Job 4: 3, 4 - Think how you have instructed many, how you have strengthened feeble hands. Your words have supported those who stumbled; you have strengthened faltering knees.
This brings to my mind, those people who have really held me up. Everyone has to deal with problems in their lives. What makes it easier during such times is encouraging words, words of comfort. There have been times in my life when I have been really really down, and what has sustained is the wonderful people in my life who speak to encourage, who speak to strengthen, who speak to build me up. I am so glad and ever thankful that God has filled my life with such people in abundance.
You never know who is hurting. Someone may seem all laughter and smiles on the outside but you never know. Always make sure to speak something encouraging. Always make sure you say something nice, something complimentary. Everyone has something (actually lots) that we can appreciate them about. Look for that quality and appreciate. Whenever we say something nice, something encouraging, something appreciative, we build a person up.
I love how the same verse is mentioned in the Easy to Read translation - "You encouraged those who were ready to quit.You gave strength to those who could not stand by themselves." The Message translation puts this verse this way - "... put fresh hope in people about to collapse....".
There have been times where I have been ready to quit, where I couldnt stand by myself. And I really owe to some of these awesome people in my life, who have just literally held me up. And some without even knowing they were holding me up. Whenever we speak positive words to people, we give strength to them, we infuse hope into their hopeless situation. We become God's instruments in their life.
