Col. Robert Ingersoll, the apostle of agnosticism in nineteenth century America, once had the task of speaking at his brother’s funeral in Washington, DC. In the middle of his talk, he broke down and wept bitterly. Then, regaining his composure, he said: “Life is a narrow vale between the cold and barren peaks of two […]
Jesus taught that, in true communion, we ask for God’s will before we ask for our daily needs. Remarkably, although Job is like a pugilist fighting off not one but two feisty combatants, he still has his wits about him. The first section of his response to Bildad (ch 9) begins with a portrait of […]
CHRIST the GREAT DIVIDE: The word “shed” meaning “poured out” is rarely used today. One exception is the term “watershed,” referring to the line separating drainage basins. The most famous is the Great Divide, determining the rainfall that flows to the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans. But the term “watershed” has been borrowed to refer to […]
“Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth” (Jer 1:6). Shotts is a town in Scotland, almost halfway between Edinburgh and Glasgow. A remarkable awakening occurred there in the year 1630, during a time of trouble and persecution of the people of God. Many believers had gathered in this central location […]
“And Samson called to the Lord, and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray Thee, and strengthen me, I pray Thee, only this once…” (Jud 16:28). Have you started poorly as a witness for the Lord? Do you recall with pain opportunities missed that you cannot now recall? Have you been harsh around your […]
Logic can deftly dissect the butterfly to prove decisively that it can fly—and then it can’t. Bildad’s first speech falls into three parts. He examines Job’s horrible experiences (Job 8:1-7). Then he looks back at some historic evidence (vv 8-10), and concludes with habitat examples (vv 11-22). In the first section, there’s some serious finger-pointing. […]
CHRIST the LINK to EVERY BLESSING: “Your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Col 3:3). The believer, in what seems to be a heart-wrenching beginning to our relationship, has been crucified together with Christ (Gal 2:20). Through this, His death becomes the way all charges against us have been cleared. And, having been executed […]
“My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God” (Ps 84:2). O to be soul-hungry for the Lord! David Brainerd (1718–1747), one of the earliest missionaries to Native Americans in the U.S, lived and died all-out for God. His single-minded devotedness, […]
“The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Lk 19:10). “It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found” (Lk 15:32). As soul-winner Charles H. Spurgeon passionately wrote about the lost: […]