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;...
Illuminated by Grace
“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7) Forgiveness of sin and reconciliation with God is possible only through the blood of Jesus Christ....
Born Anew to a Lively Hope
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (1 Peter 1:3) This praise-filled passage in 1 Peter speaks to the heart of our...
The Importance of Remembering
“They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law; And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them.” (Psalm 78:10-11) Psalm 78:10-11 details the tragic downfall of Ephraim, one of the 12 tribes of Israel whose story serves as a solemn...
Worship God on His Holy Hill
“ It shall come to pass in the latter days, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.” (Micah 4:1) The first five verses of Micah 4 direct the...
Assurance of Your Faith
"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) One of the most important questions I can ever ask myself is: "Am I truly saved?" And if I cannot answer that...
God and His Great Might
“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) This majestic verse from Isaiah 40...
Delight in God
“…the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the Lord of hosts: for the Lord is good; for his mercy endureth forever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of...
Christ’s Obedience for Me
“But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference.”(Romans 3:21-22) God, in...
God is Always Good
“For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” (Psalm 100:5) From eternity to eternity, God is altogether wholly, eternally, and immutably good because goodness is His very essence, His very being. “There is none good but...
Prayers of the Saints are God’s Delight
“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” (Matthew 7:11) In the context of Christ’s great sermon to His disciples, He gave them the model prayer...
Sense the Goodness of God
“Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” (Psalm 34:8) We experience the world through the five senses God has designed into our frame—sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste. Each brings its own dimension of awareness and...
Christ in You
“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:10) What cause for thanksgiving can compare to this—that Christ, the Son of God, dwells in the believer! That the eternal, almighty, holy...
God’s Mystery
“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6) In his letter to the Colossians, the Apostle Paul refers to Christ as “the...
The Father of Spirits
“… and the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” (Ecclesiastes 12:7) He who formed man from the dust is also the One who gave him his spirit. It is not the body that defines us, but the breath of life breathed into us...
God’s Enduring Favor
“Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace.” (2 Thessalonians 2:16) There is no comfort in the love, favor, or goodwill from one who is inconsistent or...
The Divine Work of Salvation
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” (John 1:12) Salvation is not of human origin; it is the sovereign and gracious work of the Triune God who grants those He chooses the right and power...
God’s Great Design
“When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee.” (John 17:1) God’s great design in creating the world and ordaining all things is singular in its end: the...
The Great God of Glory
“And I said, O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments.” (Nehemiah 1:5) The great and awesome God of heaven stands alone in His unapproachable majesty, towering above every...
Only One Way
“But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.”(Acts 15:11) As Gentiles were converted in the early church, some Jewish Christians questioned the legitimacy of their salvation. They thought these converts must first...
Christ the Power in Prayer
“To this end we always pray for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power.”(2 Thessalonians 1:11) God’s eternal purpose toward His people is both gracious and good in...
Peace with God
“…and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby.” (Ephesians 2:16) The Fall of man introduced a breach so deep and so universal that every relationship in creation—God and man, man and man, man and the world, and...
Living Hope
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (1 Peter 1:3) A true child of God treasures the cross, for it is at the cross...
Brought Near to God
“But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” (Ephesians 2:13) Adam and Eve’s original sin resulted in their banishment from the Garden, a place where they once walked in intimate communion with their Creator. That...
Keep Yourselves in the Love of God
“Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” (Jude 1:21) Perseverance in the faith is an imperative for every believer. Scripture urges God’s children to “keep yourselves in the love of God”—to abide in it, to...
Christ Shepherds His People
“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) One of the realities for the believer is that, as the psalmist says, “The Lord is my shepherd” (Psalm 23:1). Just as shepherds in Bible times took care of their flock, guarding...
Preserved by God
“The Lord preserveth all them that love him…” (Psalm 145:20) There is no promise more welcome to the weary heart than this: God preserves His own by His steadfast love. The believer is kept by the omnipotent power of the living God… a power that is personal, faithful,...
The God of All Grace
“The Lord is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression…” (Numbers 14:18) There is no attribute of God more tender to the trembling soul than His grace. He is infinite in power, terrible in majesty, holy beyond all understanding… yet He is...
The Parallel Between Adam and Christ
“But not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.” (Romans 5:15) In Romans 5, the Apostle Paul presents the...
Ready to Pardon
“But thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness…” (Nehemiah 9:17) Thankfulness overflows from the knowledge that God is not only able to pardon, but ready to pardon. There is no reluctance in His mercy, no hesitation in...
The Lofty One
“Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high, Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!” (Psalm 113:5-6) God is infinitely exalted above all creation, not only in power and majesty, but in holiness, wisdom, and glory....
The Fruit of Patience
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.” (Galatians 5:22) Patience is not a natural human virtue but a supernatural work of the Spirit of God in the regenerate. It is listed among the fruits of the Spirit, as it...
But God
“…but God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) The love of God, unlike the fickle sentiments of humanity, is divine action rooted in eternity, displayed at the cross, and applied to wretched sinners… and...
The Worm That Never Dies
“…where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.” (Mark 9:48) In speaking of hell, Christ made it clear that hell is real, referring to it as the place “where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.” It is the appointed place reserved for...
Handling False Doctrine in the Church
“But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.” (Revelation 2:6) When Christ addressed the church at Ephesus in Revelation 2, He commended their hatred of the deeds of the Nicolaitans whose false doctrine profaned His church and...
Caring For Those Under Your Charge
“Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons.” (Deuteronomy 4:9) The call to instruct the...
The Son of Man in Glory
“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) The final judgment will be the unveiling of the righteousness, holiness, majesty, and mercy of the Son of Man. That day is...
Love Your Enemies
“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord,” (Romans 12:19). The Christian dwells in a world that is not their home, a place often marked by hostility, where believers...
The Eternal God
“But the LORD shall endure forever: He has prepared His throne for judgment.And He shall judge the world in righteousness, He shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.” (Psalm 9:7-8) The word eternal is sometimes used, both in Scripture and in ordinary...
The Great Judge
“Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” (Hebrews 10:30) God is infinitely and perfectly good, merciful, and gracious while at the same time being infinitely and perfectly holy and just. None of God’s attributes override or diminish another. Each exists in full measure and...
A Just God Does Justly
“…those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.” (John 5:29) Hell is an uncomfortable doctrine for most of us. But if we consider that Jesus spoke of hell—using severe warnings and in explicit...
Christ Our Righteousness
“For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) Judgment Day is a reality that all people from every age will experience. Paul tells us plainly in 2 Corinthians 5:10 that “we must all...
The Incorruptible Word
“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.” (1 Peter 1:23) The Bible is not like any other book. Though it has pages and ink and binding like other volumes, its nature is distinctly different...
No Shadow of Change
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17) God never changes. His immutability is a perfection that sets Him apart from all creation. While...
The Immortal Spirit
“…who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.” (1 Timothy 6:16) God is immortal Spirit, wholly unlike anything in the created order. He possesses life in Himself,...
The Light of the Lord
“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples;but the LORD will arise upon you, and His glory will be seen upon you.” (Isaiah 60:1-2) The glory of the...
Begotten of God
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God. His uniqueness is unparalleled—eternally begotten of the Father in...
New Obedience to God
“You have commanded Your precepts to be kept diligently. Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping Your statutes! Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all Your commandments.” (Psalm 119:4-6) A radical transformation takes place in the soul of...
The Supreme Lawgiver
“There is only one lawgiver and judge, He who is able to save and to destroy.” (James 4:12) God alone is the Supreme Lawgiver, the One with absolute jurisdiction over the souls and lives of His creatures. James, by the Holy Spirit, declares this without ambiguity:...
Two Essential Covenants
“Every word of God proves true; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.” (Proverbs 30:5) Though evidences of God’s perfect law and His intervening grace are interwoven throughout the entirety of Scripture, God’s revealed Word to man is most broadly understood...
Where God’s Spirit Dwells
“...even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”(John 14:17) God the Son took on flesh and dwelt among us—Immanuel, “God with us.” And when He...
Strive for Peace
“I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts...
Rightly Handling the Word of Truth
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”(2 Timothy 2:15) This verse in 2 Timothy is most often considered in reference to pastors. And that is certainly the case specifically, as Paul here...
Delight in God’s Word
“The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.”(Psalm 119:72) No one naturally delights in God or His Word. Instead we follow the ways of the world and seek out our selfish desires (Eph. 2:1–3) because we are all born dead in original sin....