Contemplations
A Year in Perspective
“Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.” (Psa. 26:2) Our God is omniscient, which means he holds an infinitely perfect, divine, all-seeing understanding of himself and all things. 1 Samuel 2:3 says, “For the Lord is a God of knowledge.” His...
The Drama of the Covenant and Fall
“So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.” (Genesis 3:24) The historical narrative presented in the first few chapters of Genesis is a...
Roasted in the Fire
“And I will make thee to pass with thine enemies into a land which thou knowest not: for a fire is kindled in mine anger, which shall burn upon you.” (Jeremiah 15:14) Fire is often used in Scripture to represent the wrathful judgment of God. One such example is our...
No Beginning, No End
“But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” (2 Peter 3:8) In the prophet Isaiah’s inspired words, God is “the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity,” (57:15). And this...
The God of Marvelous Things
“As for me, I would seek God, and to God would I commit my cause, who does great things and unsearchable, marvelous things without number.” (Job. 5:8-9) People spend their lives pursuing a lot of things – at the top of the list are wealth, power, health, and...
My Dependency and His Sufficiency
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”(James 1:17) The ebb and flow of the believer’s walk with the Lord is a dynamic interplay between attempts to...
Fortifying Faith
“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8) The trials and difficulties believers encounter through the course of life are well-disguised opportunities...
Barriers to Salvation
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.” (Hosea 4:6) God’s warning to His people...
The Christian Champion
“And the LORD your God, he shall expel them from before you and drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall possess their land, as the LORD your God hath promised unto you.” (Joshua 23:5) Joshua 23:5 declares God’s unwavering faithfulness to do for His people what...
Gifted the Oracles of God
“Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.” (Romans 3:2) In his letter to the Romans, Paul raises a poignant question: What truly sets the Jew apart from the Gentile? Amidst the debates and the pride of the Jewish community in...
Heard by God
“For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.” (Psalm 86:5) Life can often feel overwhelming, so the assurance that God hears us when we go to Him for help is immensely comforting. Scripture is rich with...
The Glorious Throne of Christ
“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is...
The Burden of Sin and Shame Christ Bore for Me
“But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.”(Psalm 22:6) In ancient Hebrew texts, the idea of “bearing iniquities” is not about assuming the guilt for sin intrinsically but rather bearing the burden of its external debt and due...
When All Shall Be Made Right
“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2) The world we live in is marked by confusion and disorder, a result of the...
Liberating Grace
“For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.” (Acts 8:23) The only key that can unlock the chains of iniquity (that bond of iniquity in Acts 8:23)—freeing us from the bondage and bitterness of sin—is God’s liberating grace...
The Secrets of God
“Hast thou heard the secret of God? And dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?” (Job 15:8) The Old Testament book of Job depicts the historical narrative of a man whose faith stood firm against the onslaught of Satan’s attacks as well as the untenable accusations of...
Assurance of Your Faith
The True Mirror for Sin and Salvation
“For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto,but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”(Mark 10:45) In a world increasingly swayed by appearances, where mirrors can distort and flatter, our perception of self as well as our sin requires a...
Eternal Choices
“Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness.”(Titus 1:1) Of all the doctrines Christians struggle with, there may be none more misunderstood than the...
Creator and Redeemer
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) This amazing declaration in Genesis 1:1 introduces us to the true God, the Supreme Being who claims sovereignty over all creation. The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof (Psalm 24:1)....
Waking and Walking in God’s Embrace
“Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure; yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the...
The Son Not Spared
“Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.” (James 5:11) The depths of God’s mercy and justice were supremely displayed when He did not spare...
God’s Bountiful Gifts
“But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.” (Psalm 86:15) This verse in Psalms beautifully showcases those attributes of God essential not only for our salvation but also for us to be able to enjoy...
A Right Response to Sin
“Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” (Psalm 51:7) When a Christian has committed some notable sin, there immediately opens before him two dangerous gulfs ready to swallow him up: one is Despair, the other,...
Presuming Upon Grace
“For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Jude 1:4) Jude’s warning from our text is a...
The Majesty and Mystery of God’s Sovereignty
“Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict.” (Job 37:23) God alone is sovereign, which means He is King and Lord, with power and rule over all. Nothing in the whole of His...
Illumination of Grace
“Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul.” (Job 3:20) The term light is often used in Scripture to describe how the Holy Spirit illuminates the magnificent grace of God and transformative power of His Word in the hearts and...
Unshakable Oath
“And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest: (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, ‘The Lord swore and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek’).” (Hebrews 7:20-21)...
God’s Standard of Justice and Love
“The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.”(Psalm 37:21) In a society fueled by greed, covetousness, and the temptation to always be pursuing gain, it is essential that we understand both the scope and the spirit of the...
The Calming Assurance of Providence
“Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.” (Ecclesiastes 8:6) Scripture tells us that everything that happens, happens for a reason because God created His world, set it in motion, and has a plan for...
A Resolution Against New Year’s Resolutions
"And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep,...
What Is Different About This Baby?
“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6 NASB) Babies are born every day, and each one is a...
The Power to Perform Miracles
The Power to Perform Miracles "But lift up your rod and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea." (Exodus 14:16) The Old Testament is filled with occasions where God demonstrated...
Evidence of God’s Infinite Power
"Great is our Lord, and mighty in power." (Psa. 147:5) Evidence of the power of Almighty God abounds all around us, as every aspect of creation we observe and enjoy in our world is a result of the counsel of His will and effect of His infinite power. God ascribes...
What Does It Mean to Know the Infinite God?
“Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the limits of the Almighty?” (Job 11:7 NASB). The questions Job poses in this passage are rhetorical, of course… so the answer is a resounding “No!” But in our pursuit to know God and understand more about His...
Where God Dwells
Where God Dwells "For this is what the high and lofty One says — He who lives forever, whose name is holy: I live in a high and holy place — but also with him who is contrite and humble in spirit; to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the...
Why Be Thankful?
“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you,” (1 Thess. 5:18). One of the greatest joys of parenting is the opportunity to structure circumstances in your child’s life that you know will stretch and challenge them to become...
Transcending All
Transcending All “The LORD is high above all nations, His glory above the heavens.” (Ps. 113:4) The natural man loves to throw back his shoulders, puff out his chest, raise his nose a few degrees higher than parallel and boast that he’s a “self-made” man. Nothing...
God’s Purpose in Affliction
“Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; for how can My name be profaned? And My glory I will not give to another.” (Isaiah 48:10-11 NASB) It was a dark time in...
Boast in the Lord
“… just as it is written, ‘Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.’” (1 Cor. 1:31 NASB) The narrative shared in 1 Kings 16 depicts a low period in Israel’s history, documenting a succession of wicked kings who lead God’s people deeper and deeper into idolatry. The last...
Reflecting Him
“Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let Thy glory be above all the earth.” (Ps. 57:11) God made everything in our world, including man and woman, for the praise of His glory and pleasure (Is. 43:7, Ps. 104:31). In this one simple truth we find the meaning of...
God Rejoices and Creation Responds
“Let the glory of the Lord endure forever; Let the Lord be glad in His works.” (Ps. 104:31) Five times in the creation account recorded in Genesis 1 God pauses, steps back, and comments on His handiwork: “God saw that it was good,” (verses 4, 12, 18, 21, 25). And the...
Strange… and Yet Wonderful
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,” (2 Tim. 3:16) How many times have you read a passage of Scripture and been left thinking “I don’t have a clue what that passage means,” or “wonder why God would include such an obscure passage in His eternal Word to us?”...
The Danger in High Places
"Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did his father David… he removed Maachah his grandmother from being queen mother, because she had made an obscene image of Asherah… But the high places were not removed." (1 Kings 15:11-14) As king over God’s...
A Jealous God
“You shall have no other gods before Me… For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God.” (Ex. 20:3, 5) In man’s grand pursuit of happiness and meaning, everything we hear tells us to listen to our heart, follow our passion, pursue our desires… and therein find...
Real Freedom Isn’t Free
“It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.” (Gal. 5:1 NASB) In a society where opportunity abounds, it’s easy for the glitter of what I’ll call “pseudo-freedoms” to catch our eye – like...
The Great Promise-Keeper
“If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.” (2 Tim. 2:13) When God makes a promise, He fulfills it perfectly because He knows all and has the power to carry out all that He knows and desires. But one of the most amazing aspects of all is...
The Beauty of the Lord
One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple. (Psalm 27:4) What makes a mountain vista, or a sunrise, or a bouquet of...
Unrelenting Goodness
The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. (Exodus 34:6) One of the greatest mistakes we make as Christians is forgetting that God is not like us. For instance, if we sit long enough in traffic, we run out of...
Resolving to Glorify God in 2018 and Beyond
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Cor. 10:31) We are creatures of time, marking our lives by the year we were born, worked our first job, when we graduated, got married, had children, started our business, became...
God Never Lets Go
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. (John 10:28-29, ESV) Jerusalem under the reign of...
Life, Liberty, and the Price of Freedom
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. (Rom. 8:1-2) It’s July 4, 1776. British troops occupy American soil. Right under their noses,...
The Word of God
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1) God desires for us to know Him – to understand who He is and what He is about. But because He is not like us (Num. 23:19, Isa. 55:8), a communication gap exists between us. We...
The Veil is Gone
"But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” (Ephesians 2:13, NASB) God miraculously demonstrated time and again the special love He had for Israel by bringing them out of bondage, through the wilderness, to...