Good afternoon, I just had to share this message with you in hoping it will encourage and inspire you to trust Jesus, in all your challenges. Even though I’m taking some new medicine that has a success rate of high 80 to 90 percent responsive and clear rate, I began to speak that this twenty year illness would be cleared. Don’t you know with the 10-15 percent non reaction, that other small percent some will not respond, I got a call today and the labs that were taken to show improvement from this medication over the past month, showed I still have no improvement. This would be bad news to many, I’ll tell you this, that bad news is not news to me, it is the strength of God about His grace and mercy to allow me to still stand on the “Good News” that Jesus proclaims that through it all He will be with me and “Either Way I Win”…. That Good News will always outlive and outweigh any bad news I can ever receive. Can I speak this on you? Be encouraged because God is a God of mercy and comfort. If we have nothing to rely on, or we forget our blessing and look to our circumstances, then that is when discouragement begins to take hold. Instead, what you need is encouragement. You need hope and peace and the knowledge that the Lord knows your troubles has great concern and compassion for you and is not leaving you unloved or uncared for. Discouragement is a thief. It steals your vitality, your zeal, your joy, your peace, and your contentment. If you let it! If discouragement dwells long with you, its friends will soon join. Their names are fatigue, hopelessness, despair, self-pity, depression, doubt, and bitterness. Sometimes, discouragement can be so strong that you even dont want to go on living. This is one promise that has carried me through my challenges. “Take encouragement because God is there in your afflictions.” One who comforts us in all our affliction . . . . so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 2 Corinthians 1, 3-5 I love the nurses and Dr.s that have taken care of me, a few who have been with me from the beginning, over the twenty years. Don’t get me wrong, but the greatest encourager and doctor to me is Jesus. Encouragement is something that belongs to you as a Christian. You do not have to live in a world of hurt and doubt. You dont have to live alone. You dont have to weep in solitude. You have the body of Christ to lift you up. That is why I am so strong in trying to encourage and inspire you throughout all your challenges, storms, illnesses and day to day chores. We have the Word of God to teach you, the Holy Spirit indwelling in us who warms our soul. You have the God of encouragement waiting to show you His mercy and love. But you need to trust. You need to remember the Lords blessing. You need to depend on Him. You need to keep your eyes on Jesus and Him alone. Jesus said, Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28). Your comfort will come, stay encouraged. I am. James Cruse
Posted on: Tue, 18 Nov 2014 18:38:28 +0000