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Encouragement The Bible says, “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can
be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely
give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is
he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God,
who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress,
or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long;
we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things
to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ
Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:31-39 (KJV) How can we not be encouraged in our
walk with the Lord in light of this passage? It wasn’t like Scott Kregel to
give up. He was a battler, a dedicated athlete who spent hour after hour perfecting his three throw and jump shot during the
hot summer months of 1987. But just before fall practice everything changed. A serious car accident left Scott in a coma for
several days. When he awoke, a long rehabilitation process lay ahead. Like most patients with closed head injuries, Scott
balked at doing the slow, tedious work that was required to get him back to normal, things such as stringing beads. What high
school junior would enjoy that? Tom Martin, Scott’s basketball coach at the Christian
school he attended, had an idea. Coach Martin told Scott that he would reserve a spot on the varsity for him if he would cooperate
with his therapist and show progress in the tasks he was asked to do. And Tom’s wife Cindy spent many hours with Scott,
encouraging him to keep going. Within 2 months, Scott was riding off the basketball court on his teammates’ shoulders.
He had made nine straight free throws to clinch a triple-overtime league victory. It was a remarkable testimony of the power
of encouragement. Daily Chronological Bible Reading:
Romans 8-10
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