“And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead. And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.”
Matthew 17:9-13 KJV,https://bible.com/bible/1/mat.17.9-13.KJV
God Gives Good Gifts
There are seasons in our lives that are far more discouraging than encouraging. It's inevitable that all of us will experience those moments, and it's often in the face of insurmountable grief or heartbreaking experiences.
But Romans 15:5 reminds us that there are three things God gives to those who believe in Jesus. The first is that God gives endurance. When we begin to grow tired of doing good things, or living our lives for God, it's often because we are living with the wrong motivation.
True motivation comes from living for God, not ourselves. It is God who gives us the endurance—through His Spirit—to make good choices and live for Him.
The second thing God gives us is encouragement. In seasons of discouragement, when we feel let down by other people, God gives us lasting encouragement. He reminds us that we are loved. That we are being transformed. That He can use all things for our good and His glory. We don’t need to strive for approval or acceptance because...