Contemplations
The Gravity of God’s Name
“And afterward, saith the LORD, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of...
The Inestimable Sword of the Spirit
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) As this passage in...
Obedience: The Heart of True Worship
“But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.” (Luke 11:28) Obedience is not typically the first word that comes to mind when we think of thanksgiving. But in the words of Christ recorded in Luke 11:28, it becomes clear that...
Helmet of Hope
“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”(Ephesians 6:17) Beginning in verse 10 of Ephesians 6, Paul exhorts the believers at Ephesus to “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” And then he proceeds to lay...
Christ the Source and End of All Things
“All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” (John 1:3-4) Scripture declares Christ as the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end (Rev. 1:8, 21:6, 22:13). It also testifies...
Children of God: Confirmed by Faith
“For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:26) Assurance of salvation is one of the sweetest comforts of the Christian life, yet one of the hardest to attain. Many believers struggle to feel certain of their standing before God. Yet...
The Image of the Invisible God
“Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created...
Confessing Our Ruin
“Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.” (Ecclesiastes 7:29) The words of Solomon in this passage present a piercing summary of the human condition. In a single sentence he declares both the dignity of...
Asking God to Direct Every Choice
“And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, show whether of these two thou hast chosen.” (Acts 1:24) This verse in the first chapter of Acts teaches a foundational principle that all believers should practice. The occasion is a vacancy...
Humbled Beneath Sovereign Providence
“He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.” (Psalm 78:49) The sovereignty of God extends over all, even over the powers of darkness. Scripture never presents Satan as an independent ruler...
Every Needed Grace
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” (James 1:17) This text in the first chapter of James’ epistle describes God as One who gives, freely and...
The Wrath of the Lamb
“And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.” (Revelation 6:16) As Revelation 6:16 declares, the coming day of judgment will expose the futility of every refuge outside...
Led by the Good Shepherd
“For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.” (Psalm 33:4) The shepherd image woven throughout Scripture stands as one of the most comforting pictures of how God cares for His people. When Jesus declared in John 10:11, “I am the good...
Grace That Works In Us
“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12-13)...
Called to Charity
“That ye may be the children of Your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45) The call of Christ is a call to charity, to live not only in purity before God...
Justification – Our Divine Acquittal
“For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”(Romans 5:10) The doctrine of justification is an essential element of the Gospel message. And if this seminal doctrine is to...
Seeking God
“He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8) Multiple passages throughout Scripture urge us to seek the Lord. One such verse is found in 1...
A Fervent Zeal Against Wickedness
“And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.” (John 2:17) When Christ entered the temple and drove out those who defiled it, His disciples remembered the psalm that foretold His passion: “The zeal of thine house hath...
The Power That Leaves No One Innocent
“But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” (James 4:6) In a world that applauds ambition and self-promotion, the call to humility stands as a radical counterpoint. Nevertheless, Romans 12:2 urges me not...
The Heart Tried by God
“But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.” (1 Thessalonians 2:4) As a consequence of the Fall, the fellowship man enjoyed with God in the Garden was severed. But our...
Fearless Before Men, Reverent Before God
“In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.” (Proverbs 14:26) The fear of God is one of the richest and most misunderstood graces in the Christian life. Scripture repeatedly commends it, and yet we continue to think of...
The Condition of the Heart
“This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.” (Ecclesiastes 9:3) Ecclesiastes...
The Power of Divine Deliverance
“But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead.” (2 Corinthians 1:9) The Lord often brings His people into deep and painful difficulties in order to loosen their confidence in created things and...
Taste and See!
“O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” (Psalm 34:8) Psalm 34:8 invites me to experience God’s goodness through trust, a theme echoed in David’s testimony of divine deliverance: “I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and...
Blameless Before God and Man
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that...
Confessing the Folly of Trusting in the Creature
“Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.” (Jeremiah 17:5) The people of Judah received repeated warnings from God concerning their rebellion, yet they didn’t listen. Specifically...
The Unceasing Care of God Over His People
“I the LORD do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day.” (Isaiah 27:3) The care of God over His people is among the sweetest truths in Scripture. The Lord does not simply create, redeem, and then leave His people to...
The Blessing of Peace
“Thou hast heard, see all this; and will not ye declare it? I have shewed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them.” (Isaiah 48:6) When Christ was born, heaven’s angels proclaimed, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth...
The Unshakable Foundation of Christ’s Words
"The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times." (Psalm 12:6) The ultimate guide for living is found in the wisdom of Scripture, and yet it has the fewest followers. God’s infallible Word is the greatest treasure we...
The Power of Prayer in Every Situation
“The LORD therefore hath performed his word that he hath spoken: for I am risen up in the room of David my father, and am set on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and have built the house for the name of the LORD God of Israel.”(2 Chronicles 6:10) Christ’s...
The Christ Who Accomplishes All His Purposes
“He stretched out his hand over the sea, he shook the kingdoms: the LORD hath given a commandment against the merchant city, to destroy the strong holds thereof.” (Isaiah 23:11) The first coming of Christ upended the world. Kingdoms trembled, religious systems fell,...
The Majestic Return of the Enthroned Son
“Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” (Matthew 26:64) This powerful declaration was spoken by Christ while standing before the...
Exalted Above All
“For the Father judges no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son.” (John 5:22) One of the most exalted passages in all of Scripture, capturing the Person, Mission, and Position of Christ, is found in Philippians 2:5-11: “Let this mind be in you, which was...
The Hidden Riches of Divine Wisdom
“In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Colossians 2:3) Men often try to comprehend spiritual realities using natural means. But the natural mind, weakened and corrupted by sin, cannot ascend to the knowledge of God by its own intellect. It must...
Trusting God’s Faithfulness
“The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure. They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.” (Psalm 111:7-8) God’s faithfulness is a steady anchor for my soul, the immutable ground upon which all His...
The God of Marvelous Things
“As for me, I would seek God, and to God would I commit my cause, who does great things and unsearchable, marvelous things without number.” (Job 5:8-9) The greatest pursuit of the believer’s life is not wealth, health, influence, or success… but to know the Source of...
The Flight of a Fallen Heart
“And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.” (Genesis 3:8) The fall of man introduced more than guilt into the human...
The Marvelous Lessons in Creation
“God thundereth marvellously with his voice; great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend.” (Job 37:5) The created world constantly proclaims the greatness of God. Snow gently falling, frost covering the fields, thunder rolling through the heavens, and storms...
From Prison Darkness to Kingdom Light
“Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.” (Colossians 1:13) The gospel does not simply “improve” the sinner or offer religious assistance to those who need encouragement. It proclaims deliverance. The...
The Christian Champion
“And the LORD your God, he shall expel them from before you and drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall possess their land, as the LORD your God hath promised unto you.”(Joshua 23:5) Joshua 23:5 declares God’s unwavering faithfulness, assuring victory to His...
Trading Glory for Images
“And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things.” (Romans 1:23) God delivered Israel from Egyptian bondage not only because of what they suffered there as slaves, but...
The Glorious Throne of Christ
“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is...
The Piercing Word of God
“And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb… And Nathan said...
When All Shall Be Made Right
“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2) The world we live in is marked by confusion and disorder, a result of the...
The Majesty of the Creator
“The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.” (Psalm 93:4) Creation constantly proclaims the majesty of the Creator. The winds that sweep across the earth, the storms that darken the skies, the lightning that...
Liberating Grace
“For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.” (Acts 8:23) God’s liberating grace is the only key that can unlock the chains of sin’s bondage and free us from the bitterness and guilt of iniquity. John Flavel notes, “The grace...
The Secrets of God
“Hast thou heard the secret of God? And dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?”(Job 15:8) In the midst of Job’s immense pain and loss, Eliphaz challenges him with a piercing question: “Hast thou heard the secret of God? And dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?” (Job...
The Certainty of Eternal Life
“In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.” (Titus 1:2) The certainty of eternal life is not grounded in human optimism or religious imagination, but in the wisdom of God, who has chosen to give clear assurances of what He...
Disorder Brought by the Fall
“And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.” (1 Timothy 2:14) After God created everything else, He made Adam … and then Eve as a suitable helper for him. From the beginning, God established an intentional order—Eve was made from...
Assurance of Your Faith
“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering.” (Colossians 3:12) God’s people are not left to uncertainty or confusion concerning their place in His eternal purpose. He has chosen,...
The Peril of a Hardened Heart
“But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.” (1 Samuel 16:14) The story of Saul recorded in Scripture is wrought with spiritual lessons. First of all, he was granted privileges few ever possess. Chosen to be the first...
The Holy Eyes of God
“For mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes.” (Jeremiah 16:17) The omniscience of God represents both terror to the wicked and refuge to the righteous because nothing, good or bad, escapes His...
The Infinite Glory of Christ
“The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.” (John 3:35) Before creation existed, before angels worshiped, before the worlds were formed, God the Father delighted eternally in His Son. And as a result, John declares that the Father “hath given...
Creator and Redeemer
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) Genesis 1:1 declares God as the sovereign Creator, whose authority spans all existence, “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof” (Psalm 24:1). John Calvin reflects, “God’s creative power...