Does the Lord deliver us even when our troubles are our own fault? Don’t you like that word ALL? We have seen the dark backdrop from the life of David in 1 Samuel 21. The story is cryptically portrayed in Psalm 34:4-7. “This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out […]
CHRIST OUR SHILOH: Christ is the PEACE-BRINGER for He is the promised Shiloh, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between His feet, until Shiloh come; and to Him shall the gathering of the people be” (Gen 49:10). He is the PEACE-MAKER, for He “made peace through the blood of His […]
“Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, until these calamities have passed by” (Ps 57:1). Richard Cecil (1748–1810) was a leading British Evangelical and friend of John Newton. Wishing to teach his daughter trust […]
Your humanity is at stake; the souls of the unsaved are at stake. The sinner saved by grace is not only a person who is heartbroken over his own sins. But he is also heartbroken over the sins and present destiny of those around him: “Rivers of water run down from my eyes, because men […]
A dark story from the life of David becomes the black velvet backdrop to display the crown jewels. Psalm 34 is the epitome of irony. It’s like a golden bowl filled with the most brilliant gems. They capture the light and then, through carefully cleaved facets, refract it to give us continuing delights. But we […]
CHRIST our PASSOVER: “Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us” (1 Cor 5:7). God offered Pharaoh evidence that He was the God to be worshipped. He wanted the king to be a vessel of His mercy, for He desires to “have mercy on all” (Rom 11:32). Though hardening himself against God (and God subsequently controlling […]
“Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes, and I shall keep it to the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart” (Ps 119:33-34). It’s possible to die early but be buried late. Recall Barzillai, David’s friend, who was invited to share […]
I had been called at the last minute to speak at a conference. I spent the night preparing and was exhausted when the taxi arrived to take me to the airport. The cabbie, on discovering the purpose of my trip, asked my age; he thought I was too young for the task. I then asked […]
CHRIST OMNIPRESENT: “He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Heb 13:5). When Christ said to His disciples, “All power is given unto Me in heaven and earth,” the promise immediately follows, “I am with you always.” The Omnipotent One is the Omnipresent One. The revelation of God’s omnipresence in the […]