Encouragement for Today - Aug. 10, 2007
“Bucket of Blessings”
By Zoë Elmore
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
Matthew
Devotion:
It was Friday afternoon and Tom arrived home early from work carrying a beautiful arrangement of cut flowers. I took the flowers from him, placed them on the counter then threw my arms around his neck squealing with delight and kissed his face.
Tom lowered my arms and he lowered his head as he began to tell me that his job had just been eliminated, and in a few short weeks, he would be unemployed. I couldn’t breathe or even speak.
We spent much of the night crying and discussing the details of what we would need to do while we waited for the Lord to open the next job opportunity. Over that next week I enjoyed carrying my beautiful flower arrangement from room to room not wanting to miss one moment of their beauty. Sadly, the blooms on my beautiful arrangement began to fade and I removed the wilted and brown flowers from their container and placed them in the garbage. I thought about holding on to a few of them as a memory of my husband’s tenderness toward me, but the Lord whispered, “Throw the blooms away but save the little blue container. I am going to fill it to overflowing.” Reluctantly I threw out the flowers, placed the little blue container in my kitchen and named it our “bucket of blessing”.
Throughout the long ten months of waiting for Tom to begin working again we received many cards, e-mails and phone calls encouraging us to persevere. Month after month we placed these encouragements in our bucket of blessing and before long it was filled to overflowing. It contained words of encouragement from friends and family, and stories of my husband’s integrity in his former job. Additionally, we placed in there reminders of kind gestures, unexpected gifts of kindness and nuggets of gold from God’s holy word. When either of us was tempted to feel discouraged we would remove one of those blessings from the bucket and read it. Each one was not only a reminder of God’s faithful provision to us but also God’s very presence with us.
Although Tom and I did not know what our future held, our confidence that God’s hand sustains and provides through times of uncertainty was greatly magnified. Although the flowers in that container were beautiful, their beauty only lasted a few days; however the blessings now held in our bucket will last a lifetime. Our circumstances may have changed, however God’s faithfulness does not ever change. The Bible is filled to overflowing with rich words of encouragement to trust the One who created us and who is faithful to sustain us.
Jehovah Jirah - He is faithful to provide!
Dear Lord, You are faithful beyond measure and I thank you for sustaining my family through difficult and trying times. Thank you for the Bible that reminds me of your faithfulness; and thank you for holding my future securely in your hand of provision. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
The Air I Breathe By Louie Giglio
Five Star Living on a Two Star Budget by Feinberg/Gillespie
Application Steps:
Create your own “bucket of blessing” and begin filling it with encouragement from God’s Holy word.
When you’re tired and discouraged, reach in the bucket, and pull out a blessing. Read it and know that the one who holds your future in his hands is with you and providing for you.
Reflections:
Have you drawn from the bucket of blessing today?
Are you relying on the beauty of the flowers to lead you through life today or are you relying on the One who created the flowers?
Power Verses:
Psalms 84:11, “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
Romans 8:32, “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?"
Deuteronomy 30:9, " Then the Lord your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The Lord will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your fathers”
Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G,
Matthews, NC 28105
www.Proverbs31.org
