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“A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity” (Psalm 37:10-11). King Saul was on the hunt, but he wasn’t pursuing another army or some vile enemy of Israel. He was hoping to kill David, the man God had anointed to take his place on the throne. Along the way, Saul entered a cave. Unbeknownst to the murderous king, David crept up slowly behind him and cut off a corner of his robe. It wasn’t until Saul was back out in the wilderness that he heard David shouting from the mouth of the cave: “Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, ‘I will not lay my hand on my lord, because he is the Lord’s anointed'” (1 Samuel 24:10). Read Psalm 37. Have you ever wondered why some of the world’s most […]

“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57). When David was just a young man, he killed a giant named Goliath. People revel in victories like David’s. They like to know that it’s not always about who’s bigger, meaner, and better armed. That’s because we all face giants in our lives. Read Psalm 8. These giants are usually not of the nine-and-a-half-foot variety. The giants I’m talking about are the giants of fear, anxiety, worry, discouragement, and despondency. Sometimes they take the form of addiction, restlessness, envy, bitterness, or anger. But whatever they may be, these giants have one purpose in mind: to render the children of the living God ineffective. So, the question is: How do we defeat these giants? In our culture, we often try to understand ourselves and the problems we face without understanding God and His purpose for life. Many churches preach messages that encourage people […]

“As they make music they will sing, ‘All my fountains are in you'” (Psalm 87:7). Read Psalm 87. Psalm 87:7 is about those of us who have been reborn in Christ. Here is what the psalmist said: “As they make music, they will sing, . . .” Sing what? “‘All my fountains are in you.'” Where are your fountains? Are they in material things? Are they in physical fitness? Are they in people—even those who are dearest and nearest to you? Are they in your identity? Are they in your occupation? Are they in your title? Are they in your family name? Are they in your reputation? God’s surrendered sons and daughters know the joy of being able to proclaim, “In Him are all my fountains! They are in Christ alone.” The financial markets may go up and down. Family and friends, even Christian friends, may fail you, but the grace of God will never fail you. The peace of […]

“I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me—Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush—and will say, ‘This one was born in Zion'” (Psalm 87:4). We all want peace. In fact, the ancient people of God in the Old Testament were longing for peace. They looked forward to a day when that peace would be established by God Himself, and Psalm 87 reveals their longing for the peace of God. The psalmist was looking forward to the day when believers from every corner of the globe will come together with love for God and one another. In that day, the holy city will be founded on the Rock of Ages, the Lord Jesus Christ. Any ministry, any church, or any home that is not built on that foundation will crumble. Any foundation other than the Rock of Ages is sinking sand. People will come to God through Jesus Christ from every corner of the globe, from every tongue, […]

“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:8). How do you respond to fear? Do you run and hide, withdrawing into yourself? Do you try to distract yourself from fear with activities? The correct response to fear is not to surrender to it or to ignore it, but to overcome it with faith in God and absolute obedience to His Word. Scripture tells us, “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit” (Jeremiah 17:7-8). Many people trace their fears back to a loss of control. We experience fear when the stock market fluctuates. We experience fear when […]

The word worship comes from Latin, which, when directly translated, actually gives us worthship. True worship is not what I can get out of God, but showing what God is worth to me. You see, in Christ Jesus, we have already been blessed with “every spiritual blessing” (Ephesians 1:3). In Christ Jesus, we already have “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). In Christ Jesus, we have been “made complete” (Colossians 2:10, NASB). We’ve been given everything; we are co-heirs with Christ—today. Right now, we possess an inheritance that will never spoil, perish, or fade. Joy and contentment in the Christian life don’t come from getting more out of God because God has already given us everything. Joy and contentment come when we take hold of what He has already given us—sonship. Thus Paul tells us that, in view of God’s incredible mercy, we are to offer our bodies as living sacrifices (see Romans 12:1). Paul isn’t talking […]

“I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power” (Ephesians 3:7). There is one thing you must understand about grace. Grace equals power. There is nothing like this power in the entire world. This power is so unique that it can raise a dead soul to life. It is a supernatural power. It’s a unique power. And it is that same power that sustains us through the difficulties of life. No matter what your hurt may be, whatever your suffering is, whatever grief is crushing you, God’s promise for the apostle Paul is yours today: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). No matter what you are facing, God’s grace is sufficient. How could we experience and explain the sufficiency of the grace of God if there were no thorns in our lives? How could we testify about […]

“I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power” (Ephesians 3:7). The apostle Paul understood the daily power of God’s grace as he experienced his great thorn: Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:8-10) Seeking the power of God is not only pleasing to God, but it enables us to do His work and live abundantly. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and […]

“For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14). Do you find yourself constantly troubled by your sin? Have you created lines in the sand, rules that you feel you must follow to be “good enough”? When we strive to earn God’s acceptance, we are depriving ourselves of the freedom and contentment that Christ has won for us. We are depriving ourselves of the true Gospel of grace, shackling ourselves with legalism and elevating our rules to the same importance as God’s commandments—whether our rules involve moralistic guidelines, worship etiquette, or additional conditions to salvation. No matter how well-intentioned our man-made rules may be, they are inferior to God’s commandments. When we follow our faulty human thinking instead of God’s perfect ways, we will find ourselves headed for discontentment. We can never live up to our own harsh standards. We fail every time, and when we do, we lose […]

“. . . just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:2). When Jesus cried out from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46), it was not Jesus’ imagination that the Father forsook Him, as some people teach. No, at that moment of separation, the sin of humanity rained on Jesus like a funnel cloud, so much so that Jesus experienced hell itself. This moment of desertion was the moment when our sin was heaped upon His holy, sinless body, and for the first time since before eternity, Jesus looked up into heaven and saw His Father as a judge. That is why He did not call Him Abba, He called Him Eloi—my God. He saw God the sovereign, God the judge, God the awesome one. From cover to cover, the Bible tells us that on the cross Jesus took upon Himself […]

“In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence” (Ephesians 3:12). Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” This is an invitation for all who put their trust in Jesus Christ to experience the awesome power of God’s grace that flows from His very throne. Hebrews 4:16 is an invitation to come to the throne that was converted from a throne of judgment to a throne of grace. There, you will experience unbelievable and untold blessings from the hand of God. God the Son, who sits at the right hand of God, is our great High Priest. Our Great High Priest understands us. Our Great High Priest sympathizes with us. Our Great High Priest knows our weaknesses. As our Great High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ waits for us every single […]

“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11). When we wield the Word of God as a lamp to our feet and a sword against sin, we become more and more able to delight in God’s presence. The Puritan John Owen once advised: “Be killing sin or [sin] will be killing you.” It’s true. If we’re not engaged in the battle against sin, we will become spiritually stagnant. So, how do we kill sin? The answer is not only found in the Word of God; it is the Word of God. In Ephesians, Paul described the armor of God and included this one offensive weapon: “the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God” (6:17). By keeping God’s Word on our lips and in our hearts, we have a weapon at hand, ready to attack sin and gain ground in pursuit of righteousness. But the Word of God is […]