“Seeing then that we have a great high priest, . . . let us hold fast our profession.” Hebrews 4:14 One of the real conflicts the Lord's people have to experience is the constant pressure upon them to turn back from Christ. To counteract such pressure, the apostle Paul uses one emphasis the whole [...]
"Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious." Psalm 66:2 It is not left to our own option whether we shall praise God or not. Praise is God's most righteous due, and every Christian, as the recipient of His grace, is bound to praise God from day to day. It is [...]
"...this do in remembrance of me." 1 Corinthians 11:24 It seems then that Christians may forget Christ! There could be no need for this loving exhortation if there were not a fearful supposition that our memories might prove treacherous. Nor is this a bare supposition: it is, alas! Too well confirmed in our experience, [...]
"And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it." Numbers 11:1 The book of Numbers is replete with references to the complaints of the nation of Israel. On most of the occasions when this discontent arose, it was vented against the leaders of the people. Yet the solemn fact is [...]
"The eternal God is thy refuge." Deuteronomy 33:27 'The eternal God!' How can we poor creatures of time ascend to His glorious majesty? We cannot. But the eternal God has come down to us in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is God 'manifest in the flesh' (I Tim. 3:16). We rest [...]
“He hath made everything beautiful in his time.” Ecclesiastes 3:11 We believe that whatever the Bible says is true. Yet sometimes experiences cause us to question whether certain things are personally relevant. The tension between doctrine and experience is a common test of faith. Solomon's conclusion that God has made every time beautiful and [...]
“Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” Hebrews 12:2 Christ, Himself is to be the single object of our attention in the spiritual race we pursue. The word looking comes from a verb that means 'to look away from.' It denotes the idea of viewing with undivided, fixed, earnest attention. This [...]
"Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish's belly." Jonah 2:1 The Lord Jesus Christ told His disciples that when they prayed, they should go to their room, shut the door, and pray to their Father in secret. Jonah could not quite manage that; he was in a fish's belly! But [...]
"I am for you." Ezekiel 36:9 Ezekiel 35:3 contains the very worst words the enemies of God can hear: Behold, . . . I am against thee. Chapter 36 has the very best words for the feeble saint: Behold, I am for you. These words are a reminder that God's purposes will be opposed. [...]
The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 Paul offers here a timeless and universal remedy for anxiety as he counsels his readers not to be overly anxious about human problems. Instead of giving way to such corroding care, the Philippians are exhorted to [...]
I will make all my mountains a way. Isaiah 49:11 God will make obstacles serve His purpose. We all have mountains in our lives. There are people and things that threaten to bar our progress in the Divine life. Those heavy claims, that uncongenial occupation, that thorn in the flesh, that daily cross—we think [...]
"There hath been no latter rain." Jeremiah 3:3 Spiritual drought makes a wasteland where once there was a Canaan. It reduces a land flowing with milk and honey to poverty and want. It produces spiritual famine, powerlessness, and despondency. No generation knows this better than ours. We are living through a prolonged and terrible drought. [...]
