Well, here we are at the last day of the year.  Many will go to parties tonight and will indulge (or overindulge) in gluttonous activities.  It might be food or alcohol or any other thing.  The sky is the limit so to speak.  We will surrounded with people that will either encourage or discourage us.  Pick carefully who you associate with.

In our passage of encouragement we see David encouraged himself with messages of God’s Wisdom.  The reason David did not give up was because he was acutely aware that God, in His wisdom, had brought David to the place and He would deliver David from this place.  He knew that he would either be delivered by death or by focus.

David knew if he were killed by these people he would spend eternity with his God.  No problem.  He was ready.

David also knew that God could deliver him by focus.  What I mean is that God could change David’s focus from his impending death to his impending deliverance.  David was in a place that his back was against the wall and God had to do something and David knew He would.  David had been taught messages of God’s Wisdom and he trusted God.

Don’t ever forget Samuel 30:6, “And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God. Tomorrow is a new year.  Be encouraged!

So, how are you doing?

I think another way that David encouraged himself in God was with memories of God’s ways.  Stewart Hamblin wrote the song, “It Is No Secret What God Can Do”.  He said, “It is no secret what God can do.  What He’s done for others He’ll do for you.  With arms wide open He’ll pardon you.  It is no secret what God can do.”

Now, we have to guard against living in the past and on past success; but, we can gain great encouragement from sanctified memories.  As a young man David had slain a lion and a bear that were coming after his sheep.  He had that memory of God’s protection and provision in helping him defeat these evil beasts.

My dear friend and Pastor Al Ray shares with grieving families Proverbs 10:7, “The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot.” (obviously just the first part of the verse).  “The memory of the just is blessed:”.  The word “memory” means memento.  I believe that David looked back at the mementos of his life and received encouragement or he would have given up and these would have stoned him.

Some days all a person has is their memories and as we get older we seem to not even have these.  When we have days like this we need to heed the counsel in I Samuel 30:6, “And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God. ”

So, how are you doing?

In three days we will be plunged into the year two-thousand thirteen.  That alone can be a huge source of despair or encouragement.

Some people choose to focus on the failures of the past year.  Let’s not do that this time around.  Those are simply “water under the bridge”.  Let them go and move on.  Let the coming year be a year of encouragement.

I believe that David encouraged himself with mentors who are God’s workers.  We have to be careful who we surround ourselves with.  If we have mentors who are “nay sayers” then we can expect to be that kind of person.  If we surround ourselves with mentors who see God for who He is and what He can do then we are headed in the right direction.  I know our passage says that the “people spake of stoning him,”.  Yet, I have to believe that someone still loved David enough to encourage him.  If there was nobody else, God was still with him.

Surround yourself with godly people that influence you for righteousness.  This will help you be encouraged when times get tough.  If you lose focus, a good and godly friend will help you redirect your focus to God.  If your friends are not this kind of friend it is possible you need to trade them in for friends who do.

The Word of God says of David inI Samuel 30:6, “And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.”

So, how are you doing?

I Samuel 3:6, “And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God. ”

Today let’s take a look at the third principle in encouraging ourselves in the LORD.  David encouraged himself with meditation in God’s Word.  Again, I know this passage does not come out and say these things; but, having been used to write much of the book of Psalms; which was the temple song book, I believe that David would have used God’s Word as a tool of encouragement.

If you are in need of encouragement you can look through the book of Psalms and find a chapter that starts out with David expressing himself the way you feel.  As you read the chapter you will see how David makes a change from his emotion of that moment to a focus on God.  In other words if David starts out with hatred toward his enemies, he will end up with his focus on how good God is.  This is just a way that you can take God’s Word and encourage yourself like David did in his day.  Don’t just read it.  Digest it.

Meditate means to murmur or to ponder.  As you mediate on God’s Word read it out loud and ponder it.  God’s Word will have a cleansing effect.

So, how are you doing?

I Samuel 30:6, “And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God. ”

The holidays often bring about despair for people.  We are only two days removed from Christmas Day and it would me my guess that you and I know someone that is so distraught that they would like to take their own life.  This is common at the holidays.  People become overwhelmed with grief over losses of people, possessions and many other losses.

Another way we can encourage ourselves; as David did, is with musing on God’s works.  The word musing means to ponder in Psalm 143:5, “I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.”  I think it was the late Zig Ziglar that said, “Stinkin’ thinkin’ leads to low level living.”  We need to focus on the works of God in our lives and ponder these.  Don’t just give them a glancing thought.  Really ponder them and you will be encouraged.  Remember, God’s Word tells us that He thinks about us (Psalm 139:17, “How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!”)  Today I hope you will muse, ponder what God has done for you.

So, how are you doing?

I think that encouragement is deeply needed these days.  The reason I think this is because I need it so often.  I was challenged the other day by my dear friend and mentor Jim Kilgore to look at I Samuel 30:6 and find at least four ways that David encouraged himself.  The blog posts for the rest of the year are the fruit of this journey.  Thanks Pastor Kilgore!

I Samuel 30:6, “And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God. ”

David encouraged himself with music which is God’s worship.  David was known as the “sweet psalmist of Israel,” according to ii Samuel 23:1. One of the first things to leave us when we go through trials is our song.  We just don’t “feel” like singing.  I know this is true in my life.  God delights in good music.  Sadly, not all music is good music.  Some of this stuff called music is simply noise.

When King Saul was bothered by the evil spirit he called for David to come play his harp so I know that David understands music and worship in times of trials (I Samuel 18:10).  I know the passage of Scripture does not come right out and say this; but, you can see in the life of David that these things were important to him.  Are you worshiping God through the trials of life with a song?  If you have lost your song just start singing again and it will come back.

So, how are you doing?

Luke 2:7, “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”

Let me wish you and yours a Merry Christmas!  Over two thousand years ago Jesus humbled Himself and became a man like you and I.  In His humility He became like you and I.  He was completely God and completely man.  This is called a hypostatic union.

The King of all kings and LORD of all lords came to earth and was laid in a manger.  This is the place where the hay and grain are put for animals to eat from.  This seems kind of strange for God to be found there.  I think His humble beginning showed the common ordinary people that Jesus came for them (He came for all people, I know).  He demonstrated that He was for all people.

Before they laid Him in a horse trough he was wrapped in “swaddling clothes”.  These were grave clothes.  I can only imagine how Mary felt as she wrapped each little finger, each little toe and then the arms and legs and so on.  Yet, it was a testimony that Jesus came to die.  He came to die to pay the price of sin for all mankind of all ages.

This Christmas I hope you will find yourself thankful for Jesus and what he has done for you.  By the way, Christmas is a Latin word which means “Christ the more”.  Glory to His name!

So, how are you doing?

“On the first day of Christmas, Jesus gave to me, salvation full and free.”

I cannot personally think of a better present to give to someone.  There is a family in southern gospel music called the McCamey family.  They sing a song titled, “Do You Know How It Feels?”  We love this song.  In part it says, “I know that it’s real.  Tell me do you know how it feels?”  I know that salvation is not a “feeling”.  I also know that you “feel” different, because you are different.

If you would like to know Christ as your Saviour you need to realize that you are a sinner.  Look at James 2:10, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”  No matter how good you and I try to be, we cannot be good enough to get to Heaven.  According to God’s law, the ten commandments we are guilty sinners.

We must believe that Jesus died for our sin.  Romans 5:8, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  This tells us that while we are in the very act of sin, Jesus died for us.

We must confess our sin calling upon Him in prayer,  Romans 10:9-10, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

We do this by simply talking to God in prayer.  We have to acknowledge that we are sinners and have broken God’s law.  We must believe that Jesus died for our sin in our place.  When we confess our sin we are not letting God in on a secret.  He knows already.  We are simply saying the same thing about our sin that God says.

You can pray a simple prayer from your heart like this:

Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner.  I need a Saviour.  Right now I turn from my sin.  I accept You as my Lord and Saviour.  I believe that You died and rose again from the grave.  Thank You for saving me.  Amen.

If you mean it with all of our heart then Jesus will save you.

So, how are you doing?

“On the second day of Christmas, my Jesus gave to me, everlasting life.”

This is something that many people struggle with, I know.  It takes faith to believe such things.  Faith is simply taking God at His Word. So, look at John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

There it is.  You have God’s Word on it.  There is eternal (everlasting) life.  Then the opposite is true also.  There is everlasting death.  Look at Revelation 22:6, “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.”  If you want to avoid everlasting death you must trust Jesus Christ as your Saviour and then you will have everlasting life and you do not have to worry about everlasting death.  This is not dying like a dog.  It is everlasting torment in a real place called Hell.  Don’t go there, I beg you!

So, how are you doing?

“On the third day of Christmas, Jesus gave to me, peace in my heart.”

One of my favorite lighthouse pictures is one where a wave is in the process of crashing against a lighthouse and you can see the wave beginning to encircle it.  If you look very closely you can see a human figure standing at the door of the lighthouse facing the photographer.  The giant wave is coming from the rear of the lighthouse.  It gets me every time I see this photograph.  It makes me wish I could take such an impressive photograph.  When I think about it I probably don’t really want to take a photograph like that.  The wave could possibly have hit the photographer.

My point today is that even in the midst of a horrible storm of life we can have peace.  We have to keep our focus right.  We cannot focus on the storm.  We must focus on Christ who has power to calm the storm and give us infinite peace.  Paul said it this way in Philippians 4:7, ” And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

So, how are you doing?