Stronger & Stronger

Job 17:9 “The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.”STRONGER &STRONGER!!! What a blessing to know that as a Child of God I will not decrease but only increase. Those who choose to walk in righteousness and keep clean hands will grow stronger and stronger in the things of God and of life. It pays to walk a righteous and obedient path. It may not always be popular, but it will always be prosperous! As we look at the life of the apostles and early disciples of Christ, we see not many popular, not many noble, not many of great financial stature; for as they followed Christ and stood for the truth they paid a great price. It cost them their homes, friends and positions in the community. It cost them dearly; but even in great sacrifice they had joy and confidence.

It was the apostle Paul who said at the end of his life in Philippians 1:20-21 “According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”Paul said he would gain! He knew that serving Christ meant certain present sacrifices, but knew that he would be more than repaid when he entered into the Celestial City of God. Serving Christ over the years produced a stronger confidence in Paul for that day when he would have to face death. Death for most means an end, loss or sorrow, but for Paul it meant glory, reward and relief. It meant that he would finally see the Christ he preached about for so many years face to face. He said in 2 Timothy 4:6-8 “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”

Stand strong Child of God; the most Royal and Noblest blood of Christ has covered you completely in salvation & safety. You have been given a promise and a confidence in God’s Holy Scripture that you WILL grow stronger and stronger. Time will NOT decrease or hurt you but rather increase and help you. By faith, grab hold of this great truth and never let it go! Never let the enemy steal it from your mind and heart. Never forget it and never be talked out of it. Trust it, believe it and live it! Love God and live for Him.

 

Thank God for You!

Philippians 1:3-5 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4 Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, 5 For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;

“Constant fault-finding, scolding, or fretfulness, does no good in a family, a school, or a church. The tendency is to dishearten, irritate, and discourage. To commend a child when he does well, may be as important, and as much a duty, as to rebuke him when he does ill.” – Albert Barnes

It is important to offer words of encouragement when you see someone doing well! Under direct leadership of the Holy Spirit, Paul starts out his letter to the church at Philippi with just such commendation. He was so proud of them that they had maintained a steady and consistent Christian growth from the very day of their conversion up to this point in time. What a testimony for these believers; they stayed true and faithful all this time, and not just maintained a status in mediocrity but flourished in Spiritual fruit and progress. Find someone to encourage. Pray and ask God to show you the good in others and then point it out to them. Your kind words just might be the fuel that keeps them running another mile. It’s true that wrongs must be set right, but equal to that truth is that “A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!” Proverbs 15:23. Our words bring joy and encouragement; let’s use them wisely.