WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT

By: Rita Hervey, President & CEO

 

Just as God spoke to Abraham to take Isaac his promised son from his old age to the land of Moriah to offer him as a burnt offering (Genesis 22:2).  God has a plan for your life. Can you imagine the thoughts Abraham had when God told him to offer up his (only) son?  (Lord this is my only son. I can’t do this. What about Sarah his mother? Help me Lord.  Lord is this really you?) Yet Abraham decided not to second guess what God had spoke to his heart to do and simply obey Him.

 

Abraham began to prepare to obey God, by gathering the materials for the sacrifice (action) and saying faith-filled words. In the NKJV Genesis 22: 5, Abraham told his servants who were with him, “…the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”  Gen. 22: 8 reads “…My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.”

 

Abraham had faith in God’s plan even though he did not know what God was going to do. Abraham continued preparing his son for the sacrifice with the wood for the fire and the knife in hand. Just at that pivotal moment or just in time God sent a messenger, (an answer) an Angel of the Lord, which gave Abraham new directions; Gen. 22:12, reads“…Do not lay your hand on the lad…I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” When Abraham heard the angel he waited for those new directions from God. And God supplied him with  “…a ram caught in a thicket by its horns.” (Gen. 22:13). God’s plan was sure and true and the ram was positioned for Abraham at the right time. 

 

I continue to step out in faith believing God for what is impossible based on human standards. When I do have a brief minute of second guessing God, the Holy Spirit reminds me, “There is a RAM in the thicket. God has a plan.”  I may not see it, but it does not mean that it is not there. Faith is not based on my senses what I can hear, feel, smell, touch and see. It is based on God’s word. So in my brief second I decide to believe God’s word and just like Abraham simply obey. Then God takes care of the rest.

 

 

 

Let the Words of My Mouth….

By: Thelma Bryant

 

One of my favorite scriptures is Psalms 19:14…”Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer”.  The scripture is especially significant when it comes to the words that you say to your children.  Your words are seeds.  Your child’s heart is the soil.  Your can sow seeds of love, encouragement, security, patience, acceptance, all the positives, that will produce a strong, healthy child, both physically and emotionally.  But if your seeds are negatives such as constant criticism, fault finding, lack of approval and acceptance; a child can grow up with low self-esteem and an inability to recognize self worth.  God made each one of us special, as stated in Psalm 139:13,” For You(God) did form my inward parts, You(God) did knit me together in my mother’s womb.” As a parent, one of your responsibilities is to help your child discover the importance of his uniqueness by being a source of encouragement.

 

You should be a “cheerleader” for your child.  If he is having a difficult time learning to do something new. From learning how to walk to learning how to drive a car, your response should be “Come on, you can do it!!! Don’t give up!!!  Try again!!!” Children are like sponges. They absorb every word that a parent says and take it to heart.  They are constantly searching for approval and acceptance. A parent needs to be a source of encouragement and hope to his child.  Sometimes being an encourager takes practice. In that situation, the Bible says” I can do all things thru Christ who strengthens me”, Philippians 4:13. 

 

So, as a parent, if you desire to sow seeds of encouragement and praise into your child’s life, make this a daily practice and with God’s help, it can be done!!!!