Spiritual Vitamins

Week 13 Day 4

Judges 6-7; Psalm 52; 1 Corinthians 14

Judges 7:10-11; 15
¹⁰ If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah ¹¹ and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp.” So he and Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp. 
 ¹⁵ When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed down and worshiped. He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, “Get up! The LORD has given the Midianite camp into your hands.”  

Encouragement is as important as vitamins.  When Gideon was afraid to attack, it was the encouragement (and the interpretation) of a dream that strengthened him (and even confirmed his call to defeat the Midianites).

Encouragement can strengthen others well as ourselves.  Two groups of people can benefit:

• Those who encourage - can provide words of wisdom to strengthen someone who may be in the midst of a mission;  they must be faithful in providing encouragement based on the Word of God and the daily wisdom the Lord provides through personal experiences and the like.
• Those who receive encouragement - needs to look for, soak, and engage themselves in things that will encourage them complete their mission.  This is their spiritual vitamins that will help them rid off of discouragements and distractions that may try to derail them off their mission.

APPS:

The need of consistent encouragement will help me move towards my mission that the Lord calls me to do in order to accomplish God's call (at the moment and long term).  I will continually be encouraged with what I already have as means to it, surround myself with the right people who will build me up, and pull myself away from thoughts and people who I know will try to put me down (whether explicitly or implicitly).

At the same time, someone may also need my encouragement for them to reach to God's mission in their lives.  I must also be faithful in providing encouragement for them as the Lord provides me with the wisdom to do so.

It's a give and take relationship.  I'll do it.


LORD, thank you for such a wonderful reminder.  You always bring me back to what I need to do and become.  I pray that You will empower me continuously to be doing my part in order to reach to those 4 things (at least, so far) that you want me to do so I can finally get to where I need to be.  Please help me to take those encouragements as vitamins that will help nourish me to get to my destination.  All these I can do because I have Your strength at work within me.  I love You, Lord.  In Jesus' name, amen.