Rest Stops and Mile Markers For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy. Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah. Psalm 32:3-4 (ESV) So much can be packed in to so few words. Psalm 32:3-4 reminds us of great truth, but I want to shift our focus to one word that gets overlooked, no matter how many times it’s scattered throughout the psalms. Selah. What’s the significance? Selah is a Hebrew word that means “pause and praise” or “pause and reflect.” When we see...
read moreDon’t Earn It, Embrace It. But by the grace of God, I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 1 Corinthians 15:10 (ESV) You know those relationships where you’re constantly doing something to make sure a person is comfortable, happy or satisfied? Relationships where you have to earn love and respect day by day? I think it’s safe to say that we’re all familiar with them. Those relationships are stressful...
read moreGive Me a Break! The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. Lamentations 3:25-26 (ESV) There are two concepts that seem almost foreign not only to me as a college student, but to the rest of our world: rest and patience. In a world when we’re told to keep moving and keep doing things, there’s not much time to stop and rest in our Father’s embrace. Now that the year has started in full force, we’re going to take some time this week to look...
read moreWelcome Chelsey Murphree! The staff of Zookeepers Ministries is excited and blessed to announce the association of Chelsey Murphree to the Daily Dose of Encouragement writing staff! I am especially excited, as Chelsey, now a junior at The University of Alabama, was once a precious girl in my fifth grade Sunday School class. It is such a blessing to have watched Chelsey’s grow and mature into a beautiful young woman, inside and out! Chelsey has a heart to reach youth and young women of her generation with the Word and message of...
read moreTake the Walk, Run the Race, Fight the War Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you I Peter 4:12-14 NIV On June 18, 2005, thirty-four year-old Jiang Zongxiu was beaten to death in a local police station for...
read moreWalk This Way Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you I Peter 4:12-14 NIV Not all trials are tribulation or persecution. Some are actually redirection from the lover of our souls, Who has good “plans” for...
read moreStart the Walk at the Beginning Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you I Peter 4:12-14 NIV Finding encouragement in times of trial can be tough, and sometimes the perpetrator is the smoke screen of diversion...
read moreSeeing the Cracks in the Sidewalk Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you I Peter 4:12-14 NIV We are encouraged this week in considering some truths in dealing with trials. To begin, we must understand...
read moreWelcome Gwendolyn Amador! The staff of Zookeepers Ministries is very excited and blessed to announce the association of Gwendolyn Amador to the Daily Dose of Encouragement writing staff! She is an experienced and talented writer who loves to encourage women in the zoo of everyday life! Women of every generation are sure to fall in love with Gwendolyn’s colorful stories of lessons learned in her extensive travels, and during the heartbreaks and triumphs of everyday life. Her wit and style are guaranteed you will not be bored!...
read moreTroubles! Since we all go through trials, we say things like, “Life is no walk in the park!” Actually, though, life is a “walk,” but the park offers both grassy fields and prickly stickers. This week we will consider the encouragement we find in God’s Word to be wise, relevant, and joyful while we walk in our park, stickers and all. Monday Listen Here, Cow! Sometimes we just have to take a walk with our problems. Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though...
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