Daily Encouragements with Purpose: Keeping Strength in God’S Perfect Word

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ISBN: 978-1-4917-4421-5 (sc)

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iUniverse rev. date: 10/08/2014

Contents

1. Strange Things Will Happen

2. Holding on to the Word of God

3. When Times Are Difficult and You Are Feeling Alone

4. Take Courage in Times of Tribulation

5. God Will Deal with Sin and Evil

6. Trust in the Lord

7. To Hunger and Thirst for True Life

8. God’s Divine Plan and Your Spiritual Future

9. You Must Become Like a Child

10. Be Wise to the Voice You Hear

11. Getting It Right the First Time

12. God Is Always Watching over His Children

13. God’s Love for You

14. The Inner Person Prevails (The Outer Always Fails)

15. God Keeps His Word

16. Making a U-Turn

17. When You Are Spiritually Weak

18. When You Think God Is Saying No

19. Walking in the Spirit of Love

20. Just Follow God’s Instructions

21. Medicine for Stressful Times

22. Do Not Be Trouble

23. Life Will Have Painful Moments (Part 1)

24. Life Will Have Painful Moments (Part 2)

25. Checking Your Spiritual Condition

26. Whom Are You Mimicking?

27. Sowing and Reaping

28. God’s Free Gift: Eternal Life

29. Are You Superstitious? (Part 1)

30. Are You Superstitious? (Part 2)

31. Feed on the Word of God Every Day

32. Don’t Become a Shipwreck

33. Are Your Plans God’s Plans?

34. Running God’s Race

35. Be Committed to All God’s Teachings

36. Virtues of Excellence

37. Pleasant Words Are Sweet to the Soul

38. Words of Encouragement or Words of Stone

39. Teach Your Children the Ways of the Lord

40. God Restores the Brokenhearted

41. Love and Forgiveness

42. Guarding Your Mouth

43. Receive the Messenger to Receive the Blessing

44. Do You Know What Tomorrow Holds?

45. Trust and Believe in God

46. Are You Still on Fire for Christ?

47. Share His Mighty Works with All

48. Physical versus Spiritual Health

49. The Purpose of Storms and Trials

50. God Walks with You in Troubled Times

51. Victory Comes Only through God’s Word

52. Christ Is in Perfect Control

53. It’s Just Another Storm

54. When Bad Things Happen to Good People

55. Every Day Has Its Good, Bad, and Ugly

56. You Are Never Alone

57. Plan and Manage Your Life Well

58. Seeking God’s Favor

59. Patience in Our Christian Walk

60. God Is with You at All Times

61. Be Aware of Your Surroundings

62. Ignoring the Warnings

63. Trust in the Word of God

64. Never Walk in Doubt

65. Do Not Deviate from God’s Message

66. Be Freed by the Truth

67. It’s About the Inner Person

68. Choose Your Words Wisely

69. Don’t Sign Your Life Away

70. Walking with Counselors

71. God Knows Who You Are

72. Express the Love Within

73. Are You Seeking a Blessing or a Curse?

74. The Most Exulted in Heaven

75. Don’t Be Wise in Your Own Eyes

76. Making Vows or Promises

77. The Bible: Life for the Lost and Found

78. The Benefits of the Word of God

79. A True Friend in Christ

80. Change Is Uncomfortable

81. Looks Can Be Deceiving

82. Serve God with Virtue

83. Never Stop Praying for Loved Ones

84. A Woman of the Lord, She Shall Be Praised

Acknowledgments

T his book wouldn’t be possible without the help of the Holy Spirit and a number of family and friends. A special thanks to Pastor Tom Mahairas, with whom I had the pleasure of working for more than twenty years. I also would like to give thanks for Dr. John MacArthur’s teachings and commentaries of the MacArthur Study Library, which taught me many messages that were a tremendous contribution to my walk. Learning the word and the will of God is a lifelong journey which, over time, has built in me a strong relationship with Christ and a Christlike character. But most of all I am looking forward to God’s awesome reward of eternal life with our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus.

Paul’s encouraging words and benediction to the family of God give me much strength in my journey with Christ and the Holy Spirit. May my words do the same for you as you read about my personal experiences—about God’s words that walk me through every day, and about the people that God has placed in my life. So if you think you have heard it all, be ready to read about some of my experiences; you’ll find the answer to your prayers through Christ and His teachings. As you read this book daily, the word of God will encourage you, and you will come to believe more and more, because I have some funny and interesting testimonies to share with you from my own life.

The difficult times in our lives sometimes cause us to forget God’s encouraging words and messages. Paul conveys urgent advice to his readers and listeners in one of his many benedictions:

So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word. (2 Thess. 2:15–17 NASB)

These writings are not intended to take the place of your Bible but to encourage you in your day-to-day walk with God, as it has done in the lives of many others, when I was sending them out on weekly e-mails. Thank you for your support.

Introduction

Why It Is So Important to Be Encouraged

F or some people, finding a moment with God’s word can be very difficult, while for others, it is not a problem. The race for time can be stressful for some in this rapid-paced society; stress can take its toll on many who seek to be in God’s word. On the other hand, a good number of Christians are comfortable with what they know about the Bible, but they don’t realize how powerful it can be in their lives in these stressful and difficult times.

I have participated in many group studies and men’s Bible studies, and I’ve heard people say, I spent some time today in the word. But many also say that they don’t apply what they read to their walks in life. Often Christians don’t understand why life can become more difficult as they draw closer to God. That is Satan’s work. When people turn from their sins, Satan turns up his attacks on their lives, and strange things start happening around them. Many people just accept and conform to these events. But if you are seeking answers in order to solve your problems and understand why you are being attacked, they can be found in your Bible.

I wrote A Word of Encouragement to help my brothers and sisters in Christ. My goal is to strengthen and encourage readers, to arouse the curiosity of those who are inspired by God’s word, and to embolden them to reach to God for more strength, just for today. My hope is to give comfort to believers in Christ. The Bible teaches us, warns us, and encourages us with these words: Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Rom. 12:2 NKJV).

Believers must recognize the importance of the message in Romans 12—that if they don’t change the way they think, if they refuse to transform their minds, in time many of them will be just like those who don’t believe in God and His word. For even though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools (Rom. 1:21–22 NASB). Some might even become hypocrites and seek to please both sides. Do not be deceived—there is no spiritual gain in living a double life. Worldly living will teach you to live in sin, with no hope, no way out of it, and no resources to combat the evil that attacks you every day. If you are seeking a relationship with God, His word is the way to stay out of sin.

God’s word is just like your daily food. Just as physical nutrition is essential to your corporeal life, spiritual nutrition is essential to your spiritual life in Christ. God’s creation will die for lack of instruction—or spiritual malnutrition—and that’s exactly where Satan desires to take you and lead you astray, by keeping Gods creation in their sin and darkness or keeping them away from His holy words. Proverbs 5:23 (NASB) says, He will die for lack of instruction, And in the greatness of his folly he will go astray.

As I said earlier when I quoted Paul’s words of encouragement, if you stand strong on the promises of God, you will not be disappointed. Your trials in life might get bad and feel uncomfortable, but good will always defeat the bad, and God’s word is good. And remember, brethren, to stand firm and hold on to the traditions you were taught in Christ Jesus, whether through family and friends or through the Epistles in the Holy Bible. The Bible says, Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work (2 Thess. 2:16–17 NKJV). Paul is pronouncing divine blessings from God to you, and they will be everlasting. This is a word of encouragement and promise from God.

When the storms of life descend upon you, it is good to be prepared for them. And yes, I said them—for there will be many. When Satan unleashes a storm on you, you need to be prepared for it. Most storms are good. Why? When a tree encounters a storm, the storm pushes on the tree, moving the roots. This movement of the roots actually stimulates them and makes the tree stronger. So when Satan dumps his storms on you, you will only be stronger at the end of each and every storm. Never look at Satan’s storms as assaults; look at them as a means of training you in what you have been studying for many months or years. It is good to say that you were looking forward to his attacks and storms. Remember, since the beginning of your salvation, the Holy Spirit has been preparing you for spiritual warfare. The Truth War has no end as long as you are still walking on this earth.

In today’s times, things move at a fast pace. I wrote this book in the hope of encouraging many of those who have little time on their hands but seek to be encouraged by God’s word. I hope to show them how applicable it can be to their lives, as it is to mine. And for those who would simply like to reflect on God’s word and the meaning behind it for their day-to-day walk, they will find this book to be a useful tool.

This book was set up to be read every day of the week, excluding your day of worship. Its format will allow you to read all week long without overwhelming you, and it will also allow you to meditate on the message given to you and your family on your day of worship. Many Christians in today’s fast-paced world are unable to find the time to study the word of God; others I have spoken to read the word without getting any insight from it. This can be frustrating for Christians who are seeking a way to apply the word or a connection to God’s holy word in their lives. I hope that this book will give you more strength and encouragement in your journey with Christ and His word. I hope, too, that this book will leave you hungrier for God’s truth.

As I mentioned before, I have shared many of my personal life experiences in this book to show you how God rescued me and my family. As you’ll see, God is an awesome God, especially when it came to answering many of my prayers and demonstrating His loving grace to me and my family. God did it for me; He will also do it for you.

Your greatest spiritual success will come when you ponder on God’s holy words. For when you do ponder on God’s holy words, you will find understanding and act on it. And in acting on it, you finally will have found God’s purpose in your life—and you will truly impact the lives of those around you.

Dennis Berdecia Sr.

Strange Things Will Happen

N o two days are the same; every day of your life will be different. And every day, you can make that difference. As a child of Christ, the first thing you must do every day is get into the word of God and, in reading His word, learn to apply it to your own daily walk with Christ. Never set foot outside your house without God’s instructions and encouragement for you.

The next step is to plan out your day. Remember, there is no guarantee but one—that if you are saved and your heart stops beating, you will be in the presence of the Lord. So plan your day and look forward to it. Because, as good as you may be at planning, things can go wrong. You might have planned out your day very carefully, but the most important thing is to maintain a good spirit and keep in mind that if something can go wrong, it will. So don’t be surprised when nothing works out the way you expected and the only way you can describe your day is just short of a disaster.

Don’t get me wrong—there will be many peachy days. But these unexpected storms can feel like the end of the world at times. That’s when you should be still and pray to your Lord and Savior, asking Him to bring calm to the storms of life. While you pray, keep in mind what Psalm 46:10 (NASB) says: Cease striving and know that I am God. This is God’s command, to stop panicking and trust in Him. An interruption in your daily plans can make you feel like you’re having the worst day of your life. But when unexpected events change your plans, don’t look so hard at the problem; just pray and look deep into the word of God, and you will find peace in the midst of the storm. Never look at your problems as if they are ruining your perfect day. Look at them as ways to build up your Christlike character and test your faith. Most of all, give God the glory, even during your stormy time.

The Bible says,

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. (1 Pet. 4:12–13 NASB)

If you abide in Me, and My words abide