Encouraging Words for Today

I spent a good portion of today at WalMart, waiting to have the battery on Ana’s car replaced. The car wouldn’t start yesterday and we ended up having to jump it. I figured it was either the battery or the alternator but, since my mechanical ability is limited to changing the oil and filling the car with gas, I decided to take it to someone who knows what they’re doing.

Initial testing showed the battery was still good, but when they put it on the charger it wouldn’t hold a charge. So, I had to bite the bullet and buy a new battery. Batteries are a LOT more expensive now then the last time I bought one! Hey, but at least it’s not as bad as a bad alternator.

It’s easy to be content in our faith, going to church, singing in the choir, living a “good” life. It may seem to ourselves and others that everything is fine, but when put to the test, whether by hardship or temptation, we often fail, because we haven’t kept our spiritual batteries charged. When we need it the most we find there’s no power inside.

The only way to prevent this from happening is to stay connected to the Source, daily and even hourly recharging our spiritual life, through regular Bible study and prayer. Without that constant connection with Heaven’s Power we won’t have the energy we need when trials come our way.

Paul tells us “the word of God is alive and powerful.” (Hebrews 4:12). Take time today to stay connected to the Power found only in God’s Word. Then when you’re put to the test, “you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need.” (Colossians 1:11).

Ana gets to watch our grandson 2-3 times a week and it’s so much fun to watch him grow. When we first moved here he pretty much just ate, slept, cried, and pooped, but now he’s crawling everywhere, chasing the cats and getting into everything he can reach. He’s so much fun!

As much as we’re enjoying watching him crawl, we wouldn’t want him to stop there. We’re looking forward to his first step, his first word, and all the other milestones to come. We want him to grow strong and healthy, to keep advancing and growing into the person God made him to be.

That’s what our Heavenly Father wants for you and me. He loves it when we give our hearts to Him and are born again. God cherishes us, even though our faith is still immature. He cares for us, protects us, nourishes us, because He doesn’t want us to stay baby Christians. No, He wants us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18 NIV). God wants us to become “mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:4).

Every day we need to keep studying and learning. Keep reaching higher. Keep trying harder. Keep imitating Jesus and keep “growing in the knowledge of God.” (Colossians 1:10).

If we will do this “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.” (Ephesians 4:14, 15).

Our grandson is not going to be satisfied with crawling for long. He’s already trying to stand and will take his first step before we know it. I hope you won’t be satisfied with crawling through life either. Instead, I hope you will “crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.” (1 Peter 2:2, 3).

You’ve crawled long enough. It’s time to stand – stand up for Jesus!

A new fitness center opened here in Walla Walla a couple months ago. It’s state of the art, with lots of fitness machines, treadmills, free weights and other exercise equipment. Best of all, membership is only $10 a month for the first year! That’s a great deal!

I’m so glad I took advantage of this offer. Now, every time the monthly fee comes out of my checking account or I drive by the fitness center I think about the great deal I got and how wonderful it will be when I finally find the time to go workout there.

Yeah, that’s right. I’ve been a member for over two months and have yet to go there to exercise. That great deal I got isn’t going to do me any good unless I get up and go workout! I’m just pouring my money down the drain!

Sometimes people do the same thing with their faith. They’ve accepted the amazing deal our Heavenly Father offered when He promised if you “Believe in the Lord Jesus…you will be saved…” (Acts 16:31 NIV), but they never take the next step, by putting their faith into action. They forget that “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” (James 2:17).

God doesn’t give us salvation so we can just go on our merry way, only exercising our faith when we pay our tithe or say grace over our food. The Christian life is a life of action, of stepping forward in faith, stretching our boundaries, lifting heavy burdens off others’ backs, and running “with perseverance the race marked out for us…” (Hebrews 12:1).

Until I step into that fitness center and start lifting those weights, stretching my joints, and running on that treadmill my great membership deal is just going to be a waste of money. I need to commit myself to a daily exercise program if I want my strength to grow.

In the same way, you and I commit ourselves to regularly exercising our faith, by sharing the Good News with others and helping those in need, if we want it to grow. If we don’t we’ll never become the men and women God wants us to be.

So, “let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds…”(Hebrews 10:24). Let’s start exercising our faith everyday by telling others about this amazing deal God is offering for only a limited time – eternal life through Jesus Christ. And the best part? The dues are already paid!

I’ll never forget the day I saw Jesus and he let me wash his feet!

It was a normal day at the office. It had been fairly busy and I was tired when he walked in the door. You wouldn’t have recognized him. His hair was matted. His clothing was dirty and kind of ragged. A haunted, distant look was in his eyes and he mumbled his words as he checked in.

As I entered the exam room, a sour smell greeted me and I had to turn my head and catch my breath. When I asked him what he was there for, he pointed at his leg. Lifting the torn pant leg I found his leg was red and swollen, with weeping sores, and track marks clearly evident. Great, I thought to myself, another addict. Just what I need.

Trying to keep a professional attitude, I asked about how long his leg had been like this and what he’d been shooting up with. Then I got some water, poured some Hibiclens on some gauze, and began to clean pus from the sores.

That’s when I recognized him! It was like a voice whispered in my mind, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:20 NIV).

At that moment I knew I was washing the feet of Jesus! Not literally, of course, but still the feeling was so real I almost started to shake. Looking at my patient, my whole attitude changed. No longer was he just a dirty bum, an addict in need of his next fix. He was a child of God, my brother, a friend in need.

I’d like to say I then shared the Good News with him and led him to Christ, but I was too much a coward for that. I pray someone else down the road had the courage to do what I could not. Instead I finished cleaning and dressing his wounds and sent him home with a prescription for antibiotics. He left, to go back on the street, but for me something had changed. Never again would I look at my patients the same.

Now, I try to see Jesus in every patient who walks through the door. Sometimes he’s hurting or afraid. Sometimes he’s feeling down or has a cold. Sometimes he’s hard to find, but if I look hard enough he’s there, in everyone I meet.

How about you? Have you seen Jesus today?

I am a Wordle fanatic! I play it almost everyday. I’ve played it over 260 times and I’ve been successful 98% of the time.

For those of you who’ve been stranded on a desert island for the last couple years and don’t know what Wordle is, it’s a daily word puzzle published in the NY Times where you have 6 tries to guess the 5-letter word of the day. It’s also incredibly addicting!

Finding the right word on Wordle can be challenging, but trying to find the right words to tell someone about Jesus can be a lot harder (and even a little scary!).

You want to share the Good News, but you don’t want to offend or turn someone off. It can be scary to put yourself out there, so most of us take the safe route and just keep quiet.

The truth is, witnessing doesn’t have to be hard. You don’t have to be able to spout off proof texts or explain Daniel and Revelation. Just tell what Jesus has done for you and the “reason for the hope that you have.” (1 Peter 3:15 NIV). It doesn’t have to be fancy. Just tell them about your best Friend.

And, besides, you don’t have to worry about coming up with the right words yourself. The Bible promises “God will give you the right words at the right time.” (Matthew 10:19 NLT). I experience this every time I write a devotional. He’ll do the same for you if you’ll just ask.

If I miss playing Wordle once in a while it’s not the end of the world, but if I don’t tell someone about my hope in Jesus that could have eternal consequences. Witnessing doesn’t have to be a puzzle we figure out as we go, not if we prepare now, “to give an answer to anyone who asks…”.(ibid).

Yesterday was an extremely busy day at the Urgent Care Center where I work. Colds, flu, COVID. UTI’s, gout, cellulitis, lacerations. These were just a few of the conditions I dealt with. As the lone provider, I didn’t even have time to stop for lunch and ended up staying late to finish my charts.

It’s on days like yesterday I miss my colleagues at the Walk-in Clinic in Wenatchee. I miss the support and companionship of my fellow providers and the amazing group of MA’s and nurses I worked with there. We made an incredible team, supporting and encouraging each other, making each other laugh and sharing the burden on busy days. No matter what battles we faced, we fought together.

The fact of the matter is, we all need each other. Our veterans know this is true. Without the support and encouragement of their fellow warriors, both during the fight and after the battle, none would make it through. There is a special bond which forms between those who have fought together. That is one of the reasons we celebrate these amazing men and women on Veteran’s Day.

We all need to learn a lesson from our veterans. We are in a battle, a great controversy between good and evil. Overwhelming forces are arrayed against us. To survive we must stand shoulder-to-shoulder together and faithfully follow the directions of our Leader. If we try to fight alone we are doomed to fail, but together we can prevail. “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:12 NIV).

No matter what your profession or your situation, having people you can count on to support and listen to you can make all the difference. That’s why Paul cautioned us against “giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing,” (Hebrews 10:25).

If you’ve had a busy week you may be tempted to sleep in and skip out on church, but I encourage you, don’t do it. In this battle called life we need the support of our fellow soldiers in Christ, that “we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds…” (vs. 24, 25).

So, get up, take a shower, and head to church. It’s where you belong. You need to be with other believers and they need you too. Let’s not give up meeting together, but, instead, support each other more and more, “…encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (vs. 25). We’re all in this together and together we shall stand!

God bless and have a Happy Sabbath!

When my kids were young they loved to imitate their daddy.

Once I got upset with myself and angrily kicked a wall, shouting, “Stupid!” Moments later, I heard my little daughter kick the wall too and shout, “‘Tupid!” Needless to say, my wife had a few words for me later about the example I was setting for our children.

Thankfully, our Heavenly Father sets a much better example for us to follow. We can’t go wrong imitating Him. His love and mercy have no bounds and, if we choose to imitate Him, neither will ours.

Ephesians 5:1 says, “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.” (NLT). Then verse 2 calls us to, “Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ.”

Too often “Christians” are better known for their intolerance, insensitivity, and selfishness than their Christ-likeness. A few years ago, a survey found the number one thing people thought when they heard the word “Christian” was “anti-gay” – and it didn’t get better after that! “Loving” didn’t even make the list!

Imagine how different our world would be if Christians actually imitated Christ, if they lived lives filled with love. Conflict would end, marriages would flourish, rifts would be repaired, the hungry would be fed, and the destitute would find a place called “home.”

Someday soon Jesus will come to take us to a place like that, to Heaven, where “…there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain” and where “the wolf and the lamb will live together; the leopard will lie down with the baby goat. The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion, and a little child will lead them all.” (Revelation 21:4, Isaiah 11:6).

Until then it’s up to us to bring a little bit of heaven into the world around us, to be imitators of Christ, living lives filled with love in a world filled with hate. We are to be beacons of hope, shining in the darkness, showing the world a better way, pointing them to a God who loves them with an everlasting love.

We cannot do this on our own, however. My children became imitators of me, for better or worse, by spending time with me. It is the same with us and God. It is only as we daily spend time with God, studying His Word and talking with Him, that we will become like Him and be able to love as He loves.

2 Corinthians 3:18 describes it this way, “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (NIV)

The world is in desperate need of “imitations”, people who imitate God’s love in their everyday lives. Today, determine to spend every moment in His presence, contemplating His glory, “being transformed into His image“, so you can truly be “imitators of God”, living “a life filled with love, following the example of Christ.”

May God guide you as you imitate Him today!

(This was originally posted in 2018).

One of my favorite memories from childhood was a backpacking trip we took in the Adirondacks of New York. I don’t remember who all went with us, but I know my dad, my sister JoAnn, a friend Ed DiJoseph (Big Ed), and several others were there.

When we started out the weather was beautiful, but it quickly took a turn for the worse. Rain came down in buckets and the trail turned into muck. It was a struggle just to take another step.
At one point JoAnn’s foot sank into the mud and when she pulled it out her shoe stayed in the hole.

The rest of us weren’t doing much better. Ed fell once and slid past us down the hill, before crashing into a mudhole. By the end of the trail we were all covered in muck and exhausted from struggling through the mud for hours. In other words, we all had a blast!

It’s not as much fun, however, when day after day we find ourselves slogging through the muck of past mistakes and disappointed hopes and dreams. Sometimes it’s a struggle to just keep putting one foot in front of the other. At times,it can be tempting to just give up and wallow in our misery.

King David felt this way sometimes. Trapped in the mire of his own sins and mistakes, he sometimes was driven to the point of despair but, instead of giving up, he looked up, and God came through for him. He wrote that God, “lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.” (Psalm 40:2 NLT).

God will do the same for you. No matter how deep the mess you’ve gotten yourself into, no matter how stuck you feel right now, help is just a prayer away.

Slogging through the muck on a hiking trip can be kind of fun, but in everyday life, not so much. Before you take another step, reach out to Jesus. Call to Him today and He will lift you out of the muck and mire and set your feet on solid ground. He did it for David and He’ll do it for you. All you have to do is ask.

Some days are darker than others. Have you noticed that? One day you can feel on top of the world and the next you’re down in the dumps. Today was like that for me. For some reason I was just in a mood. There was nothing especially wrong, just everything seemed gray.

Some of it was probably the weather, which was gray and raining. The end of Daylight Savings probably didn’t help either. When it starts getting dark at 4 o’clock it’s hard to be chipper. I’m also still getting over being sick. Whatever the reason, I just felt kinda blue.

Depression is a serious problem in our crazy world. It not only destroys marriages, relationships and careers, it can also be devastating to your health. Dean Ornish, one of the pioneers of lifestyle medicine, speaking at the conference I just attended, reported that people who are lonely or depressed are 3-6 times more likely to die prematurely than those who feel connected with others.

Even the Apostle Paul felt this need for connection. When he first came to Macedonia he faced incredible opposition. He, and those with him, “were harassed at every turn – conflicts on the outside, fears within.” (2 Corinthians 7:5 NIV).

But God didn’t abandon them to their depression and fears. Writing to the Corinthians, Paul reported, “But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him.” (vs. 6-7).

One of the best ways for you to help someone who is struggling with depression is to just be there for them. We all need each other. It’s been that way from the very beginning. That’s why God created Eve, because He knew “It is not good for…man to be alone.” (Genesis 2:18).

If you know someone who is feeling depressed, let them know they’re not alone. We’ve all been there. Reach out to them, in person or even online, and let them know you’re in this with them. Remind them they have a Heavenly Father who “is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18).

Today, let’s make a point to “encourage one another and build each other up.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). Be a friend to someone who needs one today. After all, tomorrow you just might be the one who could use a friend. If we will each just be there for someone else, then we’ll never be alone.

At the Lifestyle Medicine Conference I attended this last week, I took a resistance training workshop. In it we learned the importance of resistance exercises for our overall health and how to prescribe resistance training to our patients. We even got to do a little weight lifting with the past winner of California’s Strongest Man Competition, Dr. Andrew Mock.

When talking about heart health, everyone thinks of aerobic exercise, such as walking or running. This form of exercise is important, but recent research has found that resistance training is also essential for good heart health.

Resistance training is also good for our spiritual health. Just as muscles grow when stress is put on them, so our faith will grow as we face trials in our walk with Christ. When our faith is stressed, pushed to the limit, it becomes stronger and better prepared to face whatever comes next.

This is why James said, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4 NLT).

Resistance training takes hard work. It’s not always enjoyable, but, when it comes to your health, it’s worth it. The same goes for our Christian walk. God uses trials to help your faith grow stronger each day. Trials are resistance training for your soul.

So, don’t give up when trials come your way. Don’t throw in the towel when you face resistance in your walk with Christ. Instead, let the trials make you stronger in your faith, till you are “mature and complete, not lacking anything.” If you do, someday soon, you’ll hear Jesus say, “Well done, good and faithful servant…Enter in the joy of your lord.” (Matthew 25:21 NKJV). May that day come soon!