Right now, I am up to my eyeballs in physical pain, a teething baby, a sassy three year old, moving boxes, anxiety over the next three months, stress…And I know if you’re honest, you have either been in this same place, or you are right now. Maybe your circumstances are different, but the feeling is the same, where is God? What is all of this for? Or simply, why?
I began to realize the last couple of days, that as I went about my day, my spirit would fade. Last night was when it hit me. I had to ask myself, through out these last few days, when was I spending real time covering myself with the Word, with Jesus? Of course, the days were long and full of screaming babies, tears of my own, packing a house, but what better way to escape the chaos, then to rest in a God of comfort? I had failed at choosing to seek Him even in my busyness. And because of it, instead of feeling encouraged, I was feeling very discouraged.
I woke up this morning realizing what I needed to do. As I began my time with Him I was quickly reminded of the encouragement of seeking His face. We all long to have encouragement from those around us, and yet do we seek it from the Lord? I love this verse in Psalms:
{You have said, “Seek my face.”My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.~Psalm 27:8}
While I know that He is always HERE, I also know the way it must make Him feel when we seek after Him each day. To know that we choose to make Him the most important thing in our life must be so wonderful! And when we seek Him, and choose to turn to His word FIRST in every good and bad situation, we will be encouraged more than we ever imagined. While we seek to find encouragement from those in our lives, we often forget that the greatest encourager is right here, always next to us. I love this verse more than I can say. A true encourager is always with you, giving you strength, and help. And that is what God is for us!
{So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.~Isaiah 41:10}
Now, while we have the perfect encourager in Him, I wondered if I was lacking in being that for others. Because lets face it, we long to be loved and encouraged by those around us. I had to really think, was I letting the pride of my own chaos, keep me from uplifting those around me. As I look at my relationship with Christ, I want to be more and more like him. I want to be an encouragement to others who are doing great things in life, or those who’s hearts are crippled in pain. Encouragement is powerful, it can lift up even the weakest spirit, out of the trenches. In order to be that for others though, we must actively find that for ourselves in Christ. Seek Him, find Him, rest in Him, and share that with EVERYONE around you.
Start your day by being encouraged by Him, and seeking after Him, before the muck of the days trials swallows you. And in turn, be that for those around you. I will be thinking about how I can encourage those around me more. Simple things like writing a note, texting a verse, praying for someone, giving a hug, can be the most love they feel in a week. Encouragement is powerful, lets remember that for the sake of our hearts, and those around us.
P.S. Times with Jesus are not always done alone. I had my sweet 1 year old helper studying with me this morning. Which I think made it even sweeter. 🙂 What are some of your tips for studying the Word?
