Category: Weekly Word of Encouragement

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalms 37:4 (ESV)This promise may seem like an overstatement, but I think that it is eventually true for those who delight themselves in the Lord. If we keep our hearts rejoicing in God in Christ, and what he has done for us and the blessing of following him, then he will fulfill our desires sooner or later. Remember that the kingdom of God is already here but not yet complete. This means that most of God’s blessings are here in part but not yet completely fulfilled. Therefore, my desire for complete inner peace and joy is only partly fulfilled now, but will be completely fulfilled on the New Earth. My prayers for financial stability are only partly fulfilled now, but I will be completely secure and prosperous in the next age. He may not fulfill Continue Reading →

In your light we see light (Psalms 36:9, NIV). One of the great privileges of being a child of God is that he opens up our eyes to more and more truth and wisdom. God is the source of light. Through him we see God’s light – spiritual light as well as physical light. Our old self, who still lingers inside us, cannot see invisible reality. It cannot see what forces are at work in the world, what God is doing, why he does what he does, and what his goals are. Our old self can not see the glory and satisfaction of following Jesus, including the sacrifices we make. But as a child of God we escape the darkness in the world and in our old self; we see God’s light and live in it. We actually get to see what countless philosophers and psychologists and activists and most Continue Reading →

“People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.They feast on the abundance of your house;You give them drink from your river of delights.” Psalms 36:7-8 (NIV)The ones who trust and love God are the ones who take refuge under his wings. We have placed ourselves inside him, relying on him for our life and for the protection and blessing of our souls. And since God is a loving father who wants to give joy and satisfaction to his children, he rewards our faith and love with gifts from his personal possessions. We are feasting on God. He presents us with a feast of truth, peace, and friendship. His kingdom is “righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Rom. 14:17) His Scripture is like honey on our tongues. His Son is the bread of life, who nourishes us with his goodness and restores the image of God in Continue Reading →

“Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens.” Psalms 36:5 (NIV). God’s love for us knows no bounds. He created us so that he could shower his love on us. He is the perfect Father who delights in seeing his children grow up, develop their gifts, and enjoy the blessings of creation. He gave us his Son (John 3:16) and his Spirit so we could reunite with him and live forever in his perfect community of love. We are citizens of his kingdom now and have the privilege of brightening up our world with his goodness and love. There is no end to God’s love for us. He did not care that we were unholy, but rather: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”Romans 5:8 (NIV) God’s love for us is unfailing because it depends on his nature, not ours. Continue Reading →

“The Lord be exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant.”Psalms 35:27 (NIV). God delights in our well-being; he has joy when we are blessed. Like a good father, God is happy when we are well. He is emotional about it; he feels delight, joy. He is pleased when we embrace the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings (Phil. 3:10), for our sake and for others. But I don’t think he delights in how we are feeling when we suffer. Rather, he is forming us so that we can experience complete well-being. He gives us tastes of that now. And God delights in our well-being of walking in the Spirit and experiencing joy and peace. He is like a good father who is just happy to watch his child enjoy playing in the park. He made us to experience well-being, and he is happy when he accomplishes his goal. When we Continue Reading →