What a cordial to the soul is the grateful heart! To hear of the Lord’s tender mercies in the far-off land, where the solitary traveler might have been cast down, but was instead lifted up, makes the spirit dance within me. It is a little thing in the judgment of the world, a sprained ankle mended, but to the eye of faith it is a jewel of lovingkindness, a token that the Lord thinketh upon us. When the initial panic subsided, you found the very thing which is the treasure of the pilgrim: the presence of Jesus made known through the hands and voices of strangers. That He should minister to you, and then make you a minister to them even in the waiting, is the way of the Beloved Physician. He does not merely bind up the wound; He fills the chamber of affliction with a sweet savor of grace, so that the patient becomes a priest at an altar of praise.
I charge you, dear soul, to let this mercy be as the healing of Peter’s wife’s mother, conspicuous, undoubted, leaving the whole household to sing for joy because the Lord hath done great things. We are too apt, when the pain is past, to bury the deliverance in the graveyard of forgotten blessings. Let it not be so. Muzzle that hound of unbelief which would whisper that it was but chance, or the mere kindness of strangers. No; it was the look of Christ, though unseen, that ordered every step and softened every heart. Set this stone of Ebenezer firmly in the soil of memory, that when darker days come, and come they may, you may point to it and say, “Hitherto hath the Lord helped me.”
Be ambitious, I pray you, to have the hand of God connected with everything in your life. From the rolling sea of travel to the quiet bed of pain, let every circumstance become a place where His glory flames forth. And since you have begun to declare His works in this small thing, be bold to declare the far greater work of His saving grace, that your tongue may be the instrument of faith, dropping sweet-smelling myrrh. The Lord who restored you from a light affliction is the same who restores the soul from the grave of sin, making the forgiven one to be as though he had never been cast aside. Go on your way, then, restoring to Him by your praise the glory which is his due, and know that the prayer you have sent heavenward returns to your bosom laden with fresh mercies, for the Lord loveth the thanksgiving of his people. Amen, a thousand times, and may your life be one unbroken amen to the faithfulness of God in Christ Jesus.
Prayer Focus: God, Thank You for loving me. Thank You for loving me, Jesus. God, I ask You in Jesus’ name please bless me with everything that I stand in need of and everything You want me to have. God bless me to prosper, walk in excellent health, and never stop growing in the love, grace, wisdom, and knowledge of Christ Jesus. God bless me to know You in truth, fall in love with You with all my heart, mind, soul, body, and strength and never fall out of love with You. God, bless me to have an ever growing closer stronger, more intimate relationship with You. Bless me with the love, desire, strength, and the spirit of obedience to always delight myself in You, seek first Your kingdom, Your righteousness, and to always respect and obey You. Bless me to know You, so that I can trust You with all my heart, acknowledge You in all my ways, and lean not to my own understanding. Bless me with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding in all You have called me to do. 
be-an-encourager.blogspot.com
