DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT - THURSDAY: ENCOURAGERS! #3

Christ The Man Of Sorrows.

A little girl came home from a neighbor's house where her little friend had died. "Why did you go?" questioned her father. "To comfort her mother," said the child. "What could you do to comfort her?" "I climbed into her lap and cried with her." - The Story of Jesus.

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Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.- Heb 12:12-13. (ESV)

When I look at above painting by a Scottish artist, I am encouraged and uplifted, in fact my heart is bursting with joy as I realise that on the cross, He bore my sickness, my sin and my sorrow! I don’t know much about the painting, but I suspect that the artist sees Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, and uses the beauty of the Scottish hills and surrounding countryside to depict the Garden.

When I first saw the painting, I wanted to cry, He looked so sad, sad that He was about to leave the Garden and face His accusers, face the physical punishment, face the humiliation and scorn in front of His family and friends, face the spiritual torture of taking the sin of the world upon Him, face the agonizing death of a brutal Roman crucifixion, and all for us, filthy, rotten, sinners.

He was so distraught and weakened in the Garden, with the thought of taking upon Himself the sin of the world, that the Father sent an angel to encourage and strengthen Him… And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him... - Luke 22:43.

After He was strengthened and encouraged by the angel to continue… And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.- Luke 22:44. Then He was on His feet chastising the disciples who had fell asleep with sorrow! Thank you Jesus! That you continued on your path to the cross and your death for us!

God is an encourager, and He encourages us when we have the understanding that Jesus died for us! He died for us, I am encouraged! He took our sins, I am encouraged! He bore our sorrows, I am encouraged! What a Saviour, what a Lord, what a Master! That he would do that for us encourages me so much, that my soul wants to explode with thanksgiving, praise His magnificent and majestic name!

Douglas Maurer, 15, of Creve Coeur, Missouri, had been feeling bad for several days. His temperature was ranging between 103 and 105 degrees, and he was suffering from severe flu-like symptoms. Finally, his mother took him to the hospital in St. Louis. Douglas Maurer was diagnosed as having leukemia. The doctors told him in frank terms about his disease. They said that for the next three years, he would have to undergo chemotherapy. They didn't sugarcoat the side effects. They told Douglas he would go bald and that his body would most likely bloat.

Upon learning this, he went into a deep depression. His aunt called a floral shop to send Douglas an arrangement of flowers. She told the clerk that it was for her teenage nephew who has leukemia. When the flowers arrived at the hospital, they were beautiful. Douglas read the card from his aunt. Then he saw a second card. It said: "Douglas--I took your order. I work at Brix florist. I had leukemia when I was 7 years old. I'm 22 years old now. Good luck. My heart goes out to you. Sincerely, Laura Bradley." His face lit up. He said, "Oh!"

It's funny: Douglas Maurer was in a hospital filled with millions of dollars of the most sophisticated medical equipment. He was being treated by expert doctors and nurses with medical training totaling in the hundreds of years. But it was a salesclerk in a flower shop, a woman making $170 a week, who--by taking the time to care, and by being willing to go with what her heart told her to do--gave Douglas hope and the will to carry on. - Bob Greene.

Be encouraged, encourage others, that the cry from the heart of Jesus! He understands our sorrows, our pain and our distress, and He wants us to comfort others, as He comforts us. Be encouraged, be an encourager, for His glory and for the extension of His Kingdom! Hallelujah! Mighty men and women of God be encouraged! Hallelujah!

Loving father, help me by the power of the Holy Spirit, to be an encourager! Help me to lift up the heads of people that are disconsolate, help me to have the compassion of your dear son Jesus, that I may bring comfort and encouragement to my community, to my city, and to my country! I ask this, in the wonderful name of Jesus! Amen!