Contemplations
A Superior Priesthood
“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 Melchisedec).” (Hebrews 7:20-21)...
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...
Our Divine Mediator
“Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.” (John 10:17) God’s eternal plan of redemption hinges on the singular role of His Son, Jesus Christ, as the sole Mediator between a holy God and sinful humanity (1 Tim. 2:5)....
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...
Twice as Bad
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.” (Matthew 23:15) In this passage in Matthew Christ denounces the scribes and Pharisees...
Come to the Waters
“Ho, every one that thirsts, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” (Isaiah 55:1) Scripture issues a universal and compassionate invitation to every soul experiencing...
Confessing the Madness of a Captive Mind
“In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.” (2 Timothy 2:25-26)...
The Only Refuge for God’s People
"And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation." (Genesis 7:1) The ark which God instructed Noah to build is a beautiful representation of the saving provision of God for His church...
The Worthiness of God
“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) Charity is that grace by which God is loved as the chief good. This virtue fixes the soul on God...
The Work of Conviction
"And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked." (Exodus 9:27) One of the most painful works that God performs in the soul is the work of conviction. This is...
When the Soul Returns to Its Maker
“Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” (Ecclesiastes 12:7) Man is not only a body formed from the dust of the ground; he is also a living spirit breathed into him by the Creator. And when the appointed...
The Remedy for Our Unclean Hearts
“That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:6) Scripture declares with sobering clarity that my nature, from the moment of my birth, is corrupted by sin. Psalm 51:5 says that I was “shapen in iniquity” and...
Prepared and Governed by God
“The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.” (Proverbs 16:1) This verse in Proverbs lays the whole work of grace at the feet of God. It states that even the inward preparations of the heart, as well as the outward expressions...
Following After Justice
"That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee." (Deuteronomy 16:20) God is a God of perfect righteousness. Everything He does is holy, wise, and just. There is no corruption in His...
Perfect Holiness And Justice
"The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?" (Isaiah 33:14) God is infinitely holy. There is no impurity in Him and no indifference...
The Angels Learn from Us
“To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God.” (Ephesians 3:10) The manifold wisdom of God is like an unlimited spectrum of colors magnificently displayed in ways no created mind...
The God Who Governs All
“Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.” (Isaiah 40:26) “Lift up your eyes on high!” God...
Chosen from the Beginning
“Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.” (1 Peter 1:20) Christ’s substitutionary death on the cross was not a plan God put in place in response to the Fall. Rather, before the world was ever...
Holy Without Rival, Glorious Without Measure
“And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.” (Isaiah 6:3) The holiness of God, taken in its broadest sense, declares that He is utterly free from all imperfection. He is set apart from everything...
Sharing the Goodness of Our Heavenly Father
“Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children.” (Ephesians 5:1) One of the highest honors for the Christian is to reflect the character of God. In the same way as a child naturally resembles their father, the believer is called to grow in likeness to the...
When the Earth Trembles, My Heart Is Exposed
“By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation; who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea: Which by his strength setteth fast the mountains; being girded with power: Which stilleth...
The Foolishness That Saves
“For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” (1 Corinthians 1:21) The world, with all its intellectual triumphs, is still incapable of finding God through its own...
The Weight of Sin and Our Need for Christ
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) The Apostle Paul’s declaration in Romans 3:23 stands as one of the clearest summaries of humanity’s universal condition before God: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” In...
The Beauty of God’s Timing
"He hath made everything beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end." (Ecclesiastes 3:11) We are wise to recognize and respect the seasons God has set for our...
Gratitude for the Grace of Divine Love
“Owe no man anything, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.” (Romans13:8) Genuine Christianity embodies the love of God. And not just as one virtue among many, but the root from which all other Christian graces grow. This love...
Mercies Beyond This World
"And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom." (Luke 16:23) This account of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16 demonstrates the great difference between temporal prosperity and eternal blessedness. In this...