Upon hearing discouraging news

Along with some other new friends, I was at Green Lake Conference Center to help assess some potential church planting couples. Some were not recommended at this time.

I wanted to encourage some of my new friends who faced the disappointment of not being recommended.

Here's what I wrote to them. Maybe it will help you.

It was a great encouragement to meet you. No matter how you think the assessment went or what lies the enemy now wishes to whisper in your ear, I know these 10 things to be true about you:

1. You are precious and honored in the sight of Jesus. “You are precious in my eyes, and honored,” (Isaiah 43:4).
2. You are in Christ and because of this, you are also His beloved in whom He is well-pleased. “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” (Matthew 3:17).
3. You are the apple of His eye. “Keep me as the apple of your eye,” (Psalm 17:8).
4. You are one over whom the Lord God rejoices with gladness. “He will rejoice over you with gladness,” (Zephaniah 3:17).
5. You give Him cause to sing with great passion and joy. “He will exult over you with loud singing,” (Zephaniah 3:17).
6. You will never be forgotten. “I will not forget you,” (Isaiah 49:15).
7. You are engraved on the palms of His hands. “Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands,” (Isaiah 49:16).
8. You are His wonderful work of artist beauty. “We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,” (Ephesians 2:10).
9. You have a future and a hope; God has plans for you. “I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope,” (Jeremiah 29:11).
10. You will be “chased down” by God’s goodness and mercy everyday for the rest of your life. “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,” (Psalm 23:6).