One of my personal favourite biblical pictures of encouragement is when Jonathan went to David, when David was really down. David was in the Desert of Ziph and things were bad. Saul had tracked him down, and Jonathan’s father, David thought, was about to wipe him out And we read this from Jonathan:
Jonathan went to David at Horesh, and he strengthened his hand in God.What a wonderful statement of encouragement. He took his wavering hand and he put it back on God:David, do not forget.That is what he gave him—the promises of God.Do not forget what God has promised you. Those promises are sure. You are not going to be destroyed. Trust in God again.And he renewed that in him.We need to do the same thing. We often need to get up, to step up, and we need to go to be with the friend who is struggling. And Paul says that he, though an apostle, ministered one by one—pastoral care. Pastors are to do that. But all Christians are to encourage, remembering the promises of God, encouraging those who are weak and failing. It may mean bearing a load for the weak. It may mean prayer—it will certainly mean prayer. It may mean companionship. It may mean sharing your own conviction that God will be faithful—your experiences of how he came through for you—the reminders of the promises of his Word. He encouraged them, and we are to encourage one another.1
Richard D. Phillips
12 vous exhortant, vous consolant, vous conjurant de marcher d'une manière digne de Dieu, qui vous appelle à son royaume et à sa gloire.