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...
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,...
The Eternal I AM
“And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.” (Exodus 3:14) God’s self-revelation as “I AM THAT I AM” unveils the infinite mystery of His eternal, self-existent nature. This...
A Call to Humility
“As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that...
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...
The Glory of the Word Made Flesh
"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." (John 1:14) The glory of Christ begins with the excellency of His person. The eternal Word was made flesh and dwelt...
Order My Steps by Your Word
"Henceforth I call You not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called You friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto You." (John 15:15) One of the great blessings of divine grace is that God does not...
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...
In His Strength
"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." (Ephesians 6:10-11) The command to “be strong in the Lord” exposes the weakness of man apart from...
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...
Love That Began Before Time
"The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD...
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...
Keep My Heart from Turning Aside
"And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all Your heart; And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they...
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...
Root Me Deeply in the Love of Christ
"That Christ may dwell in Your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height." (Ephesians 3:17-18) In Paul’s letter to the believers at Ephesus, he prays...
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...
All Things Into His Hand
"The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand." (John 3:35) As the Apostle John declares in this passage, the Father’s great love for His Son moved Him to give Him “all things.” This endowment validates the vast extent of Christ’s authority. All...
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...
My Strength, My Song, and My Salvation
"Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation." (Isaiah 12:2) Isaiah’s testimony in this passage is deeply personal; he says, “God is my salvation.” And when the LORD...
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...
Immeasurable and Unsearchable
"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" (Romans 11:33) This passage in Romans 11:33 is a magnificent doxology of praise for our God, whose ways are indeed “past finding...
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...