InstaEncouragements Blog

Five Principles To Guide Our Resolutions

1/28/2022

For me, January always feels like one of the longest months of the year. The anticipation and amusements of the holidays are over, and it’s back to the normal day-to-day routine. Additionally, we must now face the cold bite of winter without the warming glow of lights and decorations. Frigid days, fewer hours of sun, and a return to the everyday grind all add up to a January that seems to have no end in sight.

Is it any wonder that those who set out with purposeful resolutions on New Year's Day are now struggling to see them through the first month of the year, let alone an entire twelve?

Although the Bible doesn’t specifically address the act of making New Year’s resolutions, it does give us principles for making wise priorities and practices in our lives so that we can be faithful and fruitful stewards, glorifying God in all we say and do.

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Sweeter Than Honey: This is Where We Grow

1/25/2022

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Sweeter Than Honey: This is Where We Grow

From the Old Testament to the New, the eternality of God's Word is clearly proclaimed:

Job tells us, “I have treasured the Words of His mouth more than my portion of food” (Job 23:12).

Isaiah reminds us that, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of our God endures forever” (Isaiah 40:8).

And Matthew records Jesus saying, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Words will never pass away” (Matthew 24:35).

God's Word is like an eternal Love Letter to us!

Have you ever received a love letter, friend? Did you read it? Did you read it just once, or did you read it over and over again? A Love Letter is a treasure when you love the One who sent it!

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3 Ways We Should Train For the New Year

1/21/2022

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And it's not too late to get started!

2022!! A new year has come and is already well underway. I wonder if you made some goals about training physically this year. Maybe you planned to do some running or to head to the gym a bit more this year than last. Maybe you are counting your calories or the ounces of water you drink each day. Fairly normal and good things for us to consider at the start of a new year, right?

The Bible does tell us that bodily exercise profits a little bit (1 Timothy 4:8). But Paul says in that same book that “godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6)! At the start of this new year, what kind of spiritual goals have you made? Are you doing any purposeful training in your spiritual life?

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Sweeter Than Honey: Please Grant Me Success

1/18/2022

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Sweeter Than Honey: Please Grant Me Success

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A Prayer For Feelings You Can’t Express

1/14/2022

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Have you ever longed to pour your heart out to God about something personal, but you felt handicapped by an inability to express what you were feeling?

Several times in my life, I have said “Jesus, please help me,” over and over again because I didn’t know what kind of help to ask for.

I believe that our Father can hear all of our prayers—even the unspoken ones—because He sees our hearts. However, I have recently discovered a helpful tool to make these moments with God more meaningful to me.

This Christmas, one of my dear friends bought me a book called Every Moment Holy by Douglas McKelvey. In essence, this is a book of themed prayers written for specific moments, emotions, and situations that life brings our way.

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Sweeter Than Honey: But Now My Eye Sees You

1/11/2022

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Sweeter Than Honey: But Now My Eye Sees You

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14 Ways Our Feelings Can Deceive Us

1/7/2022

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"But what if I don't feel like it?" Have you ever heard those words? Maybe you've even said that to someone, or had that thought pop into your head.

Our current culture tells us to just, "follow your heart."

However, the Bible tells us,

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" Jeremiah 17:9

Do we really want to trust something that is deceitful above all things and desperately sick?Or, do we want to trust God, Who is omniscient—all-knowing?

Today, let's look at 14 ways our feelings can (and will) deceive us, and the Scripture to combat those deceitful feelings.

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