Be Encouraged
When has “encouragement” been reduced to the lower level of “pep talk?” At half-time in a ball game, each team’s coach has an opportunity to give her/his team a speech on something. If they are losing, they need to be reminded of strategies or mindsets that might help them turn the tide. If they are winning, maybe they need to be reminded not to get slack and throw the game away in presumption.
A few pats on the back and an “Its going to be OK sooner or later” speech is not what a losing team needs if they are short on courage or hope. Then need something like the king of Rohan at the battle of Helm’s Deep in the Lord of the Rings: In response to a comment stating that the enemy had them out numbered, out weaponed, and many seasoned warriors, and therefore, they were going to die, the king replied, “Then we will meet them in battle, and if we die, we will die as the warriors of Rohan!”
Courage does not always expect to win. Courage does not plan to surrender. Courage is contagious. It is required on days, just so that we get out of bed one more time. It is required when the loved one we are caring for does not seem to be getting better, but rather worse. Courage is the power to be a son or daughter of the Most High God, who may or may not have a sense of what should be done next, but nonetheless has no intention of surrendering to anyone but Jesus.
When it was just about daylight, Paul urged them all to take food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have been waiting and going without food, having eaten nothing. Therefore I urge you to take some food. For this has to do with your survival, since not a hair will be lost from the head of any of you.” After he said these things and had taken some bread, he gave thanks to God in the presence of them all, and when he had broken it, he began to eat. They all became encouraged and took food themselves. In all there were 276 of us on the ship. And having eaten enough food, they began to lighten the ship by throwing the grain overboard into the sea.
When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but sighted a bay with a beach. They planned to run the ship ashore if they could. After casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and headed for the beach. But they struck a sandbar and ran the ship aground. The bow jammed fast and remained immovable, but the stern began to break up with the pounding of the waves.
The soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners so that no one could swim off and escape. But the centurion kept them from carrying out their plan because he wanted to save Paul, so he ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. The rest were to follow, some on planks and some on debris from the ship. In this way, all got safely to land.
(Acts 27:33-44 HCSB ©®)