Category: Weekly Word of Encouragement

He delights in those whose ways are blameless. Proverbs 11:20 (NIV) We all hope God delights in us. We want to know that our lives please him; that he is proud of us. Just like we wanted to know our earthly father approved us, even more, we want to know that our heavenly Father approves us. We know that he loves us, but there is also the issue of whether he is pleased with us, that he delights in us. This passage encourages us affirming that he does delight in us when we are blameless. Not that we have to be perfect in every detail, but that we avoid intentional sin, and choose to do good to others. If we are living an upright life, then we know that the God who made heaven and earth delights in us. To think that God delights in us seems too good to Continue Reading →

The way of the LORD is a refuge for the blameless. Proverbs 10:29 (NIV) This world throws many forces at us, tempting us to compromise with hedonism, materialism and narcissism. People, politics, entertainment and education all try to draw us into worldly choices; it is very easy to slide into destructive ways. But the path of following Yahweh is the only true blessed way to travel. Temptations don’t inform us of their long-term harm. The way of the Lord is an eternal road of refuge and peace. As the spiritual health of society declines, we may feel more and more out of place. We are more aware that we travel a different road than most people around us. We may be tempted to think that a little compromise is okay, that we are still more godly than the majority. But God wants to remind us that we are more blessed Continue Reading →

Whoever walks in integrity walks securely,but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out. Proverbs 10:9, (NIV) Sometimes we are faced with ethical choices that might lead to loss or rejection. Whether this is at work, church or with family, we may have to do or say something that will disturb or hurt others and trigger a reprisal against us. God reminds us that if we will walk in integrity we walk in security, in safety. Yet, it does not seem safe, especially if we get hurt. So how are we secure? We are secure in all the important things. Our soul is secure from the poison of dishonesty and avoidance. The crooked person stabs their soul with every ethical failure. If we maintain integrity, our soul is secure from damage. We are also secure in our relationship with God, we are abiding in Christ and we can continue to Continue Reading →

For whoever finds [wisdom] finds lifeand obtains favor from the LORD, Proverbs 8:35 (ESV) Wisdom promises two things that we highly value: life and God’s favor. What is wisdom? Proverbs describes wisdom in many ways: it dwells with prudence, knowledge and discretion; it hates pride, arrogance and perverted speech; it walks in the way of righteousness and justice; it begins with the fear of Yahweh; and, her ways are peaceful and pleasant. James also describes wisdom: “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere” (James 3:17, ESV). Wisdom leads us into good conduct: “Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom” (James 3:13, ESV). We may get the impression from some that God wants to speak specific guidance to us for all Continue Reading →

The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,which shines ever brighter until the full light of day. Proverbs 4:18 (NLT) This proverb encourages us to walk in the way of righteousness because the path gets brighter and better the longer we travel it. If we are trying to break a bad habit, such as changing our viewing habits, it might feel like we have only a glimmer of the blessing when we first make the change. It may be distasteful at first (darkness), but we can taste a little of the benefit (the first gleam of dawn). If we continue to walk in the new way, the way becomes broader and brighter. The darkness fades and we become more attached to the goodness we have found in this new righteous way. Therefore, do not become weary of purifying your life from corruption. It may feel unpleasant Continue Reading →