Word For Today
A daily word for you to receive inspiration and make your day better.
Today's Word
Word of the Day: Meeting with other Christians is a Blessing
God did not create us to live in solitude. He desires that we have healthy relationships with those around us. Our brothers and sisters in faith are treasures from God in our lives, helping us on our journey with the Lord. Therefore, we should value each one, and avoid conflicts, treating everyone with God's sublime love.
not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:25
Do not stop congregating. It is very important to stay connected to a faith community where the Word of God is proclaimed faithfully. Where you can bless and be blessed by communion. Many brothers and sisters leave their congregations and by distancing themselves from the family, take the risk of walking alone. But listening to messages and sermons online is not the same as being part of the Church of Christ.
The Church is like a large flock of the Lord, shepherded collectively. Sheep alone become easy targets for the Enemy.
If you are away from communion with the church, it is time to return! God wants you to grow spiritually alongside a family that is also growing. There are no perfect churches, but you can contribute to make yours more like Jesus. Be the person you hope others will be to you. Love, care, help, support, and encourage other brothers and sisters in faith to persevere in the Christian journey.
Are you living in communion with God's family? Here are some activities and things to do when gathered in Small Groups.
Yesterday's Word
Word of the Day: Persevering is the path to victory
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
James 1:12
Giving up is very often such an easy thing to do. We live in a world where people quickly give up on their dreams, give up on other people, and even give up on themselves. But the person who perseveres in what is right receives the reward from the Lord! He grants victory if we remain steadfast and constant, walking with Jesus Christ.
12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.
Hebrews 12:1-2a
Hebrews 12 gives us some ideas of what we should do when we feel like giving up:
- 'Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses' - We should look up to the amazing characters that have gone before us, heroes of the bible such as Noah, Moses, Nehemiah, and the countless others who worked through hardship to follow the path God set out for them.
- 'Let us throw off everything that hinders' - The lighter the load we are carrying, the faster we will run, the sooner we will complete the race God has laid out for us. Sin hinders us, sin is a burden we should cast off before it entangles us and causes us to stumble.
- 'The race marked out for us' - We are not running blind. We have a path, a track marked out for us, one that has been planned by God. We don't need to feel alone, or lost, or as if there is no path for us. God had our whole lives mapped out for us before we were born.
- 'Fixing our eyes on Jesus' - with our eyes fixed on the goal we can run confidently, we can be sure of exactly where we are going.
When we feel like giving up, we should remember these things as we seek God and let Him give us the strength to persevere daily!
See more verses that show how hope can help us persevere.
Day Before Yesterday's Word
Wait on the Lord with strength & Courage!
Wait for the Lord. Be strong! Take heart! Wait for the Lord.
-- Psalms 27:14
Patience. It's so easy to talk about it, yet so hard to practice. In the world we live in, everything is so fast-paced and instantaneous that patience has become increasingly rare.
When God asks us to be patient and wait, we need to remember that it will only work if we truly trust Him to handle any situation.
But we also need to be strong and courageous! Waiting doesn't mean burying our heads in the sand. It means we can face any situation knowing that God is in control.
In the bible, there are several inspiring examples of people who had to wait to receive the blessing that was offered to them. One example is Abraham and Sarah, who, having been promised by God that they would be the ancestors of a great nation started to have doubts.
They both remained strong in their faith and courageous in their patience. Paul uses their patience as an example in his letter to The Hebrews when reassuring the church that they can be confident in all that God has promised them.
13 When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.” 15 And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.
Hebrews 6: 13-15
We wait patiently for God to act because we can have the same certainty in his promises.
See more verses about God's promises here.