Category: Weekly Word of Encouragement

But I am like an olive treeflourishing in the house of God;I trust in God’s unfailing lovefor ever and ever. Psalms 52:8 (NIV) When we trust in God’s love then we will flourish. We may not flourish with worldly prosperity but our hearts will enjoy God’s peace and joy, and in the next age we will flourish in every way as in the Garden of Eden. In this life we will produce fruit that lasts forever and pleases God. Therefore, we can always exclaim that we are like an olive tree constantly expanding and producing abundant fruit in the house of God, which is the community of his people in the city of God, the New Jerusalem, to which we have already come (Heb. 12:22). Not only does this Psalm remind us of Psalm 1 (God’s faithful are like a tree by a stream bearing fruit) but also of John Continue Reading →

But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.If you keep to my path,I will reveal to you the salvation of God. Psalms 50:23 (NLT) When we thank God we acknowledge the good he has done and we recognize him as good. Thus, thanksgiving is an expression of our faith in who he is and what he does. This is why we honor him when we thank him. We are declaring and displaying him to all beings in the heavenlies. If we maintain an attitude of thanksgiving and stay faithful to his teachings then we receive a blessing that is far more valuable than anything we sacrifice. We get to see the salvation of God. This is more than the privilege of living in the next age. It also means we get to see and experience his process of redeeming us now. We get to see his work in Continue Reading →

Sacrifice thank offerings to God,fulfill your vows to the Most High,and call on me in the day of trouble;I will deliver you, and you will honor me. Psalms 50:14-15 (NIV) God encourages us by promising deliverance. But what kind of deliverance does God promises under the New Covenant? Under the Old Covenant God’s deliverance was usually a physical deliverance: from military enemies, from personal enemies, from misfortune etcetera. But under the New Covenant God has not promised political or economic prosperity or freedom from enemies and distress until Jesus returns. For now, he promises something even better: inner communion with him, a cleansed heart, and interior peace that surpasses understanding. What does he ask of us? That we would trust him and thank him for who he is and what he has done – our thank offerings. That we would fulfill the commitments we have made to him – our Continue Reading →

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 →