Category Archives: Daily Exhortations and Encouragements

April 26, 2024

Daily Encouragement

By Jason

Joshua 22 describes the return of Reuben and Gad to their inheritance east of the Jordon. Before crossing over they build an altar. The rest of the tribes of Israel hear about it and they take action.

They intend to destroy them for this apparent breach of faith. They confront them about this altar. It appears to be in violation to God’s law but upon explanation they find out it was not meant to be used for sacrificing. It was to be a witness between them and those across the Jordon for their children.

So, they saw an apparent violation. They nor we know the hearts and minds of others. We must not assume nor refuse to listen to reason. The humility in the response from those who built the altar defuses the tension. They knew why they had built it and they understood the claim against them. But both sides talked it out face to face in humility and resolved this major issue.

Communicate. Be humble. Listen. Ask questions. Do not assume. Respond faithfully to the information you are given.

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April 25, 2024

Daily Encouragement

By Jason

Joshua 21:45 (ESV): 45 Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.

I don’t know how to live if this were not always true. I guess I would just live for myself as though nothing better was coming. But it is true and I trust the Lord and I will gladly listen to him.

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April 24, 2024

Daily Encouragement

By Jason

Let’s not be like this…

Psalm 78:42 They did not remember his power or the day when he redeemed them from the foe

Everyday we are faced with an impossible task of following Christ. We cannot do this alone. We must depend on the Lord and remember that he is all powerful and the only absolute sovereign. There’s nothing that we will face today that he doesn’t have the power and control over. Nothing. Therefore we must trust him and believe that he delights to help us.

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November 29, 2023

Daily Encouragement

By Jason

When God created the world, he created time. Time sets limits. Time reminds us everyday that THE END is coming. God is not bound by time. He does enter time and space but he is not limited by it. He has set the final second. The clock ticks along declaring the end is coming.

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November 28, 2023

Daily Encouragement

By Jason

It seems I notice more and more our faith in Christ becoming visible through gladly obeying Christ’s commands each time I read the Scriptures. Today, John chapter 13 ends in that way.

John 13:34-35

[34] A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. [35] By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

As you might know, Jesus is beginning his farewell to his disciples. Obviously everything Jesus says is important but this is the first thing he says which gives it an added emphasis.

To circle back to what he said might bring up a question—what’s new about the commandment? If we compare this commandment with loving your neighbor as yourself then we can easily spot the difference. Jesus has raised the standard of love to say—love each other the way I have loved you. These disciples have seen how he loved them and others for nearly 3 years.

His ultimate display of love is wrapped up in the farewell. He knows that he is about to lay down his life for them. He asks his disciples to do the same for each other. Why? Well, the way we know Jesus loved us was clearly displayed on the cross. So too if we lay down our lives for each other then ALL MEN will know that we are Christ’s disciples.

Of course laying down your life for each other will not likely mean physical death though it’s possible. But it most certainly means that we are dying to self. It means we are gladly serving others and their needs not just ourselves.

This extraordinary love has massive implications in the world. To make Jesus known comes not only through word but also deed. When we focus on and believe in how Christ has loved us—his enemies who are tax collectors and sinners—then we should not find it so difficult to love each other.

Go make Jesus known! Know him and make him known!

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November 27, 2023

Daily Encouragement

By Jason

The difficulty in reaching people in the nation and community in which I live with the gospel is that most people seem very comfortable and really think they don’t need anything. We find ways to block out the bad news and brokenness within our own hearts.

For those who have been redeemed, we see our neediness and the evil of this world. We may wonder why the wicked prosper. We may see the foolish and arrogant rule us. We may become weary under their reign and cry out to God, “How long, O Lord?”

The reply is always this—“Not forever. Wait patiently, dear child. Trust me.”

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November 25, 2023

Daily Encouragement

By Jason

This is a particular encouragement to do something regularly. Sometimes the encouragement is to believe a particular truth about God or be reminded of them. Certainly, there are truths that make this action something we should be encouraged to do but the focus is on God’s response to the thing we ought to do. And upon seeing how God responds that just might encourage you to do it with gladness.

As I near the end of the great book of Daniel, I noticed something I had not previously seen. The book of Daniel shows the people of God in a very favorable light. If Daniel and his three friends are representatives of how Israel trusts and obeys the Lord under dire circumstances then you might wonder why they are in exile at all.

However in chapter 9, Daniel prays a prayer of confession. However favorable we saw the people of God is now made clear and the exile makes very good sense. Obviously, this is already clear from Jeremiah which is the backstory to Daniel.

The first 19 verses of chapter 9 are the beginning words of the confession. However in verse 20, while he’s confessing, a familiar visitor comes to see Daniel. It says this—Daniel 9:20-23

[20] While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my plea before the LORD my God for the holy hill of my God, [21] while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice. [22] He made me understand, speaking with me and saying, “O Daniel, I have now come out to give you insight and understanding. [23] At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved. Therefore consider the word and understand the vision.

You can hear the setup—while I was praying. We don’t know why until the visitor, Gabriel tells him (and us) there in 23. What he’s saying is, this is how God responded when you started confessing. The word went out and I was sent to speak with you.

Now you might be thinking, God isn’t likely to send Gabriel to see me when I confess my sins. Maybe not but why is there any need of that? Is that the motive to confess? God already knows AND he commands us to confess. We have offended the Holy God of the universe! We ought to confess!

Well, we have the Holy Spirit indwelling in us! We have something greater than Daniel! However notice that before confession, Daniel was troubled and confused about the visions he had seen. But upon confessing his sins, Gabriel is sent to explain them.

Some of our confusion with God’s word is not our lack of effort but rather our lack of repentance. However, don’t miss the point of the encouragement. God loves his people and responds to them quickly and gives them aid! Be encouraged to confess even if there is no obvious return because God hears you and forgives!

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November 24, 2023

Daily Encouragement

By Jason

Well, each morning I usually decide between one of the four places in my reading plan to use for the daily encouragement. This morning I was torn between two. Instead of picking which one I will try to tie the two together.

The first is the amazing story of Daniel 3. It is so clear that anyone can understand it. It’s so dependent on faith that it’s easy to see how hard it is to trust the Lord. But after seeing Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego trust the Lord in the fiery furnace we are left with exposed hearts likely wondering what we would have done.

While it may seem hard to trust the Lord whom you cannot see verses your enemies whom you can see and you can feel the ropes binding you and you can feel the heat from the furnace before you, the hidden reality and the deliverance available comes only by faith which cannot be seen. You might point out that there is no mention of faith in that story. You are correct.

However their faith is more obvious than if it had been said that they had faith. Their actions say it loud and clear. They resist Nebuchadnezzar’s command but gladly obey God’s command at the risk of their lives.

Daniel 3:16-18

[16] Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. [17] If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. [18] But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

Not only were they delivered but those who bound them were consumed by the furnace. Furthermore, the Most High God was made known through their glad obedience. And they were promoted as rulers of the land of Babylon. That pattern should be kept in mind. This is how it ends for all who trust the Lord. Maybe not in this land but later we will rule with our King.

But what would cause a man to give up on God in these moments? It’s simply this: John 12:43 for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God. The approval of men will deliver you in the present temporarily but even that is no guarantee. The approval of God will deliver you later in the future eternally and that is guaranteed forever.

How do you know that you have faith? What does the test scores say? What does the fruit say? What did the life of the three Hebrew boys say? Whose approval do you seek? Do you want self preservation now or later? Temporary or eternal?

Trust the Lord like these guys and know your approval rests in the finished word of Christ who trusted the Father all the way to the cross and he was raised to life eternal. And so will we if we trust him and gladly follow him.

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November 23, 2023

Daily Encouragement

By Jason

As I was reading along in my normal plan this morning, I read (hopefully) a summary of the sermon from this past Sunday. As I read it, I thought to myself, that’s what I was saying, I think. It was encouraging to hear this so clearly and succinctly stated by our Lord Jesus.

Here it is—John 12:23-26

[23] And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. [24] Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. [25] Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. [26] If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

Faith in Christ is the dying. The fruit of the seed dying is good deeds. Hating one’s life is dying. Dying is faith in Christ. Hating one’s life is hating the things God hates. It’s also hating the guilt and shame that comes from our sin.

To die is to repent and believe in Jesus. There you lose your life but gain eternal life. But in the meantime, we serve our Savior and King. To serve Christ is to follow Christ. And to follow Christ is eventually to be with Christ. Where he is we will also be.

The result of a seed falling into the dust and dying is fruit! No fruit, no dying. No dying, no eternal life. You can have your life now and be god of your own life but just know that it’s temporary and you will eventually lose it, not save it.

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November 22, 2023

Daily Encouragement

By Jason

There’s a common phrase used to describe that people’s lives have changed over the passage of time—How it started; How it’s going. From pictures of dramatic weight loss to financial gain, the comparative pictures show that life has gotten better.

I could create a few of this memes myself but I would avoid follow-up memes where things had gone south. It’s often the Instagram vs. reality struggle. There are moments where we can muster up a photo of ourselves that looks beautiful on the outside while there’s chaos within. The attention from the comments sweeten up the reality only briefly but they diminish pretty fast.

I finished reading Ezekiel this morning and it could be somewhat explained with the meme—How it started; how it’s going. The story begins with the city of God ransacked and the people of God hauled away into exile.

All along the way God speaks clearly to his people in ways that have this purpose—and you will know that I am the LORD. Everything he said and did through Ezekiel was for this end.

Why? Because even though how it started and how it’s going were disastrous what matters in each moment is that you know the LORD. And that’s important because judgment is coming for all. And for those who know and love God there’s a magnificent ending.

The book ends like this—Ezekiel 48:35

[35] The circumference of the city shall be 18,000 cubits. And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The LORD Is There.

His glory may have left the temple because they had broken the covenant with God but there was a path to redemption for those who turned their hearts back to him and trusted the Lord. And one day there will be an eternal—how it’s going—in the city of God and he is there forever.

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