Written to Encourage

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Romans 15: 4

On this 20th day of November, we are thankful for God’s Holy Word, as it gives us encouragement and hope through its stories of men and women of faith.

When you look back over your life, do you see things that you would change or do differently? I’m sure we all do. We’ve made mistakes. We still do, but we learn from them. Experience truly is the best teacher. We learn from our own past experiences and we learn from those around us. And as we learn, we grow in character, in strength, in perseverance, and if we know God, we grow in faith.

But sometimes this walk of faith is difficult, and we need encouragement and reminders of God’s love and presence with us. He gave us His Word to give us that assurance. When He created us He knew we would face hardships and pain, and that we would need His truths to guide us and His promises to give us strength. He gave us His Holy Bible to teach us about His wisdom, love, and grace.

Reading about and seeing His hand in the lives of such saints as Joseph, David, Daniel, Mary, Ruth, and Rehab gives us comfort and assurance that we can trust in our loving God. And what could give us more encouragement and eternal hope than reading about the life, death, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ on the cross. What mercy, love, and compassion our God has for us.

God wants us to know Him, to truly know of His love for us, and what He desires for our lives. He wants us to believe and trust that He will always be with us, just as He was with those great men and women of faith. He wants us to know His promises and “to hide them in our hearts” so they are always near in our time of need.

What a source of encouragement and hope His Word is and has always been. It has instructions and guidance for every aspect of our lives and if we follow them, our lives will be full of meaning, purpose, and goodness. May we breathe His Word into our hearts, be mindful of the ways He has shown His power and glory in the past, and be grateful for the hope and assurance it brings.

Prayer

Dear God, we thank you for the loving message of hope and encouragement you give us through Scripture. May we learn from those faithful saints of the past and always trust in you. We give you all honor and praise for all the ways you love us, provide for our needs, and keep us in your care. Amen