INSPIRE – Isaiah Noah Samuel Paul Israel Ruth Ezekiel
To inspire: to urge one on by setting a good example or teaching a good lesson (MY definition, not necessarily found at dictionary.com). Today’s devo from my church recorded the definition of this word as found at that website, and focused on remembering the inspirations we witnessed in 2011. One of the ‘tasks’ in that lesson was to list some inspiring people of the Bible. Hence, the acronomical (MY word, not necessarily found in ANY dictionary---meaning, ‘referring to a list of words/names derived from an acronym) beginning of this lesson. I could, as could most of you, write something about each of those Biblical people that inspires you or others. Yes, like you, I’d probably have to do some research first….but wouldn’t that be inspirational?
What inspires you? I guess that is the real question. If reading the Word of God does not like it does me, I’d bet there are other things that do. I bet you are inspired when you read a headline like one that appeared today in a Mississippi Newspaper: Athens County 9-Year-Old Found Safe. Or one a couple of days ago in the Hampton Roads Virginia Daily Press: Abducted North Carolina girl found safe in Newport News. Or when the newscasters found that someone had paid several others’ K-Mart layaways off. Or one of the biggest headlines of 2011 which appeared in all forms of news media, The War In Iraq Is Over!. If you were to look back at this year, I’d bet you’d find several inspirational stories that help you realize there is SOME good in all people. In preparing this lesson this morning, I tried to find ‘good news’ stories of the past year by typing in things such as ‘major headlines of 2011’ in my Google search box. I found hundreds of stories, of course, but never ran across ONE GOOD major news story. Oh, I am sure there were some, but all in all, the news media focuses on the bad and the ugly, not the good. Because of that, I’d encourage you to start a journal for 2012, and every day some newscaster tells of an inspiring event, write it down. Then, NEXT December, when asked to remember some inspiring events of the year, it would be a whole lot easier. (PS-don’t try to record all the ‘negative news’ headlines as you’d need several journals for that.)
I am inspired by lots of things spiritual. I am inspired when I see people helping others. I get positively emotional when I hear of miracles happening in peoples’ lives. I am inspired when I see positive trends in church growth. I am inspired when people respond to my lessons, either in writing or a verbal comment. I am inspired by the love of my beautiful wife. I am inspired as my prodigal son returned from a life of drugs and crime. I am inspired when I read books, even books written by Stephen King. I am inspired when a make a good golf shot (which is most certainly a rare event). I am inspired by good weather, good friends and good news.
That list of men and women from the Bible with which I started out this lesson inspired many others, with that inspiration cascading down to millions of others over the past centuries. Many events of 2011 were indeed inspiring (but you won’t find many in the major news headlines), and I, like the church, encourage you to take some time to reflect on those events in YOUR life over the past twelve months, as well as encourage each of you to read the many, many inspirational stories you have at your ready disposal, the Holy Bible.
Paul, one of the MOST inspirational men (in MY opinion) of the Bible, wrote to the church in Thessalonica and gave the real secret to finding true inspiration; of course that is found in THE greatest inspirational speaker of all times, Jesus Christ. This is what Paul teaches to urge us on, to have us reflect upon the great lessons taught by our Savior; "We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." (1st THESSALONIANS 1-3.)