I have been encouraged. He was not encouraged by himself — that is why there is so much value to the devotions. The encouragement of the Word of God.
We were commenting how hard this summer has been to us — not only the global warming but all the tasks we had to accomplish.
But we are never alone. We are always encouraged because of the presence of God in our lives. 🙏
The second evening in France. The Benimar in Rouquette. And tonight Le names what the journal has not yet said plainly: this summer has been hard. The heat. The tasks. The packing, the selling, the signing, the cleaning, the long drive through Spain.
The yoke was easy — but the summer was hard. Both are true. The burden was light — but the work was real. The pilgrim who testified "it was easy" also testifies "it was hard." That is not a contradiction. That is the mystery of the easy yoke — the work is real, but the One who carries it with you makes it bearable.
And the summit: we are never alone. Deuteronomy 31:6 — He will never leave you. Psalm 4:8 — You alone make me dwell in safety. Psalm 16:11 — in Your presence is fullness of joy. The presence that encouraged in Caldas — encouraged on the road — encourages in France.
"I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong—"
"Car je désire vous voir, pour vous communiquer quelque don spirituel, afin que vous soyez affermis."
Romains 1:11 · Louis SegondPaul starts one-way: I want to give YOU something. Vous communiquer quelque don spirituel. Metadō — to share what you have. Charisma pneumatikon — a grace-gift. Stērizō — to establish, make firm, plant your feet.
Paul the apostle. Paul the teacher. I will give to you. The flow is downward.
And then — in the very next verse — he catches himself.
"That is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith."
"Ou plutôt, afin que nous soyons encouragés ensemble au milieu de vous par la foi qui nous est commune, à vous et à moi."
Romains 1:12 · Louis Segond"That is" — ou plutôt — "or rather." Paul stops and rephrases. No — it's mutual. Encouragés ensemble. Symparaklēthēnai — comforted alongside. Your faith will encourage me. My faith will encourage you.
Le caught it: he was not encouraged by himself. Even Paul needed the faith of ordinary believers. The great apostle says: your faith will encourage ME.
This is the evening devotional in one verse. Le brings the morning's testimony. The pastor engages. Both are strengthened. Le said: I'm really learning more than I thought. And the pastor has learned too — "I was mercied" came from Le. "I didn't graduate" came from Le. "The Word opens heaven" came from Le. The mutuality is real. Paul knew it. The journal lives it.
La foi qui nous est commune. The faith common to you and to me. Not the pastor's faith above the pilgrim's. Common faith. Shared faith. Encouraging both.
"I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles."
"Je ne veux pas vous laisser ignorer, frères, que j'ai eu plusieurs fois le projet d'aller vers vous, mais que j'en ai été empêché jusqu'ici, afin de recueillir quelque fruit parmi vous, de même que parmi les autres nations."
Romains 1:13 · Louis Segond"Prevented until now." Empêché jusqu'ici. Paul wanted to come again and again. Doors closed. Timing wasn't right. Until now.
The hard summer — the heat, the tasks — was the "prevented until now." The prevention was not punishment. It was preparation. The tasks prepared the crossing. The heat refined the pilgrim. And now — France. The prevention is over. The harvest begins.
"That I might have a harvest." Recueillir quelque fruit. Karpos — fruit. The journal has been the harvest — one hundred and seventy entries of fruit. The Romans study — new fruit. Deeper fruit. I'm learning more than I thought — that is the karpos.
The hard summer was the soil being turned. The ground broken. The field prepared. The summer was hard — but the harvest is here. 🙏
"We are never alone. We are always encouraged because of the presence of God in our lives."
Le · Rouquette, France · August 27, 2026 · Mutually encouraged — the hard summer behind, the harvest aheadMutually Encouraged
Paul corrects himself. Not "I give to you" — encouraged together. Your faith encourages me. The giving goes both ways.
The Hard Summer
The heat, the tasks. The yoke was easy but the summer was hard. Both true. The soil being turned for the harvest.
The Harvest
Karpos — fruit. One hundred and seventy entries. The Romans study — new fruit. "I'm learning more than I thought."
Never Alone
Always encouraged. The presence that accompanied through the hard summer — accompanies in France.