Monthly Archives: May 2018

As some of you may have noticed I haven’t posted anything in about a week.

This is an incredibly busy season in my life and it’s been difficult to carve out the time to write a post every day. I also need to find some time to dedicate to some other writing projects I have in the works. I’ll tell you more about those as they continue to take form.

For the above reasons, I have found it necessary to take a break from writing on my EncouragingWordsForToday.com blog and on Facebook. This was a difficult decision to make because I really enjoy doing these daily devotionals and I hope they’ve been of some encouragement to you over the last few months.

I plan to start posting again soon, but I will be re-titling my blog Encouraging Words for Life and will be posting just 2-3 times per week. Daily posts are just too difficult to do on a regular basis. I’m also looking into other ways of sharing in the future.

Until then, if you’re looking for an excellent daily devotional to read, I encourage you to sign up to receive The Open Word daily readings by my friend. Mike Temple. He has wonderful thoughts and I look forward to his emails every day. You can sign up at openwordjourney.com. You’ll be glad you did! I promise!

Even though I’m taking this short hiatus, you will be in my thoughts and I will continue to “always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers.” (Philemon 4). I’d appreciate it if you’d do the same for me.

Thank you for reading my posts over the last year and I look forward to sharing more Encouraging Words with you soon.

God bless and have a great week!

There are so many things I can praise my mother for. She’s been my guide, my comforter, my friend throughout my life. Her love for her children knows no bounds. She is selfless and has willing sacrificed to provide for her children and so many others. She’s an amazing cook, a talented seamstress, and spits a mean watermelon seed! And don’t even think of challenging her to a water fight!

For all these things I’m thankful, but there is one thing I’m eternally grateful for – the example she’s set for me of what a true Christian should be. Her love for her children, her sacrifices for our comfort, and the joy she finds in life are a constant reminder to me of what Jesus is like. Her daily life has been a continuous reflection of Christ’s love to me, lighting my way from childhood to adulthood.

My own walk with Christ today and the joy I find in His service are in a large part due the example Mom has set me through the years. Because of Mom’s example I can with David say, “I am your servant, Lord; I serve you just as my mother did.” Psalm 116:16.

To have a child chose to love and follow Jesus is the greatest gift any Christian mother could ever receive. This Mother’s Day make your mom the happiest woman on earth – give Jesus your heart! Then go out and serve Him everyday – just like Mom!

I love you Mom! Happy Mother’s Day!

My Favorite Day

O’ blessed Day of sweetest rest,
day of the week I love the best,
When from life’s rush and frantic fray
I, for a time, can steal away.

I put aside my worries and my cares.
Worship God with songs and prayers.
Enjoy sweet fellowship with those I love.
Great food, good friends – gifts from above.

Time in Nature, God’s Second Book.
Fresh air, warm sun, a babbling brook.
Service, sharing, giving back.
Getting my mind back on track.

But on this day, what I cherish most
is time with the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
For ‘tis their love which sets us free,
gives us the hope of eternity.

So, when this day ends at sunset,
refreshed, renewed, my soul reset,
I’ll go forth to work and play
and look forward to next Sabbath Day.

-Copyright Richard Edison 5/12/2018

I’ve known some special women in my life. My wonderful mother and my grandmothers. My aunts and cousins. My beautiful sisters JoAnn Cooley, Jan Kling, Nan Taylor, Joan Lee, and Donna Marincic. My friends from work and church. My elementary school teacher, Mrs. Marvin. And of course, topping the list are my amazing daughter Rishana and my beautiful wife Ana.

Each of these women have affected my life in different ways. They’ve taught me about love and giving, about sacrifice and kindness. They’ve made me laugh and comforted me when I’m down. They’ve shown me the meaning of grace and set me an example of what it really means to be a Christian. Each of them has made a huge difference in my life, but there is one special lady I’d like to honor today, because she needs your prayers right now.

Deloris Foote came into my life when I was 12 or 13. Her big home in the country is the center of some of my most special memories. I’d spend my days exploring their farm with her boys and when we’d tire she’d call us in to eat some of the most delicious food I’ve ever tasted. I was kind of a shy, awkward, geek of a kid, but she always made me feel special and loved. I still think of her as my second mom.

Even after Ana and I got married, Deloris and her husband Joe, continued to make a difference in my life, as they did in the lives of so many others. There were church socials at her house, sledding parties in her fields and, most importantly, Caring for Marriage Seminars, to which I attribute much of success of our own marriage through the years.

Deloris has always been there for me and so many others, but today we need to be there for her.

Deloris is having surgery today to remove a meningioma which has been causing seizures. I ask you to pray for Deloris that the surgery will be a success and she’ll have a full recovery. Pray also for the surgeons and for her family who will be helping with her recovery.

Proverbs 31:30 says, “A woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” Deloris certainly fits the bill. Throughout her life she has reflected the love of Jesus everywhere she goes and in so many ways. Please pray for this special woman today, that she’ll have a rapid recovery and enjoy many more years of joy and laughter with her family and friends. Thank you!

God be with you Deloris! We love you!

Your Turn: Do you have a special woman in your life? Take a moment to thank God for her. And don’t stop there. Tell us what’s special about her in the comments below.

I’ve pretty much stopped watching the news in the last couple months. Occasionally I will turn it on if I’m just feeling too upbeat and need something to reconnect me with my inner depression, but for the most part I leave it off.

Don’t think I’m uninformed. I still keep track of the major stories, but I’ve grown tired of the constant flow of negativity which spews from news anchors’ mouths each evening. I mean why subject myself to more stories of senseless violence, infidelity, or the latest boneheaded move by our politicians? If I want to see stuff like that I can watch Law & Order. At least there the acting is good!

I’m trying to do the same thing in my personal life. I realized it’s way too easy for me to focus on the negative and miss out on the blessings God pours out on me everyday. This doesn’t do me any good and brings everyone around me down too.

In the book Help in Daily Living, p. 29, the author warns, “While we are counting up the disagreeable things, many things that are pleasant to reflect upon are passing from memory.”

I don’t know about you, but that’s not how I want to live my life. I’ve decided to instead follow Paul’s advice in Philippians 4:8 where he says, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

In spite what the news might want you to think, there is so much in this world that is still true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and worth thinking about. Sunrises and sunsets. Budding flowers and laughing brooks. Selfless souls who give their lives to help others and talented artists and musicians who fill our world with beauty and song.

This morning, let’s decide to stop dwelling on the trash. Let’s fill our minds with the good and reject the bad. Instead of repeating the latest gossip, let’s look for the good in everyone we meet and “if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise,-think on these things.”

God bless and have a positively amazing day!

Your Turn: What is one thing in your life you are thankful for, that makes you smile? Share it in the comments below, so we can all “think on these things.” Thanks and God Bless!

Last evening, after it stopped raining, my wife said, “Listen, the peepers are singing.”

My reply? “I can’t hear them. I don’t have my hearing aids in.”

Having hearing loss can be a real pain. I miss out on so much. Not just the peepers, but the song of birds, the gurgling of a stream, a friend’s soft voice. But what a difference when I put my hearing aids in! Suddenly the world becomes a very noisy place (usually in a good way)!

With my hearing aids in I can hear bees buzzing in the flower bed outside our window and birds singing in the trees. Music becomes richer and the volume can be turned down on the TV. Most importantly, I can hear when Ana calls, which makes her happy and, as the saying goes, “Happy wife, happy life!”

Sometimes I wish they made hearing aids tuned to the voice of God. I want to follow Him with all my heart and to do His will, but it’s hard when He seems so silent. I pray and all I hear is crickets (if I have my hearing aids in, that is). I sit and meditate, but the universe remains quiet.

I realize the problem is not with Him, but with me. I’m spiritually deaf. Thankfully, He understands my disability and has provided a solution. It’s called The Bible.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV tells us, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” And Romans 10:17 NKJV says, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

In the pages of Scripture God speaks, sometimes in thunder, but more often in a loving, still small voice. He tells me His hopes and dreams for me, His plans for the future, and, most importantly, His deep love for me – His deaf, wayward child.

The Bible is God’s answer to our spiritual deafness. However, just as my hearing aids do me no good unless I turn them on, so the Bible will do you no good if it sits on the shelf.

If you want to hear God speak, open its pages and “Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding.” Prov. 2:2. Let your prayer be, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.” 1 Samuel 3:9 NLT.

If you do this every day, I promise this – you WILL hear God speak. “Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, ‘This is the way you should go, whether to the right or to the left.’” Isaiah 30:21 NLT. You’ll discover He’s been talking to you all along. You just needed a little help to hear!

God bless, have a great day, and “Hear the word of the Lord.”

I’m thankful for my wife, who fills my life with love. I’m thankful for my children, who bring me so much joy. I’m thankful for my parents and siblings, for my wonderful family. I’m thankful for my home in this beautiful valley, for my church, for my amazing co-workers, for the food on my table, for… I could go on and on. I have so much to be thankful for!

But What About the Bad Stuff?

It’s easy to be thankful for all these good things, but what about the not-so-good things? Am I thankful for them too? Am I thankful for my aching knees, pain in my back, unfulfilled hopes and dreams? Am I thankful when a loved one dies or a friend disappoints? How about when the flu hits and I can barely get out of bed? Am I thankful then?

In 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Paul says we should “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Once again Paul seems to command the impossible. First he tells us to “Rejoice always” (v. 16), then to “pray continually” (v. 17) and now he wants us to be thankful about everything. What is with this guy, anyways?

“In”, not “For”

To really understand what Paul is saying we have to look closer at the text. Paul doesn’t say we should “give thanks for all circumstances.” I mean, we’d seem pretty callus if we told someone whose child had just died they should be thankful he or she was gone. And I know I wasn’t thankful for the kidney stone I had a few weeks ago!

No, Paul says we should “give thanks in all circumstances.” He’s talking about our attitude, not our feelings. He’s telling us to have an attitude of gratitude.

If I suffer a setback in my personal life or things aren’t going well at work, I’m not thankful for the circumstance, but I still have a thankful attitude, because I know “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28.

If a friend turns his back on me or a loved one leaves, I’m not happy I have to go through the pain, but I’m grateful I don’t have to go through it alone, “because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” Hebrews 13:5.

Even when I lose someone dear and my heart breaks with grief, I am thankful for the hope of the resurrection, the promise that someday soon God “will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:4.

It’s About Relationship

This “attitude of gratitude” is not something which come naturally, but is a result of a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. Paul tells us, “Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him.” Colossians 2:7a NLT.

When you accept Jesus as your Savior and spend time with Him day-by-day, you will learn to “Rejoice always”, “pray continually”, and “Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” Colossians 2:7b NLT.

Today, lean on Jesus, trust in His love and let Him give you an attitude of gratitude. Make Him the center of your day and “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

God bless, have a wonderful day, and remember – “always be thankful”! (Colossians 3:15 NLT)

I don’t know about you, but Paul’s command in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to “without ceasing” (KJV) sounds about as unreasonable as his previous instruction in verse 16 to “Rejoice always”.

How can we possibly “pray without ceasing”? It’s just not practical. After all, we’ve got to make a living, eat, sleep, and generally just live, so how can we be expected to pray all the time? Besides, at my age, my knees can’t take that much kneeling!

Yet Paul’s instruction is clear. We are to “pray continually.” (NIV). Even Jesus told His disciples “that they should always pray and not give up.” Luke 18:1 NIV.

The problem is we have too narrow a view of prayer. We think of it as a hurried entreaty in the morning for protection or a sleepy whisper at night as we crash into bed. We limit it to times of crisis or moments of pure joy, when, in fact, it should be a continual feast, a constant back and forth conversation between two dear friends all through the day and into the night.

You see, prayer is not just something to be done in church or when you need God to grant you a wish. It is more than kneeling by your bed or folding your hands for the blessing on a meal. Prayer is about relationship.

Prayer is spending time with the love of your life, the center of your heart, your Best Friend. It is walking with Jesus, talking with Jesus, clinging to His every word, finding joy in just being together as you go about your day.

Ellen White, in her beautiful little book Steps to Christ, describes prayer as “the opening of the heart to God as to a friend.” (p. 93). Later she says, “Unceasing prayer is the unbroken union of the soul with God, so that life from God flows into our life; and from our life, purity and holiness flow back to God.” (p. 98).

In Ministry of Healing, p. 511, Ellen White advises us to, “Cultivate the habit of talking with the Saviour when you are alone, when you are walking, and when you are busy with your daily labor. Let the heart be continually uplifted in silent petition for help, for light, for strength, for knowledge. Let every breath be a prayer.”

“Praying continually” isn’t complicated. You don’t have to get down on your knees or hide in the closet. Just open your “heart to God as a friend.” Talk with Him as you drive your car, do your work, go about your daily routine. Make it a habit to, “in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.’ Philippians 4:7 NIV.

This week, give it a try. Make your “every breath a prayer”. “Pray without ceasing.” Open your “heart to God as a friend.” Just enjoy being with Him, talking with Him throughout your day, and may “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,…guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:8 NIV. Amen!

A couple days ago we discovered the answer to the age old question, “What is God’s will for your life?” We learned His will is for us to, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances…” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

This is good news, but I have to admit I have a little problem with that first part -“Rejoice always.” Is Paul serious? Always? Apparently so, because he says it again in Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”

This all seems rather extreme, don’t you think? I mean does God really expect me to rejoice when I lose my job, when others insult and persecute me, when my child turns away? How can I possibly rejoice when a loved one dies? That’s asking a little too much, isn’t it?

Jesus Makes the Difference

In our own strength this is impossible, “but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26. Jesus makes the difference. He came that we “may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10. With Jesus in your life, no matter the circumstances, you can “rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.” John 16:22.

Without Jesus in our lives this world is a pretty dark and dreary place, with little hope and little reason to rejoice. But with Jesus we see life through new eyes and, even in the worst of circumstances we find reason for joy. With Jesus:

• If you lose your job you can rejoice, because you know, “…God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19.
• “When people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you…“Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven…” Matthew 5:11, 12.
• If a child’s strays you can have hope, because God promises, “I will contend with those who contend with you, and your children I will save.” Isaiah 49:25.
• When trials come your way, “In all this you greatly rejoice….” because you know “These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” 1Peter 1:6.
• Death is not a permanent “Good-bye”. Instead it becomes,“See you later”, because we know someday soon “…the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17.

“Rejoice always” may seem a ridiculous command from a human perspective, but when we bring Christ into the equation, how can we do anything else?

Invite Jesus into your heart today and your life will never be the same. Sorrow will be turned to joy, despair to hope, and grief to celebration, as you learn for yourself what it means to “Rejoice in the Lord” – Always!

God bless and have a wonderful Sabbath!

Do you ever wonder what God’s will is for you? Well, it’s really quite simple. You don’t need to read a book, take a course, or go to a seminar, to figure it out.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 tells us clearly that God’s will is for us to, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances…”

That’s it! Pretty simple, right? But impossible on our own. Even the mighty apostle Paul, when He declared, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation…” admitted he could only “…do all this through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:12 and 13.

The secret to living continually in God’s will is to live continually in Christ, leaning totally on Him for strength to face each day. It is only when we do this that we will be able to “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12 NIV.

This morning, stop trying to figure out God’s will for your life and start living His will for your life. Give your heart to Jesus and “be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2.

God bless! Have a wonderful day! And remember, no matter what comes your way to Rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks!