Again and again, the Bible speaks about the Father’s love or the love of the Lord Jesus. But today’s Scripture speaks of both the Father and the Son together: “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.”
God never speaks words of fear or failure, hopelessness or frustration, into your heart. You’ll never hear His voice counseling you to give in to defeat or despair. If you do hear such dark, negative, cynical words echoing in your soul, you can know for sure where they come from…and it’s not from God. When the Lord whispers in your heart, He speaks words of hope and victory, rest and peace, joy and triumph. If your heart needs to be strengthened today, clear the clutter out of your mind, open God’s Word, and listen for the voice of “eternal encouragement and good hope.”
Because Your love is in my heart, Lord, I have something to give. Because You have infused “good hope” into my soul, I have hope to pass along to others. Because You have flooded Your light into the corners of my soul, I have light to carry where it’s needed most. |
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