Category: Weekly Word of Encouragement

My son, do not despise the LORD’S disciplineor be weary of his reproof,for the LORD reproves him whom he loves,as a father the son in whom he delights. Proverbs 3:11-12 (ESV) When God sees something harmful in your life, what should he do? Should he just let it slide? Should he protect your feelings and happiness? Or should he do what is necessary to purge it from you? What kind of father would he be if he just let us harbor sin, unbelief, pride and unkindness? It may be painful when God cuts us open and does his spiritual surgery on us, but part of us knows it is best for us. He corrects us because he loves us. This is our encouragement; that we have a loving infinite Father who loves us too much to let us wallow in our immaturity. In fact, he delights in us. When God Continue Reading →

Trust in the LORD with all your heart;do not depend on your own understanding.Seek his will in all you do,and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT) We all want God’s guidance for our lives. We have many choices, which sometimes paralyzes us. This passage makes a gigantic promise; it teaches the foundation of receiving God’s guidance. Trust him with all your heart and seek his will. He loves us and wants to guide us, like a good father. You guide me with your counsel,leading me to a glorious destiny. Psalms 73:24 (NLT) The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.I will advise you and watch over you. Psalms 32:8 (NLT) The LORD directs the steps of the godly.He delights in every detail of their lives.Though they stumble, they will never fall,for the LORD holds them by the hand. Psalms Continue Reading →

Let love and faithfulness never leave you;bind them around your neck,write them on the tablet of your heart.Then you will win favor and a good namein the sight of God and man. Proverbs 3:3-4 (NIV) How good is it to have a good name with God? Imagine God thinking about you and saying to himself, [Your Name] is good, I can rely on him/her to do good when I put them in situations. Then imagine God giving you favor and deciding to give you extra blessings. This is what God wants to do for you. He has probably already done this; he wants to do more. What is our responsibility in this dynamic? Love and faithfulness. He wants us to learn to love others, love him and be faithful, or consistent in our godliness. We do not have to be perfect, just consistently growing in our love and holiness. We Continue Reading →

His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;the LORD delights in those who fear him,who put their hope in his unfailing love Psalms 147:10-11 (NIV) It is tempting to value what the world values. Nations and individuals pursue power – military, political, economic, cultural – and rejoice when their power grows. But Yahweh rejoices in something completely different; something that is available to everyone no matter how powerless they are. Yahweh rejoices in us if we fear him, revere and respect him. He rejoices when our hope is in his love for us, that he will ultimately bless us and dwell with us forever. Therefore, we do not need to despair about our circumstances, that we do not have the resources we would like to have. Our circumstances and lack of resources may be painful, but consider the infinite treasure Continue Reading →