Contemplations
The Eternal Comfort of Forgiveness
“And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty;...
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...
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...
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...
Beyond Time
“For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.” (Psalm 90:4) God is without beginning, which is to say that there was never a moment when He was not. He did not come into existence, nor did He move from...
The Triumph of Divine Light
“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5) Natural man, left to himself, cannot overcome the power of sin.[1] He may be able to restrain sinful behaviors, reform bad...
The Shame of Half-Hearted Service
“And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?” (Job 1:8) One of the most righteous men in all of Scripture is Job. In fact, God...
God Does Not Take Back What He Has Given
“For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” (Romans 11:29) A believer’s faith can be shaken and even deeply troubled. But doubt is not the same thing as loss. A cloud may cover the sun, yet the sun does not stop shining. So it is with true faith. Even...
The Terrible Mercy of Truth Rejected
“And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie.” (2 Thessalonians 2:11) This passage is one of the most disturbing that we find in Scripture, for Paul is describing those whom God has already judged because they persist in...
The Deadly Root of Envy
“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.” (Genesis 4:8) Cain’s murder of his brother Abel reveals the level of corruption every human heart is capable of....
A Right Response to Sin
“Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” (Psalm 51:7) When a Christian sins grievously, two perilous chasms open before the soul: one is Despair and the other is Presumption. The first tempts the sinner to believe...
Unfathomable Greatness
“Behold, God is great, and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out.” (Job 36:26) Scripture repeatedly declares God to be great, and not just great among others, but great without comparison. “Behold, God is great, and we know him not”...
Delivered from Darkness Into Grace
“Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:” (Ephesians 2:2) In this passage, Paul reminds believers at Ephesus of their former...
Presuming Upon Undeserved Mercy
“And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.” (Ezekiel 37:3) Ezekiel’s vision of dry bones presents one of the clearest pictures of human helplessness in all of Scripture. Israel in captivity was not described as...
The Majesty and Mystery of God’s Sovereignty
“Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict.” (Job 37:23) God alone is sovereign, which means He is King of kings and Lord of lords, with power and rule over all. Nothing in...
The Majestic Glory of Christ
“When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory.” (Matthew 25:31) One of the grandest revelations of God’s glory in all of Scripture will be when Christ comes again, not in humility as He...
Hope Anchored in a God Who Cannot Lie
“In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.” (Titus 1:2) Before time, before the world, before humanity, God promised eternal life. That promise came from His eternal will and unchanging truth. And this verse in Titus grounds...
No Place to Hide
“For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.” (Luke 12:2) How often do we try to convince ourselves that as long as our sin remains hidden we escape accountability. Yet Christ declares that all things hidden shall be...
The Darkness of Unbelief
“In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” (2 Corinthians 4:4) Unbelief is no small problem. In fact, Scripture presents it as...
The Sovereign Christ
“And all the trees of the field shall know that I the LORD have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the LORD have spoken and have done it.” (Ezekiel 17:24) The history of...
Preaching the Gospel of Christ
“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8) The message of the gospel—that Christ died for our sins and rose again for our justification—will never change because the Christ of the gospel never changes. He does not shift with the times....
The Inescapable Reach of the Righteous King
“Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee.” (Psalm 21:8) No enemy of Christ and His kingdom can escape the avenging hand of God. He knows every adversary, whether bold and open or hidden and treacherous. And no...
Everlasting Light From the Lord Himself
“And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.” (Revelation 22:5) One of the more magnificent truths about the heavenly Jerusalem is that there will be...
Both Small Starts and Glorious Finishes
“For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.” (Zechariah 4:10) God is always at work, though He...
The Blessing of Abraham Fulfilled in Christ
“That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” (Galatians 3:14) As Galatians 3:14 explains, that age-old “blessing of Abraham” finds its fulfillment in time in Jesus...