Category: Weekly Word of Encouragement

“For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover him with favor as with a shield” (Psalms 5:12, ESV). In the same way that a shield covers our body God’s blessings blanket our soul. Even if our “outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day” (2 Cor. 4:16, ESV). We have friendship with God, he Fathers us and guides us, he guarantees a new destiny for us, his Spirit lives in us, he gives us the inner peace that the rest of the world seeks, he gives us a place in his family with gifts to bless others, he gives us joy because we live in his kingdom. In all these ways we are covered, wrapped and engulfed in his favor. God Is Our ProtectorFebruary 9, 2026Discerning The Voices In Our HeadFebruary 6, 2026God Guides The Humble – Weekly Words Of EncouragementFebruary 2, 2026

“But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him” (Psalms 4:3, ESV). We who have chosen godliness and holiness have been set apart by God as his personal friends. We are the ones whom he loves and cherishes and we belong to him. It is amazing that the infinitely good and powerful God would decide to choose weak humans to belong to him. Doesn’t this tell us how much he values these majestic creatures he made? And even though we are corrupted with sin, all who choose to follow him are in his family. This is our identity and destiny – being united with God. And so when we call to him he hears because he treasures his own. He makes us “more than conquerors” in a destructive world and beautifies our souls. God Is Our ProtectorFebruary 9, 2026Discerning Continue Reading →

You, O Lord, are a shield about me,my glory, and the lifter of my head” Psalms 3:3 (ESV). David declared this in the middle of a rebellion against his government. Under the New Covenant God is the shield of our souls. Our soul will prosper if we abide in him. He will strengthen and protect us against the evil one (2 Thess. 3:3) and our faith is a shield against the Enemy (Eph. 6:16). God is our glory; he is our radiance; he is our treasure. We partake of him (2 Pet. 1:4) so we have more than all the riches in the world. He lifts our head when we are downcast. When we feel defeated or discouraged we can remember his goodness to us and the destiny he has guaranteed for us. Then we know that ultimately we are victorious and joy cannot be extinguished from our hearts. God Continue Reading →

“Blessed is the man . . . [whose] delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.” Psalm 1:1-3 (ESV) When I go hiking it is easy to spot where streams are. I just look for a row of trees sticking up higher than the surrounding vegetation. These trees are bigger and stronger than the others because they are next to a stream and so they have a consistent source of nutrition. When it comes to the spiritual landscape I want to be one of those trees growing tall and strong. How can I do that? By constantly embracing and meditating on God’s instructions. We know that Jesus completed the law so now we don’t meditate on the Old Continue Reading →

“[God] is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy” (Jude 1:24, NIV). Sometimes when we are weak and faced with temptation it feels like we are going to fail. But God really does provide strength to keep us from stumbling. The first thing we can do is refocus our hearts on Jesus; in other words “fixing our eyes on Jesus” (Heb. 12:2). Then we can focus on walking in the Spirit. We can redirect our mind to God’s Spirit inside us and let him become the influence in the moment. Finally, we can choose to live from our new self, the part of us that desires to be close to God. These three sources of power will make a big difference in overcoming temptation. Then we can look forward to the next age when we will appear Continue Reading →