There is nothing better than encouragement. Do you agree with me? This week we have received an amazing amount of encouragement from our Easter services. E-mails have been encouraging. Phone calls have been encouraging. The snail mail has been encouraging. Encouragement is one of those experiences that you take in, and your first response afterwards is, “Really! That’s great!” Then you want to do it all over again. It doesn’t matter how much energy or hard work or effort it took to achieve whatever result occurred, encouragement makes it all worth it. It really does.

The Apostle Paul in writing to the church in Thessalonica wrote, “Encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.” Paul understood life is hard and Satan enjoys distracting and discouraging God’s people, but mutual encouragement wards off those difficulties. It reminds us we’re not crazy! We’re not alone!

So, let me return the blessing and share with you an encouraging word from Psalms that I pray you will take as your own. It will be your words not just the words of the Psalm. It’s found in Psalm 18:16-19. Here’s what it says, “He reached down from heaven and rescued me;he drew me out of deep waters. He delivered me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me. They attacked me at a moment when I was weakest, but the Lord upheld me. He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me.” (emphasis added)