As we travel through life we often find it filled with sorrows, pain, hurt, and heavy burdens. The Bible recognizes this in Job 5:7 saying, “man is born to trouble, As the sparks fly upward.” The same sentiment is expressed in 14:1. There are two different Hebrew words used in these verses, respectively meaning trial, […]
In Luke 9:10-17 the disciples see a crisis but Jesus sees an opportunity. The disciples tell Jesus to send the multitude away to purchase food and find lodging, but Jesus says “You give them something to eat.” The available food was very scant, but when placed in Jesus hands He gave thanks and blessed it, […]
When the Psalmist speaks of the Lord preparing a table for us in psalm 23, I believe He is thinking of all the good things God has provided for us. The moment you accept Him as your shepherd He commits to caring for you like a shepherd cares for his sheep, and He begins a […]
On more than one occasion the Apostle Paul had been imprisoned for the gospel he preached, but on no occasion do we find him sitting there in despair and gloom. Remember in Acts 17 he and Silas conducted a prayer and praise service in a jail cell at Philippi with their feet fastened in the […]
As we tread the path of life if we become distracted by the surroundings and take our eyes off of Him who is the object of our faith we find ourselves becoming weary and even fainting, and perhaps becoming like God’s people in Isaiah 40:27 saying, “My way is hidden from the Lord, and my […]
We are living in times of great darkness upon the earth, times like are described in Isaiah 60:2, “For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people …” While this chapter gives Israel hope of restoration from captivity, it also embraces Messianic and Eschatological times. Darkness speaks figuratively of misery, destruction, […]
Becoming depressed, discouraged, and feeling like a failure, is a tactic Satan uses to render God’s children unfruitful in acquiring and accomplishing all God’s purposes for them. Perhaps Elijah felt this way even after witnessing God’s provision and seeing His power manifested through him. He moves in fear and spends the night in a cave […]
In Jeremiah 29:11 God assures His people that His thoughts (His intentions or His plans) are to “give you a future and a hope”; although they were in captivity at that time the inference was that they should look to Him in hope. Today we live in a world that is dominated by flesh, with […]
In 2 Chronicles 15:2 Asa has inherited the throne of Judah, and Azariah is speaking in the power of prophetic voice, “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you while you are with Him…” This absolute statement applies to every one of us throughout all ages as well, and is […]
During the Christmas season the heart of our attention seems often to be focused on the coming of King Jesus to this earth, on the joy of birth, on the joy of new life; but unlike the first Adam who was created to live but entered into a contract with the enemy and death, Jesus […]