Dear Friends,

Are you encouraged? Do you want to be? 

I am finding that the more I seek to be encouraged, the more discouraging circumstances come my way!  How about you? 

We often laugh because we say, "If you want patience, don't pray for it!  You'll get a lot more than you want."  We probably could say this also about encouragement.  Yet there is a little difference here and that is that the fruits of the spirit, like patience, are to be a part of the developing character of our personal growth in Christ.  It is a natural flow of our Christianity.  If it's not, then we pray that it will be.

Yet encouragement is something that we have to go after.  We have to do as David did and encourage ourself in the Lord.  His Word promises that encouragement.  But it takes something we are not willing to give - our time. 

Next time you are discouraged, ask yourself "Have I taken time to seek the Lord today ~ to find encouragement in His Word?"  You can't expect to be encouraged when you have not gone to the Source of encouragement ~ DAILY! 

May God give us the strength to make the sacrifice of time!  It will make the difference!