{"id":13696,"date":"2025-11-01T08:06:13","date_gmt":"2025-11-01T12:06:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/?post_type=oyb&p=13696"},"modified":"2025-11-01T08:06:14","modified_gmt":"2025-11-01T12:06:14","slug":"encouraging-one-another-today","status":"publish","type":"oyb","link":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/oyb\/encouraging-one-another-today","title":{"rendered":"ENCOURAGING ONE ANOTHER TODAY"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\u201cBut exhort one another every day, as long as it is called \u2018Today,\u2019 that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:13 ESV).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The writer of Hebrews, echoing Psalm 95, warns believers not to harden their hearts when they hear God\u2019s voice \u201cToday.\u201d In Psalm 95, Israel\u2019s wilderness generation turned away in unbelief and missed entering God\u2019s rest. Now, under the new covenant, \u201cToday\u201d represents the ongoing opportunity of grace\u2014the season in which God still calls people to faith in Christ. Therefore, we are to exhort one another every day. The Greek word “parakale\u014d” literally means “to be called alongside,” in order to offer encouragement, comfort, or correction. Sin works subtly and deceptively, dulling our sensitivity to God\u2019s truth, but daily encouragement from fellow believers keeps our hearts soft and strengthens our faith. Christian fellowship is not a luxury; it\u2019s part of God\u2019s provision for our perseverance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Faith flourishes in fellowship. The Christian life was never meant to be lived alone. We all need the steady voice of brothers and sisters who remind us of God\u2019s promises and point us back to Jesus when the world, the flesh, and the devil seek to deceive us. When we gather\u2014whether in worship, small groups, or simple conversations\u2014we have the sacred privilege of strengthening one another\u2019s faith. Encouragement rooted in the gospel keeps us from drifting into self-reliance or despair. The ultimate encouragement is this: Jesus has conquered sin and death for us. He offers grace sufficient for every \u201ctoday\u201d we face. When we remind each other of His finished work and ongoing intercession, we build one another up in hope and help one another endure in faith until \u201cToday\u201d is done and a new Day dawns in His presence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for calling us to walk together in faith. Help us to be faithful encouragers, speaking truth and grace to one another daily. Keep our hearts tender and our faith alive through the fellowship of Your Spirit and Your people. Thank You for the hope we have in Jesus, who gives us strength to live by faith today. In His name we pray, amen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cBut exhort one another every day, as long as it is called \u2018Today,\u2019 that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:13 ESV). The writer of Hebrews, echoing Psalm 95, warns believers not to harden their hearts when they hear God\u2019s voice \u201cToday.\u201d In Psalm 95, Israel\u2019s wilderness generation turned<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[],"scripture-book":[1325],"scripture-chapter":[1336],"oyb_day":[1832],"location":[],"class_list":["post-13696","oyb","type-oyb","status-publish","hentry","scripture-book-hebrews","scripture-chapter-1336","oyb_day-november-1"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oyb\/13696","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oyb"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/oyb"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13696"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13696"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13696"},{"taxonomy":"scripture-book","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/scripture-book?post=13696"},{"taxonomy":"scripture-chapter","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/scripture-chapter?post=13696"},{"taxonomy":"oyb_day","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oyb_day?post=13696"},{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location?post=13696"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}