Category: Weekly Word of Encouragement

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Mt. 6:33 (NIV) “These things” are food, drink and clothing which Jesus mentions just before this verse. He is trying to teach us not to be anxious about these things. The cure is to seek first his kingdom above all else, as well as righteousness – which is right living approved by God. If our number one priority is living within God’s realm and rule then he promises to provide our most basic needs. Even better, in other places Jesus also teaches we will receive joy, peace and fruitfulness if we seek first his kingdom! It’s true that occasionally devout Christians suffer famine but I think this is the exception that proves the rule. (The New Testament authors rarely state exceptions and qualifications to their teachings all in one place; this Continue Reading →

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matt. 5:9 NIV). God promises to bless those who choose to be a peacemaker in the world. Making peace, in other words, reconciliation is one of God’s primary missions. His original plan for people was that they would all join together in harmony and mutual edification. Sadly, our sphere of influence is full of people who do not pursue this peace. People hold grudges, say hurtful words, ignore people they don’t like and look for ways to get back at people. Thus, many people lack peace with God, with each other and with themselves. God’s followers are called to be aware of this discord and make a positive effort to bring reconciliation. This is not easy work. It requires talking with people who may not want to come to peace. They might argue and resist and even fight. To Continue Reading →

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God”( Matt. 5:8, NIV). This verse gives us a tremendous gift: the opportunity to see God! This is one of the most popular verses in Christian history. Devout followers of Jesus who wanted to be close to God and “see” him in their lives made a serious effort to purify their lives. Purity of heart is a New Testament theme. The author of Hebrews instructed us to “work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14, NLT). Scripture also instructs us to build relationships with others who are pure in heart: “Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts” (2 Timothy 2:22, NLT). Jesus doesn’t give details about what it means to “see” God, but we know that it means that we will be very close Continue Reading →

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Mt. 5:5 ESV). A meek person is someone who is gentle and not argumentative or aggressive. Jesus is our model. When Jesus came into Jerusalem on a donkey he described his coming by saying, “your king is coming to you, [meek] and mounted on a donkey” (Mt. 21:5 ESV). When Paul was trying to persuade the Corinthian believers to more obedience to Christ, he appealed to them “by the meekness and gentleness of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:1, ESV). If we have a meek heart then we will not be prone to embrace angry attitudes when we are wronged or when others speak falsehoods. We will learn to be merciful and not give in to our desire to strike back, even in passive ways. The irony is that the one who is not warlike is the one who will inherit leadership over Continue Reading →

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” Matt. 5:4 (ESV). This is the second beatitude from the Sermon on the Mount and Jesus continues his technique of reversing the natural order. He promises his followers that the ones who mourn will not remain empty from their loss. Instead, the ones who mourn will be blessed by God because He will comfort them. We all have times of mourning, whether it is the loss of a friend, a loss of opportunity, a loss of health, or a loss of something else important to us. In such times it is healthy to mourn. Remember that Jesus did not say his disciples shouldn’t mourn. Sometimes teachers give the impression that we should always be joyful and thanking God without times of mourning. But this is not biblical. Romans 12:15 teaches us to “mourn with those who mourn” (NIV). So not only Continue Reading →