God Still Loves You

Welcome again today to my kitchen and this is our devotional time that we have entitled, Why I'm Not Afraid. I'm just so thankful that you could be with us today and just an opportunity just to encourage one another in the Lord. It's a wonderful thing that God's given us that ministry. I want to talk to you from the Bible today from the book of 2 Corinthians chapter 6 verses 5 and 6 where the Apostle Paul says these words, Now that we're living in a time of trial difficulty where there are fears as Paul said the fears on the outside it causes fears on the inside of each one of us. But thankfully God has given to you and I the ministry of comfort. It's one of the gifts in a sense of God's Spirit living inside of us that we have a different perspective even in times of crisis and we can bring that perspective to those who are struggling or down or maybe losing heart or losing hope. I think of years ago when we bought a church in Canada in a little town called Riceville. We were setting out to renovate this church. It was going to be a significant renovation expenditure and a lot of labor was going to be necessary to restore it to its original condition. And so as with all projects like this we started out and there was there was great gusto in the beginning and there were a lot of people involved and but it gradually over the days and weeks began to dwindle down until one day I found myself there all alone. You know sometimes in the Christian life we set out that way. We're going to have a new life. We have this promise of new life and we start to believe and move and build as we see it and suddenly we just one day find ourselves feeling very very very alone. And I think that's what the Apostle Paul must have felt and those with him at these times in their life. I remember one day in particular I was really discouraged and it was the end of the day and I was the only one there working and there was just seemingly so much to do and as I was getting prepared to leave I saw a silhouette of two little ladies seniors coming through the door of the church. People who didn't attend the church they were just members of the community. And in my discouragement they walked up to me and they said pastor the community is not the same since you've come here. You're doing a great work. Don't be discouraged. And they handed me a folded up fifty dollar bill and put it in my hand. And I tell you the strength of that encouragement I carried on and of course the testimony is still there today and God did a great work in that area. So God's given us the ability to comfort. Look around today and see if there's somebody discouraged that you might bring comfort to. And remember whatever you give God says I will give it back to you. Press down, shaking together and running over. Till tomorrow. Love you. God bless you.