Rayni Risher

Choosing Encouragement

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Life can be hard, messy, draining, and even devastating, can’t it? Some issues aren’t temporary trials…they can take months or years to resolve, even when you’re actively trying. Ongoing problems with physical health, relationships, emotional health, parenting, work, life purpose…

Have you ever been dealing with so much for so long that you’re desperate for an ounce of joy, peace and encouragement?

Lately I’m reminded again of the power of praise.

How utterly essential it is for our own spiritual and emotional health to daily focus on God. To praise Him, thank Him, worship Him, connect with Him, read His words, listen for His voice and wisdom.

When I’m in a pit of discouragement, it really never fails that when I choose to look to God and worship Him, burdens lift off of my shoulders and peace invades.

Worship is powerful.

Worship is also a choice.

It’s an act of faith; choosing to declare and believe in Goodness, Kindness, Love. God is all of those things, and more.

I’d love to share a word of encouragement with you today that I shared several years ago but it still encourages me today.  It encourages me to keep praising and seeking God; to willingly exchange my discouragement for His encouragement.

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I was feeling discouraged so I decided to go straight to Psalm 93 because it talks about how God is reigning no matter what. God is reigning and He is ruling with strength.

 “God is King, robed and ruling,
God is robed and surging with strength.

And yes, the world is firm, immovable,
Your throne ever firm—you’re Eternal!

Sea storms are up, God,
Sea storms wild and roaring,
Sea storms with thunderous breakers.

Stronger than wild sea storms,
Mightier than sea-storm breakers,
Mighty God rules from High Heaven.

What you say goes—it always has.
“Beauty” and “Holy” mark your palace rule,
God, to the very end of time.”

I love this psalm because it talks about God being in charge. He’s the one ruling and reigning, no matter what. And whether you like the person who’s in charge of your company or country or whatever else, God is ultimately the one reigning and ruling, and He’s stronger than any storm you face.

So, after I read through Psalm 93, I read through psalms 92-99. I kept reading and rereading them. I love them because a lot of them talk about God being sovereign and ruling and reining.

But they also call us to worship!

So, I started worshiping God. I started praising God. I started singing. I started thanking Him for every big and small thing I could think of. Suddenly, I was so filled with joy and encouragement and peace.

It was amazing because just half an hour earlier I had been filled with so much discouragement. But as I worshiped God and thanked Him and meditated on His words, He exchanged my discouragement for encouragement.

As a result, I wanted to jump and dance and shout! All day long I wanted to tell everyone about this joy that God had given me…and I did, and some people thought I was a little weird but that’s ok.

In John 14: 27, Jesus says: “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So, don’t be troubled or afraid.” (NLT)

So…

What’s your storm? What’s the storm you’re walking through right now in your life? I want to encourage you that God is bigger than that storm.

Jesus offers us peace, and even though it seems too good to be true, it’s real and it’s there for us to receive.

And just like we read in Psalm 93, even as big and powerful and overwhelming as the sea storm is—with the breakers that are sweeping over the psalmist in his heart—God’s bigger! And God reigns.

This week I encourage you to read Psalm 93. Think about it, meditate on it. And then worship God; thank Him. Sing praises to Him. Receive His offer of joy and peace.

 

 

 

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When You’re Faced With Insurmountable Odds…

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Looking upOne of my favorite chapters in the Old Testament is 2 Chronicles 20. It’s the story of King Jehoshaphat, leader of the people of Judah, seeking God when he was faced with insurmountable odds. War was imminent and Jehoshaphat didn’t know what to do.

In the midst of great pressure, Jehoshaphat shows us an example of the best response to adversity. And watch how God answers him! You can read the entire chapter here.

I’d thought I’d share a few of my favorite parts and hope this encourages you in whatever difficult or confusing situation you are facing.

+After word of the pending invasion (verse 3):

“Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed they came from every town in Judah to seek Him.”

I love that the first thing Jehoshaphat does is resolve to seek the Lord, and then invite everyone to join him. How many times do we first seek our own opinion, or run to our friends or someone we don’t even know for advice, instead of asking God, who has all wisdom? Difficult situations in our life should draw us to God, first and foremost.

+From Jehoshaphat’s prayer when Judah was assembled, seeking God (verse 12):

“…For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”

Jehoshaphat leads Judah in humbling themselves before God, declaring they don’t have a clue, but they are watching God, and believing that He will respond. How many times do we think we know the answers, and put our eyes on everything or everyone other than God? Or we don’t believe that God will answer us, even when we ask Him to.

+Then God speaks through a prophet–who had the courage to use the prophetic gift God had given him, speaking in front of everyone–(verse 15):

“This is what the Lord says to you: Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.”

It’s interesting that the word of the Lord didn’t come directly to Jehoshaphat. It came from someone else who was also seeking God for wisdom in the situation. God often speaks wise advice into our lives through others. Listen for it. Test it, to be sure. But listen for it. Secondly, the battle is never ours. And God doesn’t want it to be. It’s His. He’ll take care of us. I think He always gives us a part to play in it, but He’s the powerful One.

+Going to battle the morning after the Lord promised Judah deliverance by His hand (verse 21):

“After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise Him for the splendor of His holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying, ‘Give thanks to the Lord, for His love endures forever.’ As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.”

Oh how I love that the singers were placed in the front of the entire army and as they were marching out to victory they were singing praises to God! As they praised, God began the active work of delivering them.

When we praise God we are encouraged! We become focused on Him and His goodness rather than on our circumstances. And God acts on our behalf!

Also note that in this circumstance, Judah’s army was praising God for who He is and for His love for them. They are focusing on God Himself rather than their problem.

+After the victory God had given Judah (verse 29):

“The fear (reverence, awe) of God came upon all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard how the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.”

Not only did God bring peace and rest to Judah, but I think the most important thing is that God was glorified. All of Judah was strengthened and encouraged by this miraculous deliverance by the living God, something they could remember in the future when they were feeling discouraged; and something that would be told for generations to come.

But, it didn’t stop there. All the surrounding kingdoms stood in awe of God and revered Him when they heard what He had done for His people. God was glorified big time! And a lot of those people in the other kingdoms probably became followers of the God of Judah after that.

So…

Be encouraged in whatever personal battle you are facing today. Seek God. Expect Him to speak to you. Be open to Him speaking to you in a way you weren’t expecting. Do what He tells you to do. Praise Him in the midst of your difficulty. And let the Lord fight for you.

Prayer

God, in the midst of trying and desperate circumstances, I often do not know what to do. But I resolve to fix my eyes upon You, and trust that You will deliver me. Give me wisdom and a heart of worship. Encourage my heart as I focus on Who You are. You are always good. Amen.

 

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Breaking Every Chain

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Chains“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.” Acts 16:25-26 MSG

Paul and Silas both lay shackled in a jail cell after being severely beaten and wrongfully imprisoned. Instead of feeling sorry for themselves, they made a decision to worship God by singing and praying.

God responded to their worship in a powerful way.

Not only were Paul and Silas literally freed from prison but all the other prisoners were loosed from their chains, too. Those who witnessed Paul’s and Silas’ worship – and God breaking the chains – were deeply affected. As a result the jailer and his entire family came to faith that night.

Reading this reminds me that no matter what is happening in my life, I am created to worship God. During good times and difficult times, God is worthy of my praise. Worship is an active response to God’s great love for us.

It also reminds me that worship breaks the chains that are binding us. And other people get to witness God’s powerful response in our life.

Worship establishes divine strongholds in your life and in your city.

I want to encourage you today to worship God even if you don’t feel like it. Just try it and see what happens.

 

 

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Dancing at the Crossroads

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Going through a time of transition can be one of the most stressful experiences in life. Even if it is a fun transition it can cause stress as you manage all the details.

A couple months ago my husband was talking to someone about being at a crossroads in his life. The person mentioned that in Ireland people used to gather at the crossroads in the city to dance. I thought this was interesting so I looked it up to find out more.

“It was a type of social event popular in Ireland up to the mid-20th century, in which people would congregate at the large cleared space of a crossroads to dance; often to the accompaniment of a single accordion.” (Wikipedia)

After reading this I immediately thought, being at a crossroads in life is an invitation to worship God!

Being at a crossroads can feel like a blessing and a curse, can’t it? We can be filled with the excitement of all that is to come but often I think it’s more a time of experiencing waiting, fear, confusion, or fretting about making a decision. Sometimes it’s all of those emotions rolled into one giant emotional roller coaster.

But here’s the thing…either way, it’s a perfect opportunity to worship God!

Why worship?

Two reasons. First, no matter what is happening in our lives, God is worthy of our praise.

Also, worship breaks the chains that are binding us! And other people get to witness God’s powerful response in our life.

I love reading about Paul and Silas in Acts 16. They were in a city sharing the good news about Jesus when some people got mad at them and started accusing them. It quickly escalated to a riot with the local authorities ordering that Paul and Silas be stripped, beaten with rods, and imprisoned.

As they both lay shackled in the jail cell, instead of feeling sorry for themselves, this is what they were doing:

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.” (vv 25-26)

Not only were Paul and Silas freed from prison but all the other prisoners were loosed, too! Those who witnessed Paul’s and Silas’ worship–and God breaking the chains–were deeply affected. As a result the jailer and his entire family believed in Jesus.

Just like in this story where God broke off physical chains, worshiping God breaks off the invisible chains of fear, anxiety, doubt, anger, and other negative emotions. And…not only are we set free, but the people around us who witness our worship and God’s response to it get to encounter God as well.

So…

+Are you at a crossroads in your life?

+Are you experiencing a difficult situation where you are tempted to turn from God rather than turn to Him?

I want to encourage you to worship God even if you don’t feel like it. Just try it and see what happens.

Worship isn’t just singing or dancing, it takes on many forms, but even just simple verbal praise to God is powerful.

This is one definition of worship I like as it relates to God:

“Worship is an active response to the character, words and actions of God, initiated by His revelation and enabled by His redemption, whereby the mind is transformed (e.g. belief, repentance), the heart is renewed (e.g. love, trust), and actions are surrendered (e.g. obedience, service), all in accordance with His will and in order to declare His infinite worthiness.” (Theopedia)

Worship is a choice. Always. Some of the times I’ve been most encouraged by God are times when the last thing I wanted to do was worship Him. But as soon as I start making myself thank and praise Him, it always snowballs from there and carries me to a genuine place of peace and encouragement.

Like the psalmist, sometimes we just need to tell ourselves what to do. “Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.” (Psalm 103:1)

So, when you find yourself at your next crossroads, take a minute to dance!

(photo credit: National University of Ireland in Galway, 1891.)

 

 

 

 

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