Be Encouraged in God

The sermon this week about “Fly High My Child” is an encouragement to me. From it, I remember the reason for being set free from sin is so God can bless us, like how God brought his people out of Egypt so he could give them the best gift, His presence, where they would be His treasured people in all the world. They would lack no good thing if they chose to obey Him only.

The Israelites didn’t see this gift that God was giving them as significant unless they were actively receiving a material benefit like food or water. The rest of the time they were complaining. I ask myself, am I doing the same? I would say yes I do complain when His blessings aren’t apparent to me. I am still encouraged by this message, because in comparison to how I was two years ago, I am much more grateful for His presence now. It’s less about constantly getting stuff from God and slowly becoming more meaningful to me knowing that God is with me. Knowing God is with me steadies my emotions so I am more brave to be myself. Slowly I am learning how to see myself as God’s treasure even when I don’t feel like I am.

I give all glory and praise to God for bringing me this far. There’s no self-help program to be a more grateful person that has worked for me. Any helpful lasting change that has come into my life has been through repentance and asking Him to guide me. Thank God He has and I feel it’s beginning to show in my life. I ask God to help any brothers and sisters desiring the same change to fulfill that desire in them.

Brother Robert Hoertel