ENCOURAGEMENT | Terri's Wellspring

The Shepherd

6 02 2014

The Lord is my shepherd;

I have all that I need.
He lets me rest in green meadows;

He leads me beside peaceful streams.
He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.

Even when I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
protect and comfort me. Psalm 23:1-4

We serve a capable Shepherd who knows His sheep. He knows who we are, where we are and where we need to go. He knows all about our beginnings and every challenge we have faced along the way. He even knows the desires of our heart. We don’t have to worry that He does not see us. He is omnipresent in our world and even in the personal struggle in our hearts. He sees it all. Nothing comes as a surprise but some of our choices may grieve His heart. He has asked us to trust Him. Not a little bit, not when it is convenient but with our whole heart. He has asked us to trust Him and to trust His Word. He has asked us to be assured and to walk in faith that what His Word is a message of love. A love that is powerful to cover whatever we are facing. We can trust Him. We can follow Him in faith and in love into our purpose.

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Tags: Psalm 23, The Shepherd
Categories : ENCOURAGEMENT, Uncategorized

Strength for Today

27 01 2014

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13

Today is a precious gift. No matter how the day ends, we will never be able to relive or recapture the time available to us on this day. I have a lot of things and maybe an unreasonable amount of tasks that I hope to accomplish today. So I want to put first things first. I am so thankful for the opportunity of today that I am asking God for wisdom, clarity of direction and strength to accomplish what is needed according to His plan for my life. I don’t want to squander time with distractions and toiling. I am asking our faithful Father to provide laser focus on His will and His ways for me. I will honor God in my thinking and my actions, with full confidence that He is able to activate the gifts in me to advance His plans for my life today.

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Tags: Philippians 4:13, Strength for Today
Categories : ENCOURAGEMENT, Uncategorized

Our Point of Need

23 01 2014

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 NIV

I am so thankful that the Lord meets us right at our point of need. Whatever we may be facing, the Lord knows about it and is able and willing to provide for us. He is Jehovah Jireh, Our Provider. His blessings come in both in tangible and intangible means. My heart is full of thanks for His provision of strength, revival and encouragement. He can encourage our hearts and give us the wisdom to move in the right direction. At times we can feel a little over whelmed by the demands of the days ahead but the Holy Spirit will remind us that we can make it in Him. He sends people across your path with the words and deeds that help us in ways we could not have imagined. We are never alone. We can look to our Savior for His help. He is so faithful and I am so thankful.

And now I have it all-and keep getting more! The gifts you sent with Epaphroditus were more than enough, like a sweet-smelling sacrifice roasting on the altar, filling the air with fragrance, pleasing God no end. You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus. Our God and Father abounds in glory that just pours out into eternity. Yes. Philippians 4:18-20 MSG

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Tags: Our Point of Need, Philippians 4:19
Categories : ENCOURAGEMENT, Uncategorized

Starting Strong

1 01 2014

“Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do.” Joshua 1:6-8
Launching a new year we want to start out strong. We want our initial days to set a firm foundation to allow us to thrive in the year ahead. In our heart, mind and soul, we want to be strong in our faith and in our determination to walk in His purpose for our lives. The passage for today is a reminder of the Lord’s instructions to Joshua as he moves into leadership of God’s people. Joshua is called to be both strong and courageous. I believe each of us is called to be strong and courageous in our walk with the Lord. Strong in our faith and confident in the God that we serve. We can place our trust fully in Him to lead us, to guide us and to provide strength when we need it. Even when our strength falls short, His strength is perfected in our weakness. Courage requires healthy doses of confidence to walk were the Lord is leading and to stand flat-footed in the face of adversity. We can stand strong when we are careful to obey God’s Word and to stay focused on His path for us ahead. Detours to the left or to the right create havoc in our lives. We are proclaiming strength and courage today to walk in His purpose. We are proclaiming clear focus on His leading and His Word. We will be strong and courageous in 2014.

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Tags: Joshua 1, Starting Strong, terriwel
Categories : ENCOURAGEMENT, PURPOSE, Uncategorized

God is With Us

19 12 2013

All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’) Isaiah 7:14

One of my favorite Christmas songs is “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”. The words reflect the great anticipation of Jesus’ birth. It expresses a great desire for God’s Son to come and to dwell among His people. I am so thankful that each day we have the opportunity for God to live with us and in us through a relationship with His Son Jesus Christ. We know that the promise in Isaiah was fulfilled and Jesus was born and He died and rose again for our sins. What an awesome gift that God is with Us!

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Categories : ENCOURAGEMENT, Uncategorized

To Be With Us

10 12 2013

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV

God’s promise to be with us gives us confidence. It is not a promise of ease or unfettered progress but it gives us so much more. He promised to be with us. He gave His unfailing Word that His presence would be with us always. His presence is a place of peace, joy and strength. In His Company, we can receive renewal, strength and confidence. We can be reassured to be strong and courageous. We can thrive. With Him, fear has no place. We can leave our anxiety behind. We can shed anything that hinders our walking fully in our purpose. In His presence we can be healed of the past and look focused toward the future. Growing, maturing, and completing the work of our hands. He promised to be with us. His presence in my life is sufficient for me.

“Be strong. Take courage. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t give them a second thought because GOD, your God, is striding ahead of you. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; he won’t leave you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 MSG

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Tags: Deuteronomy 31:6, terriwellspring.com, To Be With Us
Categories : ENCOURAGEMENT, Uncategorized

Wise Men Still Seek Him

4 12 2013

Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:1-2

The wise men saw the star indicating the birth of Jesus. Their response was to begin their journey to seek Him in order to worship Him. The news that the Savior is here still requires a personal response from each of us. Jesus came that we might have life and life more abundantly. We might be tempted to think of abundance in terms of things but life walking with the Lord and the gifts of the Holy Spirit are so much more – peace, joy, gentleness, love, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control and long-suffering. These are qualities so scarce in our society today. This Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ let us turn our hearts to Him and share His purpose for coming with the World. Let us seek Him daily in our lives and worship Him.

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Tags: Christmas, Matthew 2:1-2, terriwellspring.com, Wise Ment Still Seek Him
Categories : ENCOURAGEMENT, Uncategorized

Call On the One

20 11 2013

I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord. Psalm 116:17

I am so thankful for all the Lord’s blessings to me. He continues to bless my soul and my life with blessings that I could not earn, even if I had tried. The blessing of peace, His love and His concern for me surround my life and I am thankful. I am most thankful for the gift of salvation and the opportunity to walk with the Lord’s leading. With His leading, I know I will find safety, deliverance and peace that is beyond understanding. I am thankful. Jesus is always present and is available to us. We can call on His name for the concerns of our heart, the promise of direction and to manifest the blessing of healing of mind, body and soul. He is the healer and the provider of strength. I am thankful.

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Tags: Psalm 116, terriwellspring.com
Categories : ENCOURAGEMENT, Uncategorized

Don’t Give Up

15 11 2013

So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever. II Corinthians 4:16-18 MSG

Stay encouraged. Don’t give up. We can stay in faith even when things get hard and even we don’t understand. His Grace is unfolding before our eyes. We can focus on what our Heavenly Father is doing and the new life that is created daily in us. Things may be difficult and hard but we can look for His inner renewal to take place in our souls. He can revive our spirits and give us the courage to face what’s next. Discouragement is not of God and should be resisted on every hand. We have to be careful not to let it take root in our hearts. When we feel weary, we can take a moment to reflect on His goodness, His grace and His love that has allowed us to stand where we are today. He provides courage and strength. He provides the direction to move with confidence to take the next step. We will not give up.

For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. II Corinthians 4:16-18

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Tags: Don't Give Up, II Corinthians 4:16-18, terriwellspring.com
Categories : ENCOURAGEMENT, Uncategorized

All that I Need

6 11 2013

The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. Psalms 23:1

This verse is familiar with a powerful message for His children. It is worthy of our meditation and our full comprehension of His role as the Good Shepherd. He provides for all of our spiritual and natural needs. Food, shelter, safety, peace, deliverance, comfort, healing and joy are all available from the Savior. He is my Shepherd; I have all that I need. My provisions are met. What is required for me to achieve my purpose is available to me. This is a state of abundance and a promise that we should hide in our heart and inhabit our thinking. Where I am right now with what I have right now is enough. The Shepherd, our Savior, is leading. His grace for me is sufficient. He is preparing me at each juncture for the next step ahead. The Shepherd provides for all of my needs. I lack nothing, as I follow Him. And I am thankful.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Psalms 23

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Tags: Psalm 23, Psalms 23, shepherd, terriwellspring
Categories : ENCOURAGEMENT, Uncategorized

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