Category: Weekly Word of Encouragement

For he is our Godand we are the people of his pasture,the flock under his care. Psalms 95:7 (ESV) A shepherd’s goal is to protect and support the sheep. A good shepherd has the tools and skills to accomplish this. The shepherd knows when the sheep are in danger even if the sheep do not know. The shepherd acts to protect them from the danger. Likewise, God is our shepherd who watches us. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. We journey in his pasture. He sees what we are doing and guides us along the good path. He does not prevent all suffering; he allows it to transform us. But he does offer protection and support for our soul in all circumstances. He will teach our soul how to grow and flourish in every situation. He is available if we seek him, abide in him, and keep our gaze on him. Continue Reading →

When I said, “My foot is slipping, ”your unfailing love, LORD, supported me.When anxiety was great within me,your consolation brought me joy. Psalms 94:18-19 (NIV) We will have times when our foot is slipping and anxiety wells up within us. Whether it is health, finances, relationships, loneliness, or grief we cannot avoid the distress in this world. What makes us different is how we walk through these times. What makes us different is the fact that the Lord is with us and wants to console us. He has many ways of consoling us and they are all signs of his care for us. He may remove the distress, he may reduce it or he may allow it to run its course. He may touch our hearts with his presence; he may bring words from a friend or he may speak through a verse of Scripture. Sometimes we can’t perceive his Continue Reading →

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon. Psalms 92:12 (NIV) Whether or not you feel like you are flourishing now, God promises that you will. We all want to flourish, to grow in abundance and be fruitful. God made us to flourish (“be fruitful and multiply” Gen. 1:18) and so he made us with the desire to flourish. We have barriers to flourishing now – our weaknesses and the corruption all around us – but God will make you flourish in part now and fully in the next age. Our hearts flourish now as we abide in Christ and partake of his virtues. The Bible likes to compare God’s followers to trees in order to illustrate how we will flourish. Psalm 1:3 says we are like a tree planted by a stream; in other words, we have plenty of sustenance for growth. Continue Reading →

“Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. Psalms 91:14 (NIV) This verse reminds us of Romans 8:28 where God promises: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 (NIV) In this age, God does protect us and does good for his faithful followers, but not fully. We know that he did not protect Jesus and his Apostles from harm. And we know that Scripture teaches us that we must follow in their footsteps to some degree. We know that we still suffer. So are we really protected? Yes, we are protected in our interior self. Our heart and mind cannot be defeated by destructive forces. We are one spirit with God (1 Cor. 6:17). Nothing can separate us from Continue Reading →

[David’s] offspring shall endure forever,his throne as long as the sun before me. Psalms 89:36 (ESV) After the Psalmist recounts God’s covenant with David and how God promised to make him strong and blessed, he adds that God promised that his offspring and throne will endure forever. How did God fulfill this? Is this fulfilled by the fact that the Jewish people survived all the various military invasions by world powers and is still a nation today? We find the answer in Acts 2:30-31 Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ Acts 2:30-31 Acts 2:30-31 (ESV) Thus, since he ascended to heaven and God enthroned him, Jesus is the one is on the throne of David now. He is divine-human king Continue Reading →