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 […]
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isa 41:10). Action conquers fear: remember today that your God is with you—He will strengthen you to prepare for the task, will […]
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 […]
“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb 13:5). Dissatisfaction with what we have now robs us of present contentment and fools us into thinking that more stuff will make us more happy, but the […]