December 1, 2024 7:00 pm
“Sheer encouragement.” That was the phrase J.R.R. Tolkien used to describe the personal support his friend and colleague C.S. Lewis gave him as he wrote the epic The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Tolkien’s work on the series had been painstaking and exacting, and he’d personally typed out the lengthy manuscripts more than twice. When he sent them to Lewis, Lewis responded, “All the long years you have spent on it are justified.” Lewis and Tolkien didn’t always agree on literary matters, but their shared faith and mutual intellectual interests served as catalysts for great creative accomplishments in both their lives.
Perhaps Scripture’s best-known encourager was Joseph from Cyprus, better known as Barnabas (meaning “son of encouragement”), the name the apostles gave him (Acts 4:36). It was Barnabas who advocated for Paul to the apostles (9:27). Later, when non-Jewish believers began to place their faith in Jesus, Luke tells us Barnabas “was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.” Luke describes him as “a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith,” adding that because of him, “a great number of people were brought to the Lord” (11:23–24).
The worth of encouraging words cannot be measured. As we offer words of faith and love to others, God—who gives “eternal encouragement” (2 Thessalonians 2:16)—may move through what we share to transform someone’s life forever. May He help us to offer “sheer encouragement” to someone today!
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Welcome to this daily encouragement from Our Daily Bread. I'm James Banks and I titled today's meditation People of Encouragement.
Sheer Encouragement. That was the phrase J.R.R. Tolkien used to describe the personal support his friend and colleague C.S. Lewis gave him as he wrote the epic The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Tolkien's work on the series had been painstaking and exacting and he'd personally typed out the lengthy manuscripts more than twice.
When he sent them to Lewis, Lewis responded, all the long years you have spent on it are justified. Perhaps Scripture's best known encourager was Joseph from Cyprus, better known as Barnabas, meaning Son of Encouragement. The name the apostles gave him in Acts chapter 4. It was Barnabas who advocated for Paul to the apostles. Later, when non-Jewish believers began to place their faith in Jesus, Luke tells us Barnabas was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. Luke describes him as a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, adding that because of his him a great number of people were brought to the Lord.
The worth of encouraging words can't be measured. As we offer words of faith and love to others, God, who gives eternal encouragement, may move through what we share to transform someone's life forever. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Acts chapter 11 verses 19 to 26. The Lord's hand was with them and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. News of this reached the church in Jerusalem and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.
He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord. Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people.
The disciples were called Christians, first at Antioch. Let's pray. Dear God, please help us to be an encouragement to someone today so that they see you in us and know we are Christians too. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening today. My name is James Banks and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.
Whisper: medium.en / 2024-12-01 20:17:03 / 2024-12-01 20:18:41 / 2
