Contemplations
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 often well-disguised...
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 Spotlight that Shines on Christ
“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceeds from the Father, he shall testify of me.” (John 15:26) When Jesus promised the Comforter, He spoke of the third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit,...
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...
The Gift Purchased by Perfect Righteousness
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23) The contrasting truths Paul shares in Romans 6 between death and life are made so clear because they are so essential for us to understand. Death is...
God’s Timely Mercy
"And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto You, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon You: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for Him." (Isaiah 30:18) When God chooses to delay His mercy it...
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...
When the Gospel Shines into the Heart
"But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost." (2 Corinthians 4:3) The gospel may be clearly preached and faithfully explained, yet remain spiritually hidden from those who hear it. The defect is not in the gospel itself, however, because its glory is...
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 Grace to Govern My Tongue
"For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body." (James 3:2) Diligent management of the tongue requires real attention because as noted in our text, although James acknowledges the...
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...
The Infinite Understanding of the Everlasting God
"Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding." (Isaiah 40:28) God is an infinite Spirit, and therefore His knowledge is...
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...
Loved in Sin, Secured in Grace
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) As Paul plainly states in Romans 5:8, Christ did not wait for His people to be justified, renewed, strengthened, or made lovely before He loved them. On the...
Keep Me from Giving or Taking Offense
"He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him." (1 John 2:10) When offenses abound, the Christian must be careful both not to give offense and not to take it. And we should not only consider whether something offends...
Grace for Sinners Who Still Fall
"For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not." (Ecclesiastes 7:20) Biblical justification refers to the act of God pronouncing a sinner to be righteous based on faith in Jesus Christ. It is a legal declaration where God pardons the sinner,...
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...
The Rock Whose Truth Never Fails
"He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he." (Deuteronomy 32:4) Truth is not something God chooses to practice; it is essential to His very nature. He is “a God of truth;” He cannot...
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...
Make Me Increase and Abound in Love
"And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you." (1Thessalonians 3:12) Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonians grew out of his joy over the grace already evident among them. Timothy had brought...
Remembering the Mercies That Have Followed Me
"O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever." (Psalm 136:1) One of the many advantages we have as believers is to look back over the years and recognize the goodness of God displayed in them. We are better able to see how He provided,...
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...
Teach Me to Pray Beyond Myself
"And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep." (Acts 7:60) Prayer must never become so narrow that we remember to pray only for ourself. Even though salvation, holiness, and...
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...
The Love of God Shining in the Face of Christ
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) The expression of God’s love toward sinners is not left to random uncertainty or vague impression. Rather, He commended it openly and expressed it clearly in...
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...
The Father’s Correction
"For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth." (Proverbs 3:12) Scripture does not teach that the children of God are beyond correction when they sin. On the contrary, some of the most precious saints suffered under the...
Rich in Mercy
"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us." (Ephesians 2:4) The magnitude of divine mercy is most clearly demonstrated when set against the misery of fallen man. By nature, sinners are spiritually dead. Their spiritual faculties are...
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...
The Life That Shall Appear in Glory
"When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." (Colossians 3:4) Christ is not just the giver of life to His people; He is their life. Their present life is hidden with Him in God, and their future glory is inseparably bound...