Maschil of David; A Prayer when he was in the cave [Psalm 142] The title of this Psalm tells us it was written by David when he was in a cave. We are not told which cave he was hiding in, whether it was Adullam or Engedi. King Saul was now seeking to [...]
“Abide thou with me, fear not: …. with me thou shalt be in safeguard” [1 Samuel 22:23] These words were spoken by David to Abiathar the priest, who had escaped Saul’s slaughter of his fellow priests. But though he had escaped, his life was still in danger. Thus he needed the refuge that [...]
It is a good thing to set aside a day to honour our parents, but not just one day - every day! Today is Mothers’ Day and it has been celebrated in North America since 1914 under President Woodrow Wilson. The Fifth Commandment reads, “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy [...]
“Ye are not your own.” [1 Corinthians 6:20] When a failed store or restaurant is taken over by a new company, one of the first things the new owners do is to alert the public that the shop is under new management. This shows that the otherwise disappointing place is now refurbished and [...]
The renowned novelist, Charles Dickens, pronounced the Biblical story of the “Prodigal Son” [Luke 15] as the best short story ever told. Think of how this story might have ended. The prodigal son might have prospered and remained in the far country. That is what he envisaged when he initially left home. [...]
“Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord” [Genesis 4:26] This is undoubtedly the age of instant communication. In my lifetime, society has gone from the telephone as a domestic novelty to today’s indispensable ‘smart phones’ that seem to govern every moment of every day for many people. World events [...]
“Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands” [Isaiah 49:16] Recently in our town, some people found a newborn baby stuffed into a bag and left in a doorway to die. Though maternal instinct is proverbially strong, mothers can and do forget their suckling children. And if mother-love can break [...]
“But now is Christ risen from the dead.” [I Corinthians 15:20] In a dramatic, miraculous event, Paul met Jesus Christ on the Damascus road. So real was the appearance of Christ to him that thereafter he preached Christ crucified and risen from the dead. The resurrection of Christ is the great capstone [...]
Today is Palm Sunday, the day that commemorates the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. It is normally regarded as a happy day when the people are praising the Lord and shouting their “Hosannas,” which means, “Save, we beseech Thee.” Many of the people thought He was the Messiah. Their interpretation [...]
“The books, but specially the parchments” [II Timothy 4:13] The end is drawing near for God’s valiant servant Paul. He writes his last epistle from Rome, and closes it with a simple request for his cloak to be brought from Troas, along with his books and parchments. In his unconverted days Paul was [...]
“My grace is sufficient for thee” [II Corinthians 12:9] Sickness is the common lot of all people. It is no respecter of persons. Kings and subjects, rich and poor, teacher and pupil, doctor and patient, will all at some time face illness. No door is strong enough, or wall thick enough to bar [...]
Today we enter into Daylight Saving Time for another year, and once more we are forced to think of the mystery of time. We live in a time-conscious society. We all have multiple timepieces and our lives are governed by time. It is one of the most mysterious of all subjects. What [...]
