In Hours Of Discouragement God Is Our Encouragement

IN HOURS OF DISCOURAGEMENT
GOD IS OUR ENCOURAGEMENT

by HELEN STEINER RICE



SOMETIMES WE FEEL UNCERTAIN
AND UNSURE OF EVERYTHING,
AFRAID TO MAKE DECISIONS,
DREADING WHAT THE DAY WILL BRING-
WE KEEP WISHING IT WERE POSSIBLE
TO DISPEL ALL FEAR AND DOUBT
AND TO UNDERSTAND MORE READILY
JUST WHAT LIFE IS ALL ABOUT-
GOD HAS GIVEN US THE ANSWERS
WHICH TOO OFTEN GO UNHEEDED,
BUT IF WE SEARCH HIS PROMISES
WE'LL FIND EVERYTHING THAT'S NEEDED
TO LIFT OUR FALTERING SPIRITS
AND RENEW OUR COURAGE, TOO,
FOR THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NOTHING
TOO MUCH FOR GOD TO DO-
FOR THE LORD IS OUR SALVATION
AND OUR STRENGTH IN EVERY FIGHT,
OUR REDEEMER AND PROTECTOR,
OUR ETERNAL GUIDING LIGHT-
HE HAS PROMISED TO SUSTAIN US,
HE'S OUR REFUGE FROM ALL HARMS,
AND UNDERNEATH THIS REFUGE,
ARE THE EVERLASTING ARMS-
SO CAST YOUR BURDEN ON HIM,
SEEK HIS COUNSEL WHEN DISTRESSED,
AND GO TO HIM FOR COMFORT
WHEN YOU'RE LONELY AND OPPRESSED-
FOR GOD IS OUR ENCOURAGEMENT
IN TROUBLE AND IN TRIALS,
AND IN SUFFERING AND IN SORROW
HE WILL TURN OUR TEARS TO SMILES.





BUT I WILL SING OF YOUR POWER;
YES, I WILL SING ALOUD OF YOUR
MERCY IN THE MORNING;
FOR YOU HAVE BEEN MY DEFENSE
AND REFUGE IN THE DAY OF MY TROUBLE.



PSALM 59:16
NKJV



FOR YOU ARE MY HIDING PLACE;
YOU PROTECT ME FROM TROUBLE.
YOU SURROUND ME WITH SONGS OF VICTORY.



PSALM 32:7
NLT



GUARD MY SOUL AND DELIVER ME;
DO NOT LET ME BE ASHAMED,
FOR I TAKE REFUGE IN THEE.



PSALM 25:20
NAS



FOR THE LORD IS ALWAYS GOOD.
HE IS ALWAYS LOVING AND KIND,
AND HIS FAITHFULNESS GOES ON AND
ON TO EACH SUCCEEDING GENERATION.



PSALM 100:5
TLB



TRUST THE LORD, AND DO GOOD THINGS.
LIVE IN THE LAND, AND PRACTICE BEING FAITHFUL.



PSALM 37:3
GOD'S WORD



O LOVE THE LORD, ALL YOU
HIS GODLY ONES!
THE LORD PRESERVES THE FAITHFUL
AND FULLY RECOMPENSES THE PROUD DOER.



PSALM 31:23
NAS



O TASTE AND SEE THAT THE LORD IS GOOD;
HAPPY ARE THOSE WHO TAKE REFUGE IN HIM.



PSALM 34:8
NRSV

A friend of mine and fellow blogger from the following website:
http://mtomecko.blogspot.com/ has gifted me with this gorgeous little award!

Thanks so much Michele!

I would like to thank all of you that take the time to visit my blog. I am so glad that I am able to reach out and help inspire others with these inspirational posts.

I would like to pass this beautiful award on to some of my favorite blogs as these people deserve it and have well earned it.

Please be sure to visit them and leave your kind comments.

God Bless and have a beautiful day!


http://christianchristmas.blogspot.com/

http://artmirror.blogspot.com/

http://jeanielovesthelord.blogspot.com/

http://voiceofpentecost.blogspot.com/

http://blueirisgifts.blogspot.com/

http://teenchristiansite.blogspot.com/

http://your-dailyword.blogspot.com/

http://rosecreekcottage-carol.blogspot.com/

The rules of the “One Lovely Blog Award” are:
Accept the award,
post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award,
and his or her blog link. Then pay it forward!
Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Food For Thought...

Loving sometimes means holding on,
and sometimes means letting go.
Trust your heart to know the time for each.~

An Anniversary Blessing

AN ANNIVERSARY BLESSING

by HELEN STEINER RICE



YOU'VE COME A LONG WAY,
OVER SMOOTH ROADS AND ROUGH,
BUT YOU'VE HAD EACH OTHER
AND THAT WAS ENOUGH,
FOR EVEN THE DARKEST
AND STORMIEST WEATHER
BRINGS A "RAINBOW OF LOVE"
WHEN YOU SHARE IT TOGETHER
AND BECAUSE YOU HAVE SHARED
YOUR SMILES AND YOUR TEARS,
YOU'VE BUILT UP "RICH TREASURES"
IN THESE MANY YEARS
FOR THE MEMORIES OF THINGS
YOU'VE BOTH SHARED AND FACED
ARE ENGRAVED IN YOUR HEARTS
AND THEY CAN'T BE ERASED,
AND LIFE WITH ITS PROBLEMS
HAS BEEN BUT THE BLENDING
OF A LOVE THAT'S DIVINE
AND THEREFORE UNENDING
FOR LOVE THAT ENDURES
THROUGH A LONG, EARTHLY LIFE
AND KEEPS FOLKS TOGETHER
AS HUSBAND AND WIFE
IS FASHIONED BY GOD
AND YOU BOTH HAVE BEEN TRUE
TO THE MARRIAGE VOWS
THAT WERE TAKEN BY YOU...
AND ALL OF YOUR CHILDREN
AND THEIR CHILDREN, TOO,
AND THEIR CHILDREN'S CHILDREN
ARE SO PROUD OF YOU,
FOR YOU ARE A COUPLE
WHO WALKED WITH THE LORD
AND A LONG, FRUITFUL LIFE
IS THE GOOD LORD'S REWARD...
SO HERE'S TO THE GROOM
AND HERE'S TO THE BRIDE
WHO FOR MANY LONG YEARS
HAVE STOOD SIDE BY SIDE!





[THE LORD OF LORD'S] BROUGHT ISRAEL OUT FROM
AMONG THEM,
FOR HIS STEADFST LOVE ENDURES FOREVER.



PSALM 136:11
NRSV



FOR HE LOVES US WITH UNFAILING LOVE;
THE FAITHFULNESS OF THE LORD
ENDURES FOREVER.
PRAISE THE LORD!



PSALM 117:2
NLT



THY KINGDOM IS AN EVERLASTING KINGDOM,
AND THY DOMINION ENDURES
THROUGHOUT ALL GENERATIONS.



PSALM 145:13
NAS



RESPECT FOR THE LORD IS GOOD;
IT WILL LAST FOREVER.
THE JUDGMENTS OF THE LORD ARE TRUE;
THEY ARE COMPETELY RIGHT.



PSALM 19:9
NCV



LORD, YOU DO EVERYTHING FOR ME.
LORD, YOUR LOVE CONTINUES FOREVER.
DO NOT LEAVE US, WHOM YOU MADE.



PSALM 138:8
NCV



HE WHO FORMS THE HEARTS OF ALL,
WHO CONSIDERS EVERYTHING THEY DO.



PSALM 33:15
NIV



SURELY GOODNESS AND LOVINGKINDNESS WILL
FOLLOW ME ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE,
AND I WILL DWELL IN THE
HOUSE OF THE LORD FOREVER.



PSALM 23:6
NAS

All Things Pass

ALL THINGS PASS

by HELEN STEINER RICE



LET ALL YOUR THOUGHTS BE HAPPY, DEAR,
TO CHASE AWAY ALL THOUGHTS OF FEAR.
THINK OF LOVELY THINGS YOU'VE SEEN
LIKE ROLLING SLOPES OF VELVET GREEN,
FLUFFY CLOUDS OF AZURE BLUE,
SPARKLING DROPS OF CRYSTAL DEW,
ROBIN REDBREASTS ON THE WING
TELLING US AGAIN IT'S SPRING,
GOLDEN BEDS OF DAFFODILS,
VIOLETS BLOOMING ON A HILL...
DON'T "CLOUD" YOUR MIND WITH ANXIOUS FEAR,
JUST FILL YOUR HEART WITH "SUNNY CHEER,"
AND WAITING DAYS WILL SOON BE OVER
AND YOU'LL AGAIN BE "BACK IN CLOVER"
FOR "ALL THINGS PASS"... AND THIS WILL, TOO,
AND WITH GOD'S HELP YOU'LL COME "SMILING THROUGH"





LET, I PRAY THEE, THY MERCIFUL KINDNESS
BE FOR MY COMFORT, ACCORDING TO THY
WORD UNTO THY SERVANT.



PSALM 119:76
KJV



YOU WILL INCREASE MY HONOR
AND COMFORT ME ONCE AGAIN.



PSALM 71:21
NIV



BUT YOU, O LORD, ARE A COMPASSIONATE
AND MERCIFUL GOD.
YOU ARE PATIENT, ALWAYS FAITHFUL AND
READY TO FORGIVE.



PSALM 86:15
GOD'S WORD



THE LORD IS MERCIFUL AND GRACIOUS;
HE IS SLOW TO GET ANGRY AND FULL OF UNFAILING LOVE.



PSALM 103:8
NLT



I WILL REJOICE AND BE GLAD
IN THY LOVINGKINDNESS,
BECAUSE THOU HAST SEEN MY AFFLICTION;
THOU HAST KNOWN THE TROUBLES OF MY SOUL.



PSALM 31:7
NAS



YOU HAVE SEEN ME TOSSING AND
TURNING THROUGH THE NIGHT. YOU HAVE
COLLECTED ALL MY TEARS AND PRESERVED
THEM IN YOUR BOTTLE! YOU HAVE RECORDED
EVERY ONE IN YOUR BOOK.



PSALM 56:8
TLB



HE HAS REMEMBERED HIS LOVE
AND HIS FAITHFULNESS
TO THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL;
ALL THE ENDS OF THE EARTH
HAVE SEEN THE SALVATION
OF OUR GOD.



PSALM 98:3
NIV



FOR HE HAS DELIVERED ME OUT OF ALL TROUBLES;
AND MY EYE HAS SEEN ITS DESIRE UPON MY ENEMIES.



PSALM 54:7
NKJV