Category: Weekly Word of Encouragement

So don’t be dismayed when the wicked grow richand their homes become ever more splendid.For when they die, they take nothing with them.Their wealth will not follow them into the grave. Psalms 49:16-17 (NLT) This passage may not seem encouraging at first since it is about judgment on the wicked, but I think it is one of the most encouraging truths in Scripture. We often observe that compromising or unscrupulous or faithless people become successful in this life. And godly people often do not become prosperous. But God assures us that this is not the end of the story. Everyone will be judged one day (2 Cor. 5:10) and everyone “will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body” (2 Cor. 5:10, NLT). Moreover, God has promised a new and better Garden of Eden for our eternal dwelling. As we absorb Continue Reading →

He will guide us forever Psalms 48:14 God wants to guide our lives like a good Father. And like a good father he does not want to make us into puppets and predetermine everything we do. He wants to give his children room to grow in their wisdom and exercise their will in submission to Christ. At the same time, if we abide in Christ’s commandments, pray, and seek counsel then we can expect God’s direction. He promises in James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (ESV). This doesn’t mean that we will usually receive a clear strong impression from God on all our important decisions. Once we have fulfilled our responsibility to seek his guidance then we make a decision according to the best wisdom we know. After that, Continue Reading →

God reigns over the nations;God sits on his holy throne. Psalms 47:8 (ESV) It is easy to forget that God really does reign over the earth. We are heavily influenced by our natural eyes which see all the actions of humans, all the power of governments, and all the might of armies. We elect Presidents and Prime Ministers and we pray they will wisely rule us; and this is good. But “the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Cor. 4:18). God is unseen but he rules over the nations. He allows people to harm and destroy one another and so it seems that God is inactive. But in this age he is only letting us choose to love him or reject him. Yet he still has ultimate control and so we do not need to fear. If politicians let us down, Continue Reading →

You are my King and my God,who decrees victories for Jacob.Through you we push back our enemies;through your name we trample our foes. Psalms 44:4-5 (NIV) God is our King so who will defeat him? He makes decrees for his people, “Jacob”, so that we will have victory. When our enemy is our circumstances then he makes all things work together for good because we love him (Rom. 8:28). When our enemy is our own flesh we walk in the Spirit and defeat the desires of the flesh (Gal. 5:16). When our enemy is other people we win victory by loving our enemies (Matt. 5:11-12). When our enemy is Satan then we stand in victory wearing the armor of God and wielding the sword of the Spirit. Ultimately we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against dark spiritual powers, and we succeed. (Eph. 6:10-17). Our weapons have divine Continue Reading →

By day the Lord commands his steadfast love,and at night his song is with me, Psalms 42:8 (ESV) God doesn’t just love us, he commands his love for us. It is his decree for the universe that he loves us and his love is unshakable, it is steadfast. His love is the anchor for our lives because no one can cancel a command of God. It will remain forever. We suffer for a little while here, but in his New Society in the next age we will soak in his love forever free of all sin and suffering. What else would he do for us if he loves us? When the night comes his love is a song in our hearts. It is is music to our souls. Its melody and harmony sooth our anxieties and lull our spirits into peaceful repose. The lyrics capture our minds and his instruments Continue Reading →