Category: Weekly Word of Encouragement

The LORD hears the needyand does not despise his captive people. Psalms 69:33 (NIV) The Psalmist encourages us that God hears us when we are in need, when we feel hemmed in by our troubles. Psalm 69 is a song of suffering. The Psalmist was going through immense misery. He searched for God’s presence but could not find it. I am worn out calling for help;my throat is parched.My eyes fail,looking for my God. Psalms 69:3 (NIV) In vain he searched for human comfort. Scorn has broken my heartand has left me helpless;I looked for sympathy, but there was none,for comforters, but I found none. Psalms 69:20 (NIV) But he did not give up. He stayed true to Yahweh. He believed in God’s promises of a flourishing future for his people in a promised land, which we now know is the coming New Earth. The children of his servants will Continue Reading →

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,who daily bears our burdens. Psalms 68:19 (NIV) It is easy to try to carry our own burdens since we tend to think we should be able to handle them on our own. But God is a Father to us which means that he cares about what is happening to us. He does not want us to bear all the responsibility for navigating our journey. Our cares do not fade away as we travel on; new burdens and responsibilities rise up as the years go on. So we always have the opportunity to: “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7, NLT). What are your burdens now? How much are you carrying those burdens? Would it be better to unload them onto God’s shoulders? Should you be carrying anxiety about the challenges in your Continue Reading →

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,is God in his holy dwelling.God sets the lonely in families,he leads out the prisoners with singing Psalms 68:5-6 (NIV) God gives special attention to the disadvantaged. He has a heart for orphans, widows, the lonely and those who are unfairly imprisoned. He does not fully restore them in this age, but he does comfort them and hear them. He watches over them and offers his presence to those who will trust him. In the next age he will restore the needy and the deprived, even to the point of giving them preference, for Jesus said, “But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first” (Matt. 19:30, NIV). Those who are the least in our society but follow Jesus will be first in the new age of God’s kingdom. Sometimes just following Jesus makes us Continue Reading →

If I had cherished sin in my heart,the Lord would not have listened;but God has surely listenedand has heard my prayer. Psalms 66:18-19 (NIV) God does listen to our prayers when we abide in him. This doesn’t just mean that he is aware of what we prayed but that he gives weight to what we pray. He is our Father who listens and responds, even if sometimes the response is “no” or “wait” because he has another plan for our lives. And we do not have to be especially mature or advanced in our understanding before God will listen to us. If we are following him then he will listen. He only asks that we do not cherish sin in our hearts. If we intentionally harbor destructive attitudes and ways then he may wait for our repentance before he listens. “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” Continue Reading →

The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;where morning dawns, where evening fades,you call forth songs of joy.You care for the land and water it;you enrich it abundantly.The streams of God are filled with waterto provide the people with grain,for so you have ordained it. Psalms 65:8-9 (NIV) One of the biggest encouragements that we observe every day is the blessing of nature. The beauty of the trees and rivers and mountains reveals God’s beauty and reminds us that he is good and loving. From the land we grow delicious food, find animals to be our pets and enjoy recreation. Nature is a constant reminder that God wants to do good for us and that he is powerful enough to accomplish the most astounding of feats. Consider the hundreds of thousands of animal and plant species. Consider how they all form a glorious harmony that endlessly fascinates us. Continue Reading →