Encouraging Words

Friday, November 21 2014

In the film Saving Mr Banks, writer Pamela Lyndon (P.L) Travers reluctantly agrees to allow Walt Disney to bring her beloved character Mary Poppins to the silver screen. Carrying deep emotional wounds, P.L  is controlling and cantankerous - causing the film adaptation of Mary POppins to be a difficult proposition for all those involved in the production. Unlike her literary character who could magically take flight, Travers - trapped within a cloud of bitter thoughts and memories - almost prevents the film version of Mary Poppins from getting off the ground.

Nahum and the people of Judah struggled under a dark cloud - the deadly threat of the Assyrians (who had destroyed the Northern Kingdom of Israel). This led to desperate thoughts and a bitter existence. But Nahum received a word from God - an encouraging word. Good news was "coming over the mountains" to lift them up and out of their valley of despair (1:15). God promised to one day destroy the evil empire at their doorstep. But not only would He destroy the Assyrians, He would also preserve His people - making for peace and celebration (vv. 12, 15).

This good news surely must have lifted the poeples` spirits and filled their hearts with hope. Nahum, inspired by God, declared, "the Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in Him" (v. 7).

P.L Travers, moved by some lyrics composed for the movie Mary Poppins, found relief from her dark thoughts as she sang "Let´s go fly a kite ..." in a scene from Saving Mr Banks. Are you feeling trapped beneath a dark cloud caused by bitter life circumstances? Allow God´s encouraging words to lift your heart today! - Tom Felten

Read
Nahum 1:7-15
The Lord is good,
A stronghold in the day of trouble;
And He knows those who trust in Him.
But with an overflowing flood He will make an utter end of its place,
And darkness will pursue His enemies.

What do you conspire against the Lord?  He will make an utter end of it.
Affliction will not rise up a second time.
For while tangled like thorns, 
And while drunken like drunkards,
They shall be devoured like stubble fully dried,
From you comes forth one
Who plots evil against the Lord, 
A wicked counselor.

Thus says the Lord:
"Though they are safe, and likewise many,
Yet in this manner they will be cut down
When he passes through.
Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no more;
For now I will break off his yoke from you,
And burst your bonds apart."

The Lord has given a command concerning you :
"Your name shall be perpetuated no longer.
Out of the house of your gods
I will cut off the carved image and the molded image.
I will dig your grave, 
For you are vile."

Behold, on the mountains
The feet of him who brings good tidings,
Who proclaims peace!
O Judah, keep your appointed feasts,
perform your vows.
For the wicked one shall no more pass through you; 
He is utterly cut off.

Lamentations 3:19-26
"Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you did not give him warning, he shall die in his sin, and righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man that the righteous should not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; also you will have delivered your soul."
Then the hand of the Lord was upon me there, and He said to me, "Arise, go out into the plain, and there I shall talk with you." So I arose and went out into the plain, and behold, the glory of the Lord stood there, like the glory which I saw by the River Chebar; and I fell on my face.
Then the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet, and spoke with me and said to me : "Go, shut yourself inside your house. And you, O son of man, surely they will put ropes on you and bind you with them, so that you cannot go out among them. I will make your tongue cling to the roof of your mouth, so that you shall be mute and not be a reprover to them, for they are a rebellious house."

Question to Ponder
What bitter memories and painful circumstances are darkening your world today?
What will you do to bring those thinsg to God and claim the encouraging truths found in His Word?

**Article taken from ODJ (Our Daily Journey with God) Sept - Nov 2014 issue