May Encounter Week
Photo by Charlotte May
Welcome to this month’s Encounter Week!
What does it mean to encounter the Lord?
An encounter with the Lord is a special interaction with Him. When you hear His voice and realize something beautiful about Him, that is an encounter. When you “see” His love at a deeper level, that can be an encounter. Encounters can be quiet things, like when you’re reading the Bible and the Holy Spirit highlights a verse to you. Or encounters can be like Saul meeting Jesus on the road in Acts 9. Every encounter with the Lord is a big deal, even if it seems small in the moment.
We often encounter the Lord when we are seeking Him. That’s what this Encounter Week is for—it is an opportunity to meet with the One we love and interact with Him in a way that impacts our lives.
His Word, His Truth
Here is a list of truths about you and the Lord based on His Word.
Every day this week, set aside some time, and meditate on one of the truths in the following list. (You don’t need to do them in order.) Ponder the truth in your spirit, and ask the Lord to teach you more about it. Invite Him to show your heart what is real about Him, about you, and about what He’s doing in your life.
Note: If you have trouble sitting still with the Lord, it might help to set a timer for fifteen minutes. (That’s just a suggestion; choose whatever time works for you.) This can help you press into Him when it’s hard to focus.
Truth #1: You Will See the Fulfillment of His Promise
Do you know in your heart that God will do what He said? Or do you kind of doubt His promise, because it seems impossible or hasn’t happened yet? The Lord doesn’t tell stories the way the world does. Even when something seems impossible, if He said it would happen, you can trust that it will.
Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; everything came to pass. (Josh. 21:45 NASB)
Truth #2: You Will See Your Enemies Scatter
You are not responsible for conquering your enemies—fear, confusion, addiction, loneliness, shame, self-hatred, etc.—by yourself. The Lord is with you, and your enemies cannot stand against Him. Do you know in your heart that God is fighting for you in the very area where you feel weak?
Any one of you can make a thousand men run away, because the Lord your God is fighting for you, just as he promised. (Josh. 23:10 GNT)
The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer. Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled; let them turn back and be ashamed suddenly. (Ps. 6:9–10 NKJV)
Truth #3: The Most Caring Father in the World Is Taking Care of You
Deuteronomy 1:31 is what the Lord is like for you. He is taking care of you the way a father takes care of the little child he adores. Even when this does not feel true, it is true because God doesn’t change and this is His nature.
You saw how the Lord your God cared for you all along the way as you traveled through the wilderness, just as a father cares for his child. Now he has brought you to this place. (Deut. 1:31 NLT)
Truth #4: He Has Not Looked Away from You
There is something about a humble heart that allows us to see what God is doing and, as a result, be filled with joy. The Lord is not far away from you today. He has not forgotten you. He has not looked away. Humble yourself before Him, and you will see that He is working and it is good.
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. (1 Pet. 5:6 ASV)
The humble shall see their God at work for them. No wonder they will be so glad! All who seek for God shall live in joy. For Jehovah hears the cries of his needy ones and does not look the other way. (Ps. 69:32–33 TLB)
Truth #5: You Are Deeply, Truly, Dearly Loved
You are the Lord’s treasured child. He chose Himself to be your Guide and Protector, and He is covering you with His feathers. You never need to be afraid of being left behind or being lost. Do you know how much you are loved?
It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms. (Hos. 11:3 NIV)
He found him in a desert land, and in a howling, desert wasteland; he encircled him, he cared for him, he protected him like the apple of his eye. As an eagle stirs up its nest, hovers over its young, spreads out its wings, takes them, carries them on its pinions, so Yahweh alone guided him, and there was no foreign god accompanying him. (Deut. 32:10–12 LEB)
Truth #6: You Are the Lord’s Prize Even When You Feel Like a Failure
Even when the world is upside down, the love of the Lord remains the same. When you’ve messed up royally and all seems lost, God has compassion on you. He knows what He is doing with you; He has not lost you or dismissed His word because you made a bad choice. You are His prize even when you feel like you have nothing good to offer Him.
“For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you. (Isa. 54:10 ESV)
Truth #7: The God of All Comfort Surrounds You
When you find yourself struggling with doubt, fear, confusion, or shame, what do you do? Do you ignore it—or do you crawl up on your heavenly Father’s lap and just let Him hold you? He is the God of all comfort, and He is ready to comfort you whenever you feel uncertain.
When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer. (Ps. 94:19 NLT)
Blessed [gratefully praised and adored] be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforts and encourages us in every trouble so that we will be able to comfort and encourage those who are in any kind of trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (2 Cor. 1:3–4 AMP)
Treasure These Things in Your Heart!
Encounters with God are not small things. One moment with Him has the power to change a person’s life forever.
Throughout this week, write down everything the Lord tells or shows you. Pray about these things and treasure them in your heart.
Does your heart need to remember who God is? Check out these other devotions:
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