Be a DoerBut be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.James 1:22As believers, our lives can and should be marked by minds that are trained in and subjected to the truth of God’s word, and we should surround our circumstances with prayer (Philippians 4:6-8). But still, if we are to know and enjoy God’s power at work within us, we must take what we hear in the Scriptures and ...  Read More

By: C. H. SpurgeonPsalm 22:14 I am poured out like water,and all my bones are out of joint;my heart is like wax;it is melted within my breast;Did earth or heaven ever witness a sadder spectacle than this? In soul and body, our Lord felt Himself to be weak as water poured upon the ground. The placing of the cross in its socket had shaken Him with great violence, had strained all the ligaments, pain...  Read More

Amos 4:4-13Enter Bethel and transgress; In Gilgal multiply transgression!  Bring your sacrifices every morning, Your tithes every three days.  Offer a thank offering also from that which is leavened, And proclaim freewill offerings, make them known.  For so you love to do, you sons of Israel, Declares the Lord God.But I gave you also cleanness of teeth in all your cities And lack of bread in all y...  Read More

We All Worship SomethingI will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them. They are turned back and utterly put to shame, who trust in carved idols, who say to metal images, ‘You are our gods.’Isaiah 42:16-17In the words of Bob Dylan, you gotta serve somebody.[1] It’s true—we all worship something. The only que...  Read More

The Lord Be With You!And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem. And he said to the reapers, ‘The Lord be with you!’ And they answered, ‘The Lord bless you.’Ruth 2:4You can learn a lot about a person from their hellos.When Boaz entered his field (and the book of Ruth) and greeted his workers, the depth of his character and of his relationship with God became clear.Boaz lived with the awareness of God’s ...  Read More

Freedom From Ourselves Mark 9:33-3533 And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 35 And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”Rivalry is part a...  Read More

Living in the Spirit’s FullnessEphesians 5:18-1918 and do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing  one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,At certain times in life, such as the birth of a new child or a cross-country move, a lot seems to happen all at once. The beginning of a ne...  Read More

The Tapestry of God’s Providence What often appears to us to be a mess of knots is just the back view of the tapestry God is weaving.Naomi and Ruth had experienced their share of frayed threads in life. They arrived in Israel widowed and penniless—a perilous position for women in a lawless society (see Judges 21:25). In Old Testament Israelite society, the law allowed for the poor to enter the fie...  Read More

Responding to Another’s Success “Then he had another dream and told it to his brothers. “Look,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun, moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.”‭‭Genesis‬ ‭37:9, 11‬ ‭CSB‬‬Envy is a feeling common to humanity. It is also a monster—a giant that can eat anyone alive.How do ...  Read More

Perfect JusticeC.H. Spurgeon once said to his congregation in London, “If, my dear friend, you make it a rule that nobody shall ever insult you without having to pay for it, nor treat you with disrespect without meeting his match, you need not pray God in the morning to help you carry out your resolve.”[1] His point was simple: defending our reputations and getting even with those who cross us com...  Read More

Be of Courageous SpiritOnly be strong and very courageous.Joshua 1:7The tender love of God for His servants makes Him concerned for how they feel inside. He wants them to be courageous. Some people think it is okay for a believer to be vexed with doubts and fears, but God does not think so. From this text it is clear that our Master does not want us entangled with fears. He desires for us to live ...  Read More

An Awesome PrivilegeIn Jesus, we have access to the Father's presence and confidence that He hears our prayers.Hebrews 7:11-28Prayer is a truly remarkable privilege, and we must be careful to treat it as such. Have you ever paused to consider why a holy God would condescend to even listen to our petitions, let alone answer them? The Lord is so perfect that the smallest hint of sin is incompatible ...  Read More