Posts Tagged "encouragement"

If a person or plan fails miserably, congratulations are rather unwarranted. Why is it, though, that God often treats us just the opposite?

Somehow, every Easter it seems like the same thing. Mad rushing to prepare, getting everything “perfect” around the church building in anticipation of new visitors, hoping to get it all right… but is that really the point of it all?[Easter: an Encouraging Word 001 | © 2011 phillipgonzales.com]

In times of trouble, take heart.  It may be that the reason you are faced with great opposition is that God is gearing up for a great deliverance on the other side! In the midst of this, be careful to not assume that God’s primary goal is your happiness.  His primary goal is His glory, and we find true joy when we realize and rest in that. …I will harden Pharoah’s heart, and he will chase after you. I have planned this in order to display my glory through Pharoah and his whole army…” -Exodus 14:4 (NLT) The cool thing is, when we have God’s glory as our goal, it frees us up to receive His deliverance in many creative ways.  This leads us to… “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you...

Words are my favorite toys. I love to play with them, to alter and rearrange them; to find creative ways to use them to produce or discover something interesting.  Sometimes it doesn’t take that much. Consider the change two little letters (or just one if you’re a bad speller) makes to a word.  Change an “A” to a “U” and a “Z” to an “S” and “Amazed” becomes “Amused”.  Doesn’t seem like much, but consider the difference between those two things… Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw.  And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” -Matthew...