Tuesday, May
3, 2005
"Upper or Downer?" "But your assistant, Joshua son of Nun, will enter it. Encourage him, because he will lead Israel to inherit it" (Deuteronomy 1:38). I was recently at a conference and the speaker used an interesting illustration of how we impact other people. He spoke of being around those who always take you "up" on the elevator. It's as if being around them is like getting on an elevator always assuming you're going up. They are energy givers, encouragers, who have a powerful way of uplifting. As I consider my long string of friends through life I am blessed to have so many taking me up. Then there are those who have only one button on their elevator; the basement! They are energy drainers, discouragers and have a way of sucking the breath right out of you. And yes, I have also met my share of these as well. The speaker pointed out that when we see a person like this we seek to avoid them. Today's text has the very first reference to the word "encourage" in the entire Bible. Moses is being commissioned by God to encourage his successor, Joshua. A few chapters later this call is again reiterated, "encourage and strengthen him" (3:28). Moses did a great job and Joshua certainly went on to be a great leader. In his final recorded message he encourages the people with the familiar call to join him in commitment to the Lord, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15). Today you are going to encounter and be encountered. May God bless you with encouragers who will strengthen you and take you up on the elevator! And may you also be that provision today for the weary, discouraged soul who will encounter you who is in need of an uplift. Today you have a choice; will you be an upper or a downer? Be encouraged today, Stephen C. Weber Note from Brooksyne: I identify with those who try to avoid the people who bring us down. They consume our time and drain us of energy. But I'm very aware that God brings them into our lives so that we can pray for them. I'm also aware that we can have that same negative impact on others if we're not going regularly to the Lord with the normal everyday burdens of life. I'm so thankful that God doesn't turn His ear in the other direction when He sees us coming to Him in prayer. "Behold the Lord's hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear" (Isaiah 59:10). My prayer is this: "God help me to be an energy giver as you daily energize me and direct my paths through consistent daily communion with you." Here is a photo I took this
morning of one of our tulips.
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