BE AN ENCOURAGEMENT TODAY

Take courage. I am here! —Matthew 14:27

Discouragement is the lack of courage. Courage has left the person. To encourage someone is to put courage back into them. Will you do that today?

In the context of the verse above the disciples believed they had seen a ghost and were terrified. But it was Jesus walking on the water and He told them not to be afraid, but to take courage. Peter took courage and walked on the water toward Jesus. He was encouraged, but he lost that courage when he took his eyes off Jesus and looked at the waves the strong wind was creating. He became terrified and started to sink.

Isn’t interesting that when Peter began to walk on the water looking at Jesus he was overcoming his fears and was encouraged. It was when he put his eyes on the circumstances he now found himself in, away from the relative safety of the boat and his feet now holding him up on the water, it was then that he began to sink. Fortunately he called out for Jesus to save him from drowning in the circumstance.

Today, may the Lord work through you to reach out to someone who may be “close to drowning” in their circumstances. Oh that He would use you to put courage back into that person. Yes, that you would encourage them.

Dear Father, help me to be sensitive to the person or persons I could be an encouragement to today. May I do so in the power of the Holy Spirit and in the authority of Jesus. May it be so!