Be Encouraged

Our Friday Devotion comes to us from Council Member, Char:

"The Lord replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." Exodus 33:14

I am having such a wonderful experience reading each night devotions from a book given to me on my birthday this year entitled "Jesus Calling - Exploring Peace In His Presence" by Sarah Young.

I've shared a piece from it before, and every day I read one, I have this urge to share it with "someone else" because I know if it's speaking to something I'm going through, "someone else" might just be going through that experience also. It is my nightly routine to share the devotions with my husband, John, and I have to tell you, that I think he enjoys them as much (if not more) than I do because he tells me so.

I had planned to share with you for my upcoming devotional one that I had read back on August 26, 2011, but in the meantime, another one grabbed my attention because recently, I've encountered a number of people struggling with the issue of feeling like they are not emotionally or mentally prepared to show up at Church and pretend things are okay with them. Of course, they do not realize that being at Church is the best place they could be to get spiritual preparation to deal with whatever might come at them.

But, I'm ahead of myself. Let me first share Sarah's October 20th devotion, hoping that it will minister to you, as it did to me: "COME TO ME with your defenses down, ready to be blessed and filled with My Presence. Relax, and feel the relief of being totally open and authentic with Me. You have nothing to hide and nothing to disclose, because I know everything about you already. You can have no other relationship like this one. Take time to savor its' richness, basking in My golden Light. One of the worst consequences of the Fall is the elaborate barriers people erect between themselves and others. Facades abound in the world, EVEN IN MY BODY, THE CHURCH. Sometimes, church is the last place where people feel free to be themselves. They cover up with Sunday clothes and Sunday smiles. They feel relief when they leave because of the strain of false fellowship. The best antidote to this artificial atmosphere is practicing My Presence at church. Let your primary focus be communing with Me, worshiping Me, glorifying Me. Then you will be able to smile at others with My Joy and love them with My Love."

And if you don't believe what Sarah (I feel like I'm on a first name basis with her because I love her writings) has to say about this, based on her understandings, she backs it up with the authority which she has gleaned from these Scriptures:

1John 1:5-7 - "This is the message we have head from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin." BE ENCOURAGED.

Exodus 33:14 - "The Lord replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." BE ENCOURAGED.

Philippians 4:8-9 - "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me - put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." BE ENCOURAGED.

I don't believe that God created us and put us here on earth to impress others, but rather to have fellowship with each other, in the truest sense of the word. So, what do you say to the idea that we get about the business of fellowshipping with each other? I think that means that we strive to see others, as God sees them, not only on Sundays, but every day, based on the road map that He has so carefully laid out for us. I for one am so thankful, that "with all my blemishes", God for sure sees them and still loves me, and I'm just as sure that he loves you too with all of yours.

Wishing you a blessed and "Facade Free" weekend and upcoming week. If you don't have a Church home, we would love it if you would choose to fellowship at Grace Harbor Church with us this Sunday.

Char

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