Passing the “Buck”
By Karen D’Amore
“But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”
Hebrews 3:13a
By Karen D’Amore
“But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”
Hebrews 3:13a
My eyes following hoof prints in the rapidly melting snow, I feel his presence but I cannot see him. The eight-point buck lurks somewhere on my land, camouflaged by the perpetual beige brush. He has become my friend of sorts, faithfully appearing when my encouragement tank needs filling. Today, my tank is empty, but as I search longingly for the buck, he continues to elude me.
My load is heavy…my strength depleted. Lord, are You with me? Pleading…I really need to feel Your presence…Lord?? Morning would come much too quickly with the task of the new day…beyond my capacity. Jesus, I need You to carry me! Jesus, are You with me?
Muted darkness hung on the shoulders of dusk. A flicker of white draws me to the window. Standing before me, the majestic buck, his white-patched tail twitches like a beckoning wave. His gentle eyes lure my heart with warming assurance. I am encouraged…of course, Jesus is with me! Only an intimate God would provide for me in such a personal way. For me, the buck is the perfect vessel of encouragement. And God often brings the buck into my presence, in those pivotal moments of darkness and silence, as if to shout “I am with you.”
As Christ-followers, we are called to “pass the Buck!” We are to “encourage the exhausted and strengthen the feeble” (Isaiah 35:3 NASB). But it isn’t just the exhausted that need our encouragement. According to today’s Scripture, encouragement should be extended daily to protect against the deception of sin. Satan uses exhaustion and our weakened state to divert our focus and desensitize us to the entrapments of sin. Encouragement points our focus to God, spurring us towards love and good deeds. Encouragers become an extension of God’s strong arms…easing the heaviness of pain and warming the chill of loneliness.
How can we be vessels of encouragement? A phone call says, “I’m listening to you!” A written note says, “I’m thinking of you!” A visit says, “I’m here for you!” A gift says, “I’m with you even though I’m not present with you!” Regardless of what we do, let’s do something to ensure that the “Buck” doesn’t stop here!
GOING DEEPER:
1. Are you in need of encouragement? Ask the Lord to reveal Himself to you in a real and personal way.
2. How can you be an encourager to those around you?
FURTHER READING:
Philippians 2:1-4; Hebrews 10:24-25; 1Thessalonians 5:11
Married to Dan, Karen is a retired police officer and a licensed Nail Technician. She is the administrator for Oakwood’s Tuesday a.m. Bible Study, and is a volunteer wildlife rehabilitator.
