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| Saint Anthony of the Desert |
(Audio)
Encourage yourselves daily while it is still "today,"
so that none of you may grow hardened by the deceit of sin.
We must not wait until it is too late.
For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation (see Second Corinthians 6:2).
Encouraging ourselves seems like a superficial affair that can wait until the real business is done. But if we don't take the time to encourage ourselves, to take the opportunities we are given to build up courage in others and to receive courage ourselves, we won't have it when we need it. When people give testimony, do we allow it to affect us or do we just tune it out? Do we ourselves share what God has done for us so that others may benefit?
"If you wish, you can make me clean."
Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand,
touched the leper, and said to him,
"I do will it. Be made clean."
Jesus does will to make us clean. But sometimes, in the midst of darkness and doubt, it can be hard to remember that he is for us not against us. Hopefully, at such times we can treasure in our hearts the past deeds of the LORD. There is definitely a time when feelings will be unreliable and need endurance. With the endurance our hearts are softened and made more able to love. Without it, our hearts grow hard.
We have become partners of Christ
if only we hold the beginning of the reality firm until the end.
The reality isn't hard to hold if we take the time to be encouraged, to rejoice in what the LORD has done and is doing. If we do that we hope with great confidence for what he has yet to do.
If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
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