Category: Weekly Word of Encouragement

“The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the Lord will praise him.” (Psalms 22:26, NIV) In the later Old Testament writings, the “poor” not only lacked physical resources but also depended on Yahweh. Knowing that food and housing were limited they turned to God for help. So the Psalmist of this psalm declares the Lord’s intention to give to the poor the food they need. And those who live in dependence on Yahweh will praise him because of his provision. And so, if we are in need God wants to help. In general, the physical things we need God will provide (Matt. 6:33). But under the new covenant the “poor”, those who seek God, have even more. Jesus promised: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,for they will be filled.” Matthew 5:3, Continue Reading →

“He asked life of you; you gave it to him,length of days forever and ever. 5 His glory is great through your salvation;splendor and majesty you bestow on him. 6 For you make him most blessed forever;you make him glad with the joy of your presence. (Psalms 21:-4-6, ESV) In this Psalm the king of Israel, presumably David, is thanking God for the blessings he has given to him. The king asked for life and God gave him a long life. God brought glory to the king by saving him and clothed the king in splendor. God became present to him and gave him joy and even blessed him forever. What does this have to do with us? Remember that we are a royal priesthood (1 Pet. 2:9) and that God repeatedly promises in the New Testament that we will rule with Jesus. So we will be royalty like King Continue Reading →

Psalms 20:6 Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving might of his right hand. 7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. (ESV) Whether it is Coronavirus or some other circumstance that is causing distress in our lives, it is important to remember to keep our focus on God in Christ. Many of us will be disrupted by Coronavirus for months to come. Parents with school-age children will struggle to find child care. Poorer children who won’t have access to free lunches from schools will wonder where their meals will come from. Businesses will see a decline in revenue and some will lose their jobs. Retirement accounts will be worth much less than they were. Many of us will no longer be able to join Continue Reading →

“The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart” (Psalm 19:8, NLT). We may not normally think of God’s commandments as sources of joy. We tend to think that they are challenging and sometimes difficult and that we may not feel good as we keep them. But if we reflect a little more we realize that it is God’s commandments that bring us life and joy. A few lines earlier in this Psalm we hear that God’s instruction revive the soul (v. 7). God’s commands don’t just keep us from being destructive they also guide us into peace and maturity. They guide us into communion with God in Christ. This is why Jesus said: “If you love me, obey my commandments” (John 14:15, NLT). He wants us to follow what he taught (the Sermon on the Mount and everything else) because these directives keep us abiding in Continue Reading →

4 The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.5 The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me. 19 He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me. (Psalms 18:4-5, 19, NIV) In this Psalm King David had been attacked by powerful enemies and his reign was in jeopardy but God powerfully intervened and strengthened the king and gave him victory. How does this apply to Christians? As we mentioned last week, under the new covenant believers have no geographic kingdom in this world (John 18:36) and “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world” (Eph. 6:12, NIV). We also have the enemies of general corruption around us that damage us, the enemy of our old self which tries to Continue Reading →