Anne Murray made the following words popular by way of song: “I needed you and you were there and I’ll never leave. Why should I leave? I’d be a fool ‘cause I’ve finally found someone who really cares. You held my hand when it was cold. When I was lost, you took me home. You gave me hope when I was at the end and turned my lies back into truth again. You even called me friend.”
 
When I hear these words, I can’t help but think of how they might apply in our relationship with the Lord Jesus. Everyone in this world is in need of encouragement and when we were lost and without hope the Lord gave us a home. The Lord cares about us and promises to never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).
 
We need the encouragement we can receive from God and one another. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged (Hebrews 6:18). Hebrews 3:13 tells us to encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. Think about the value of encouragement from your fellow Christians. When people love and encourage you in the family of God it helps. Let us be encouragers for the Lord.

Clark Tatum

A thankful heart opens the door to God's blessings in your life. Gratitude is an admission that without God, we cannot make it. Who among us can cause the sun to shine? Who among us can cause the rain to fall, or our crops to grow? We are a needy people, but isn't that easy to forget even for us Christians? Having a thankful heart is more than an inner feeling or an attitude. It is not just a delight in the heart, but also an action word. Thanks-giving is not just sentimentalism; it is also serving and helping others. It is not just a feeling; it is a function. It is not just thanks-giving, but also thanks-living.
 
True thankfulness always motivates us to do something. The spirit of thankfulness to God will turn us around from the busy, fast-lane world and slow us down enough to express our thanks. And by giving God thanks we will not only be more prone to get rid of our greed, our selfishness, but we can provide the momentum for others to live with a spirit that says “Thank You” God for the good things in life. “Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture” (Psalm 100).

Clark Tatum