Chaplain Ronnie Melancon

Are you speaking encouraging words? I love to be encouraged and I need encouragement. And I will be honest with you – I don’t like to be around discouraging people, but sometimes I have to. It comes with the territory. The fleas come with the dog.

Discouragement opens the door for other sins and failures. II Corinthians 1:2-4 says, “Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”

Comfort is the same word for consolation or encouragement. God is the God of all encouragement. The devil is the sinister minister of discouragement. Discouragement is a major cause of failure.

Former pro-football player Bill Glass was preaching to one thousand inmates one day and he said, “I want to ask you a question. How many of you had a father who told you, ‘One of these days, you’re going to end up in prison’?” Almost every one of them lifted his hand.

Oh, how these men needed encouragement. How about you? God is the God of all encouragement.

Taken from a message by Adrian Rogers