Because people delight in that in which they trust, [turn] from all other objects of delight to God as the true object. “Delight yourself in the Lord”; place all your pleasure and joy in him. Trust is the spring of joy and of supplication. When we trust him for sustenance and preservation, we will receive…
About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”—which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.” ((Matthew 27:46-47)) I find in [Jesus Christ] the loneliness of grandeur.45 Jesus was supremely lonely, because he…
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. ((Psalm 73:26)) I find in [Mary] the loneliness of love.41 The mother of Jesus was the bride of loneliness. Had her husband, Joseph, been spared to her through the years, it might have been very different…
Then Thomas … said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” ((John 11:16)) I find in Thomas the loneliness of doubt. Thomas is always a solitary figure, as doubters very generally are. You never think of Peter as being much alone—he was too ardent and impetuous for…
Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible, and receives the impossible.Doubt sees the obstacles; faith sees the way. Doubt sees the darkest night; faith sees the day. Doubt dreads to take a step; faith soars on high. Doubt questions who believes; faith answers, “I”!
One of the dangerous teachings of the “New Age” movement which has spilled over into modern evangelicalism is the notion of “self-love.” Many psychologists—even Christian professional counselors—are attributing society’s ills, especially among young people, to the supposed lack of a “positive self-image” or “self-esteem” on the part of those exhibiting antisocial behavior. What they need,…
There was a preacher who kept a painting in his study of a shipwreck. There were sailors in lifeboats reaching out their hands to people floating on debris from the ship. A little boy looked at the painting and asked his daddy, “Are those in the lifeboats trying to save those people or are they…
“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14) There are two days that can steal…
“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8) In these days of rampant humanism, blatant materialism, and effete religionism, the very concept of an all-powerful God who created, controls, and judges all things seems anachronistic, but…
God can change a ruler, God can remove a ruler, and God can overrule a ruler.You ask, “Should I pray for my leader if he’s wicked?” You ought to pray all the more for him. Why? Because the Bible says, “I exhort therefore, that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be…
Earning wealth is good, if it is acquired honorably and by the will of God, but coveting wealth and hoarding wealth are foolish sins. Here is another of many divine profit-and-loss statements: “There is [he] that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is [he] that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches” (Proverbs 13:7).…
…When we pray, we often need a change in focus. Ultimately, it’s not about our rightness or goodness; it’s about His. It’s about what He can do, who He is, and why we know He can do something about the situation we’re in. We should still be honest and open with God, telling Him how…