Sunday, April 22, 2012

Christian! : Encourage Thyself

Praise the Lord! I pray everyone is enjoying Gods many blessings. I am truly blessed just to be able to be used by God to  bless His people. It is a wonderful, humbling feeling but it also brings with it responsibility and accountability. I thank God for you readers that respond to my "new post" e-mails and announcements on Face Book and GFB(Gods Faith Book).

As many of you know I have a weight problem that has been compounded by Degenerative joint disease in both my hips and sciatica causing me to be in moderate to severe pain all day and night. The Other day my wife and I were talking on the phone and she was watching some Christian television and somebody was telling there testimony about how God had healed their body of some terrible affliction. My wife meaning well said "That should give you some encouragement" and I kind of half heartedly answered her with something like "it does".Then I thought about it and said "you know what really encourages me? what really encourages me is the fact that I already know Him and He knows me personally." He has already delivered me from drugs and performed numerous miracles in my life and He had already shown me that I would walk again without a walker or a Cain.  Hearing others testify to the goodness of God is good but when you already have a relationship with Him it means so much more. I know what God can do because He has done it for me before. I know God has got my back.
Paul states in 1st. Timothy 1: 11+12
11Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.
12For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

I'm not saying that I'm an Apostle or anything like that but God has called me to preach and teach and because of this calling I have to suffer some things but like Paul "I know whom I have believed, and am fully persuaded" that He is able to keep me and bring me through these afflictions. I am persuaded because of our past relationship, our past experiences together. I know that "weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning"(Psalm 30:5) I know Him as a provider. I know Him as a healer. I know Him as a deliverer. He's also been my Father, mother and companion. He has filled every empty spot in my life when I have allowed Him to do so. I don' have room anymore for anger or hate in my life. Love has pushed out lust and greed,
1st Samuel 30:6 states
6And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.

David at this time probably had never felt more alone in this world but he was able to be encouraged not by what someone else had said to him but because he himself had personal knowledge of who God was and what God had done for him in the past. We all need to be the same way. In those times when we feel distressed and all alone and we seem to be surrounded by enemies we should be able to encourage ourselves because of our personal relationship with God. If you do not have a personal relationship with God then you better ask yourself "Am I really saved?" "How do I get a personal relationship with God?" you ask, well that's simple just start talking to him, we'll cover more in my next post.
                                                  God bless you all, Brother Darrell, A Watchman

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