The danger of always dwelling on the past is that I might miss the possibilities of the present. It’s a common response, when the present seems unbearable, to try to escape into the past. There are local churches still run by elders long dead and buried. “Brother So-and-so wouldn’t like that,” they say. Or, “That […]
“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). In our verse, discontentment is seen in a glaring light. The things we “have” obviously include the One who is everything we could ever need and […]
If divine wisdom arranged the path of water drops and lightning bolts, would it not include your path, too? In Job 28:20-28, Job repeats the question he asked in verse 12. Where, oh where, is wisdom to be found? Obviously he isn’t interested in an advanced degree in some esoteric field of study. The wisdom […]
“Please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now,…and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You” (Neh 1:6). One mark of spiritual maturity is to shoulder the failures of your people. Adrian […]
No pressure, no diamonds. No digging, no gold. No challenges, no wisdom. It’s as obvious as that. We’ve been reminded by Job that earth’s treasures must go through a process to become valuable to us. First, they must be sought for and discovered. Then, through grueling effort, they must be brought to the surface from […]
“Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea” […]
The book of Job is included in that section of the Bible titled “Wisdom Literature” for a reason. Wisdom Literature closes the door on the grand narrative of the rise and fall of kingdoms, the unfolding of God’s covenant promises, and the dramatic details of the nation of Israel. Virtually none of this is mentioned […]
“Direct my steps by Your word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me” (Ps 119:133). No starker contrast could be drawn. The Hebrew word translated “iniquity” means “to exert oneself in vain.” When one does this, says the psalmist, the emptiness of it all suffocates the soul. Imagine that! As the Lord said through […]
“If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Gal 3:29). When I was a boy, Sgt. Preston of the Mounted Police, with his Husky, Yukon King, was the hero of a popular TV series. Quaker Oats sponsored the program. As a promotion, the company purchased 19 acres of […]