Encourage Yourselves

Just talked to my husband, who is on the road sick with the same nasty summer cold that I have. It again went over 100 degrees today in Texas; to be exact, 107! Tomorrow will be a record 71 days this summer over 100 degrees. Lest I feel sorry for myself that loneliness has no solution without spreading the germs, and I am tired of the homemade chicken soup I made myself and mountains of Kleenex everywhere, I see a solution to get out of the house without exposing anyone else. It is time to encourage myself in the Lord.

I looked up the phrase I had remembered about encouraging ourselves to see in what context it was said. It was certainly more than a 'cold' and a bit of stir crazy loneliness that was revealed in 1 Samuel. David and his men had returned to Ziklag after the Amalekite raid. It was destroyed by fire and their families had been taken captive. The men wept until they could no more. David could hear talk of his impending stoning, but HE ENCOURAGED HIMSELF IN THE LORD. My little cold, in comparison to this scenario, is really nothing.

I found myself out in the car at sunset letting the Lord minister to me. I went out with a spirit of seeking and finding. I found fields of the last two flower shows of the summer: False Purple Thistle and the star-shaped flower bushes that crowd the pastures at the end of the Texas summer. I know that when I see them the fall weather is not far away, PRAISE GOD! I caught beautiful rays highlighting a water tower, and a calf nursing before nightfall. All in all, it was good to get out of the house by myself and spend some time getting grateful and praising the Lord. So be encouraged, if not by someone else, by yourself! Know that the Lord is good all the time.