People of Encouragement

“Sheer encouragement.” That was the phrase J. R. R. Tolkien used to describe the personal support his friend and colleague C. S. Lewis gave him as he wrote the epic The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Tolkien’s work on the series had been painstaking and exacting, and he’d personally typed out the lengthy manuscripts more than twice. When he sent them to Lewis, Lewis responded, “All the long years you have spent on it are justified.”

Perhaps Scripture’s best-known encourager was Joseph from Cyprus, better known as Barnabas (meaning “son of encouragement”), the name the apostles gave him (Acts 4:36). It was Barnabas who advocated for Paul to the apostles (9:27). Later, when non-Jewish believers began to place their faith in Jesus, Luke tells us Barnabas “was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts” (11:23). Luke describes him as “a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith,” adding that because of him, “a great number of people were brought to the Lord” (v. 24).

The worth of encouraging words can’t be measured. As we offer words of faith and love to others, God—who gives “eternal encouragement” (2 Thessalonians 2:16)—may move through what we share to transform someone’s life forever. May He help us to offer “sheer encouragement” to someone today! James Banks - Daily Bread

The Master Builder

“Did you know that your wall is filled with old rubbish?” the engineer asked in disbelief. He’d come to fix our faulty boiler and discovered that a previous owner had done a botched job when installing it. A cavity in the external wall had been filled with paper, cardboard and plastic—and then simply cemented over.

It was the latest in a list of expensive issues we’d uncovered. Clearly, the previous owners had cut corners.

Building well takes time—whether it’s a DIY project or, more crucially, our own character. There are no short cuts. That’s why I love reflecting on the unique way that God builds. The One who could immediately spark the whole universe into existence took His time and built our world carefully and attentively (see Genesis 1).

Similarly, He builds us “like living stones . . . into a spiritual house” (1 Peter 2:5). Each of us is the recipient of His precise and loving development. Sometimes, when life feels hard and the problems are mounting, it might be because God is at work in our character, building something lasting so we can offer more “spiritual sacrifices acceptable to [him] through Jesus Christ” (v. 5).

Whatever season we’re in, as God’s people, we are safely built upon Jesus—“the living Stone” (v. 4). We will not be forgotten or put to shame (v. 6); our Builder is committed to transforming us into masterpieces of His kingdom. Chris Wale - Daily Bread

A Grateful Response

Raw fish and rainwater. An Australian sailor named Timothy survived on only those provisions for three months. Marooned on his storm-damaged catamaran, he was losing hope—bobbing 1,200 miles from land in the Pacific Ocean. But then the crew of a Mexican tuna boat spotted his ailing boat and rescued him. Later, the thin and weather-beaten man declared, “To the captain and fishing company that saved my life, I’m just so grateful!”

Timothy gave thanks following his ordeal, but the prophet Daniel revealed a grateful heart before, during and after a crisis. Having been exiled to Babylon from Judah with other Jews (Daniel 1:1-6), Daniel had risen in power only to be threatened by other leaders who wanted him dead (6:1-7). His foes got the king of Babylon to sign a decree stating that anyone who prayed “to any god” would be “thrown into the lions’ den” (v. 7). What would Daniel, a man who loved and served the one true God, do? He “got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to . . . God, just as he had done before” (v. 10). He gave thanks, and his grateful heart was rewarded as God spared his life and brought him honour (vv. 26-28).

As the apostle Paul wrote, may God help us “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Whether we’re facing a crisis or have just come through one, a grateful response honours Him and helps keep our faith afloat. Tom Felten - Daily Bread

Trust in God

Heather faces many challenges, including living with a debilitating chronic illness and the effects of breaking her coccyx after a fall. This means that she cannot work and now has to depend on Universal Credit.

She has found encouragement from this Old Testament verse: “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still” (Exodus 14:14). She realised, “I had to let God into this and not do [things] on my own.” Heather sees “God’s presence in little wins”, such as moving through the benefits system with surprising ease. But some days she feels discouraged, and so she has had the verse tattooed on her ankle. “I always see it and remember what God has done in that day,” she says.

Moses spoke these words to the Israelites when they were escaping from Egypt. As the enemy chariots pursued, they cried out in fear, “It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” (v. 12). But Moses called them to “stand firm” and reassured them that they would see the Lord deliver them (v. 13). They only needed to “be still” (v. 14). Whatever we face, we too can trust that the Lord fights on our behalf. We believe that we can be still as we put our trust in Him. Amy Pye - Daily Bread