“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Here Paul bursts forth in worship….
“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23-24 Psalm 139 is attributed to David and is a wisdom psalm of descriptive praise. This mixture of wisdom and praise is not uncommon…
“LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago.” Isaiah 25:1 Chapter 25 is a poem celebrating God’s destruction of the sinful earth. It falls into three parts: (1) a hymn of praise by Isaiah (verses 1-5); (2)…
“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” Deuteronomy 6:6-7 “On your hearts” means they are to be always remembered and…
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 Joshua now carries an authority imparted by the Lord Himself. Therefore, he has no reason to fear his big task or to doubt its…
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9 Seeking to understand all things about the ways of the Lord is futile, and becomes…
“But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold. My feet have closely followed his steps; I have kept to his way without turning aside.” Job 23:10-11 “I will come forth as gold” is a phrase that indicates that Job believes a trial would prove…
“Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:25-26 This Psalm tells a story about the psalmist Asaph’s struggle with envy, doubts, and his faith in God. Being…
“Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.” Proverbs 17:9 The covering of an offense in this sentence is not in the context of sin and salvation vis-a-vis one’s relationship to God. The intention of this verse is to speak of the interrelations of friends, and the…
“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” 1 John 4:11-12 An exhortation to remember when we are tempted to be unloving. Our love must…