† The Federated Church Of Willington

Jackie Robinson was the first African-American to play major league baseball. While breaking baseball’s color barrier, he faced jeering crowds in every stadium. While playing one day in his home stadium in Brooklyn, he committed an error. His own fans began to ridicule him. He stood at second base, humiliated, while the fans jeered. Then shortstop “Pee Wee” Reese came over and stood next to him. He put his arm around Jackie Robinson and faced the crowd. The fans grew quiet. Robinson later said that Reese’s arm around his shoulder saved his career.

Hebrews 3:13 states: “Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sins’ deceitfulness.” God wants us to encourage each other on a daily basis. Are you obeying this scripture? There are many ways to do this: a prayer, a warm greeting, a hug, a phone call, an encouraging card or note, an invitation to lunch or dinner. You can probably think of even more ways to encourage others.

Will you ask the Lord whom you should encourage today? When we do these acts of love, Jesus is pleased and He takes it personally. As our Lord said, “…to the extent that you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of Mine, you were doing it unto Me. (Matthew 25:40)

In John 7:37-38, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”

If you want to experience this living water life style there are three “D’s” you will need to consider.

The first is DESIRE. We must yearn for more of God and His blessings in our lives. Matthew 5:6 tells us, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” It is so encouraging to realize that Jesus DESIRES to have Fellowship with us. (Revelation 3:20).

Second, we need to be DRINKING. Jesus says: “Come to me and drink!” There are two kinds of drinking. The first drink we take is Salvation. Acts 4:12 tells us, “Salvation is found in no one else, there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” The second drink is for those who know Jesus. It’s drinking from the daily streams. Psalms 1:2-3 reminds me to “Delight in the law of the Lord and meditate on it day and night. Then you will be like a tree planted by streams of water.”  If we are not daily drinking from this fountain of living water, through His Word, we will dry up and be unfruitful. So remember to drink daily!

Third, we need to be DISPENSERS. We need to be giving away more of God’s Love. We have to GIVE to keep the flow from stopping! Luke 6:38 gives us the result of Desiring, Drinking and Dispensing: “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Don’t forget the letter “D”.

If you are desiring Him, you will want to be drinking from the fountain, and the more you drink, the more you have to dispense. And the more you dispense and give it away, the more you will desire Him. I want it to be my Cycle of Life. How about you?

“It is good to say thank you to the Lord, to sing praises to God. Every morning tell Him, ‘Thank you for Your kindness,’ and every evening rejoice in all His faithfulness.” (Psalm 92:1-2, The Living Bible)

Are you thankful to God for His many blessings? Are you grateful for your family & friends? Would people who know you describe you as a grateful person? According to the latest scientific research, your emotional and physical health may depend on it. A recent study appearing in the American Journal of Cardiology found that “positive emotions are beneficial for high blood pressure, and may reduce the likelihood of a heart attack among those who have heart disease.” The most beneficial state of mind (according to the researchers in this prestigious journal) was “deep, sincere appreciation.” (In other words, GRATITUDE.) They found that “this state of mind is so beneficial that it leads to a healthier heart, increased creativity, mental clarity, and efficiency.” There are incredible physical & mental benefits to being grateful.

Too often, we take for granted the gifts of sight, hearing, taste, touch, and speech. How can we become more grateful? We need to regularly be on the “look out” for things to be grateful for. A beautiful sunset, a phone call from a friend, an answered prayer, a tasty meal with family- all of these provide opportunities to be grateful, if we notice and remember them. According to research conducted by psychologist Dr. Soyna Lyubormirsky, one of the most effective ways to elevate happiness is to use a “gratitude journal.” Dr. Lyubormirsky discovered that who “counted their blessings” on a regular basis reported being much happier than when they first began the study. Researchers were amazed that such a simple activity could be so “life changing.”

I have been keeping a “Prayer Journal” since 1999. When I first started, I wrote on the “presentation page” the following question: “Is there anything I can be thankful for today?” But after a few weeks, I realized that there was always something I can be thankful for. So I changed it to “What can I be thankful for today?” If we reflect deeply enough, we can always find something to be grateful for. We have been given so many blessings by God. As the song says, “Count your many blessings, name them one by one, you will be amazed at what the Lord has done.”