Eternal Encouragement
The Bible says: “And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee. Deliver me from all my transgressions:
make me not the reproach of the foolish. I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou didst it. Remove thy stroke
away from me: I am consumed by the blow of thine hand. When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his
beauty to consume away like a moth: surely every man is vanity. Selah. Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear unto
my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers
were. O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more.” Psalms 39:7-13 (KJV)
CBS News anchor Dan Rather admits he was always fascinated by the sport of boxing, even though
he was never good at it. “In boxing you’re on your own; there's no place to hide,” he says. “At the
end of the match only one boxer has his hand up. That’s it. He has no one to credit or to blame except himself.”
Rather, who boxed in high school, says his coach’s greatest goal was to teach his boxers that
they absolutely, positively, without question, had to be “get up” fighters. “If you’re in a ring just
once in your life; completely on your own; and you get knocked down but you get back up again, it’s an never-to-be-forgotten
experience. Your sense of achievement is distinct and unique. And sometimes the only thing making you get up is someone in
your corner yelling.”
As Believers we will face much opposition and adversity but
we can always count upon the Lord to encourage and sustain us. Paul says in Romans 8:14-18 (KJV) “For as many as are
led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have
received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we
are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with
him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”
Daily Chronological Bible Reading: Psalm 25, 29, 33, 36, 39
