Category: Weekly Word of Encouragement

For though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly,but the haughty he knows from afar. Psalms 138:6 (ESV) In January 1936 England’s King George V died and his son Edward the Duke of Windsor was proclaimed king of England. Unknown to the public, he had become romantically involved with an American woman named Willis Warfield Simpson. She had already been divorced from an American Navy pilot and was in the process of separating from her husband Ernest Simpson, an American businessman. When she filed for divorce later in 1936 with the intent of marrying King Edward the news hit the British press which scandalized the British public. The press, the public, the Church of England and most politicians opposed the marriage. A twice-divorced American commoner was not a proper Queen for England. Edward tried to find a way to appease the public but could not succeed. On December 10, Continue Reading →

For the LORD will give justice to his peopleand have compassion on his servants. Psalms 135:14 (NLT) The basic idea of justice is that those who do good are rewarded and those who do harm are penalized. In this first phase of the kingdom of God that Jesus inaugurated, the servants of God are often not rewarded for doing good. Sometimes we are rewarded, but often we are ignored or even ridiculed. Destructive people often prosper, and self-centered people become popular and successful. But one day God will make everything right. We will no longer say “this world is unfair.” God will give justice to his people and reward them for all their good deeds. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. 2 Continue Reading →

Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD,who walks in his ways! Psalms 128:1 (ESV) Yahweh will bless our lives if we fear him and walk in his way. What does it mean to fear him? It does not mean that we adopt the attitude that he is generally angry with us or is seeking to hurt us. Perhaps we can define healthy fear of God with three attitudes: Awareness of his justice. He will repay everyone according to their actions (2 Cor. 5:10 and many other passages). Thus, it is healthy to fear his justice if we are destructive and do not repent. Awe. We recognize that he infinitely transcends us. We only have microscopic power and wisdom compared to him. Reverence. If we seek to be with God, then the logical sequel to awe is reverence. We exalt him in our hearts. We acknowledge him as our God; we Continue Reading →

It is in vain that you rise up earlyand go late to rest,eating the bread of anxious toil;for he gives to his beloved sleep. Psalms 127:2 (ESV) Anxiety seems to be prevalent in all societies. Modern society has not reduced our anxiety; instead, it seems to have magnified it. We are in a pandemic of anxiety in America and our youth are especially afflicted. Anxiety treatment is a huge industry. Most of us are tempted to be anxious by our financial circumstances. We are anxious about having enough to afford what we need to sustain a moderate standard of living. But the Psalmist (Solomon) warns us against anxious work. If you are working so much that you are “late to rest” and not getting the sleep you need, then maybe anxiety is driving your daily routine. Is this what the Lord wants from his children? If the God of all Continue Reading →

Those who go out weeping,carrying seed to sow,will return with songs of joy,carrying sheaves with them. Psalms 126:6 (NIV) In this mortal life, sometimes we are like farmers who sow tears instead of seeds. We are sad about the destruction all around us; we watch people waste or ruin their lives because they turn away from Yahweh. Sometimes these are our loved ones, even our children, which magnifies our sorrow. We are sad about our own faults and failures in faith and love because we know that we cannot be fully one with the Lord. But God will germinate all these tears that we sow; they will produce a bumper crop. Jesus said: “Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted” (Matt. 5:4, NIV). Yahweh will comfort us with fruitfulness; the tears we shed now will produce an abundant harvest of blessing. “For this light momentary affliction is Continue Reading →