makes me sad as well. Not reading those chapters did not take away the reality of Solomon’s actions, nor the subsequent fallout that happened to Israel because of his sin. As I went back and read them, I could only purpose in my own heart to learn from the results of his actions. His actions led to dark days in Israel. It is my heart that my decisions do not lead to dark days in my own life, or in others.

I Kings 11 begins the story of Solomon’s heart turning away from the Lord by His foreign wives and their gods. I Kings 11: 5 In Solomon’s old age, they turned his heart to worship other gods instead of being completely faithful to the Lord his God, as his father, David, had been. Solomon worshiped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech, the detestable God of the Ammonites. In this way, Solomon did what was evil in the Lord’s sight; he refused to follow the Lord completely, as his father David, had done. It saddens my heart to read this. It saddens my heart to hear of people who I love and care for, walking away from the fullness of their connection with the Lord. I can’t control or make choices for others, only for myself.

It’s been a rough week for many. It’s felt like darkness is encroaching from all sides. But the good news is we have choices; and we have authority. We can choose to use the authority God has given us, or we can wallow in self pity.

After I received a telephone call with some very disappointing news, I began to declare: “Satan, I’m done. I’m done with your workings. I’m done. I’m done. I’m just done. Back off. Back off in Jesus Name.” A pretty simple prayer—but it was all I could say. And it’s how I was feeling. I wasn’t just done for myself, but for so many others who are dealing with difficult situations.

Are you experiencing some dark, difficult days? Do you know someone who is going through trials and tribulations? I come alongside you and declare that Jesus reigns. He reigns over everything. At His name, every sickness must submit. At His name, Satan must back off and back out. At His name, freedom shall come and His light shall invade every dark place. We see the subtly that Satan used in Solomon disobeying God’s law and marrying foreign wives. They snared him and lured him away from his first love. Father, I thank you for opening our eyes to Satan’s sneaky ways in our lives. I ask that you lead us and guide us. Keep us from the evil one and deliver us from temptation. Though we walk through dark valleys, I ask that your rod and staff protect and comfort your children. I thank you we do not have to be afraid of dark places, for even there you are in our midst. I thank you for grace, mercy and conviction; so if we are experiencing temptation you will show us the better way. I speak light to every dark place. I speak peace to every place of confusion. I speak hope to the hopeless places.

Father, I know there are parents, children, friends, and relatives who have made poor choices, as our example Solomon has done. I ask that you lead them out of their sin and back on your path. I pray that you will give wisdom to those who are walking in the light to help guide them back to you. I thank you, Holy Spirit, that you are working when we cannot work. We know you love the backslider. We know you love the sinner. We know you love us. Thank you for working all things together for your good, In Jesus Name, Amen.

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. Ephesians 1:17.

I love this scripture. Don’t you hope someone is praying this for you? I pray for wisdom often, not only for myself but also for my children and grandchildren, our church leaders and of course our governing officials. It is something I don’t think we can really have enough of!

The culture in our country struggles with truth. Black and white doesn’t seem to exist, only shades of uncertain gray. As believers, we need not be afraid of speaking the truth, but we need godly wisdom. Jesus, our most wise example, amazed those around him as he answered questions that were sent to trap him. I am always shocked to see how deftly he was able to see the bigger picture and address the root issue. When the Herodians asked him, ‘is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?’ But Jesus knew these men were trying to trick him. So he said, “You hypocrites! Why are you trying to trap me? Show me a coin used for paying the tax.’ Then Jesus asked, ‘Whose picture is on the coin? And whose name is written on the coin?” The men answered Caesar’s’. Then Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar the things that are Caesars’s. A brilliant answer. I probably would have fumbled around trying to answer that question. This was a political question. As Christians, we need to know how to answer such questions as well.

Then the Saducees came along, asking him a hypothetical question about seven brothers who died after each was married to the same woman. Who would she be married to after the resurrection? Jesus’ answer was so amazing again that they were left speechless! ‘Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God. for when the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. In this respect, they will be like the angels in heaven…When the crowds heard him, they were astounded at his teaching. Matthew 22:29-33. They were seeking to trap him with doctrinal questions. We need to be solid in our belief so that we can answer with biblical truth. This takes time and intentionality, but it can be done.

The third entanglement the Pharisees set for him was an ethical trap. One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses? “Jesus replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments. Matthew 22: 36-40. He did not get entangled in minutiae, but again saw the bigger picture.

In each of these scenarios they set a deliberate trap. But Jesus discerned the trap and avoided it. I know the same spirit that set the traps through these people is still at work today. We must be wise as serpents, but harmless as doves. One of my pastor friends told me a story this week. Apparently he had a person walk into his church dressed in drag. The person wanted to know if he was saved. My friend suspected a trap and thought a moment. He then asked the person if he could ask him a question. After receiving an affirmative reply, he asked him: Who are you serving? Yourself or the Lord? The person got up and walked out the door. This is the type of wise response we need to walk in–wisdom that comes from on high through the Holy Spirit.

We do not have to be intimidated by the ways of our culture. We need to study to show ourselves approved and be ready to answer with His wisdom, leaving the results to Him. James 3:17 reminds us that the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure, then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Let us remember as we seek His wisdom, it comes with His character. Beloved, we can do this. Let us pray for each other for His wisdom.

Father, I thank you for imparting your wisdom to your people, so we can better engage and help our culture know your truth. Thank you for giving us courage to answer questions with your truth and not be afraid of being entrapped by the evil one, for we trust you. In Jesus Name, amen.

I call out to you and you answer me. Jeremiah 33:3

Dear Father, today I feel blank. I feel uninspired. I lack Your direction. I need Your help. I am tired and confused. I am so grateful that You are not. Even when I am weary, You are strong. When I am simply walking in my seemingly mundane routine, You are still moving in my life; doing Your good work. Because that is Your character. You are the amazing God that has chosen to involve Yourself in Your creation’s life, and for that I am so thankful.

I choose to trust You today to encourage others throughout my life. Father, there are those facing overwhelming difficulties. I ask You to help them. I thank You that You are a God who helps us in the small things as well as what looks big to me. You do not differentiate between the two.

Please send your healing power to my friends and family who need your healing. He sent his word, and healed them and delivered them from their destructions. Psalm 107:20 Please touch their bodies and bring strength.

I thank you, Father, for sending wisdom to the troubled. I thank you for showing them their strength they have in You. I pray for them the prayer Asa did against Israel’s enemies. Then Asa cried out to the Lord his God. “O Lord, no one but you can help the powerless against the mighty! Help us O Lord our God for we trust in you alone. It is in your name that we have come against this vast horde. O Lord, you are our God; do not let mere men prevail against you. 2 Chronicles 14:11

Father God Most High, I praise You for what You are doing today, right now, in this moment. And I thank You that You are here to listen to all of us pour our hearts out to You. Thank you Lord! Amen.

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 7:12.

Respect something we always want to receive, but not a gift we always want to give. Respect has many differing aspects. It naturally happens when we have a deep feeling of admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements. When we admire someone, it is easy to respect them. But what about those we see as not having gifts or qualities or achievements? Maybe the homeless? Maybe those who serve us? Men? Women? Children? Those who don’t have a high school degree? College? The single? The divorced? The widowed? Those of a different race or political slant than you? The rich? Or those poorer than you? Those in prison? The drug or alcohol addict?

There are so many variables that we make the choice to respect or dishonor. As I was thinking about the need for respect in our society on so many levels, I had to do a heart check in my own heart. Ouch, it wasn’t fun to allow the Holy Spirit to uncover my failings. I have my own struggles, which the Holy Spirit is helping me with.

Recognize the value of every person and continually show love to every believer. Live your lives with great reverence and in holy awe of God. Honor your rulers. I Peter 1:17 TPT It is difficult to recognize the value of every person. Our culture has lost the heart of what it means to respect others. There has been a resurgence in trying to encourage people to be kinder, which I applaud, but I think it must go deeper than that. It is a heart issue. But it is also an action issue. Respect is a verb and a noun. We pass on respect when we give respect. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, the Golden Rule is so applicable here. Every one desperately wants to be seen, admired and appreciated. And we have the opportunity every day to respect everyone we interact with. It is our choice to give them this great gift.

Unfortunately, media and social media model disrespect and disdain. Fathers are ridiculed, elected leaders are mocked and we see the nuclear family as an outdated anomaly. Traditional marriage is referred to with contempt. Children treat parents with disdain and openly insult them. We wonder why this is modeled in our culture. Rudeness has become celebrated!

Please be careful what you watch, see and listen to. It does have an effect. Teaching your children to honor their parents as the leaders of the home is out-dated, but it is still biblical. But we must respect our children as we teach them. We must model respect of our spouses, no matter if there is a disagreement. If there is a separation or divorce, we must learn to honor them in their role. This takes maturity and the help of the Holy Spirit. Watch your language and tone as you talk to your children.

I remember as a child, my mother telling me to respect her. I remember always muttering under my breath, if you deserved respect I would give it to you. This was very childish and shows my immaturity. I now know she deserved my respect, simply because of her position. I had to grow up a lot before I really comprehended that concept.

I think it hurts our Father’s heart when we disrespect those He created. We can’t change everyone, but we can change ourselves. We can grow in our ability to give the gift of respect. It is an excellent tool for sharing the gospel. It opens the hardest hearts. Disdain closes a heart like a shut clam. If you harbor disdain toward your co-workers, family members or even church leaders they will feel it. Take the time to cleanse your heart through examination and repentance. Remember, Proverbs 6:16-19 details a list of six things God hates, which includes a haughty eye. A haughty eye is looking down on others condescendingly. We think more highly of ourselves than we ought to, and we look down our nose at our neighbors. This is something our God flat out says He hates. Should we be doing it? I think not.

Father, please help us first learn to respect You and Your ways. Forgive us for holding disdain and disrespect in our hearts toward those you have created. Help us pray for them, trusting you are moving in their lives, as you did in ours. Thank you for convicting us of any areas where we withhold respect through past hurts, disappointments or our own prejudices. Cleanse our hearts today and help us give the gift of respect to everyone. In Jesus Name, Amen.

If you have been struggling with anxiety or stress—I encourage you to read the wonderful words of Jesus in John 14. As I read this chapter, I felt peace, hope, and joy flood through my spirit. His words were so comforting. It was like a refreshing drink on a hot day.

Don’t worry or surrender to your fear. For you’ve believed in God, now trust and believe in me also. My Father’s house has many dwelling places. If it were otherwise, I would tell you plainly, because I go to prepare you a place to rest. As I read these few words, I pictured Jesus talking to His friends and me. I heard Him encourage them not to worry or surrender to their fears, because they have believed in God and now they could trust and believe in Him also. At this point, I simply gave Him back all my worries and concerns. My adult children and their various parenting, health and life challenges; my own health and its struggles; the cares of those I am close too; plus the culture concerns etc–I just released them back into His care. What a relief I felt.

When I came to the place, I go to prepare you a place to rest. I thought, oh my, how wonderful. It is ok to get tired in this world, because we will have a special place already prepared for us to rest when we get to heaven. Can you hear His voice sharing this with His disciples? Imparting words of hope, life and strength, understanding that they really did not need to worry or be afraid. He is speaking those same words to each of us, even today.

And when everything is ready, I will come back and take you to myself so you will be where I am. Won’t that be amazing? When everything is ready—not sure how or what that looks like in heaven? Do you? The God who spoke the universe into being is taking time to prepare a place for us. Do you think our loved ones who have gone on before are helping prepare for us? This is all a mystery to me, but somehow so comforting.

Life is full of challenges for us all. Take a moment to reflect again on Jesus’ Words: Don’t worry or surrender to your fear (The Passion Translation) Or the more familiar: Let not your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. (ESV) The Amplified Version: Do not let your heart be troubled (afraid, cowardly). Believe [confidently] in God and trust in Him, [have faith, hold on to it, rely on it, keep going and] believe also in Me. Can you picture Jesus speaking those words directly to you this day? He is. He is telling us to not be afraid, discouraged or downhearted. He is telling us to look up and remind us that the trials of this life will pass away. He understands them and wants to help us with them. Do you find yourself today at the tipping point between faith and fear? I encourage you to choose faith. It is a much better choice!

Father, I thank you for loving us, and for the Words of encouragement we find in Your Word. Thank you for helping us embrace them and believe them. I thank you for your strength, vision, and encouragement as we walk through life’s challenges. In Jesus’ precious Name. Amen

Colossians 3:12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.

Opportunities come to each of us. Sometimes we choose to ignore them, sometimes we choose to take advantage of them. Many times when opportunities we come, we don’t feel prepared. I know the Holy Spirit wants to prepare us for those opportunities, but unfortunately we don’t always let Him. We will listen to the BIG commandments (don’t kill or steal) but ignore some of the ‘smaller’ ones—especially how to treat one another! But if we want Him to use us, we need to pay attention to them all. Right theology is important of course, but so is learning to cultivate a tender heart. If we want to make the most of our God-given opportunities to represent Him, we need both. Sometimes I think we miss opportunities because we have not allowed the Holy Spirit to prepare us.

Colossians 3:12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. These few verses are quick to read, but difficult to really employ. I am trying to practice clothing myself with tenderhearted mercy and kindness. As I choose to love those around me, I discover God brings me opportunities to love and encourage others. This past week my brother-in-law passed after sixty-three years of marriage. Obviously, it is quite a change for their family — especially my sister. My heart is so sad for them. As I prayed, Lord what can/should I do? How can I help them? At first I was at a loss for what to do. Then my tender heart kicked in and by His grace, I put aside my situation and responsibilities and asked what do they need? Someone to come and be there.

So I asked, can I come? It is a four-hour drive from my house to theirs. But I came. Please do not underestimate the power of showing up. I am so glad I went. Having lost my own husband helped me understand their need. She and her daughter were grateful just to have someone be here. This is where gentleness, kindness and humility are so needed. Practicing these virtues in our everyday life makes it easier during tougher times. When we walk in tender-hearted mercy daily, it softens our hearts to help others in their time of need. Then, I asked her to come home with me for a few days. It gave her daughter a break, and more time for her to be with even more family. We all took the opportunity given to love on her. Yes, it was tiring, but being tired isn’t always a bad thing!

I am not perfect at this by any means, but I am learning to lean on Him even more. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13, that love never fails, so when in doubt, I try to discover the most loving thing I can do. I marvel at God’s hand in our lives for this moment. Our situation is unique, as we were not raised together. But God in His mercy brought us together when I was sixteen. Perhaps, He reunited us so many years ago, so I could be a help during this tough time.

I want to encourage all of us to be available for the God opportunities He brings our ways. I believe if we clothe ourselves with HIs righteousness, mercy, gentleness etc, it will prepare us for those opportunities much more easily than if we walk in haughty pride and arrogance, for example. He is waiting to use us. I am grateful I can love on my sister and her family. It is a good thing, In this case, the opportunity came to love on my sister and her family, but as we look around and allow the Lord to tenderize our hearts we find opportunities everywhere.

Father, help us understand the importance of clothing ourselves with your tenderhearted mercies. Help us value what you value, and honor what you honor. I know that as we choose to wear these tenderhearted mercies, it will open opportunities to love and minister to others. This is not a small thing in Your sight.

Have you ever wanted to do something “significant”? There is a very simple way you can touch people’s life: become an encourager. Become a person who adds hope to the hopeless. Courage to the weak-hearted. Add confidence to those who are full of self-doubt and support to those who need a hand at their back. This gift, when freely given out of love and care, yields so much fruit. I encourage you to look for the struggling ones and encourage them, but also for those who are working hard to do well. Everyone can use encouragement.

I Thessalonians 5:11 So encourage each other and build each other up. Paul gave this exhortation to each one of us! Not one person is exempt, but it is also something we can all do. If you can speak, you can encourage!

One thing I have had to do lately is navigate helping Shield of Faith Ministries after my friend Bill, the president, passed. This led me to deal with some lawyers in figuring out what all needs to be done. As I was talking with them on Monday, I was also carrying the heavy situation of my brother-in-law, who suffered a massive stroke and was in his last hours. I could tell I was distracted during the conversation, so I finally mentioned it to them. The chief lawyer, Sidney, confessed to me that his wife had passed in December. I knew the other lawyer had lost his brother-in-law just a few weeks before. So we just encouraged ourselves with the fact we all understood grief. Ruben, the other lawyer, did not leave it there. He texted me encouraging words this morning. I responded, and then he called. The Holy Spirit led him to call and share some scripture and his story. We don’t even know each other—but God stepped in and through him, strengthened me. He didn’t have to make the call, but he went out of his way to do so.

But the back story to his phone call, was a group of ladies (my life group) praying for me last night, asking God for help and encouragement. I reached out to my daughter this morning, and as she was in the midst in the middle of praying for me, Ruben called. I had called out to the Lord, help me please, and He sent people to encourage me. I opened the gift of encouragement they gave! Sometimes in our own times of hopelessness, self-doubt or weakness we struggle to receive his encouragement. We must be open to surrounding encouragers, for they are there.

I will honestly admit sometimes others have tried to “encourage” me, but in my pride, my hurt or misunderstanding, I did not let it touch my heart. God sent them, but I kept the gift closed. Then felt sorry for myself that I didn’t have encouragement! How silly, it took the Holy Spirit’s grace to show me where I was wrong. One time, I actually asked the Lord to show me my expectations, and I realized they were not realistic! As I prayed, He gently realigned my expectations for encouragement.

The gift of encouragement comes alongside to bring strength, hope and confidence that you can accomplish the task at hand. It does not take over and do it for you. Friends, let us determine to both give and receive encouragement.

Father, I thank you for the gift of encouragement. I ask you to help us, as we learn to be encouragers. I ask you to help us receive encouragement, even if it is not exactly like we think we need. I thank you for the Holy Spirit working your encouragement through your Word and through your body so we can be strong in your ways. I speak against discouragement in any shape or form, and release hope, strength and confidence in you and yours ways. In Jesus’ Name, amen.