His Encouragement #43

Happy Thursday! I am blessed to be a part of a group of bloggers who feel led to share a bit of encouragement each week from the Bible. We recognize our daily need for Christ and we aim to share that with our readers. Plus, when Thursday comes around, we can all use a little encouragement right? I hope that this post blesses you and that you find comfort, strength, and peace in the Lord today ❤

This week it’s on my heart to share:

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.

~Psalm 139:13-16

I don’t know what part of the country you live in, but abortion has been a hot topic in NY the past few weeks due to further legislation threatening the lives of unborn babies. It both angers and saddens me that the lives of so many babies are not protected as they should be. Psalm 139 clearly shows how God knows us before we are even born. HE is the one who knits us together in the womb. HE is the one who gives life. This is a topic I am very passionate about and have been for years. It’s our duty to be their voice when they cannot fight for themselves.

Let me share a story of something that happened several years ago simply because it popped into my mind just now and I immediately felt the need to share it. Back when I was in high school, one year our annual research paper for English class had to be about a debate topic. After the papers were due, we then had to take part in an actual debate. The topic I wrote on was abortion. There were about 3 or 4 of us writing for each side. Not to toot my own horn, but I hands-down dominated the debate. But that’s not the point of this story. The point is what happened after. One girl, who had actually bullied me for years as a kid and wasn’t very kind through high school either, came up to me afterward and whole-heartedly thanked me. If you’re a girl, you know how hard it can be to go to someone you don’t like and speak with such vulnerability. It simply doesn’t happen. That’s the last time I remember ever speaking to her, but I know that discussion changed things between us. I later learned that she was pregnant.  Even now this chokes me up. What if that day hadn’t happened? What if she didn’t hear the real truth behind abortion? I don’t even want to think about it, but it certainly gives me the confidence to speak boldly especially when lives are at risk.

I also know of multiple friends (yes, I mean MULTIPLE), who have been told to have abortions due to abnormalities found in the ultrasounds and today those very same children are thriving with absolutely no deformities. I know of several babies born BEFORE the the age abortion is still considered legal who have survived. Satan is hard at work to undermine the value of human life. It both angers and saddens me. We have a duty to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.

Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his,
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

~Psalm 100:3

There is so much that I can share about this topic, but I will try to share just a few brief comments. Human life is precious to the Lord. The Bible is clear when life begins and God made a point of sharing that fact with us long before anyone even thought to question it.  God didn’t leave room for negotiation. He made it clear that human life is precious no matter how young or old. Whether 60 seconds or 60 years old, you are an intimate creation loved by God. It is not our choice to make a decision when life holds value. We do not have the right to end the life of another.

I also feel it’s important to speak to the heart of women who have had an abortion in the past. We all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Sin is sin before the Lord. If you seek the Lord and repent, you can find forgiveness and healing in Him. You can’t change your past, but you choose what you do with your present. Help fight for life.

I actually struggled this week finding a song that would go along with what I’m sharing, but I found one that shares the intimate love of God in creating us. I hope you take a moment to listen.

Now, it’s your turn!

What Biblical verse is encouraging you today?

And, check out more Thursday Encouragement from my fellow blogger friends:

Nicole @ Christian Fiction Girl

Trisha @ Joy of Reading

Jacquelyn @ A Heavenly Home

Jessica @ A Baker’s Perspective

Jenny @ Author Jenny Lynn

Gina @ Stories By Gina

Rebecca @Rev. Rebecca Writes

If you would like to join us: please contact Trisha or Nicole