'I shall not want' is the theme of Ps. 23. I shall not lack for: rest and refreshment (v. 2), restoration and righteousness (v. 3), protection in trouble (v.4), provision in the wilderness (v. 5), and a home to go to at the end of the days (v. 6). More is implied than is expressed, … Continue reading The Beautiful Shepherd Psalm
Devotional Thoughts
Dealing with Temptation
Thomas Brooks, a Puritan pastor, counsels believers to confront all temptations (the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, or the boastful pride of life) with the words of the Psalmist: “The LORD is my portion” (16:5; 73:26; 119:57; 142:5). He exhorts: Luther counsels every Christian to answer all temptations with the short … Continue reading Dealing with Temptation
Let Not Your Hearts Be Troubled
Let not your hearts be troubled for Jesus promises… Light after darkness, gain after loss; Strength after weakness, crown after cross; Sweet after bitter, hope after fears; Home after wandering, praise after tears; Sheaves after sowing, sun after rain; Sight after mystery, peace after pain; Joy after sorrow, calm after blast; Rest after weariness, sweet … Continue reading Let Not Your Hearts Be Troubled
Gazing Upon True Beauty
Religious people find God useful for obtaining things in life. Christians find God beautiful and knowing Him is the chief good they seek. The Psalmist declares in Psalm 27:4 - “One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days … Continue reading Gazing Upon True Beauty
Awed by God’s Work in Your Life – John Newton
Today is the anniversary of John Newton's conversion. His story demonstrates the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. For, at the helm of that storm-tossed boat on March 21, 1748 was a day Newton remembered for the rest of his life, because: "On that day the Lord sent from on high and delivered me out … Continue reading Awed by God’s Work in Your Life – John Newton
What is a Christian?
Here is a sound definition from James I. Packer in his classic book Knowing God in the chapter "Thy Word is Truth:" "A person who acknowledges and lives under the Word of God. He submits without reserve to the Word of God written in 'the Scripture of truth' (Daniel 10:21), believing the teaching, trusting the promises, … Continue reading What is a Christian?
When Politics Get You Down
Take a moment to grasp again how great is our God. The Bible tells us how unlimited are His wisdom, His presence and His power. No where does the Bible set this forth more beautifully than in Psalm 139. J.I. Packer, in his classic book entitled Knowing God, writes: Look at the world's great men - the … Continue reading When Politics Get You Down
The Power of the Word of God in a Young Pastor’s Life
J.I. Packer, as a young pastor, found himself “marginalized, isolated and required to work on unfulfilling and flawed agendas, in a manner that made him think of the Israelites having to make bricks for Pharaoh.” He claims to have lived “like Moses in Midian, with frustration in [his] heart, wondering what God could possibly be … Continue reading The Power of the Word of God in a Young Pastor’s Life
The Portrait of Prodigal Love – Luke 15
Who is the Real Prodigal in this Parable? Tradition assigned the title “prodigal” to the son, but it more rightly describes the Father. The definition of prodigal: Extravagant, exceedingly lavish, and unrestrained. A Portrait of the Father’s Prodigal Love: Our Prodigal Father joyfully restores returning prodigals. Our prodigal Father is generous (v.11,12). Why would the son want … Continue reading The Portrait of Prodigal Love – Luke 15
Psalm 32
Psalm 32 instructs us that the only people who are truly happy are those who experience God’s forgiveness. Therefore, the refusal to openly confess our sins leads only to spiritual and physical misery. Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, … Continue reading Psalm 32
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