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Get Encouraged

Encouraging & Inspiring

Tag: God

  • How God’s Truth Guides Us in Uncertainty

    How God’s Truth Guides Us in Uncertainty

    The image features a digital illustration with a warm, earthy color palette. At the bottom, an open Bible is prominently displayed with thick, clean lines and minimal detailing, suggesting importance and clarity. Above the Bible, the phrase Store Up God’s Word in Your Heart is written in a bold, serif font, creating a strong visual and thematic focal point. To the right of the text, there’s a simple yet striking compass graphic. The compass, with its clear directional markings (N, S, E, W), visually reinforces the theme of guidance—tying directly into the message about Scripture helping us navigate life’s storms. The background has a parchment-like texture, adding a subtle, timeless feel to the overall design.

    Psalm 119 encourages us to store up God’s Word in our hearts—and there’s a powerful reason for that.

    Back in 1914, Ernest Shackleton and his team set out from England on an incredibly ambitious journey: to cross Antarctica from one side to the other via the South Pole. But things quickly took a turn for the worse. Their ship got trapped in ice, the hull was crushed, and eventually, it sank. The team ended up stranded on a remote place called Elephant Island with little hope of rescue.

    Desperate to save his crew, Shackleton and five others climbed into a 20-foot lifeboat and sailed 800 miles through some of the most dangerous, storm-ridden waters on the planet to reach South Georgia Island—where help was available. For 15 days, they braved 100-foot waves with only a compass and sextant to guide them. Frank Worsley, who had captained the Endurance, navigated them safely to land. Eventually, they secured another ship and rescued the entire team. Shackleton became a hero for his leadership and determination.

    Life can feel a lot like that sometimes—tossed around by storms we didn’t see coming, surrounded by uncertainty and overwhelmed by misinformation. In those moments, Psalm 119:11 reminds us to anchor ourselves in something solid:

    “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”

    In other words, storing up God’s Word helps us know what’s right, what’s true, and how to stay on course—even when everything else is shifting. Just like that compass helped guide Shackleton’s team through the unknown, Scripture can guide us through life’s chaos.

    Our emotions might pull us in all kinds of directions, but God’s Word is steady. It’s trustworthy. And it’s the best way to navigate through uncertainty.

    Let this be your reminder to lean into God’s truth—especially when the seas get rough.

    Thanks for reading. Feel free to share this if it encouraged you!

  • God is True Love

    In the midst of all the different ideas about love, there’s a timeless concept that stands above the rest—God as true love.

    The Bible simply states, “God is love” (1 John 4:8). This short phrase is like the key to understanding how God embodies true love. Unlike the love we often experience, God’s love is different—it’s endless, pure, and everlasting.

    God’s love is unconditional. It doesn’t depend on what we do or how perfect we are. It’s a love that accepts us just as we are, flaws and all. This unconditional love is something we can count on, no matter what.

    It’s also a sacrificial love. In the Bible, it’s mentioned that God loved the world so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to save us (John 3:16). This act of sacrifice shows how much God’s love gives without expecting anything back. It’s a gift that brings us hope and eternal life.

    God’s love can change us for the better. When we understand and embrace this love, it has the power to heal and transform our lives. It’s not just a feeling; it’s a force that can guide us to become better people, influencing how we treat others.

    Thinking of God as true love encourages us to try and love others in a similar way. It challenges us to love without conditions, to give without expecting anything in return, and to let that love inspire positive changes in our lives. In a world where love can sometimes feel fleeting, the idea of God’s enduring and unwavering love serves as a powerful anchor for our own understanding and expression of love.

  • Out of the Storm

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    It had been a painful and trying time for Job. At times, it may have seemed everyone was against him. Job may have wondered if the storm would ever let up. It was one thing right after another. Day after day, Job and his friends debated the cause of the trial and wondered about relief. That is, until God spoke to Job from the storm.

    Job 42:1-6 records Job saying to God:

    2 “I know that you can do all things;
        no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
    3 You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’
        Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
        things too wonderful for me to know.

    4 “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak;
        I will question you,
        and you shall answer me.’
    5 My ears had heard of you
        but now my eyes have seen you.
    6 Therefore I despise myself
        and repent in dust and ashes.”

    It would have been enough for the Lord to relieve Job’s storm. It would have been enough just to put Job in a different season of life, but the Lord doesn’t stop there. He allows Job not only to hear about him, but to see him. Out of Job’s storm, he sees the Lord and is forever changed.

    Out of storms, God speaks. Out of storms, it seems the Lord reveals himself. Amid storms, the Lord can be seen vibrantly. Out of life’s storms, we can see God and be forever changed. How have you seen the Lord in the storms of your life?

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  • Where is God?

    Where is God? This is a question Job asked often as he was going through his season of pain and suffering. He couldn’t comprehend events, and he had trouble remembering where God was. Can you relate?

    This is a question which has been asked through the generations, and many people are asking it today. Events seem incomprehensible as history is made right before our eyes. Folks may have trouble remembering God’s location. Job’s friend Elihu gives some insight.

    In Job 36:26, Elihu says, “How great is God—beyond our understanding!
        The number of his years is past finding out.”

    Max Lucado writes, “we may search out the moment the first wave slapped on a shore or the first star burst in the sky, but we’ll never find the first moment when God was God. For there is no moment when God was not God. He has never not been or he is eternal. God is not bound by time.”

    God always has been and always will be. He is right beside us.

    • “May he rule from sea to sea
          and from the River to the ends of the earth” (Psalm 72:8).
    • 7 “Where can I go from your Spirit?
          Where can I flee from your presence?
      8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
          if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
      9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
          if I settle on the far side of the sea,
      10 even there your hand will guide me,
          your right hand will hold me fast” (Psalm 139:7-10).

    Amid all that is going on, the Lord is right beside us.

    Romans 8:38-39 reminds us, 38 “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

    He is not going to leave us or forsake us. We can have comfort in knowing the Lord is with us.”

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  • God is here, there, & everywhere.

    “Whether I’m looking for him or not, that’s where I find God.”

    He may show up in the strangest of places. For someone hitting rock bottom, he can be the person who lends a listening ear and gives advice. For the parent who is struggling, he can be the friend who offers a great idea. For the husband or wife who is ready to throw in the towel on marriage, he can be the older friend who offers encouragement. We never really know where he will reveal himself.

    God can be found many places in our daily lives. He is not restricted by buildings or worship services, and he promises he is always with us. He will show up at the right place and time. Psalm 138:8 says, “The Lord will work out his plans for my life. For your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don’t abandon me for you made me.”

    We just need to be attentive to his presence and recognize his work. You never know when the Lord will show up.