Intentional Encouragement

     Last time I talked about being poor in spirit. John MacArthur has said "if 'poor in spirit' is a recognition of the condition intellectually, then 'mourning' is the emotional result of this recognition." There are at least 6 words used in Scripture that are translated "mourn." Of them all, the one used in Matthew 5:4 is the most intense. It represents "an expression of intense sense of loss, helplessness and despair." Once again, Jesus turns culture upside down by letting us know that in order for us to experience the blessing of God (in this case, comfort), we must first experience an intense sense of loss that expresses itself in mourning. Wow. Let that sink in for a minute.      I think that we sometimes believe that God brings into our life just to discipline us. While that may occasionally be true for very intentional reasons, the over-arching message of this beatitude is one of comfort. The reality is that we all face times of i...

      "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver."  Solomon said this many centuries ago, but I experienced it in a fresh way just this morning.  Someone took a couple of minutes to write me one paragraph in a private message on Facebook.  I can't right now give any details as to why it spoke to me so much, but I can tell you that it was nearly life changing...and I'm not given to drama in the way I say things.  Very few times, have I sensed that I was receiving a word from the Lord through a friend.  I suspect they did not realize that they were writing me a note that was from the heart of God to mine, but they were.  I suspect they were just sharing a little bit of their heart and giving me a little encouragement.       I have mulled over their words...re-reading them several times today and thanking God for the way they lifted my spirit and helped me look forward again.  Th...

     I read the above statement in a devotional sometime back and it caught me a little off guard.  At first, it seemed a little like the song "Don't Worry; Be Happy."  The full statement expands the idea: “The simple rule of a successful life is this: Love God and stop worrying” (Italics mine).  It sounds so easy.  Just stop worrying.  I've been thinking about that a little bit, and since I have been neglecting my commitment to post more regularly here, I thought I'd give you a few thoughts about it.      The idea that I'm working over comes from Psalm 145:20 which says, in part: “The L ord watches over all who love him…” (NIV).  There is great truth here.  Consider a couple of things.      Not everyone really loves God.  Most people who believe that there is a God would say they probably love him to some degree or another.  But to love God is to obey him; to submit to him; to ho...