Word of Encouragement (6/9/2026)

Oh, save your people and bless your heritage! Be their shepherd and carry them forever. (Ps. 28:9)‍

There are four petitions in this verse. Given that the last two are a pair, the first two must be a pair, too. That means that God saving His people and God blessing His people are connected.

The first two petitions give a more comprehensive understanding of our salvation. When we think of being saved, we think of the trouble we are in, what we need to be saved from. In this Psalm, David focused on being saved from the wicked people “who speak peace with their neighbors while evil is in their hearts” (v. 3). But there are many other troubles we need to be saved from. We can think of physical dangers, social oppression, political persecution, financial stress, mental agony, etc. Of course, the greatest of them all is our sin, which, we can say, is the cause for all other troubles in one way or another.

But God’s salvation is more than saving us from our troubles; it also includes what we are saved unto. The second petition gives an example: God’s blessing. Let us affirm the former alone (being saved from something) is no small thing. When suffering under affliction, all we can think of is being free from it. We think that we would be so happy and grateful if only the affliction ended. This is true, especially in the case of our sin. To be saved from sin is to be delivered from hell. We owe God eternal gratitude and praise for the grace of His deliverance from sin and hell. Just for this alone, we should never complain and be discontent, no matter what happens. No trouble in this life can compare with the eternal torment of hell.

But God has more in mind for our salvation: He wants to positively bless us. He does not just deliver us from hell and leave us alone in the world. As we said, this alone is an instance of amazing grace. But as if that were not enough, grace upon grace, He also invites us to His home, adopts us as His children, and bestows His fatherly affection on us. He says to us, “Son…, all that is mine is yours” (Luke 15:31). How unfathomable is the depth of His grace!

Why should God’s salvation be so rich and abundant? We can see that it does not stem from mere pity. Pity is the feeling of sympathy aroused by the suffering of others. If pity were the cause of God’s salvation, it might have stopped with our deliverance from hell. But praise be to God that it was not pity but love: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…” (John 3:16). It was not motivated by our miserable condition but by God’s abounding and infinite love. Thus, the richness of our salvation.

How has God blessed you beyond your deserving? May your reflection fill your heart with gratitude and joy and make all the difference in the way you live your life!