Like the future remnant of Judah (“Praise”), may we all “take root downward, and bear fruit upward” (Isa 37:31). Does it encourage you that, whatever lies ahead in this book, the first word we meet is “Blessed”? In its plural construction, it’s often used as an exclamation. We might translate Psalm 1:1 as, “O the happinesses of the man […]
“Blessed are You, O Lord! Teach me Your statutes” (Ps 119:12). What would our private Bible studies be like if, every time we opened the Scriptures, this request was both prayed and realized? Our own personal Tutor—and to think He is the Author and Subject of the Book as well! He reads us like a […]
In the beginning God made man in His own image, so close is grandeur to our dust. Before the beginning of the Christian era, minds like Plato’s felt that man was made to be intimate with God. But Jesus revealed a move from the other side. He expressed God’s great desire to be intimate with […]
Like varied threads that traverse a weaving, these five themes appear time and again in the Psalms. It’s helpful, especially on a long journey, to watch for important landmarks. They make the trip more interesting and mark our progress on the way. As we begin our study of the Psalms, let’s anticipate the themes that […]
“The Lord makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the beggar from the ash heap, to set them among princes and make them inherit the throne of glory” (1 Sam 2:7-8). Britain’s Queen Mary was known for her touch of humanity. On […]
Shortly after my salvation, I witnessed to my mother. Not so politely, she asked me never to speak to her again about the Lord. Then ten years later, she was told she had only three months to live. Here was a millionaire who had everything in the world’s eyes, but deep inside she was empty. […]
If you open your Bible in half, you will most likely find yourself in the Hymnbook of the Saints. In the Pentateuch, you’re in God’s law court, where He lays down the moral principles of His world. In the History section (Joshua–Esther), you see the way men responded to God’s law, usually by trying to […]
“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.…praying always with all […]
Arthur Gook, missionary to Iceland, tells this story in Can a Young Man Trust His God? “A man attending gospel meetings at Akureyri became anxious about his spiritual state and felt the need of help, but couldn’t pluck up the courage to ask. He was leaving for a prolonged stint some distance away and the […]