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Encouragement plays a key role in the key responsibility Jesus left for us to complete by His gracious help. We are to make disciples, and we do so largely by encouraging one another. We encourage one another to read the Bible. We encourage one another to pray. We encourage one another to serve God’s kingdom. We encourage one another to lovingly obey. We encourage one another to believe and live out the truths of the gospel. We encourage one another to trust Jesus more fully in more areas of our lives. Our faith strengthens and spreads as we stir up each other’s affections for knowing, enjoying and glorifying God.

God is near us when we have broken hearts and broken spirits. Whether we are struggling with our own sin, the sin of others, or the result of sin’s fracturing of our world, He is never distant even if it seems that way. He hears our cries. He comforts our hearts. He meets our needs. Though the result will not always be when we want it and how we want it, we have His promise that we will lack no good thing. This is true because God did not spare even His own Son from suffering. Jesus is our ever-near Immanuel, who lived, died and rose so we can taste and see God’s goodness. Mingled with tears now. Free from tears later.

If you have to sin to get it, it’s not worth it. If you have to sin to enjoy it, it’s not worth it. If you have to sin to keep it, it’s not worth it. Sin is always too high a price to pay for the treasures of this world. When the troubles of fear, worry, pride, dissatisfaction, envy, strife, deceit, selfishness, fruitlessness or worldliness are attached, it is no real treasure. The fear of the LORD brings its own riches. Riches that are freely given. Riches that will fully satisfy. Riches that cannot be lost. The peace, joy, hope, love, freedom, security, rest, strength, provision and satisfaction of Jesus are better than all worldly gains. He is our treasure to pursue.

God does so many wonderful things for us that they cannot be counted. He doesn’t just add His blessings, He multiplies them. He doesn’t just fill our cups, He overflows them. He doesn’t just give us a few things to talk about, He gives us so much that we cannot tell of them all. What we can do is sing a new song of worship for our God Who brought us up out of the miry pit of sin and death to place us firmly on Christ the solid rock. We can praise Him, point to Him and proclaim Him so that others may see and fear and put their trust in Him too. As He multiplies His good deeds, let us magnify His good Name.

Encouragement has a positive and negative component as we spur on others to do some things and not do other things. We are to issue both support for and warnings against. Don’t waste your life on trivial things, but do live for things that count for eternity. Don’t give in to temptation, but do enjoy the blessings and benefits of grace. Don’t listen to the lies of the enemy, but do believe the words of the Lord. Encouragement isn’t neutral. It should repel evil and attract good. Instruction to avoid the world and its ways should always include an invitation to receive the better things of Jesus and His kingdom.

Sooner or later, the things of this world dry up and leave us thirsty and empty. But the cup God offers to us to drink from is overflowing with soul-satisfying forgiveness, goodness, kindness and blessedness to bear witness to His lavish generosity. He provides much more than is needed. He provides much more than is expected. He provides much more than is deserved. This overflowing cup displays His extravagant grace and glory so everyone can see Who He is and all He has and what He does for us. It cannot be contained! And as we drink from His overflowing cup, our hearts will overflow in contented worship.

Satan hates anything and everything we rightly do in the name of Jesus. So, it should not surprise us when we have opponents to our Christ-modeling, Christ-proclaiming, Christ-exalting words and actions. It should also not frighten us. For while they may cause us trouble or pain, they will not win in the end. Our salvation is secure, and any momentary suffering we endure for our faith is not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed to us. Therefore, let us keep modeling, keep proclaiming and keep exalting Jesus. Others will either oppose us or join us but they cannot stop us since God is for us.

The biblical story is about a God of grace sending His Son to people in need of grace to rescue them from sin by grace so we can be welcomed into His family to live by grace and serve as ambassadors who tell others about His grace so they might also experience His grace. This beautiful narrative is one in which God repeatedly reaches down to and out for an undeserving people who repeatedly push against and away from Him. Where sin abounds, grace abounds even more! When you trust in Jesus, you can know this: Your chapter in the story is unfolding, and its end has already been written. Grace has the final word.

Even on the darkest of days when you can’t see what is up next, what step to take next or how anything good will come next, stay confident in Jesus. He gave His life for you in the past, He’s walking with you in the present, and He’s coming back for you in the future. Every day of hardship you endure in this broken world is a day closer to when you will receive your heavenly reward. You trusted God then. Keep trusting God now. By faith, press on through all the bad toward all the good that awaits you in Christ. This is no time to turn back. Remember this: Faith doesn’t make all things easy; faith makes all things possible.

When others wrong us, we can respond in hate or in love. Each of these responses leads to an inevitable outcome: escalation or reconciliation. Things can get worse or they can get better, and this will largely be determined by how little or much we respond to the offender like Jesus does. Jesus addresses the wrong; he does not ignore it. Jesus absorbs the cost; he does not force others to pay. Jesus offers forgiveness; he does not hold a grudge. In petty things, we keep quiet in love. In serious things, we speak up in love. In all things, we rejoice over our covered sins and pray that others will repent and ask Jesus to cover theirs.