The Lord is always near to us, even when the going gets tough.

"We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. Therefore, among God’s churches, we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring" (2 Thessalonians 1:3-4). Faith is growing. …

We listen to Jesus, we learn from Jesus, and we worship Jesus.

"I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin.  I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ" (Galatians 1:11-12). "By revelation from Jesus Christ": This was more than Paul's preaching. It was Christ's revelation. What a difference …

We have been saved by the Lord. Let us serve him.

"From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. He said: 'In my distress I called to the Lord,    and he answered me.From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help,    and you listened to my cry'" (Jonah 2:1-2). It seemed like this was the end of the road for Jonah. His situation was hopeless. Was it really …

What God says to us; what we say to him.

"God has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’ So we can say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.'" (Hebrews 13;5-6). God speaks to us words of grace: "I will never leave you or forsake you." We speak to him our words of faith: "The Lord is my …

Faith and love; Prayer and thanksgiving

"When I remember you in my prayers, I always thank my God because I hear of your love for all the saints and your faith towards the Lord Jesus" (Philemon 4-5). In the Christian life, we look above to Jesus, and we look out to one another. We need both: looking up to Jesus and looking, around us, …

Our chief focus of attention is to be on the Lord.

"After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua, son of Nun, Moses’ assistant: ‘Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the River Jordan into the land I am about to give to them – to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you …

Beginning with Esther – and moving on to Jesus

"Who knows, perhaps you (Esther) have come to the kingdom for such a time as this ... If I (Esther) perish, I perish" (Esther 4:14,16). When I read the words, "For such a time as this", I found myself thinking of the words of Galatians 4:4 - "When the time had fully come God sent …

More questions than answers

"In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will …

Notice what comes first, and what comes second.

"See, the Lord your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, told you" (Deuteronomy 1:21). Notice what comes first - "the Lord your God has given you the land", and what comes second - "Go up and take possession of it." By grace, God …

Jesus – what a great Saviour he is!

"But I have been the Lord your God ever since you came out of Egypt. You shall acknowledge no God but me, no Saviour except me" (Hosea 13:4). Here, God is saying to the people, "Here's something you must never forget. I brought you out of Egypt the land of bondage." He's saying to them, "Never forget how much …

The grace of God reaches us and changes us.

"I am the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy" (Leviticus 11:45). Where does holiness come from? How are we to become holy? Before we read about God's holiness, we read about his love. God says, "I am holy" - but, first, he says, "I ... …

The joy of the Lord – and the strength of the Lord

"The joy of the Lord is your strength. Your strength comes from rejoicing in the Lord" (Nehemiah 8:10). Nehemiah was working for the Lord - and he was, also, rejoicing in the Lord. The joy of the Lord - this was where Nehemiah's strength came from. the joy of the Lord - this is where …

When places and faces slip into our past

"The temple which I build will be great, for our God is greater than all gods" (2 Chronicles 2:5). We become very attached to the places where we worship. They are associated with many special memories. They bring back treasured memories of people, with whom we have shared our journey of faith. Some of us …

The Spirit of the Lord – this is where the power comes from.

"The sons of the prophets said 'The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.'" (2 Kings 2:15). Here, the sons of the prophets speak of "the spirit of Elijah." They, also, speak of "the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Kings 2:16). We listen to this preacher. We listen to that preacher. We read their sermons. We …

The glory of God is more important than the reputation of his servants.

"The prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: ‘Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that …

When it seems like the foundations of our faith are being shaken

"The Lord is my rock" (2 Samuel 22:2). When it seems like the foundations of our faith are being shaken, we need to remember this: "The Lord is my rock." What are we to say about these words, "The Lord is my rock." Sometimes, we hear people saying, "My faith is my rock. I don't …

We are weak. The Lord is strong.

"Let the weak say, I am strong" (Joel 3:10). In ourselves, we are weak. In the Lord, we are strong. When we speak the words, "I am strong", we are not saying something about ourselves. We are saying something about the Lord. He is our strength. Our strength comes from him. Weak: this is what …

The story of Goliath is still with us – and God is still with us!

"I come to you in the name of the Lord" (1 Samuel 17:45). These words were spoken by David. They were spoken to Goliath. It seemed like David didn't have any a chance against Goliath. The odds were stacked against David. Everything pointed to a Goliath victory - everything except this: "I come to you …

The Lord is with you.

"When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, ‘The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.’" (Judges 6:12). Gideon is described, here, as a "mighty warrior." When things like this get said about us, it can go to our heads - and make us feel more important than we really are. It is, therefore, very important that …

In life’s hard times as well as its happy times, the Lord is with us.

"The Lord made them joyful"(Ezra 6:22). We do all that we can to make ourselves happy - yet we, still, have the nagging feeling that there's something missing. The more we try to find happiness the more we fail to find it. What's our problem? Is it all about our starting-point? - 'I will make …

Deliverance and Holiness

In Obadiah, verse 17, we read of both deliverance and holiness. These words jump out at us. They speak to us of what God has done for us, and they speak to us of what he will do for us. Delivered from sin, called to holiness - this is a description of our salvation. It …

God’s love for us, our love for him and our love for one another

"We love because he first loved us" (1 John 4:19) .  Before there is our love for God, there is his love for us. Before there is our love for another, there is God's love for each one of us. God's love, always, comes first. This is something we should never forget. When we become …

Everything changes when we begin to see things the way God sees them.

"The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast" (1 Peter 5:10). Does our life on earth, sometimes, feel like a maze? We're stuck in the middle. We've lost our way. We can't seem to find …

God has spoken to us. Let us speak to him, and let us speak for him.

"The Sovereign Lord has spoken: so who can refuse to proclaim his message?" (Amos 3:8). As I was reading these words from Amos, I recalled the words of Paul, "I believed in God, so I spoke" (2 Corinthians 4:13). We receive the Word of the Lord with faith. We are not to keep the Word of the …

Jesus Christ our Lord: crucified for us and risen for us

"We do not preach ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord" (2 Corinthians 4:5). Jesus is Lord. This is the message that Jesus' resurrection brings to us. In Romans 10:9, Paul brings the two together: Jesus has been raised from the dead, and Jesus is Lord.  "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your …

When we preach Christ crucified, let us, also, preach that he is the risen Lord.

"We preach Christ crucified" (1 Corinthians 1:23). In his preaching. Paul "reasoned with people from the Scriptures" (Acts 17:2), but he did not say, "We preach Isaiah", "We preach Jeremiah" or "We preach... ." He said, "We preach Christ crucified." When Paul spoke about the death of Christ, he spoke about the love of God: …

Jesus Christ is Lord.

"In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as …

The good news for sinners: our Saviour is greater than our sin.

 "Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless (or unsearchable) riches of Christ" (Ephesians 3:8). This post continues on from an earlier post, which contrasts Paul and Jesus. You may find it helpful to read that post before reading this one. …

Let us rejoice in Jesus, God’s Son. Let us rejoice in Jesus, our Saviour.

"God's Son, Jesus Christ our Lord" was "declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead" (Romans 1:3-4). This post is a continuation of my earlier post, "This is my Son. This is your Saviour." You should, really, read that post before reading …

This is my Son. This is your Saviour.

"God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it... God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ" (Acts 2:32,36). On the day of Pentecost, Peter preached Jesus, the risen Lord. What are we to say about Jesus and the resurrection? Did Jesus become the Lord and the Christ when …

Jesus loves sinners. Jesus saves sinners.

"Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" (1 Timothy 1:15). What a wonderful verse this is! This is good news. Jesus loves sinners. Jesus saves sinners. The love of Christ reaches our hearts, and it changes our lives. Can our lives ever be the same again, once we have realized the truth of …

When we feel like we’re down and out

"Great is your faithfulness" (Lamentations 3:23). In our journey through life, we're travelling with God. Sometimes, we wonder where our journey is taking us. Then, we remember this: God is faithful. When we are weak, he is strong. When we can barely sing a song of praise, he puts the song of praise in our …

Sound doctrine is more than believing the right things.

"But, as for you, teach what is consistent with sound doctrine" (Titus 2:1). What does Paul when he speaks about "sound doctrine"? Does he mean believing the right things? or Is there more to it than this? As we read Paul's letter to Titus, it becomes clear that "sound doctrine" means more than believing the …

My Lord and my God

"In Christ, all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form" (Colossians 2:9). We read these words of Paul, and we may wonder, "Was he going 'over the top' with this description of Christ?" Then, we think of the resurrection of Jesus. What does the resurrection tell us about Jesus? It tells us that He …

How do we become wise?

“The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere” (James 3:17).  What is wisdom? Is it about how much we know? What is wisdom, if it doesn’t change the way we live our lives? We may know a lot without becoming more the …

We are to live the truth.

"It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth" (3 John, verses 3-4). "Walking in the truth" We are to live the truth. This is more …

A glimpse into the eternal dimension, a vision of glory

"Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they were saying: 'Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and …

When our hard times seem to go on and on

"Oh, give thanks to the Lord! ... Seek the Lord and His strength" (1 Chronicles 16:8,11). In our journey of faith, we face many testing and trying times. There are times when we feel like our strength is almost gone. What are we to do when our hard times just seem to go on and …

More than good advice

"It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his …

Earnestly contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to God’s holy people.

"Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to earnestly contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people" (Jude 3). We rejoice in the great salvation that has been given to us. It is a good thing …

God will give us the strength that we need to serve him with gladness.

"We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 1:3). When some people use the words, "faith, love and hope", they do not speak of "our God and Father", and they do not speak of "our Lord Jesus …

When the going gets tough, remember this: Jesus says, “I will come again.”

"How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save?" (Habakkuk 1:2). "Then the Lord replied: Write down the revelation (or vision) and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation (or vision) awaits an appointed time; …

From the wilderness – a word of encouragement

"God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfil?" (Numbers 23:19). In the wilderness - that's where the people of Israel were during the whole of the book of Numbers. What can we …

We have more than God’s call. We, also, have his promise.

"I will certainly be with you" (Exodus 3:12). These words were spoken by God. They were spoken to Moses. Why did God speak these words to Moses, and why does he continue to speak these words to us? Moses was being called to do something big - for God. Moses felt that it was too …

Love that stands the test of time

Eternity - it's a word that makes us feel like we're completely out of our depth. Love - it's a word that we like to hear. We read the first words of the Bible - "In the beginning, God" (Genesis 1:1), and we feel like we are in the presence of eternity. In Genesis 1:27, …

Some words of encouragement

"I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day" (2 Timothy 1:12). What a great testimony of faith this is! These great words of faith direct our attention away from ourselves to our Saviour. What we are unable to do for …

Grow in grace, and give the glory to Jesus.

"Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen" (2 Peter 3:18). This is the final thought Peter leaves us with, at the end of the second of his two letters. It's like he's saying to us, "This what I, really, want you to remember. …

More than special

"Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9).  What is Jesus saying to us here? Is he saying, "When you're looking at me, you're looking at God"? Is he saying, "Look at me and learn what God is like"? Whatever else, we may say about Jesus' words, we must, surely, say this: …

An angel, a virgin and a baby

"Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, 'Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!' But when she saw him, she was troubled …

Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

"The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" (Mark 1:1). When Mark begins to present to us "the gospel of Jesus Christ", what's the first thing that he tells us about Jesus? He tells us that Jesus is "the Son of God." Quite clearly, we're moving beyond the world of the …

To each one of us, Jesus says, “What about you? Who do you say I am?”

"When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, '“Who do people say the Son of Man is?' They replied, 'Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.' 'But what about you?' he asked. 'Who do you say I am?' Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Messiah, …

God reveals himself to us.

“I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me" (Malachi 3:1).  "In those days John the Baptist came, preaching... Prepare the way for the Lord... " (Matthew 3:1-3). In the Bible, there are only a few pages between Malachi 3:1 and Matthew 3:1. What a big difference there is between the two! It's the …

Why does God love us?

"They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God’” (Zechariah 13:9). What makes us the people of God? Is there something special about us? No! It's the gift of grace. God calls us by his grace. He saves us by his …

An encouraging message – from the Lord

"Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave this message of the Lord to the people: ‘I am with you,’ declares the Lord" (Haggai 1:13). Haggai spoke the words, but the message did not come from him. The message was given to him. It was the "message of the Lord." Haggai spoke the words, but he was not saying, "I, Haggai, …

Let us praise the Lord with great joy.

"Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm. On that day they will say to Jerusalem, ‘Do not fear, Zion; do …

Are you looking for good news? Are you searching for peace?

"Look, there on the mountains, the feet of one who brings good news, who proclaims peace!" (Nahum 1:15). What is this "good news"? Where does this "peace" come from? "The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him" (Nahum 1:7). Here is "good news": "The Lord is good." Here …

How are we to respond to the Word of the Lord?

"The Lord will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths” (Micah 4:2). Why do we look for teaching from the Word of the Lord? We must listen to what the Word of the Lord says to us here. God wants us to walk in his paths. Walking in his paths: what …

The Lord be with you! The Lord bless you!

"Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, ‘The Lord be with you!’ ‘The Lord bless you!’ they answered" (Ruth 2:4). "The Lord be with you! The Lord bless you!" There's nothing more important than this. This is more than saying "I hope that you're things are going well for you." Things are going well - what does this …

Belonging to the Lord – and serving him

"My beloved is mine - and I am his" (Song of Solomon 2:16). Before we begin serving the Lord - there must be the assurance that we belong to him. We can get so caught up in serving the Lord that we forget how precious it is to belong to him. Belonging to the Lord …

On to eternal life

"I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes – I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!" (Job 19:25-27) When we're going through a hard time - …