Contemplations
Grasping Grace
“Destruction and misery are in their ways.” (Romans 3:16) Scripture testifies plainly to the desperate state of man apart from God, affirming that his ways are filled with destruction and misery. The depths of human depravity, described in Romans 3:16 as ruined,...
Evidence of God’s Commitment
“Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” (Psalm 100:3) The history of redemption is the history of God’s unwavering commitment to His people. From the beginning, Scripture...
Implications of the Divine Covenant
“And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.” (Exodus 20:21) The giving of the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai marks a defining moment in God’s relationship with His people, establishing a covenant that binds them to Him...
Anchored in His Love
“As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.” (John 15:9) Scripture consistently emphasizes the necessity of steadfastness in the life of a disciple. Jesus makes this clear in John 8:31, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my...
Trusting the Means More Than God
“So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.” (1 Kings 17:5) This story in 1 Kings 17 shows both Elijah’s obedience and the subtle weakness that often accompanies the believer: the tendency...
Obedience That Exalts the Son
“And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name.” (Philippians 2:8-9) This passage presents the Lord Jesus...
Turning the Heart Backward from Sin
“Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward.” (Isaiah 38:8) Isaiah 38 recounts a miracle involving Ahaz’s sundial when the Lord caused the shadow to move backward—a thing contrary to the...
Glorying Only in the Cross
“But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” (Galatians 6:14) Paul’s words to the Galatian believers in this passage leave no room for divided loyalties. He does not say...
Stubborn Vows, A Stubborn God
“Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying; Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink...
Christ’s Presence in the Furnace
“He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” (Daniel 3:25) This passage gives one of the sweetest displays in all of Scripture of Christ’s gracious...
Consequences of Forsaking God’s Law
“And the LORD saith, Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice, neither walked therein; But have walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after Baalim, which their fathers taught them: Therefore thus saith the...
Glory Given, Glory Returned
“These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: as thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.”(John...
Gratitude for the Lord Alone
“Hear, O my people, and I will admonish thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me; There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.” (Psalm 81:8-9) The One speaking in Psalm 81 is the voice of a covenant God addressing His own...
God’s Works Stand Forever
“I know that whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.” (Ecclesiastes 3:14) Because of His absolute sovereignty, infinite wisdom, might, and perfection, whatever...
Covenant Mercy Encircling the Throne
“And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.” (Revelation 4:3) What a glorious scene John shares with us in this text … the magnificent throne of God, and the One...
The Faithful God Who Keeps His People
“But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.” (2 Thessalonians 3:3) The preservation of the saints does not rely the strength of man but on the faithfulness of God. If perseverance depended upon human resolve, every believer would perish....
The Eternal Glory of Christ
“And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” (John 17:5) The Christ of Scripture is not rightly known unless He is known as the One who is eternal with God the Father, without origin and without...
Am I My Brother’s Keeper?
“And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?” (Genesis...
By God’s Time
“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) The apostle Peter speaks here to correct a common error, that of attempting to measure an eternal God by human time....
A Revengeful Heart
"Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because the Philistines have dealt by revenge, and have taken vengeance with a despiteful heart, to destroy it for the old hatred..." (Ezekiel 25:15) The natural man tends to excuse certain sins that appear reasonable in his own eyes, and...
Seeking Self Instead of God’s Glory
“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” (Revelation 4:11) This heavenly testimony declares the chief end of all creation: God made all things for His own...
Brokenness Before Judgment
“And shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Even so will I break this people and this city, as one breaketh a potter's vessel, that cannot be made whole again.” (Jeremiah 19:11) Deliberate continuance in sin and disobedience inevitably brings God’s hand of...
Heaven Opens for the Beloved Son
“And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well...
The Eternal I AM
“Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:58) In John 8:58, Jesus uses deliberate and unmistakable words that do not place Him earlier in history but outside of time altogether. He claims a mode of existence that belongs...
The Fountain of All Comfort
“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) One of the sweetest titles for God in all of Scripture is found in this 2 Corinthians passage: the God of all comfort. Every true...
The Righteous Judge of All the Earth
"O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself." (Psalm 94:1) In this world evil often appears to prosper and righteousness seems to get trampled underfoot. The wicked act boldly, the proud speak arrogantly, and the enemies...
God Meant It for Good
“But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.” (Genesis 50:20) This passage in Genesis finds Joseph addressing his brothers after suffering years of betrayal, slavery, false...
The Will That None Can Turn Back
“For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?” (Isaiah 14:27) Isaiah 14:27 sets a boundary line that cannot be crossed. God purposes, and no one cancels it. God stretches out His hand, and...
Knowing God Through Christ
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6) There is no greater privilege in this world than knowing God. And as Christ Himself stated in this 14th chapter of John, the only access to God is...
The Lord, The Everlasting Light
“The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD...
Confessing My Resistance to the Enduring God
“But thou, O LORD, shalt endure forever; and thy remembrance unto all generations.” (Psalm 102:12) Psalm 102 is born out of affliction, the voice of a soul brought low by sorrow. The psalmist speaks of eating ashes for bread, of drinking tears, of bones burned like a...
God’s Counsel Stands Forever
“Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.” (Isaiah 46:10-11) In God’s absolute sovereignty and unchangeable counsel, what He has spoken He will bring...
God’s Everlasting Throne
“Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting.” (Psalm 93:2) Psalm 93 is written for the comfort of the Church and the strengthening of our faith because before any mention of threat, instability, or opposition, the psalmist declares this governing...
Called to Bless
"Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing." (1 Peter 3:9) One of the clearest evidences of the grace of Christ in the heart is the ability to answer evil...
The God Who Cannot Change
“Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath.” (Hebrews 6:17) Hebrews 6:17 declares that not only is God’s counsel immutable … He also willed to show this truth “more abundantly” to...
Deliverance in the Midst of the Fire
“Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace… Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.” (Daniel 3:26) The miraculous rescue of the three Hebrew children from the fiery furnace recorded in Daniel 3 is a...
The Most Fearful Circumstance of All
“It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:31) The tenth chapter of Hebrews moves from glorious hope to dreadful warning. It begins by exalting the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice, the perfect offering made once for all by the...
A Heart That Responds to Repeated Mercies
“This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judaea into Galilee.” (John 4:54) Christ performed many miracles, all declarations of His power and mercy. And this “second miracle” mentioned here in John 4 reminds us that God deals with men...
The God Above All Change
“Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” (Psalm 90:2) The statement that God existed before the world is easily admitted. Even many unthinking will grant that. But...
The God Who Delights in Mercy
"But let him that glories glory in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD." (Jeremiah 9:24) We tend to feel good about ourselves...
Thirsting for What Truly Satisfies
“In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, ‘If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.’” (John 7:37) On the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus stood in the midst of the crowd and cried out for all to hear, “If any...
Prepared Beyond Measure
“But as it is written, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9) The Apostle Paul paints a word picture in 1 Corinthians 2:9 to describe the...
The King Whose Throne Cannot Be Shaken
“Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.” (Psalm 45:6) The King promised to Zion did not arrive as the world expects kings to arrive. He did not enter Jerusalem in polished armor surrounded by an impressive entourage....
The God Who Commands and Governs
“And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labor of the hands.” (Haggai 1:11) This...
The Lord Who Rules All Things
“I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.” (Isaiah 45:7) God is the absolute sovereign of all things. He alone is LORD, and there is none beside Him. Nothing exists outside His authority, nothing occurs...
Made For His Glory
"The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil." (Proverbs 16:4) All things exist for the glory of God. Creation did not come into being independently of Him, nor does history move toward purposes outside His sovereign will. The...
The Enduring Salvation of God
"For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be forever, and my salvation from generation to generation." (Isaiah 51:8) We naturally desire acceptance and approval from others, so the possibility of...
Blessing Those Who Persecute
"Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not." (Romans 12:14) The command of Romans 12:14 goes miles beyond refusing to strike back at those who injure us. It requires believers to desire the good of their enemies and to pray sincerely for those who persecute...
Thankful for the God Who Forgives
“Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?” (Mark 2:7) This question spoken by the scribes regarding Christ reveals a truth they themselves could not see. They were correct in one sense, though blind in another. It is indeed true...
As Great As His Name
"According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of righteousness." (Psalm 48:10) There is a perfect harmony between what God says about Himself and what He proves Himself to be in His works. He never overstates His...
Walking by Faith, Not by Sight
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7) A Christian who truly walks with God is not governed by what can be seen or measured through human reasoning but by the unchanging truths of Scripture. Because faith, rightly understood, is never blind; it is...
Neglecting Worship
“Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.” (Daniel 6:10) Daniel’s...
The God Who Takes a Name from His People
“And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all...
Made for His Glory Alone
“The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.” (Proverbs 16:4) Proverbs 16:4 declares that the Lord made all things for Himself. And that “all” includes everything from the beauty of creation to the unfolding story of...