Author: David Short

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

Encouraging Words…

What a combination of contrasts: blessings, mercies, and comfort versus tribulation and trial. Life in this fallen world is not easy. There is brokenness, loneliness, loss, and pain. Each of us has our own and different cross to bear. And this is where this passage becomes so powerful. As we go through our tribulations and trials God is there comforting and blessing us. It might be in a word spoken to us by someone we love or a total stranger. It might be in a random act of kindness sent our way. But often, for those of us who have given our lives to Christ, it will be from God’s hand of mercy working in our lives. But it doesn’t stop there. We are expected to use our victory over the tribulations and trials as a means to speak into and apply love to, those around us who are going through similar trials and tribulations. If is a form of “pay it forward”. Even as I am writing these thoughts down, I, along with my brother and sisters, are walking through the trial of seeing our parents grow old and approach the ends of their lives. I have my Lord to fall back on, but flesh and bone support is needed. I am blessed to have a loving, godly wife who has been through this and is willing to speak into this situation from experience and love. It is my responsibility, and opportunity, to listen because this is God bringing the flesh and bone support into my trial. His expectation of me is that I will do the same with the experiences in my past to those in need around me.

Isaiah 35:10

and those gathered by the Lord shall return and come to Zion with gladness, and with everlasting gladness over their head. For praise and exceeding joy will be on their head, and gladness shall possess them. Pain, sorrow, and sighing fled away.

Encouraging Words…

We were created to walk in unity with God in the Garden of Eden, in paradise. And God, in His infinite wisdom, divine grace, and glorious mystery, created us with free will…the ability to choose Him and pursue righteousness or to reject Him and pursue sin. Throughout His written and spoken Word, throughout history and His interactions with mankind He has continued to draw us back to paradise and an eternity walking with Him. Hallelujah for His Son Jesus who has mad this possible by defeating death and sin and their power over us. We can live in His grace, in His power, and live righteous lives in His kingdom filled with gladness and joy. Glory be to God!

Psalm 40:1-3 (39:2-4 LXX)

I waited patiently for the Lord, and He heeded me;
And He heard my supplication,
And brought me up out of a miserable pit
And from miry clay;
And He established my feet on a rock
And kept straight my steps.
He put a new song in my mouth,
A hymn to our God;
Many will see and be afraid,
And shall hope in the Lord.

Encouraging Words…

I love how the psalmist describes our position as human beings here and God’s response to that. Since we are created in the image of God we are not totally depraved or dung as some teachings purport. We are God’s creation, God’s handiwork, stuck in the mire and filth of the fallen world. As I have had it explained to me by my spiritual father, we are diamonds covered in mud and garbage, but nonetheless, diamonds. When we call out to God He rescues us from the mud pit, cleans us off, and begins the process of chipping off the rough spots and shaping us into a shiny, pure, and precious diamond. He fills us with a new song and a new hear that calls out to Him and magnifies His glory.

Ezekiel 36:25-27

I shall sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be cleansed from all your uncleanness, and I will also cleanse you from all your idols. I shall give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I shall take the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I shall put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My requirements, and you will keep My judgments and do them.

Encouraging Words…

Once again we are reminded that our God is not passive in His relationship with us. He expects us to repent of our sins and to be renewed through the work of His Son. But it doesn’t stop there. He promises to pour out His Holy Spirit upon us, to create a new heart within us, to cleanse us from our uncleanness and idolatry. Our relationship with Him is two-sided and from that necessitates our action in the relationship as well. Glory be to God!

Joshua 1:6-9

“Be strong and courageous, for you will divide this land which I swore to your fathers to give them. Be strong, therefore, and courageous to guard yourself and to do as Moses My servant commanded you; then you will not turn away from them, to the right nor to the left. In this way, you will have understanding in whatever you do. The book of this law shall not depart from your mouth, and you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may have the understanding to do all the things written therein. Then you will both prosper, make your ways prosperous, and have understanding. Behold, I have commanded you. Be strong and courageous. Do not be cowardly or fearful, for the Lord your God is with you in all things, wherever you go.”

Encouraging Words…

Just as Joshua was given these encouraging words as he was about to enter into the promised land so are we as we enter into the kingdom of God that has arrived. We have the Holy Spirit so we can be strong and courageous. Jesus has broken the grip that death and sin had on us so we can be strong and courageous. The choice is ours, to worry and to fear, therefore thwarting the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, or to move forward with strength and courage under the wings of our Lord.

Mark 12:29-31

Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this:‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Personal Challenge…

How can it be that even when we live our lives in the midst of a crowd, surrounded by people, people that we know and people that we may not know much about bur are trying to befriend, that our lives are full of loneliness. We live in times where people live such independent lives. We live in times where we often live thousands of miles from our families and loved ones, parents, children, grandchildren, and siblings. Even though we have so much technology to help us connect it is still not the same as being in the same room holding them, laughing with them. I am so thankful to have a wife who loves me and is my friend. With her by my side and me by hers we are able to live a life built on love. I am also so thankful for wonderful children and grandchildren, those nearby and those far away and am so proud of them. We are so blessed to have them as such important parts of our lives. Even with such a wonderful family we still desire to be in community, to be in relationship with those God brings into our lives.

As I read through these verses today I was reminded that our Lord also lived His life lonely in the midst of the crowd. He left His Father and same to live amongst us. He gave of Himself to mankind and demonstrated how to live out these two great commands. And even after that He was rejected, falsely accused and ultimately killed. If we are to live our lives in the image of Christ, attempting to be like Him, is it not possible, even very probable, that our lives might be lived lonely in the midst of the crowd?

Loving the Lord our God and our neighbors as ourselves…sacrificially and completely. And for me and my household, living our lives that begins with love for our LORD, love for each other, love for our children, and love for those whom God brings into our lives.

Micah 7:7

But I will look to the Lord. I will wait for God my Savior, for my God will hear me.

Encouraging Words…

The God of creation, life, and eternity is not fickle. He does hear His people and is our salvation. How much hope people like Micah had because they could only look forward to the coming of their Savior. Ho much more hope we have because we live in the age of salvation where our Lord has come and set up His kingdom. What joy and peace we can realize because we have been given the Holy Spirit as our Comforter and Counselor. How important it is for us to be sharing this Good News with those who are lost around us! Glory be to God!

Proverbs 15:32-33 (15:37-38 LXX)

He who rejects instruction hates himself,
But he who gives heed to reproofs loves his soul.
The fear of God is instruction and wisdom,
And the beginning of glory will respond to it.

Personal Challenge…

We as modern day Americans hate to be told what to do. We have the right to pursue our happiness. We are entitled to health and wealth. However, the expectation of our Lord is that we will be humble before Him, that we will put others before ourselves, that we will give of our wealth and time to those in need. It is expected that we will need instruction and reproof because through that we will grow in the image of Christ. Do we want to see God’s glory in our lives? Then if we do we must adhere to His rules, His truths, His expectations and not those of the world. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Psalm 36:7 (35:8 LXX)

How You multiply Your mercy, O God!
The sons of men shall hope under the shelter of Your wings.

Encouraging Words…

Have you ever had one of those days when it feels like the weight of the world is bearing down upon your shoulders? Is it because of a loved one who is sick or not doing well? Is it because of a relationship that is broken? Is it because those around you don’t seem to understand you or care about you? There are so many things in our lives that can hurt us and weigh upon us. Here is one of those comfort verses that we can run to. Our God loves us beyond what we will ever be able to comprehend. He loves us unconditionally. And in that love He pours out His mercies upon us. We can hide under His wings as a chick hides under His mother’s wings. And if we choose to release our worries and hold onto Him then the cares of the world will be held from us because they will fall upon His back. Glory be to God!

Philippians 2:1-4

Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Command with a Promise…

We are given here a very powerful instruction or command for receiving consolation in Christ, comfort of love, fellowship of the Spirit, and affection and mercy. We are commanded to live in loving and other-focused fellowship with one another. This starts in our home and our immediate church family. However, these same practices can be applied in our places of work, in our communities, basically in all aspects of our lives. This is so counter to what our culture teaches and presses us to do and be…individuals looking out for our own good. If we live our lives doing nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, esteeming others better than we esteem ourselves, looking out for the interests of others, and doing all of this with a desire to be like-minded, having love, and being of one accord, then we will see the kingdom of God unfold around us.