Encouraging yourself in the Lord Pt. 4

Alright, we’re starting to build a tool chest of things that we can use to encourage ourselves in the Lord in a difficult or desperate situation.  Today we’ll add another, and it’s also a powerful one . . . perhaps the most powerful of all.
A reference for this is found in Romans 15:4, ‘For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.’  In learning the Scriptures (and repeating them to ourselves) we can receive patience and comfort in them.  However, you have to know them and you have to use them when needed.
David himself meditated on the Scriptures day and night.  (Ps. 1:2 and Ps. 119:148)  This was the guy who encouraged himself in the Lord.  Do you suppose that He might have used the Scriptures as one of his tools?  These gems fall into a number of different categories for us.  One category is His promises that He’s recorded for us there.  A good example is found in 2 Pet. 1:2-4, ‘Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.’  What a promise!  All things that pertain to life and godliness . . .given to us!  Hebrews 6 talks about hope that we have as an anchor to the soul. 
Another category might be referred to as assurances.  Jer. 31:3 reads, ‘Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore, with lovingkindness I have drawn you’.  Here’s an assurance of His love.  Granted, this was first written to Israel.  Yet, this is a principle with God.  Those whom He selects as His children are loved this way.  And there are many other such assurances to draw on and use to encourage yourself.
Like the other principles we’ve talked about, it helps to get some of these things under your belt before difficulty strikes.  Then use them.  However, all is not lost.  Use an app to search the Bible or if you’re old school get out your concordance.  Just use them.  As you read the Scriptures daily, write down those that encourage you.  I’ve done this for years.  I can go back and read them.  Now I’m beginning a project to record them so that I can hear these promises and assurances from the Word in my own voice.
Ok, so far we’re singing songs, thanking God and using the Word to encourage ourselves in the Lord.  However, there’s more.  So next week I’ll reveal to you yet another tool to drop in your toolbox that you can use when you need encouragement.  Don’t miss it.