Contemplations
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 like compassion, grace, longsuffering, mercy, and truth which are...
The Everlasting Embrace of Christ
“And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.” (Jeremiah 32:40) The assurance of salvation, anchored in Scripture and secured in the...
Knowing Nothing But Christ Crucified
“For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:2) The church at Corinth serves as both an encouragement and a warning. Encouragement, because it was rich in gifts, knowledge, and outward ability. Warning,...
Seeing God in the Rhythms of Nature
“Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” (Acts 14:17) Nature’s rhythms—spring’s renewal, summer’s warmth, autumn’s harvest, and winter’s...
The Savior Who Seeks the Lost
"For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." (Luke 19:10) While on His way through Jericho one day, Jesus intentionally called out to Zaccheus who had climbed a tree to ensure he didn’t miss seeing Him as He passed by. “Make haste and come...
Growing in the Likeness of God
“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48) One of the clearest evidences of a renewed heart is a growing love for holiness. It is easy to love Scriptures that comfort, encourage, or reassure while disregarding those...
The Perfect Word of God
"The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes." (Psalm 19:7-8) The body of...
Choices that Carry Eternal Consequences
“And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried.” (Luke 16:22) This passage shares a very sobering reality: death does not end existence; it reveals it. And whether one lives in...
Hallowed Be Thy Name
“But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.” (Isaiah 5:16) Among the petitions our Lord taught His disciples, none comes before, “Hallowed be thy name.” Before daily bread, before forgiveness, before...
Found in Christ
"And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." (Philippians 3:9) One of the greatest dangers facing every sinner is the temptation to trust in...
Seek His Morning Mercies
“O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.” (Psalm 90:14) This Scripture captures the longing of the human heart for God’s mercy, a plea that reveals our deepest need for both His favor and His presence. It also urges us to seek...
The Folly of Pride
“For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.” (Malachi 4:1) Pride is...
Christ Remains Unchanged
“They shall perish; but thou remain; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.” (Hebrews 1:11-12) This passage in Hebrews draws a sharp...
Broken Covenant and Renewed Mercy
“And I turned myself and came down from the mount, and put the tables in the ark which I had made; and there they be, as the LORD commanded me.”(Deuteronomy 10:5) The Lord gave Israel His law, written on tables of stone, for a sign of His covenant with them. But...
God’s Unfailing Hand
“The LORD will perfect that which concerns me: thy mercy, O LORD, endures forever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.” (Psalm 138:8) The works of God are marked by a perfection that neither falters nor fails. Creation itself testifies to this truth, for in the...
Heirs of Grace
"That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." (Titus 3:7) Grace is the lifeblood of the Christian life. Every blessing we possess flows from the undeserved favor of God toward sinners in Jesus Christ. While yet...
The Promised Saviour
“Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus.” (Acts 13:23) Saving faith, as described by Paul in Ephesians 2:8-9, not only believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, but comes to Him for forgiveness and cleansing of...
God Keeps His Word
“God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19) One of the strangest stories in Scripture is found in Numbers 22 and 23....
Abiding in the Doctrine That Gives God
“Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.” (2 John 1:9) As John tells us plainly in this epistle, the doctrine of Christ is integral to knowing...
Known by Their Fruits
“Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth...
Chosen for Sanctification
“But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.” (2 Thessalonians 2:13) This powerful verse lays out God’s...
Christ’s Charge from the Father
“And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.” (John 6:39-40) One of the strongest assurances of the continuance of our salvation in all of Scripture is this:...
My Ruin in Adam and My Need of Christ
"For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law." (Romans 5:13) Paul’s argument concerning sin, death, and justification reaches back to the first Adam in order to show how sin and death entered the world through one representative...
The Lord of Every Tomorrow
“Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” (James 4:14) Though we know that life is full of uncertainty, we still make plans, establish goals, pursue...
Heirs of Glory
“In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.” (Ephesians 1:11) The believer’s inheritance is not a future hope resting on uncertain conditions, but a...
The New Man
“And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” (Ephesians 4:24) In this fourth chapter of his letter to the Ephesians, Paul instructs the believers at Ephesus to “put on the new man.” Putting on the new man is the...
God’s Call Continues
“Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them:” (Jeremiah 7:25) One of the most remarkable displays of God's mercy is not that He...
Obedience Above Appearance
"To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice." (Proverbs 21:3) Throughout Scripture, God repeatedly confronts those who maintain religious forms while neglecting obedience, holiness, mercy, and truth. While many choose to believe that...
Satisfied with the Goodness of God
"And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness,and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the LORD." (Jeremiah 31:14) The language Jeremiah uses in this passage is that of abundance—the soul is satiated, the people are satisfied, and the source...
When Glory Becomes Shame
“Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.” (Philippians 3:19) The faith of the early church was displayed plainly before a watching world. And what marked them most was the love they shared. They...
God Whose Will Cannot Be Resisted
“Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?” (Isaiah 43:13) Before time, before any creature, the everlasting immutable God is. Not was, as someone who has passed, nor will be, as someone who...
Sanctified Through Truth
“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” (John 17:17) Scripture teaches that the believer’s path to holiness, known as sanctification, is inseparably tied to the truth of God’s Word. This process is the divine work of setting apart His people for His...
Contentment in the Faithfulness of God
“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5) One of the most subtle dangers Christians face is the temptation to measure happiness by...
No Place to Hide
"I saw the Lord standing upon the altar: and he said, Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake: and cut them in the head, all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them shall not flee away, and he that escapeth of...
Foundations of the Throne of Grace
"Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face." (Psalm 89:14) God’s throne of grace rests entirely on foundations that cannot be shaken. Though the introduction of sin into the world opened the way for judgment and...
The Incomparable God
“For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” (Ephesians 5:5) The Word of God cuts straight through our excuses and makes us see that either God is the...
Perfect and Proven
“As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.” (Psalm 18:30) This 18th psalm declares that God’s way is perfect, His word is proven, and His protection is sure. All that He does is complete, all that He...
The Beauty of Those Who Preach the Gospel
“And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things!” (Romans 10:15) God, in His infinite wisdom, ordained preaching as the chief means by which the...
Consequences of Replacing God
“They chose new gods; then was war in the gates:was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?”(Judges 5:8) These words from Judges 5:8 come from Deborah’s song, a divinely inspired reflection on Israel’s collapse and partial deliverance. The verse...
When Spiritual Privileges Become a False Refuge
"For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto...
Honoring the Son as the Father Is Honored
“That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honors not the Son honors not the Father which hath sent him.” (John 5:23) Christ states plainly in this passage that the Father cannot be honored apart from the Son, because the Father is...
Grace Given to Be Exercised
"And beside this, giving all diligence, add to Your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge." (2 Peter 1:5) At the moment of salvation the Holy Spirit comes to reside in the believer, sanctifying and guiding us in grace and truth. But these benefits of the spiritual...
Christ the Prophet Raised for Us
“The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken.” (Deuteronomy 18:15) The promise given through Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15 reaches far beyond Israel’s immediate horizon. Moses speaks...
Patience That Calls Me to Repentance
"And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not." (Revelation 2:21) The patience of God toward sinners is one of the gracious displays of His goodness in that He does not always execute judgment immediately but rather gives space for...
When Grace Must Remain Grace
"And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work." (Romans 11:6) In this passage in Romans 11, Paul draws a line that cannot be blurred without destroying...
A Divided Heart Cannot Stand
“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matthew 6:24) In this passage in Matthew 6, Christ does not say it is difficult to serve two...
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...
The Savior Who Disarmed Death
"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53:6) The misery of death cannot fully be understood apart from sin because, as Romans 6:23 plainly states, “the wages of sin...
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...
Understanding Salvation to All Men
"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men." (Titus 2:11) In the second chapter of Paul’s letter to Titus we read that “... salvation hath appeared to all men.” And yet we should be aware that the phrase “all men” in Scripture does not...
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...
Perseverance in Prayer
"The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him." (Lamentations 3:25) As this verse in Lamentations tells us, the goodness of God is often experienced when we patiently wait before Him, seeking and worshiping Him. Still, the mercies we need...
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...