A FAITHFUL ENCOURAGER

“They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage.  So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the sodering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved.”

Isaiah 41:6, 7

King James Version

All of us need to be a faithful encourager.  Jesus has set the example for us.  Evangelist Charles Weigle wrote a beautiful hymn about the love of Jesus “No One Ever Cared For Me Like Jesus”.  The words in this hymn bring tears of happiness to my eyes.

“Ev'ry day He comes to me with new assurance; More and more I understand His word of love. But I'll never know just why He came to save me, Till someday I see His blessed face above.”  Yes, Jesus comes to us every day and encourages us and tells us He loves us.

All of us need to be a faithful encourager to someone.  It’s not enough to just say something kind to people once a week at church and never encourage them again.  I prayed and asked God to put someone in my heart that I could encourage every day and He did.

Every day I email this person and send something that is encouraging and I also pray for this person every day.  May God have mercy on us if He lays someone on our heart to encourage and we don’t do it.  All of us need to be encouraged and that includes our pastors.

Joyce Landorf Heatherley, a Christian author and speaker said on one of her teaching tapes “The people we sit next to in church look fine and they look darling but inside they are hurting”.  Pastors and deacons and their wives need encouragement just like we need to be encouraged.

When is the last time you invited your pastor to dinner?  He may not be able to come but knowing that you cared enough to invite him would encourage him.  I have the best Pastor in the world, Pastor J Harold Davis.  Pastor Davis is a faithful friend.  How I praise God that He allows me to have Pastor Davis not only as my Pastor but also as a trusted and loyal friend.

Are you an encourager to someone?  If not, pray and ask God to give you someone to encourage and then be a faithful encourager to that person every day not just when it is convenient for you.  It wasn’t convenient for Jesus to die on the cross for us but He did it because He loves us.

Joanne Lowe

May 26, 2019