Words of Encouragement

Like Moses, God uses everyday people to lead his people. Like Moses, we too sometimes think, can I teach your people? Can I lead your people? Like God's answer to Moses, it is the same with us, I will go with you. This is me at a women's conference in Dallas. I taught three conferences on raising healthy children. And truly I thought, what can I tell these women? Yet God used me and many women came back later and told me of the blessing God gave to them. Praises to God!


Moses said to the LORD, "You have been telling me, 'Lead these people,' but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, 'I know you by name and you have found favor with me.' If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people." The LORD replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." - Exodus 33:12-14



My Communion with God. Instructs me. Moses has been given an awesome challenge by God. I can call it awesome because any thing that we are told to do by God, can only be accomplished by the awesomeness of the one giving it. Moses understands this because he ask, who will go with me to do this great thing you are telling me to do.



Moses also understands something else, that he will not be able to do this great thing unless God teaches him how to do it. He knows he is not capable of the task. This isn't a pity party, but wisdom that lets you understand this is far greater than myself. If God is with me then I will be able to handle the awesome task.



God gives Moses reassurance of his presence. He tells him I will go with you and then he promises I will also give you rest. What an unusual answer, don't you think? Not really. What God promises is he will be with Moses and he does not have to worry, or fret, but he can be secure in the knowledge that the heavy task will be accomplished by God. That is the promise of rest God is giving to Moses. Don't worry Moses, I've got it handled.



This is what we too can receive when we go to our time of communion with God, instruction for our life's journey. God will be with us and he tells us, don't worry, I got it. I've got the difficulty handled. The problems in your finances, I've got it handled. The problems in your family situations, I got it handled. The problems with your health, your job, all your burdens, don't worry, I've got it handled. You have found favor with God because you are his child and his promise is that he will go with us and he will teach us his ways. He wants to teach us his ways so that we will not sin against him.



This is all the benefits that we receive with our communion with God. I end this lesson this week with this vital point, all the things listed this week are the benefits for our communion with God, not the purpose however for it. The true purpose for our communion with God, is simply to have time with the one that loves us. Not just so that we can receive answers, or give our list of desires, but just to get to know him. God sets the agenda for our time and in that time he wants to answer us, teach us, restore us, and purify us.



Let us thank God today for wanting to spend time with us. Lord thank you for loving us enough to want to talk to us and to teach us. Help us to always realize the importance of time with you.

Words of Encouragement

This butterfly, which was once a caterpillar must go through a pressing in order for it to come out of it's confinement. If it does not press, it will not be able to fly. God allows our confinements so that we can press our way out so that we are able to be free to soar.

Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God, you who have done great things. Who, O God, is like you? Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. You will increase my honor and comfort me once again. - Psalm 71:19-21



My Communion with God. It restores me. I like to be transparent, because it helps people know they too can make it. This scripture is for me today. Sometimes going through something can really weigh you down and make you feel tired from the burden of that thing. Sometimes you battle so long that even when you see some light coming, it is dimmed out because you have to start something else and it feels like you're back where you were, starting all over again.



If people knew what was on our minds, they would hear us thinking, "Lord, when will this end?". Oh we don't want to voice it, because, well we are afraid of looking "unspiritual". Yet, I am thankful that some one in the scripture was willing to be transparent and pen how heavy the burdens were. If the writers had not said how discouraged they were, we would not be able to find out how they found encouragement.



Well today I come to share with you, that while I might feel burden and sometimes discouraged, I am thankful that God allows me to use it to encourage someone else. I can encourage you because in doing so, I find courage myself. I am too reminded that God will not wait forever before he comes to take care of us.



God will restore us. He will remove the bitterness of our situations and bring comfort into our lives. He will also increase our honor. While we are going through, we don't always feel honor, but in those time of communion with God he reveals to us that he is honoring us by allowing us to show the world who he is in the midst of difficulty.



Today, if you are feeling down and need to be restored, get away with God. Talk to him and listen to him for he will encourage your hearts. Lord, today we need to see you. We need to see you present in our everyday life situations and circumstances.

Words of Encouragement

Like a flowing water that does not become stagnant, neither does the word of God. It is like the water that rushes over us and cleanses our hearts from all wrong thinking and acting.


Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. - 1 Peter 1:22-23



My Communion with God. It purifies me. As believers we often believe that the only work that needed to be done, was done. However, what we do not realize is that we need to come daily to God for him to direct our thoughts and to give us the strength to "kill the flesh". We were purified when we were saved from our sins. What takes place in our time of communion with God is he "refreshes" us.



The blood of Christ covers all our sins and we are saved. Yet, we in this body must still contend with the desires of our flesh. The self still wants to have its own way and do its own thing. That time with God will refresh us with new strength to be able to die daily to the desires of our selfish flesh. It is the truth of God's word that purifies us.



The Holy Spirit equips us through the word which purifies. The Holy Spirit continually grows that seed that has been planted within us. We grow each time we allow the word to purify us, change us, direct us and correct us. Each time we allow the word of God to permeate who we are, we grow.

This is one of the reasons we need to come to a time of worship and devotion with the Lord. Otherwise, we will grow weak and become spiritually anemic. We will not be able to overcome the desires of the flesh for selfish gain if we do not spend time in the presence of God.



Today, I pray that we do not neglect our time with God. I pray that when you spend time with him today, he will refresh you and help you to continue to "die daily".

Words of Encouragement

What does it mean to "rest" in the Lord? Image yourself after busily handling a hectic day, to now be able to let go of those cares and simply relax. You don't have to think about trying to solve everything or take care of everything, you just take the time to rest. You rest your mind and your body. Well when you rest in the Lord, you rest your mind, your body and your spirit. The hectic days don't keep you in a frantic pace, but you simply relax because you trust in God.

Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. - 1 Chronicles 16:8-11



My Communion with God. To Honor. What is the reason why we spend time with God? There are many reasons one might give. One reason is so that I can find answers for my life's questions. Or maybe another reason might be, so that I can find encouragement or help.



Those are reasons, but they are not the main reason why we should talk to God or spend time in his presence. Those reasons (and many others) are some of the benefits we receive by being in God's presence, but they are not the total focus. The main reason why we should seek God is to simply honor him.



In this scripture today, the people are rejoicing and giving thanks because the Ark of the Covenant is in their midst. David gives thanks that does not end until around verse 36. David list some of the attributes of God, that he is ruler over all and that he is from everlasting to everlasting.



This is the main purpose of our time of communion or devotion. You and I cannot go to God with our own set agenda for the meeting. That might not be what God wants to talk about today. When we pray, we go with a list of things we want to tell God, but never stop to think, what does God want to tell me today? What does he want me to hear about him? When we change our time of communion focus, we go to God without a set agenda.



Instead, we go simply to honor him. In that time of honor, God will give us what we need, that's just the way God works. Aren't you glad about it.



Today, let us go to our time of communion with God without a set list of things, but simply to talk to him and honor him. I pray for us today, that we just honor God and listen to his voice. What might he say to you?

Words of Encouragement

For several years I have had "Williams' Camp". The children here were on a boat and looking for God's wonderful creatures in the sea. The children in their time of study and play, were open to have new truth revealed to them. This is how we must be as children of God.


He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king." - Daniel 2:21-23

My Communion with God. It reveals his plan. It is important to know that our walk with God, our spiritual life is not an automatic thing. When we are saved we do not instantly become mature in our walk. We can grow as we allow the Lord to take us through the process.



In this scripture, we see Daniel rejoicing at the fact that God will reveal the mysteries that are hidden from our eyesight. We cannot however understand or see the revealed mysteries of God if we are not taking time to commune with him.



Daniel could not receive the understanding for the king's dream if he had not taken the time to seek God. Daniel was joyful that God would reveal to him wisdom, joy, and knowledge.



This is not just something that he gave to Daniel only. He will reveal himself and his purpose to all his children. We must be willing to come and seek him. We do that through his word, through a time in prayer with God and yielding ourselves to him.



Today, I pray for us that we seek God in a relationship where we can receive his revealed truth. Lord help us to grow spiritually in you.