A Verse, A Comment, A Prayer, A Blessing: Recent Episodes
Casey B. Hough
Preface - Be Sure to Check Out the Podcast Audio Linked Above.
A Verse
Titus 3:1-3
1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. 3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.
A Comment
Having considered verses 1-2, we now look at verse 3, which functions as a partial explanation for why Titus’ congregation should “speak evil of no one, avoid quarreling, be gentle, and show perfect courtesy toward all people.” Paul’s explanation is that “we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.” In other words, the people that you are tempted to speak evil of, to fight with, to be harsh toward, and to be inconsiderate to are not much different from us before God’s grace in Christ changed us.
Thus, verse 3 serves as a painful but good reminder of who we were before God’s merciful salvation came to us. When we are tempted to treat others sinfully, we should remember our former condition. God did not show kindness toward us because we were more deserving than others. Likewise, as those called to reflect God’s character, we also shouldn’t attempt to justify cruelty and sin toward others because we feel they deserve it. No one really deserves kindness. But that’s part of the point that Paul is making here. We do not treat people as they deserve to be treated because God has not treated us as we deserve to be treated. God is merciful and patient toward us. And, in light of how this mercy and patience have changed us (as we will see in the following verses), we ought to be the most merciful and patient people our undeserving neighbors and enemies encounter in this sin-broken world.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me? (Pray along with me in the audio version linked above)
A Blessing
Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. (2 Corinthians 13:11)
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A Verse
Titus 3:1-2
1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.
A Comment
With verse 2, “Paul turns to our relationship with everybody in the community.” The first two points are stated negatively: do not speak evil and avoid quarreling. The last two are positive: be gentle and show perfect courtesy toward all people. In a sense, these ideas work in parallel, teaching through contrast. It would be difficult to be gentle and courteous toward others if you were also bent on slandering them or starting fights with them.
To be sure, the idea of “slander” or “speaking evil” here does not exclude the need for correction or confrontation when necessary, but rather emphasizes that our words must be true and seasoned with grace. The Christian is called to be a peacemaker, not a quarrelsome spirit. Robert Yarbrough notes, “A sharp tongue is often combined with an irascible spirit and confrontational behavior. These tendencies are inconsistent with confessing Christ as Lord and Savior.” As Paul would tell us elsewhere, such behavior is unbecoming of God’s people—and especially of those who proclaim the gospel. Based on what I see on social media, I can’t help but wonder if some Christians need to be reminded to read Titus again.
There’s a needed reminder here about how we represent Christ in a culture fueled by outrage. Gentleness and courtesy are not weakness; they are strength under control and the mark of a heart shaped by grace. (If you are looking for a resource that covers this in more depth, check out my latest book When Poets Were Warriors here) They reveal that our confidence is not in winning debates but in displaying the character of the One who has already conquered sin and death. What the world needs most is not louder Christians with sharper words but humbler Christians with Christlike hearts, people who speak truth with conviction, patience, and love.
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A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Corinthians 13:14)
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Preface - Be Sure to Check Out the Podcast Audio Linked Above.
A Verse
Titus 3:1-2
1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.
A Comment
Last week, we considered the Christian’s responsibility to “be submissive” and “obedient” to ruling authorities. Today, we note one of the limits to such submissiveness and obedience as Paul commands Titus to remind his audience to “be ready for every good work.”
Commenting on this verse, John Stott wrote, “The emphasis on ‘whatever is good’ not only clarifies our responsibility but limits it. We cannot cooperate with the state if it reverses its God-given duty, promoting evil instead of punishing it, and opposing good instead of rewarding and furthering it.” I find this to be a helpful point. As Christians, we are constrained to do “every good work.” And, as Denny Burk has mentioned regarding this verse, “This presumes both a knowledge of what God’s revelation requires and a willingness to do it.”
Because God has revealed His will to His people, we do not have to wonder what it means to “be ready for every good work.” As we will see in the days ahead, these good works are the result of transformed hearts. They are not the grounds of our justification before God, but they are the fruit of God’s grace working in us.
A Prayer
Will you pray with me?
A Blessing
The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace. (Numbers 6:24-26)
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Preface - Be sure to check out the audio version linked above.
A Verse
Titus 3:1-2
1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.
A Comment
Yesterday, we considered the need to be reminded. This is a hallmark of faithful, gospel ministry. We are not expected to come up with new ideas but rather repeat the ideas that God has revealed for His people in His word. Today, we are going to take a look at the substance of the reminder for Titus’ audience. Specifically, Paul commands Titus to remind his audience of their need “to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.”
When covering a passage like this, our tendency, at least here in the West, is to immediately qualify the kind of submission and obedience that Paul is commanding Titus to remind his congregation of in his ministry. In other words, instead of considering our responsibility as citizens in our respective countries, we want to know how and when we should NOT be submissive and obedient to “rulers and authorities.”
I get this impulse, at least in part. I doubt anyone reading or listening today would say that their favorite Bible verse is Romans 13:6-7, which says, “For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.” Nevertheless, as Christians, we believe that Scripture is God’s Word. Passages about submitting to and obeying ruling authorities, whether by paying taxes or simply by being good, responsible, hardworking, and law-abiding citizens, are just as inspired and authoritative as John 3:16 and Romans 8:1. The Scriptures are not a buffet from which we get to pick and choose the things that suit our tastes.
As we consider Titus 3:1-2, we need to be reminded that when the ruling authorities do not require us to disobey or dishonor God, we have a responsibility to submit to their God-ordained authority over our lives and the society in which we live. As Robert Yarbrough put it, “The special grace [we] have received in Christ should enhance, not curtail, [our] cooperation with the common grace of human government to the extent this is possible.” Just like the Cretan to whom Titus ministered, so we need this reminder.
So, what might this look like in practice? For starters, it would look like Christians being model citizens to the extent that they are able without violating their consciences before God. I believe this would include observing laws, participating in our political processes, and advocating for righteousness in the public square. Furthermore, I believe this means we should acknowledge the legitimacy of maintaining and promoting rightly ordered loves (ordo amoris) within the Christian community, which includes not only a supreme and preeminent love of the Triune God but also a love of family, friends, neighbors, and country.
And just in case you skipped over the last word of the last sentence, yes, I said we should have a rightly ordered love for our country. Love for one’s country is not an endorsement of all that your country or its political leaders have or are doing at any given moment. Instead, it is an acknowledgment of God's sovereignty, who has “set the boundaries of our dwelling places that we might seek Him” (Acts 17:26-27).
In keeping with these convictions, an implication of Titus 3:1-2 would be to obey Paul’s admonition to Timothy in 1 Timothy 2:1-2, where he writes, “1First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”
When I first began serving in pastoral ministry, I had the privilege of serving under the leadership of Earl Blackburn. Earl was (and is to this day) a man of great conviction. Week in and week out, I sat under Earl’s leadership and listened as he led our congregation in pastoral prayer during our morning worship service. Regardless of who was in political office at the time, Earl led our congregation to pray for those political leaders. Among the many things that I learned from Earl, I learned that obedience to God’s Word did not depend on the political climate of the day. We pray for our political leaders not because they are worthy of our prayers, not because they have earned it, but because God commands us to do so.
Now, for those who are wondering about the exceptional scenarios when submission and obedience to our ruling authorities would actually be a form of insubordination and disobedience to God, the ultimate Ruling Authority of the universe, I will close by saying this: when earthly ruling authorities require you to violate God’s Word and your conscience as it is informed by God’s Word, you should chose to “obey God rather than man.” With that said, the situation into which Paul was writing was not such a scenario. Most likely, given the Gospel’s proclamation of the Lordship of Christ, there were some in Titus’ church who were questioning why they needed to be submissive and obedient to other authorities at all. While their zeal for the Lordship of Christ was commendable, it was a zeal without a mature understanding of how God had ordained ruling authorities for the good of society. Thus, Paul wanted Titus to remind his people not to bring reproach on Christ or the ministry of His people in Crete because of a poor doctrine of the Christian life in the public square.
As for how you might be able to apply this passage to your life this morning, take a moment to obey 1 Timothy 2:1-2 and pray for the leaders that God has placed over you. You don’t have to agree with them on everything or anything to pray for them. If the apostle Peter could tell his audience to “honor the emperor” in 1 Peter 2:17, then surely we can pray for our elected officials to fear the Lord and lead with righteousness.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (Romans 15:13)
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Preface - Be sure to check out the audio version linked above.
A Verse
Titus 3:1
“Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work…”
A Comment
Here, in verse 1, Paul instructs Titus to “remind” his audience “to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work.” Obviously, a lot could be said about the essence and extent of submission and obedience to ruling authorities in this passage, but I’m inclined to start by focusing on the initial command: remind (Greek - hypomimnēske).
Commenting on this idea of remembrance, John Stott wrote,
Remind the people (literally ‘them’), he begins, for the teaching he is about to give is not new. The churches have heard it before. But there are many warnings in Scripture of the dangers of forgetfulness, and many promises to those who remember. A bad memory was one of the main reasons for Israel’s downfall. ‘They soon forgot’, we read, and ‘they did not remember’. Jesus had to make the same complaint to the apostles: ‘Don’t you remember …?’ It is hardly surprising, therefore, that the leading apostles Paul, Peter and John in their New Testament letters all stress the importance of their reminding ministry. So all conscientious Christian teachers, once they have been delivered from the unhealthy lust for originality, take pains to make old truths new and stale truths fresh.
In an age of hunger for novel, fresh, cutting-edge ideas and so-called “revelations,” isn’t it interesting that a great deal of Christian discipleship is concerned with being reminded of truths and responsibilities that we already know but are prone to forget?
In Titus 3:1, the need was to remind the people of their obligation to submit to and obey the ruling authorities so far as they could without violating their conscience and sinning against God (Cf. Acts 5:29). Titus’ audience would have already been familiar with this admonition, but their familiarity with it did not rule out the need for them to be reminded of it.
As I think about this passage, I wonder what we need to be reminded of. Things we already know but tend to forget. Things that we willfully forget because they are inconvenient or difficult. What are the things that you need to be reminded of today?
A Prayer
Would you pray with me…
A Blessing
Grant us, O’ Lord, to remember Your deeds; yes, bless us with a remembrance of Your wonders of old. Let us ponder all Your work, and meditate on Your mighty deeds. (Based on Psalm 77:11-12)
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Prefatory Note - The notes below accompany the audio that is linked above. While they can stand on their own, they were not written to be read alone. On occasion, when I am recording the audio portion of this newsletter, I will make other comments that are not included in these notes. To get the full picture, listen to the audio as well. I appreciate your support!
A Verse
Titus 3:1-11
1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. 3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. 9 But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. 10 As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.
A Comment
Over the next several days, I plan to take a deep dive into Titus 3:1-11. In the providence of God, I read these verses today as part of my daily devotional rhythm and was struck by how pertinent Paul’s instructions to Titus are for us today.
In terms of getting oriented to these passages, Robert Yarbrough wrote, “Verses 1–3 and 8–11 deal with behavior, attitudes, and policies for Titus to observe and encourage. Verses 4–7 are a thick vein of soteriological lore that furnishes a basis for Paul’s counsel.” I believe this is a helpful way of framing these verses. We begin by noting an exhortation to believers, then quickly observe Paul’s digression into a contemplation of God’s gracious work in salvation toward us, before resuming his exhortation.
In the days ahead, we will look at those exhortations and reflections on redemption in more depth, but for now, I believe it is essential to consider them as a whole. As believers, we must never separate the exhortation to holy living from the power of the gospel. Any hope that we have to address our “behaviors” and “attitudes” must be rooted in “the goodness and kindness of God our savior.” Otherwise, we are treating ourselves like Pharaoh treated the Israelites: “More bricks, less straw.”
We depend wholly on the Lord to supply what we need to live as He has called us. To that end, let us go to the Lord in prayer and ask Him to meet us in our need as we seek to live for His glory and the good of others.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me…
A Blessing
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. (Philemon 1:25)
CBH
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A Verse
Romans 12:15
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
A Comment
Since July 4th, our family has had near-constant conversation about the tragic flooding in the Hill Country, which, to date, has claimed the lives of over 100 people. As a father of five children, I cannot fathom the pain that so many parents and family members are going through right now. Trite comments and platitudes have no place in moments of tragedy.
The better way forward is to obey the command of Romans 12:15, which tells us to “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” As tears have streamed down so many faces over the last several days, the appropriate response is to weep alongside those who weep. We must resist the urge to be like Job’s friends, who, after several days of silent weeping (the thing they got right!), amid Job’s sorrow, sought an explanation that would satisfy their ill-conceived theology of blessing and suffering. While questions regarding protocols and flood detection should surely be explored in the near future, and the heroic efforts of first responders should be lauded as we hear stories of rescue, we must not forget to weep and grieve as those with hope in Christ. Let us mourn with those who mourn.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)
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A Verse
Matthew 12:9-14
He went on from there and entered their synagogue. And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might accuse him. He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.
A Comment
Today’s passage appears in the context of Jesus’ dispute with the Pharisees over the Sabbath command. You can get a fuller idea of the context by reading the preceding verses in Matthew 12:1-8, but for today’s devotional, I want to take a look at the man with the withered hand.
From a narrative perspective, the man with the withered hand is not really the point of the story. The main point of the story is the lordship of Christ over the Sabbath, His authority to interpret and apply God’s law accurately, and the response of the Pharisees to Jesus. The man with the withered hand plays a role in the story, but he’s not really the point. With that said, however, I cannot help but think about this unnamed man. Here’s what we know:
First, the man with the withered hand was at the synagogue on the Sabbath. We have no indication from this passage that the man showed up at the synagogue expecting to find Jesus there on that Sabbath so that he could be healed. In fact, given the language of verse 10, where we see the Pharisees question Jesus, asking, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”, it is entirely possible that the Pharisees requested that the man be there so that they “might accuse” Jesus of healing on the Sabbath. Of course, the man with the withered hand might have just been at the synagogue out of habit as a faithful Jew, and the Pharisees tried to take advantage of the situation to catch Jesus.
In terms of the question in the passage, healing on the Sabbath, at least given what we know about the Pharisees, would have been permissible in situations of life-or-death, but not in cases where the man could have been healed on another day of the week; such healing would not have been permitted. For the man with the withered hand, while his situation was challenging, it did not rise to the level of “life-or-death” according to the traditional interpretation of the Sabbath by the Pharisees. It was likely that his hand had been withered, literally “dried,” for some time.
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Jesus responded to the Pharisees’ question with a question of his own, regarding how they would handle a situation involving one of their sheep on the Sabbath. Jesus’ question aims to expose the hypocrisy of these particular Pharisees who had specific rules for everyone else but found loopholes to help them navigate their rigorous interpretations and application of the Mosaic law. From here, Jesus employs an argument known as a “lesser-to-greater” argument to show that the inclination of the Pharisees to save their own sheep but allow this man with the withered hand to continue to suffer is wrong. In other words, men are more important than sheep, therefore, it is “lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
Now that we have a context, we come back to the man with the withered hand. The Pharisees are basically using him. He likely didn’t come seeking Jesus, and probably dealt with some shame in his local synagogue. After exposing the error of the Pharisees in his midst, Jesus turns to the man with the withered hand and issues a command: Stretch out your hand.
That’s quite a command for a man with a withered hand to hear, don’t you think? How can a man with a withered hand respond to Jesus’ command to “stretch your hand?” Is that not the very problem that the man had in the first place? He is incapable of stretching out his hand. His hand is withered. It is paralyzed. He does not possess the ability to do what Jesus has just commanded him to do. What kind of man commands someone to do what they cannot do?
While the man is incapable of obeying Jesus’ command on his own, nonetheless, he believes in Jesus enough to attempt to obey Him, and as he does, the withered hand is restored. The man with the withered hand becomes the man with a formerly withered hand on account of the power of Jesus. The command of Jesus supplies what is required of the man. And, as a result, the man is healed.
In many ways, this story of the healing of the man with the withered hand parallels the Christian’s new birth in Christ. We are commanded to repent of our sins and believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Yet, as we are told in Scripture, we are, by nature and by choice, dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1-10). Dead men cannot choose to repent and believe unless the One who is calling them gives them, by His own sovereign power and prerogative, the ability to repent and believe.
Our own healing is not the result of our combined effort with Jesus. Much like the man with the formerly withered hand, we need Jesus to give us the power to do what He commands us to do. Only Jesus gives life to the dead. Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart. Stretch out your hand to the Lord, who alone gives life.
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A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)
WHMI Update
From now until 8/22/2025, new gifts to our budget at WHMI are doubled due to a generous matching gift. To learn more about WHMI, click the image below to take you to our website. Any support would be greatly appreciated!
Prayer Needs
For those who have followed my work at WHMI, I assumed a new role at the beginning of this year, in addition to my previous responsibilities as Director of Partnership and Curriculum. I am now also the Director of Europe. So far this year, I have traveled for work in Latvia, France, Romania, and Slovenia (2x). Later this month, I will travel to the UK for meetings with a church planting network, and then, in September, I will likely return to Belarus.
As you have a chance, please pray not only for the broader work of WHMI but also for my work in Europe. While Europe may seem like a region of the world that does not need theological education, as a whole, Europe is one of the least-reached areas of the world due to rapid secularization. Many evangelical churches in Europe struggle to find a pastor, and as a result, many godly young men are forgoing pastoral ministry in favor of other vocations. WHMI aims to provide such men with the theological training that they need to serve the churches in Europe well.
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Today’s “A Verse, A Comment, A Prayer, A Blessing” is Audio Only, so be sure to listen to the audio file linked at the top of this message for the Comment, Prayer, and Blessings sections of the newsletter. Also, don’t miss the Keith Green bonus at the bottom ;)
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A Verse
Psalm 127
Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.
It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.
Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth.
Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
A Little Bonus
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A Verse
Psalm 51:10
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
A Comment
In commenting on Psalm 51, Dr. Jim Hamilton wrote, “If God’s standard cannot be changed, the man who would enjoy God’s holiness must be. This is why David prays as he does in the following verses. David desires more than forgiveness in this psalm. He prays to be transformed into a man who loves holiness and acts on that love.”
As I reflect on this Psalm specifically and the Christian life more generally, I believe this is an important observation. When God mercifully reveals our sinfulness, we, as Christians, should not only pray for forgiveness (as Jesus taught us in Matthew 5:12) but also for an inward renewal —a transformation of the heart that results in holy living and the restoration of the “joy of our salvation” (Psalm 51:12).
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A Prayer
Would you join me in praying the truths of this passage today?
A Blessing
Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
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A Verse
Psalm 67
To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song.
1 May God be gracious to us and bless usand make his face to shine upon us, Selah
2 that your way may be known on earth,your saving power among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise you, O God;let all the peoples praise you!
4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,for you judge the peoples with equityand guide the nations upon earth. Selah
5 Let the peoples praise you, O God;let all the peoples praise you!
6The earth has yielded its increase;God, our God, shall bless us.
7 God shall bless us;let all the ends of the earth fear him!
A Comment
Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time on planes. I don’t tend to sleep well on them, so I typically spend my time listening to audiobooks. Yesterday, I finished listening to an audiobook I read years ago. The book is entitled Let the Nations Be Glad!: The Supremacy of God in Missionsby John Piper. This is a wonderful book on the heart of God for the nations. I highly recommend it! The title comes from this morning’s passage, specifically verse 4, which says, “Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth.”
But why does the psalmist appeal to the nations to “be glad and rejoice?” The reason is found in verses 1-2, which state, “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations,” and the end of verse 4, which states, “For you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon the earth.” Thus, the appeal to “be glad and rejoice” is rooted in the nations knowing God’s saving power and seeing His sovereign rule over the earth. The psalmist continues, noting that as the Lord blesses His people, the nations will fear Him.
As I have reflected on this passage over the last few days, I have felt its gravitational pull, causing me to think about how desperate we are for God’s salvation to be known throughout the earth. The call of the nations to be glad in God demands that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven. And nothing short of the supernatural power of God’s grace working through the gospel of Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit can lead to all the nations of the earth being glad in God.
So, as we reflect on this psalm and the call to the nations to be glad, let us also recognize that this work depends on the Lord’s blessing. It is not a task that we can accomplish in our own strength. It is a work that requires Jesus’ presence with us (Matthew 28:18-20). We can trust Him to fulfill His purposes in us for His glory and the good of the peoples of earth!
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.
A Song
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Hey everyone,
I’m in Indonesia this week! Check out the video and consider joining me in prayer this week.
CBH
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A Verse
1 Samuel 6:10-7:2
The men did so, and took two milk cows and yoked them to the cart and shut up their calves at home. And they put the ark of the LORD on the cart and the box with the golden mice and the images of their tumors. And the cows went straight in the direction of Beth-shemesh along one highway, lowing as they went. They turned neither to the right nor to the left, and the lords of the Philistines went after them as far as the border of Beth-shemesh. Now the people of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley. And when they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, they rejoiced to see it. The cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh and stopped there. A great stone was there. And they split up the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the LORD. And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD and the box that was beside it, in which were the golden figures, and set them upon the great stone. And the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices on that day to the LORD. And when the five lords of the Philistines saw it, they returned that day to Ekron.
These are the golden tumors that the Philistines returned as a guilt offering to the LORD: one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for Gath, one for Ekron, and the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both fortified cities and unwalled villages. The great stone beside which they set down the ark of the LORD is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh.
And he struck some of the men of Beth-shemesh, because they looked upon the ark of the LORD. He struck seventy men of them, and the people mourned because the LORD had struck the people with a great blow. Then the men of Beth-shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before the LORD, this holy God? And to whom shall he go up away from us?” So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying, “The Philistines have returned the ark of the LORD. Come down and take it up to you.”
And the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took up the ark of the LORD and brought it to the house of Abinadab on the hill. And they consecrated his son Eleazar to have charge of the ark of the LORD. From the day that the ark was lodged at Kiriath-jearim, a long time passed, some twenty years, and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.
A Comment
Please listen to the audio above for today’s comments…
A Prayer
Please listen to the audio above for today’s comments…
A Blessing
Please listen to the audio above for today’s comments…
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A Verse
1 Samuel 6:1-9
The ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months. And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us with what we shall send it to its place.” They said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty, but by all means return him a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why his hand does not turn away from you.” And they said, “What is the guilt offering that we shall return to him?” They answered, “Five golden tumors and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines, for the same plague was on all of you and on your lords. So you must make images of your tumors and images of your mice that ravage the land, and give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps he will lighten his hand from off you and your gods and your land. Why should you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? After he had dealt severely with them, did they not send the people away, and they departed? Now then, take and prepare a new cart and two milk cows on which there has never come a yoke, and yoke the cows to the cart, but take their calves home, away from them. And take the ark of the LORD and place it on the cart and put in a box at its side the figures of gold, which you are returning to him as a guilt offering. Then send it off and let it go its way and watch. If it goes up on the way to its own land, to Beth-shemesh, then it is he who has done us this great harm, but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us; it happened to us by coincidence.”
A Comment
In today’s passages, we see the Philistines concede that the LORD, the God of Israel, is too great for them. As one OT scholar describes the scene, “To send the ark of Yahweh back would be to acknowledge a religio-political defeat, and such a decision would not be made lightly, especially since there were apparently some who did not believe the link between the ark and the plague was proven beyond a reasonable doubt (vv. 3, 9). But now they admit defeat and ask the priests how to go about sending the ark back.” While the Philistines had defeated the Israelites, they could not defeat the LORD. His presence was too great. So, the Philistine religious authorities made plans to send the Ark away from their presence.
In choosing to send the Ark of the LORD away from their presence, the religious leaders believed that people should make some sort of recompense for their error. Having come to realize that it was likely the LORD God of Israel who had afflicted the people with tumors for the past seven months, they made the decision to fashion and send five golden tumors and five golden mice with the Ark. The significance of the number “five” in this passage is related to the five regions of the Philistines: Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron. Why golden tumors and golden mice? Because the LORD had afflicted the Philistine people with tumors and ravaged their fields with mice (See verse 5). By sending these golden items, the Philistines were attempting to make a sort of peace offering with the LORD God of Israel.
After deciding what to send with the Ark of the LORD, the Philistines had to figure out how to send the Ark of the LORD. They wanted it out of their region. So, the decision was made to take two milk cows that still had nursing calves but who had never borne a yoke and see if they would carry the Ark of the LORD to Beth-shemesh. There are a few things worth noting here. First, two milk cows that were still nursing their calves would not be inclined to leave the region where their calves were located. It would be against their motherly instinct to leave their nursing calves. Furthermore, given that they had never worn a yoke or pulled a cart, if these milk cows not only left their nursing calves but also carried the Ark of the LORD to Beth-shemesh, then it would demonstrate to the Philistines that it was the hand of the Lord that brought about the plague. So, not only are the Philistines trying to figure out what to do with the Ark of the LORD, but they are also trying to test whether or not the LORD is the One responsible for their misery.
And what do we see in the closing verses? The milk cows who have never been yoked to a cart not only leave their nursing calves but also travel to Beth-shemesh, demonstrating that it was, in fact, the LORD who was bringing calamity on the Philistines. This demonstrates that the LORD not only defeated the Philistines with the plague but also that He was sovereign over nature, causing the milk cows to act contrary to their instinct, leaving their nursing calves behind in service to the LORD. Even the cows obey the sovereign Lord.
Before we pray, I want us to marvel at our sovereign God who rules over His enemies and His creation. The Philistines could not defeat Him. Nor could nature fail to obey Him. He rules with absolute sovereignty over the world to restore His presence among His people, even when His people have gone astray. There is a divine mercy embedded in this story that we must not fail to see. The LORD is free in His actions, and His actions are oriented to His glory and the good of His people.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
Now may the Lord of Peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. the Lord be with all of you.
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A Verse
1 Samuel 5:1-12
When the Philistines captured the ark of God, they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it up beside Dagon. And when the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and put him back in his place. But when they rose early on the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the LORD, and the head of Dagon and both his hands were lying cut off on the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left to him. This is why the priests of Dagon and all who enter the house of Dagon do not tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.
The hand of the LORD was heavy against the people of Ashdod, and he terrified and afflicted them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory. And when the men of Ashdod saw how things were, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for his hand is hard against us and against Dagon our god.” So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” They answered, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be brought around to Gath.” So they brought the ark of the God of Israel there. But after they had brought it around, the hand of the LORD was against the city, causing a very great panic, and he afflicted the men of the city, both young and old, so that tumors broke out on them. So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. But as soon as the ark of God came to Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, “They have brought around to us the ark of the God of Israel to kill us and our people.” They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it return to its own place, that it may not kill us and our people.” For there was a deathly panic throughout the whole city. The hand of God was very heavy there. The men who did not die were struck with tumors, and the cry of the city went up to heaven.
A Comment
In this morning’s passage, we get a glimpse into how the Philistines were interpreting their victory over the Israelites. After capturing the Ark of the LORD, the Philistines brought it into the temple of their god, Dagon. One OT scholar noted, “The comparatively small ark is brought as a trophy of victory, point to Dagin’s victory.” In other words, the Philistines believed that they triumphed over Israel because of the superiority of Dagon, their god. But, as the story continues, we learn that what seemed like victory over the God of Israel was actually defeat.
Once the Ark of the LORD was in Dagon’s temple, the people would come to the temple to worship in the morning. On the first morning, the Philistine people go into the temple and find Dagon lying on the ground, facedown before the Ark of the Lord. Initially, it would appear that the people didn’t really understand the significance of finding their deity face down in his own temple before the Ark of the Lord. So, they set their god back up and go on about their day. However, the next morning, they come into their temple and find Dagon’s head and hands cut off, fallen down again.
Dagon’s fallen and dismembered state can only signal one thing: the LORD has killed him. Thus, the point of the story is not the victory of the Philistines or Dagon over the Israelites, but rather the victory of the LORD over the Israelites and the Philistines! Hence, we remember the question that the Israelites asked back in 1 Samuel 4:3, which essentially said, “Why has the LORD allowed us to be defeated?” The answer: the Israelites had not regarded Him rightly. They sought to use the LORD’s presence for their own ends but soon learned that the LORD would not be manipulated.
Furthermore, the Philistines learn a partial lesson here. They learned that the LORD is greater than Dagon. Yet, tragically, instead of turning away from their idol worship to the LORD, they persist in their idolatry and send the Ark of the LORD away. And herein lies one of the saddest realities about idolatry: it blinds us to reality. We might think to ourselves, “If I had been a priest of Dagon and walked into our temple to find our diety dismembered at the threshold before the Ark of the LORD, then I would have abandoned my idolatry!” Yet, that is not what the Philistines did. Instead of repenting, they sent the presence of the Lord away.
As I think about this story, it reminds me of Jesus’ deliverance of the demon-possessed men in Matthew 8:28-34. According to Matthew, when Jesus came into the region of Gadarenes, he was confronted with two demon-possessed men. Jesus delivered the men from their possession and cast the demons into a herd of pigs in the region. You would think that the people of Gadarenes, themselves likely tormented at times by the demon-possessed men, would rejoice in their deliverance and proclaim their faith in Jesus. Yet, this is now what happens. Instead, even after witnessing Jesus’ defeat of the evil spirits in their midst, they “beg him to leave their regions.” In a sense, we see something similar in the Philistine’s response to the Ark of the Lord.
This should teach us that the Lord's presence and power can be perceived in different ways by different people at different times. For some, the presence and power of the Lord might be viewed as a blessing, as a welcomed reality that brings salvation and deliverance in the victory of the forces of evil. Yet, for others, that very same presence brings great destruction. This was surely the case among the Philistines and the Gadarenes.
So, I want to ask us this morning to consider both the blessing and the danger of the presence and power of the Lord. The Lord will not be manipulated. He will not be used as we see fit. Those who regard Him rightly, with humility and honor, will understand His presence and power as a blessing to His people. But those who arrogantly seek to use or commandeer Him will face destruction.
How are you approaching the Lord? Do you approach Him as someone to be used for your own will? Or do you approach Him as the Lord who rules over your life? How you approach Him will impact not only your perception of his presence and power but also the function of His presence and power in your life. If you approach the Lord as a means to an end instead of the End in itself, do not be surprised when what you perceive to be a blessing actually brings great pain and destruction in your life. You approach God as the great God over all, the Lord of Heaven and Earth, or you don’t approach Him at all.
The story of the Ark of the Lord among the Philistines should remind us of this reality. Furthermore, it should remind us of our need to approach the LORD in Jesus Christ, who grants us to boldly approach the throne of grace with the right perspective about who He is and what He does in this world.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the rulers of the kings of the earth.
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A Verse
1 Samuel 4:12-22
A man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes torn and with dirt on his head. When he arrived, Eli was sitting on his seat by the road watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city and told the news, all the city cried out. When Eli heard the sound of the outcry, he said, “What is this uproar?” Then the man hurried and came and told Eli. Now Eli was ninety-eight years old and his eyes were set so that he could not see. And the man said to Eli, “I am he who has come from the battle; I fled from the battle today.” And he said, “How did it go, my son?” He who brought the news answered and said, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has also been a great defeat among the people. Your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.” As soon as he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backward from his seat by the side of the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.
Now his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant, about to give birth. And when she heard the news that the ark of God was captured, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed and gave birth, for her pains came upon her. And about the time of her death the women attending her said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you have borne a son.” But she did not answer or pay attention. And she named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel!” because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband. And she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.”
A Comment
I know everyone is upset that I was not able to share this uplifting passage on Valentine’s Day yesterday, but I’ve been down with a pretty bad headache for the last two days, so hopefully you will forgive me ;)
Obviously, this is a tragic passage. Eli receives the awful news that his two sons have been killed and that the Ark of the Lord has been captured by the Philistines. Based on the way that this message reads, there appears to be an intentional order to the awful news. First, the messenger from the tribe of Benjamin reports that the Israelites had been defeated. The winners of war do not have to flee from it. Second, the news of the death of Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phineas, is reported. Regardless of the fact that Eli had already heard the prophecy from Samuel regarding their just destruction for their behavior as priests, we should expect Eli to be heartbroken over the loss of boys.
Yet, it is the final piece of the news of the capture of the Ark of the Lord that metaphorically and literally kills Eli. The symbol of the Lord’s presence in the midst of His people had been taken away. The glory of the Lord, as manifested by the presence of the Ark, had literally departed from among the people of Israel. Upon hearing the news, Eli falls to his death. The author includes a detail about Eli’s weight at the time of his death, which hints to the fact that it was not only Eli’s sons who were enriching themselves from the people’s offerings.
In the final scene of this story, Eli’s daughter-in-law, due to the grief of the news of the death of her husband, goes into labor, and due to difficulties in the labor, she dies as well. However, before she dies, the midwives inform her that she has borne a son. She, however, would not be comforted by this news. For, she names the son, “Ichabod,” which means, “No glory,” or “the glory has departed.”
The birth of Eli’s grandson, Ichabod, points to the departure of the glory of God among the people of Israel. One commentator notes, “Banishment from the presence of God was a penalty threatened in the covenant (Lev. 26:33; Deut. 28:64), but here it is God who has departed the land. “Glory” (from the same root as “heavy” or “honored” in 1 Sam. 4:18) probably goes beyond a reference to the ark as such, obliquely pointing to the Lord himself (15:29), or at any rate to his glory-presence (Lev. 16:2; Num. 7:89; Ps. 106:19–22). The concluding words are the narrator’s commentary emphasizing what has brought this about: God-abandonment is the tragic outcome for a people who have abandoned their God. Moreover, being abandoned by God, they are deprived of the symbol of his presence as well.”
How should we respond to this passage? While there is a lot that could be said here, I think it is important for us to recognize that we cannot put our hope or our trust in our own religious performance. It is possible to do external things without having an inward affection for God. This was the case for Eli and his sons. While they conducted their priestly service outwardly, their hearts were far from the Lord.
We, thus, ought to examine not only our actions but also our motives. As one commentator mentions, “In all spiritual matters there remains an absolute obligation for self-examination (1 Corinthians 11:27-32).” To state this principle in the form of a question, “What motives you to do the things that you do?” Are you motivated by the glory of God or the glory of self? If you are motivated by the glory of self, there will be no room for the glory of God. And when this is case, 1 Samuel 4:12-22 should serve as a warning to all of us. May we keep our eyes on Christ, living for His glory alone, and not our own.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
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A Verse
1 And the word of Samuel came to all Israel.
Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines. They encamped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines encamped at Aphek. 2 The Philistines drew up in line against Israel, and when the battle spread, Israel was defeated before the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men on the field of battle. 3 And when the people came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the LORD defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD here from Shiloh, that it may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.” 4 So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, who is enthroned on the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
5 As soon as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel gave a mighty shout, so that the earth resounded. 6 And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, “What does this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” And when they learned that the ark of the LORD had come to the camp, 7 the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “A god has come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. 8 Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness. 9 Take courage, and be men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you; be men and fight.”
10 So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and they fled, every man to his home. And there was a very great slaughter, for thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell. 11 And the ark of God was captured, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
A Comment
The beginning of verse 1 transitions from Samuel’s call as a prophet to the Ark of the Covenant story. In a sense, we are moving away from Samuel’s story for a few chapters to consider the situation of the Israelites and their priesthood under Eli and his sons, which is tied to Samuel’s prophecy from 1 Samuel 3. In terms of what we will encounter in 1 Samuel 4:1-11, we will witness the terrible consequences of assuming God can be controlled.
With the first words of the second part of verse 1, we see the Israelites going to war with the Philistines. Some scholars believe these words should be tied to the first sentence of verse 1 regarding the “word of Samuel coming to all of Israel.” Other scholars think that we should read the beginning of verse 1 as a conclusion to 1 Samuel 3:21.
At this point, it is helpful to remember that chapter and verse divisions were not a part of the original text of Scripture. They were added hundreds of years after the canonization of Scripture. So, there is a genuine sense in which it is a judgment call on the reader's part to determine whether we should interpret the second half of verse 1 as related to the first half of verse 1 or as an independent introduction to a new section. If you read the second half of verse 1 as tied to the first half of verse 1, then you could interpret what follows in 1 Samuel 4:2-11 as a response to Samuel’s words, which lead the Israelites to engage the Philistines in battle. In light of the rest of 1 Samuel 4:2-11,I believe it is best to read the first section of verse 1 as a conclusion to the end of chapter 3 and the second half of verse 1 as introducing a new section about the Ark of the Covenant. I believe this understanding of the structure of the passage makes the most sense of what we find in 1 Samuel 4:2-11. What do I mean by this? I mean that what we see is the Israelites making assumptions about the presence and blessing of God in their battle with the Philistines, which leads to their defeat.
If we read that Samuel’s words to the Israelites told them to go to war with the Philistines, then we have a few things that we have to deal with. First, if Samuel told them to go to battle with the Philistines, we must explain why the Israelites lost the battle. One explanation could be that Samuel was sending them into battle so that God’s prophecy regarding Hophni and Phineas would be fulfilled, which we see at the end of verse 11 after the capture of the Ark of the Covenant.
The other way to read this passage is to see the first part of verse 1 as a conclusion to chapter , and then the second part of verse 1 as a new section, wherein the Israelites presume upon the Lord’s presence and blessing in their military action against the Philistines. Based on the text itself, we do not see any indication that the Lord had called the Israelites to go to war with the Philistines at this point in their history. Furthermore, we see the Israelites using the Ark of the Covenant as a means to an end instead of the symbol of the Lord’s presence in their midst.
Given how pathetic the priesthood was in those days, we should not be surprised to see the Israelites taking the gift of the Lord’s presence in the form of the Ark of the Covenant in Shiloh and attempting to use it however they saw fit. Initially, when they lost the battle, they wondered why the Lord had allowed them to be defeated. The Israelites blamed the Lord for their loss without ever considering that maybe it was their sin or presumption that caused their defeat. So, they responded by bringing the Ark of the Covenant to the battlefield, assuming that God could be controlled, but this was a tragic error.
God is not a thing to be manipulated for the satisfaction of the desires of our flesh. We cannot simply carry His presence into the midst of our endeavors and expect Him to bless the things He has not authorized. As later passages like Psalm 78:56-58 describe, when we take the LORD and attempt to fashion Him into our own likeness and conform Him to our own wills, we are guilty of sinful idolatry. He might be present in the midst of our endeavors, just as the Ark was present when the Israelites went into battle with the Philistines, but He won’t be there to bless us. It will be to discipline us.
There are so many things that I could mention here, but this devotional is already longer than normal. However, I need to mention a few things we must understand as we prepare to approach God in prayer. This passage teaches us that God will not be controlled by us. He is the Potter; we are the clay. We don’t get to bring Him into whatever we want to accomplish and expect Him to do it. God will not be controlled. If He could be controlled, then He would cease to be God.
I see this so often with people who misinterpret and misapply the Bible in ways that claim that God always wants to bless us with material prosperity. It may be health, wealth, or other forms of prosperity. They will quote passages like Jeremiah 29:11, which says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope,” assuming that this passage means that God never intends for us to go through hardship, difficulty, or discipline. Of course, most people who quote this passage are either ignorant or willfully disregarding its context, which situates the passage in the context of Babylonian exile for Judah. Most people don’t want to be reminded that this “cute” Bible verse we put on our bags and t-shirts appears in the context of 70 years of God’s discipline on His rebellious people. We just read or hear this passage and assume that God will do what I want Him to do when I want Him to do it, which is the same sin that we see the Israelites committing in 1 Samuel 4:1-11.
As we reflect on this passage, we must be humbled by it. We need to not only read the passage but let this passage read us as well. We need it to expose the places in our lives where we have carelessly sought to carry the presence of the LORD, thinking that we could control Him while His Word clearly shows He will not be controlled. Even as we prepare to pray, we must recognize that our prayers do not make God do anything. Our God is in the heavens, He does whatever He pleases (Psalm 115:3). Thus, prayer is not about manipulating God or making Him do whatever we want Him to do, but rather making our requests to Him to do in and through us whatever pleases Him according to His will.
May the Lord deliver us from the kind of presumption that we see in the Israelites in 1 Samuel 4:1-11, and grant us to approach Him with humility, making our request known without assuming that we always know what’s best in our lives.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me this morning?
A Blessing
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
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A Verse
1 Samuel 3:1-21
Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.
At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.
Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, “Here I am!” and ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down.
And the Lord called again, “Samuel!” and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.” Then the Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.”
Samuel lay until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. But Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” And he said, “Here I am.” And Eli said, “What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also if you hide anything from me of all that he told you.” So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, “It is the Lord. Let him do what seems good to him.”
And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the Lord. And the Lord appeared again at Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord.
A Comment
In this morning’s passage, we encounter what one scholar describes as the tragic and transformative Word of God. The LORD calls and speaks to Samuel regarding the thing that He is about to do in Israel. Yet, the thing He is about to do is tragic. For, the word to Samuel is a message of sure judgment to Eli and his sons for their disobedience. Herein lies the tragedy. Eli, a man who should have known better, had ignored the Word of the Lord to previous generations. Like the people in the book of Judges, Eli and his sons “did what was right in their own eyes.” And the results were devastating.
Yet, there is more than mere tragedy in these verses. There is also transformation, particular for Samuel, the one who would hear and heed that Word of the Lord. Whereas God will bring judgment on Eli’s household, the Word of the Lord would transform Samuel into God’s prophet among the people of Israel. The LORD would ensure the faithfulness of Samuel’s words as His prophet. None of Samuel’s words would fall to the ground, meaning, as one OT scholar put it, “The Lord authenticates his prophet by bringing about all that he tells him to announce, and so Samuel passes the test of Deuteronomy 18:21–22.”
Word of the LORD is faithful and true, bringing tragedy to those who disregard it but transformation to those who hear and heed it. May we hear and heed the Word of the LORD this morning as we prepare our hearts to respond in prayer.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
Grace and peace be yours in abundance, through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
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A Verse
1 Samuel 3:1
Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD in the presence of Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.
A Comment
This morning’s passage describes the sad situation that the people of Israel found themselves in during the days of Eli’s priesthood. While Samuel was faithful to minister “to the LORD” during his days in the temple, it was a ministry so unfamiliar with the voice of the LORD that once the LORD did reveal Himself to Samuel (as seen in the following verses), Eli initially did not even know what to do.
Can you imagine a sadder indictment on Israel’s priesthood? The high priest, Eli, had grown so apathetic to the problems in his own household with his sons, Hophni and Phineas, that when the LORD did reveal Himself to Samuel in the temple in Shiloh that he didn’t know how to respond.
When I read this passage, I cannot help but think of the familiar though often misunderstood and misapplied passage from Proverbs 29:18, which says, “Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.” This passage is sometimes translated (or at least known) as saying, “Without a vision, the people perish.” How often have I heard church leaders use this passage to justify their visions for God’s people? But this passage is not about your church’s vision statement! It’s about the dreadful situation that God’s people find themselves in when they do not hear or receive the Word of God!
Our greatest need as God’s people is not some cute or memorable saying that we have devised to help us build another building or start a new ministry. Rather, what the people of God need is the Word of God! The prophetic vision that Proverbs 29:18 refers to and the word that was the “rare” in the days of Eli’s ministry is the life-giving Word of God, which often confronts us and calls us to repentance and faith in Him.
The vision we need this morning is the vision of God’s Word. Let us therefore not be so unfamiliar with God speaking through His Word that when we hear it we cannot discern it. Let us open our Bible and reflect and mediate on what God has said, lest we perish for lack of such a vision.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
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A Note
Please share these devotionals with anyone and everyone who would be blessed by them!
A Verse
1 Samuel 2:27-36
And there came a man of God to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Did I indeed reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt subject to the house of Pharaoh? Did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? I gave to the house of your father all my offerings by fire from the people of Israel. Why then do you scorn my sacrifices and my offerings that I commanded for my dwelling, and honor your sons above me by fattening yourselves on the choicest parts of every offering of my people Israel?’ Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that your house and the house of your father should go in and out before me forever,’ but now the LORD declares: ‘Far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed. Behold, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house. Then in distress you will look with envious eye on all the prosperity that shall be bestowed on Israel, and there shall not be an old man in your house forever. The only one of you whom I shall not cut off from my altar shall be spared to weep his eyes out to grieve his heart, and all the descendants of your house shall die by the sword of men. And this that shall come upon your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, shall be the sign to you: both of them shall die on the same day. And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and mind. And I will build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out before my anointed forever. And everyone who is left in your house shall come to implore him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread and shall say, “Please put me in one of the priests’ places, that I may eat a morsel of bread.”’”’
A Comment
Today, we are going to revisit 1 Samuel 2:27-36. Yesterday, we considered the words the prophet delivered to Eli regarding his household. But, as I mentioned at the beginning of that episode, this passage has too much to cover in one devotional. So, today, I want to look back at the prophetic significance of the prophet’s words regarding the priest that God would appoint in Eli's place.
In its historical context, the priest who replaced Eli was Samuel. And Samuel’s pivotal role in the book of 1 Samuel is how he will anoint David as king in place of Saul. So, if you are wondering what the book of 1 Samuel is all about, it’s primarily focused on the legitimacy of David as God’s anointed and appointed King.
However, some aspects about Samuel clue us in more here than initially meets the eye. I covered some of this earlier this week when I mentioned the use of language about Samuel growing in stature and in favor with God and man (1 Samuel 2:26). As noted previously, this language is similar to the language used to refer to Jesus in Luke 2:52, which says, “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.”
In 1 Samuel 2:27-36, we find language that highlights the nature of Samuel’s priesthood, which contrasts the priesthood of Eli and his sons, Hophni and Phineas. Yet, as we read Scripture as a collective whole, as a canon, we can also see this language in other places. For instance, as one scholar notes, we likely see an allusion to 1 Samuel 2:35 in passages like Hebrews 3:1-5, which states, “
Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house. For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later.
In Hebrews 3:1-5, the author addresses the superiority of Jesus to Moses, yet Samuel falls within this Mosaic trajectory as a priest who would not be like his contemporaries. Thus, when we read 1 Samuel 2:27-36, we should be mindful of how later fulfillment of the man of God’s prophecy are fulfilled not only through the kingship of Jesus, but also through the priesthood of Jesus.
In his excellent book, Typology: Understanding the Bible’s Promised-Shaped Patterns, James Hamilton notes this connection between the earlier promise of Samuel’s priesthood and Jesus’ later fulfillment (see pages 73-77). In this way, Samuel is a type of Christ, which means that there is both a historical significance to Samuel’s fulfillment of the promises made to Eli in 1 Samuel 2:27-36 but also an escalation of the fulfillment found in Jesus, the only true Priest who is faithful over all of God’s household.
Why does this matter to us? If yesterday’s devotional was a little unsettling or challenging to receive because of our failure, we must recognize that we have a faithful priest who represents us before the Lord, Christ Jesus himself. Our failures to honor the Lord do not define our relationship with the Lord because Jesus is our mediator. Jesus is the one who fulfills what Eli, his sons, and even Samuel are unable to fulfill due to their own sinfulness and failure.
This should fill us with hope and peace. To know that Jesus is our high priest who mediates our relationship to God should assuage our fear and guilt before God. The Lord knows that we fail and will continue to fail in and of ourselves. Yet, He has made provision in Christ. Thus, while the message of 1 Samuel 2:27-36 certainly implies expectations of our honoring of the Lord, it also reminds us that we, like others, will fail and need a better priest. Christ is the priest we need, and Christ is the priest provided. May we run to him for the forgiveness we need!
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
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A Verse
1 Samuel 2:27-36
And there came a man of God to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Did I indeed reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt subject to the house of Pharaoh? Did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? I gave to the house of your father all my offerings by fire from the people of Israel. Why then do you scorn my sacrifices and my offerings that I commanded for my dwelling, and honor your sons above me by fattening yourselves on the choicest parts of every offering of my people Israel?’ Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that your house and the house of your father should go in and out before me forever,’ but now the LORD declares: ‘Far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed. Behold, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house. Then in distress you will look with envious eye on all the prosperity that shall be bestowed on Israel, and there shall not be an old man in your house forever. The only one of you whom I shall not cut off from my altar shall be spared to weep his eyes out to grieve his heart, and all the descendants of your house shall die by the sword of men. And this that shall come upon your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, shall be the sign to you: both of them shall die on the same day. And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind. And I will build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out before my anointed forever. And everyone who is left in your house shall come to implore him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread and shall say, “Please put me in one of the priests’ places, that I may eat a morsel of bread.”’”
A Comment
We are going to look at this passage today and tomorrow. I cannot pass over the significance of the prophet’s words regarding a faithful priest, but I also do not want to miss the importance of the warning all parents should receive from the prophet’s rebuke to Eli.
Admittedly, this passage is sad. Eli is confronted by the man of God, a prophet sent by the Lord to rebuke him for his failure as a priest and a parent. While Hophni and Phinehas will be held accountable by the Lord for their evil deeds, Eli is also responsible. Eli should have dealt with his sons’ evil. Instead, he was apathetic to their evil. While it may have grieved him personally, it did not grieve him enough to act. And, as a result, his sons did what was evil in the Lord’s eyes.
Every believing parent that reads this passage ought to slow down and reflect on the words of this passage. Eli is accused (rightly) of “honoring” his sons above the Lord by disregarding the Lord’s commands. Maybe Eli felt that he should address the problems that he saw in his sons. Maybe Eli felt that if he honored the Lord above his sons that he would drive them away. But Eli was wrong. It is never right to honor anyone, even your children, more highly than the Lord.
Obviously, this applies to more than just one’s relationship to their children. It could apply to one’s spouse or to one’s profession or a host of other things. But we need to see here that the Lord is jealous for His glory. He will not share it with another. If Eli wanted to show regard for his sons, then he should have shown ultimate regard for God. But he didn’t. And his decision will be devastating for his family.
May we heed the warning to regard the glory of the Lord above all.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
May the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.
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A Verse
1 Samuel 2:11-26
Then Elkanah went home to Ramah. And the boy was ministering to the LORD in the presence of Eli the priest.
Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the LORD. The custom of the priests with the people was that when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come, while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand, and he would thrust it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or pot. All that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is what they did at Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. Moreover, before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give meat for the priest to roast, for he will not accept boiled meat from you but only raw.” And if the man said to him, “Let them burn the fat first, and then take as much as you wish,” he would say, “No, you must give it now, and if not, I will take it by force.” Thus the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the LORD, for the men treated the offering of the LORD with contempt.
Samuel was ministering before the LORD, a boy clothed with a linen ephod. And his mother used to make for him a little robe and take it to him each year when she went up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, “May the LORD give you children by this woman for the petition she asked of the LORD.” So then they would return to their home.
Indeed the LORD visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew in the presence of the LORD.
Now Eli was very old, and he kept hearing all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who were serving at the entrance to the tent of meeting. And he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people. No, my sons; it is no good report that I hear the people of the LORD spreading abroad. If someone sins against a man, God will mediate for him, but if someone sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for it was the will of the LORD to put them to death.
Now the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the LORD and also with man.
A Comment
In 1 Samuel 2:11-26, we witness a contrast between Samuel and Eli’s sons. But more than just the contrast between the faithful servant Samuel and the fallen priests, Eli's sons, we can discern a prophetic vision, pointing us to the ultimate truth: Christ, our Great High Priest, surpasses all others in His perfect service to God and His people.
As we observe Samuel, a young boy serving with wholehearted devotion, we are compelled to see a faint reflection of the greater reality in Christ. Samuel's dedication in the temple shadows the complete and perfect dedication of Jesus Christ, who entered not a temple made with hands but the very heavens themselves, offering up His life as a once-for-all sacrifice for our sins. In Samuel’s faithfulness, we glimpse the unwavering faithfulness of our Savior, who, in His life, death, and resurrection, fulfilled all righteousness on our behalf. We even see that the language that was used to describe Samuel in verse 26 is used again in Luke 2:52 to describe Jesus.
Now, contrast this with the stark warning embodied in Eli’s sons, who, though priests by lineage, utterly fail in their priestly duties, succumbing to corruption and sin. Their downfall reminds us of the inadequacy of any mere human mediator and our desperate need for a perfect priest. And in this need, the gospel shines gloriously: Christ stands as the fulfillment of what every priest pointed to but could never achieve. Unlike Eli's sons, Christ never sinned; unlike any earthly priest, He offers us a perfect, unbreakable relationship with God.
Herein lies our profound comfort and unshakeable hope: in Christ, we have a High Priest who is holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He never fails! He doesn't just serve in the temple; He is the temple, the meeting place of God and man. In Him, we find not only an example of faithful service but our very means of salvation.
A Prayer
Would you join me in prayer?
A Blessing
Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
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A Verse
1 Samuel 2:8-10
He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and on them he has set the world.
He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness, for not by might shall a man prevail. The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; against them he will thunder in heaven. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.
A Comment
I invite you to marvel at the grand narrative of redemption woven through these verses, where God's sovereignty and grace intersect in a glorious display.
In His majestic wisdom, the Lord exalts the humble, a beautiful reflection of His boundless mercy revealed supremely in Jesus Christ. This passage paints a picture of the Gospel itself: just as God lifts the needy from the dust, so has Christ lifted us from the depths of sin to the heights of His grace.
Let this profound truth stir your hearts. Our God, who holds the earth's foundations, has demonstrated His ultimate compassion and power in Christ. In our trials and weaknesses, we are profoundly reminded of the Savior's humble journey to the cross. Our weaknesses and lowliness only magnify Christ's strength and majesty.
Rejoice in this: our salvation, our hope, and our exaltation are not grounded in our might but in Christ's finished work. Let us find our deepest satisfaction and our greatest joy not in the fleeting pleasures of this world but in the enduring, unchanging love of Christ. In Him, our weary souls find rest, our broken spirits find healing, and our lives find their truest meaning and purpose. Christ is our strength, our righteousness, and our exalted King.
And, if we know this story, we know that Hannah’s prayer for the king at the end of these verses, while certainly applicable to David, will ultimately be fulfilled through Christ, great David’s greater Son.
A Prayer
Would you join me in prayer?
A Blessing
May the Lord bless you and keep you; may the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; may the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. In the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, be lifted from your lowliness to the heights of His love and mercy. Amen.
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A Verse
1 Samuel 2:6-7
The LORD kills and brings to life;he brings down to Sheol and raises up.The LORD makes poor and makes rich:he brings low and exalts.
A Comment
In verses 6-7, Hannah’s prayer of praise is somewhat startling. She praises the Lord as the One who both kills and resurrects. The One who makes poor and rich. The One who humbles and exalts. Our tendency, at least here in the West, is only to want to focus on the Lord who resurrects, makes rich, and exalts. But if we focus on one aspect of the Lord’s work to the neglect of another, we will not see the fullness of His majesty.
Our God is the One who has complete sovereignty over life and death. Complete sovereignty over poverty and riches. Complete sovereignty over humbling and exalting. And these realities are not in tension with one another. Both life and death, poverty and riches are in His hands. And He is worthy of our praise for His marvelous works.
When Hannah uses the language of “death” and “life,” of “poverty and riches,” we need to see that the point here is God’s sovereign rule over all. We call this type of language a “merismus,” which refers to a rhetorical device (a figure of speech) that “describes the whole of something by specifying its two extremes, such as contrasting or complementary parts.” By considering these two extremes, death and life or poverty and riches, we see that nothing is outside of God’s power.
As uncomfortable as this thought might be to some of us this morning, we need to see that if we are a praying people, we already believe this to one degree. If you have ever prayed that God would preserve or save someone’s life, then you already believe what our passage is saying. If you have ever prayed for God’s justice to be carried out on the wicked, then you already believe these truths.
God is God over all. If He is not, then He is no god at all. And while aspects of this prayer of praise might make us skirm a little, we need to see that God’s sovereignty is actually for our good. In fact, it is a belief in His sovereignty over all that enables us to pray and entrust ourselves and others to Him. It is this kind of sovereignty that helps us to read passages like Romans 8:28, which says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
There is nothing outside of God’s control that He is not working for the good of His people in Jesus Christ. We can rest in His power this morning, and pray accordingly, because He truly is the God who rules over all aspects of our life!
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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A Verse
1 Samuel 2:4-5
The bows of the mighty are broken,but the feeble bind on strength.
Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger.The barren has borne seven,but she who has many children is forlorn.
A Comment
In these verses, we see that what was impossible with man was made reality with God. I love how one OT scholar describes what is going on in 1 Samuel 2:4-5. He writes, “One of the Lord’s immeasurable deeds is the reversal of life situations. He is the one who acts according to his sovereign will, often beyond human understanding and common sense.”
O’ how we need to have this perspective about the situations that we face in life! The circumstances of shame and hardship that we find ourselves in are never beyond God’s sovereign control or plan for our lives. And, if we pay attention to God’s Word, we will see this over and over again. We see it in the lives of others in Scripture.
We see it in Joseph’s life, who was sold into slavery by his brothers but, through God’s power, ascends to the height of power in Egypt. We see it in the life of David, who all but overlooked but eventually became the king of Israel. We see it in the life of Esther, who was a humble Jewish woman who became queen over a nation and preserved the life of her people. At each point, the mighty fall but the weak rise. Why? Because God was at work!
What circumstances are you facing this morning that seem completely out of your hands? Do not judge the Lord’s kindness or ability by what you are able to perceive! Instead, look to the One who brings down the mighty but exalts the lowly! Look to the God who casts down the mighty but raises up the weak and be comforted and strengthened this morning. Put your hope in this great God!
A Prayer
Would you join me in prayer?
A Blessing
May the Lord give strength to His people and bless you with His peace.
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A Verse
1 Samuel 2:1-3
And Hannah prayed and said,
“My heart exults in the LORD;my horn is exalted in the LORD.My mouth derides my enemies,because I rejoice in your salvation.
There is none holy like the LORD:for there is none besides you;there is no rock like our God.Talk no more so very proudly,let not arrogance come from your mouth;for the LORD is a God of knowledge,and by him actions are weighed.”
A Comment
Today’s passage covers the beginning of Hannah’s prayer of praise to the LORD for providing her with a son. If you recall from the beginning of chapter 1, Hannah was barren and the object of ridicule from her rival, Penninah. The LORD, however, hears and answers her prayer. Hannah promised to dedicate her son to the LORD, which we see occurring at the end of chapter 1. Chapter 2 serves as a break in the story about Hannah and Samuel, highlighting her trust in the LORD.
In this morning’s passage, there are so many things that I would love to point out, but we just don’t have the time to dig in in such a brief devotional. I do, however, want to encourage you to send some time meditating on Hannah’s response of prayerful praise to the LORD. So, here are a few things that you should look at:
-
Hannah’s emotional response to the LORD - Note how she describes her response to the LORD. It is with her “heart” that she “exults” in the Lord. As one scholar put it, “My heart refers to all the faculties of Hannah’s inner being, while “exults” is a strong term for the triumphant celebration of a victory.” Yet, as the scholar goes on to say, “The repeated ‘in the LORD’ makes clear that Hannah’s joy derives from what he has done for her in overcoming her childlessness.”
-
Hannah’s strength in the LORD - The idea of strength is found in the symbolic language of Hannah’s reference to “my horn.” Again, many scholars note that “the horn of an animal was considered the source of its strength.” For Hannah to declare that the source of her strength, her glory is in the LORD is important. Her exultation of the LORD is not found in her own abilities or strength, but in God who supplies all of her needs.
-
Hannah’s theological reflections on the LORD - Whereas other ancient Near Eastern communities praised the strength and power of their deities, Hannah’s declaration about the holiness, justice, and power of God serve as a contrast to all other “gods.” Hannah’s God is utterly unique. He is not like the other so-called “gods.”
What significance do these reflections have for us this morning? Again, much could be said here, but for now, I want us to see how important it is for us to have a true understanding of the God we praise. In fact, I would say that the more we grow in our understanding of God, the more we will praise Him for who He is.
Take time this morning to reflect on who God is and what He has accomplished, especially the salvation that He has brought about in your life through Jesus Christ. As you do this, my hope is that you will respond like Hannah with praise in your prayers, honoring Him for His great work of grace in your life.
A Prayer
Would you join me in prayer?
A Blessing
May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
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A Verse
1 Samuel 2:1-10
And Hannah prayed and said,“My heart exults in the LORD;my horn is exalted in the LORD.My mouth derides my enemies,because I rejoice in your salvation.
“There is none holy like the LORD:for there is none besides you;there is no rock like our God.Talk no more so very proudly,let not arrogance come from your mouth;for the LORD is a God of knowledge,and by him actions are weighed.
The bows of the mighty are broken,but the feeble bind on strength.Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger.The barren has borne seven,but she who has many children is forlorn.
The LORD kills and brings to life;he brings down to Sheol and raises up.The LORD makes poor and makes rich;he brings low and he exalts.He raises up the poor from the dust;he lifts the needy from the ash heapto make them sit with princesand inherit a seat of honor.For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’S,and on them he has set the world.
“He will guard the feet of his faithful ones,but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness,for not by might shall a man prevail.The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces;against them he will thunder in heaven.The LORD will judge the ends of the earth;he will give strength to his kingand exalt the horn of his anointed.”
A Comment
One of the most striking features of “Hannah’s prayer” in these verses is that it does not conform to the typical understanding of what it means to “pray.” We often, and rightly, think of prayer as “making our requests known to the Lord” (Philippians 4:6-7). And this is absolutely true! This is even how Jesus taught us to pray for our daily bread, our need for forgiveness, and our battle against temptation. Yet, here in Hannah’s prayer, we do not see any requests, just praise for her God, who has answered her prayer for a son.
As I was reflecting on this passage, I couldn’t help but feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Much of my prayer life is dedicated to needs that I am aware of. And God does not despise these prayers. Our prayers are heard because of the blood-bought access that Christ provides for us. We come boldly to the throne of grace because of Jesus (Hebrews 4:16)! But if I’m being honest with you, my prayers tend to be more about my requests than about praising my God for His greatness.
In chapter 1 of 1 Samuel, we saw how important it is to bring our request before the Lord. But when He answers, we do not stop praying. No. We keep praying with prayers of praise and thanksgiving, lauding Him for who He is and what He has accomplished.
Over the next few days, we will dig into Hannah’s prayer more deeply but for now, I want to encourage us to pray even when things are better than we could imagine. Even when don’t perceive that we have a request to make (though this is likely never really the case), let us bring Him hearts full of gratitude for His faithfulness to us as His children.
A Prayer
Would you join me in prayer?
A Blessing
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
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A Verse
1 Samuel 1:19-28
Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the LORD and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the LORD remembered her. So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the LORD for him.”
When her husband Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vow, Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, “After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the LORD, and he will live there always.”
“Do what seems best to you,” her husband Elkanah told her. “Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the LORD make good his word.” So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him.
After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh. When the bull had been sacrificed, they brought the boy to Eli, and she said to him, “Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD. I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD.” And he worshiped the LORD there.
A Comment
How often do we pray for God to do something, then, when it happens, we forget that we had prayed for it? Maybe this is not a regular occurence in your life, but if I’m being honest, I tend to pray, see the request fulfilled, then attribute my reception of the fulfilled request to my own efforts or intellect. This, however, is not what Hannah exemplifies in today’s passage. The author of 1 Samuel draws attention not only to the human agency that led to Hannah’s pregnancy with Samuel (“Elkanah knew/made love to his wife Hannah”) but also to the LORD’s remembrance of Hannah’s request.
To be sure, as OT scholar Bill Arnold noted, “God’s remembering someone in the Old Testament (zkr) does not mean that he has forgotten them, only that his memory is consistent with his promises and that he will take action.” The focus here then is not on God’s omniscient, true as it may be, but rather, on His faithfulness to His people, which, in this case, was Hannah.
Hannah responds to God’s answer to her prayer by fulfilling her vow of dedicating Samuel, her son, to the LORD’s service. The story of 1 Samuel picks up from here, demonstrating God’s faithfulness to His people through Samuel, who will serves as a kind of “king-maker” for the people of Israel.
As for us, this passage teaches, among other things, that the LORD is ultimately the One who is responsible for answering our prayers. While we may be responsible agents in the world, going about our day-to-day work in keeping with His will for our lives, it is God who causes all of our efforts to bear fruit. We must learn to rest in His sovereignty over us.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.
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A Verse
1 Samuel 1:9-18
Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the LORD’S house. In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the LORD, weeping bitterly. And she made a vow, saying, “LORD Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”
As she kept on praying to the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.”
“Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the LORD. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”
Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”
She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.
A Comment
As I mentioned in yesterday’s devotional, Hannah was not consoled by Elkanah’s double portion blessing nor his question of how blessed she was to have him as her husband. Hannah was still grieving. So, after the family finished their meal, which doubtlessly consisted of the meat from Elkanah’s sacrifices in Shiloh, Hannah went into the house of the LORD. She encounters Eli in this scene. In future chapters, we will see a contrast between Hannah’s son, Samuel, and Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phineas. But for now, we focus on Hannah’s pursuit of the LORD in prayer.
Hannah prayed with sincerity and transparency. I am grateful that the author of 1 Samuel included these details. She is said to be in “deep anguish” and “weeping bitterly.” Hannah entreats the LORD Almighty to look upon her distress and have mercy, granting her the desire of her heart for a child. If the LORD would do this for Hannah, she vows to dedicate the child to the LORD.
There are a few things here that I want to point out for us. First, when we seek the Lord, even in the midst of our anguish, we should seek Him with the sincerity and transparency that we see displayed in Hannah. Hannah did not seek the LORD in pretense. She did not put on her “happy face,” so to speak. She approached the LORD in her anguish, tears and all, spoke from her heart, and asked the LORD to deliver her from the shame of her circumstances.
Secondly, like Hannah, we must realize that when we pray, we are communing with God. In other words, we pray so as to make our request known to Him. We are not praying so that others would be impressed with our piety or our vocabulary. We are conducting serious business with our God. While Eli may have been puzzled by Hannah’s prayers, this only goes to show that such prayer was not a frequent occurrence in these days. Eli must have not witnessed many people pour their hearts out to God. No wonder he figured she was drunk from the meal she just finished with her family.
Thirdly, like Hannah, we should approach the LORD in humility. Hannah rightly recognizes that she is His servant. She does not address God as equals. She knows her place before the LORD. This is how we ought to approach the LORD as well. With humility and honesty.
Finally, given the situation that Hannah was in and the pain that she had suffered from Penninah, I love how Hannah “pours her heart out to the Lord.” I appreciate what one commentator said about this passage, “Her self-description as ‘pouring out my soul before the Lord’ indicated that rather than leaving her emotions to fester in internal bitterness, she has expressed her deepest desires in sustained entreaty to God.” O’ that we would be the type of people that pour our souls out to God, instead of allowing the bitterness of our emotions to destroy us from within.
A Prayer
In light of these lessons on prayer that we learn from Hannah, would you join me in prayer?
A Blessing
May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
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A Verse
1 Samuel 1:1-8
There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.
Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the LORD Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the LORD. Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the LORD had closed her womb. Because the LORD had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?”
A Comment
The first 8 verses of the book of 1 Samuel set the scene for the story that will shortly unfold. A man named Elkanah is introduced to us. We learn that Elkanah had two wives: Hannah and Peninnah. Hannah, likely Elkanah’s first wife, was barren, which means, she did have any children. While it was not uncommon for a wealthy, “well-to-do-man” to have more than one wife, it is also possible that Elkanah took another wife, Peninnah, because Hannah was unable to provide him with an heir.
OT scholar, David Tsumura notes, “In the ancient Near East, having an heir was very important, for lacking an heir meant the end of one’s ‘house.’” Yet is does not appear that Elkanah despised his wife, Hannah. We are told that he “loved” her and would give her a double portion of the sacrificial meat from his annual trip to Shiloh.
But while Elkanah might have been loving toward Hannah, the other wife, Penninah, was not. Our passage describes Penninah as Hannah’s rival, often provoking her on account of her barrenness. Yet, the passage also reveals that it was “the LORD who closed Hannah’s womb.” In other words, this scene differs from the story of Sarah and Abraham’s childlessness in Genesis. With Sarah and Abraham’s story, they were considered too old to have a child. Hannah, however, was able (as far as her age was concerned) to have a child but she did not have a child. And the writer of 1 Samuel wants us to know that it was because “the LORD” had closed her womb.
Elkanah’s response to Hannah’s despair is “out of touch with the depth of tensions in his own household and is imperceptive of Hannah’s feelings.” Elkanah attempts to bless Hannah with a double portion of food and to draw her attention back to how blessed she is to have him as her husband. I don’t think that we should impute ill-will to Elkanah’s attempts to cheer his wife, but it is obvious that she is not consoled by his efforts.
There is much that we can learn from this initial story in the book of 1 Samuel. As we will see later, Hannah’s situation will be reversed by God’s intervention. Yet, Hannah was not privy to God’s plan for her or her future son. Anyone who reads this story can see that Hannah was emotionally depressed due to her circumstances. Furthermore, many of us likely know what it is like to receive attempts at comfort from others, just as Hannah did from Elkanah. Hannah’s redemption, however, would not come from Elkanah, but from the Lord who would hear and answer her prayers for a child.
As we reflect on this passage, I would encourage us to recognize that while we do not always understand what God is doing in and through our lives in any given moment, He is always at work. The LORD can be trusted with our sorrows, even when we do not know how or when or if He will relieve them according to our wills and timelines.
As we move into a time of prayer, I would ask that you entrust your sorrows, your circumstances, and your unmet expectations to the LORD. Let us not judge the goodness of God by any one given moment in our lives. While weeping might last for the night, joy comes in the morning (Ps. 30:5).
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
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A Verse
Psalm 62:5
Yes, my soul, find rest in God;my hope comes from him.
A Comment
Psalm 62 is one of my favorite psalms. I love how it begins with David’s insistence on finding rest in God. It’s a declaration in verse 1. However, in verse 5, David moves from a declaration to a command. Instead of simply declaring that God is his rest, David must also remind himself that God is his rest.
This resonates with me deeply. Just because I know something to be true, it doesn’t mean that I always live as if what I know is actually true. Some days, I have to preach to my own soul to live out what I believe. This is what David is doing in verse 5. He is applying what he knows of God to his life. He is preaching to his own soul.
You may find yourself in a similar place this morning. You know certain truths about God, but you need to be reminded to act upon those truths. You know that God is the ultimate source of your rest, but you need to direct your soul to him. So, whether you are living at rest in God or you are weary because you have sought rest in other people or things, heed the words of David. Tell your soul, “Find rest in God.”
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
May God be gracious to us and bless usand make his face shine upon us -so that your ways may be known on earth,your salvation among all nations. (Psalm 67:1)
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A Verse
Romans 8:16-17
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
A Comment
As I prepare to transition to a new ministry role in January with World Hope Ministries International, I find myself studying more about the global church. In my new role, I will be working closely with global church pastors around the world, and one of the things that I have noticed is that many in the global church are acutely aware of suffering. For many, suffering is a daily experience. And, as you might be aware, it is often in the midst of suffering that deep questions about God’s goodness and power come to mind. If God is good and powerful, why would He allow suffering into our lives?
Some Christians in the West assume that suffering is never part of God’s plan for Christians. These Christians have bought into a false understanding of God’s promises. For, if we consider this morning’s passage, we see that even as children adopted by God through the Holy Spirit our share in the inheritance of His promises is not without suffering. In fact, suffering, according to verse 17, is a prerequisite to sharing in Christ’s glory. But what does that mean?
For starters, it doesn’t mean we should seek out suffering as if we have some martyr complex. No, the idea in our passage is not that we need to seek out suffering but that those who follow Christ will inevitably suffer. Those unwilling to suffer with and for Christ are not worthy to be called followers of Christ. What, then, are these sufferings?
NT scholar Douglas Moo provides a helpful comment on these sufferings. He writes, “The suffering Paul speaks of here refers to the daily anxieties, tensions, and persecutions that are the lot of those who follow the one who was ‘reckoned with the transgressors’ (Luke 22:37). In other words, the Christian’s suffering is what comes with following Christ faithfully. But why is this important?
It is important because suffering is often used as an example of why people should not trust God. Yet, if we take God’s Word seriously, we will find that we are not called to trust God just when things are good but also when we perceive things to be bad. In fact, when we find ourselves suffering for the sake of following Christ, when our friends or family members do not want to have anything to do with us because of our commitment to Jesus, when our career aspirations are derailed on account of our allegiance to Christ, we should not view this as some sort of sign that God does not love or care for us. Rather, we should view such sufferings as part of what it means to be found in Christ, to belong to Christ.
If this sounds like bad news, though, don’t miss the last section of our passage. While we might suffer with Christ for a moment, there is an eternal glory that we will inherit as the children of God. And that eternal glory will make the temporary sufferings seem like “light and momentary afflictions” when we get to compare them in that last day (2 Corinthians 4:17).
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
“And 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. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 5:10-11)
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A Verse
Psalm 42:1
As the deer pants for streams of water,so my soul pants for you, my God.
A Comment
Most of us live with a water deficit. That rarely means that we do not have water available to us. Instead, it means that we seldom avail ourselves to the available water. We prefer other drinks.
As I was reflecting upon this psalm this morning, I was encouraged by the words of St. Augustine that I would like to share with you. In his expositions of Psalm 42, Augustine wrote,
Let us burn together with this thirst; let us run together to the fountain of understanding. Let us … long rather for it as a hart yearns for a spring … let us long for the wellspring of which Scripture says, “With you is the fountain of life.” … Long for the fountains of water. With God is the fountain of life, a fountain that can never dry up.… God has everything that will refresh you. He is able to fill anyone who comes to him.… This is what I am thirsting for, to reach him and to appear before him. I am thirsty on my pilgrimage, parched in my running, but I will be totally satisfied when I arrive.
This comment from Augustine both encourages and challenges me. I am encouraged by the assurance that “the fountain of life” is with God. With God, my spiritual thirst is quenched and satisfied. Yet, I am challenged by the fact that I rarely thirst for God as a deer that pants for water.
I believe many of us live not only with a physical water deficit but also with a spiritual water deficit. We need the water of life, but we do not pant for it. We prefer substitutes. And, as a result, we are not as healthy as we should be.
My prayer this morning is that we would thirst for God and run to Him.
A Prayer
Would you join me in praying for God to increase our thirst for Him this morning?
A Blessing
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
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A Verse
John 11:4-7
When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”
A Comment
Today’s passage comes from the well-known story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. As I reflected upon this passage this morning, I was again struck by Jesus’ comments to His disciples before their journey to Judea. Let’s look at a few things here.
First, we encounter Jesus’ response to the news of Lazarus’ sickness. Jesus situates how He will respond to the news in the context of glorifying God. He states, “It,” which refers to the illness, “is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” What a statement! God would be glorified through sickness?
Lest we conclude from Jesus’ response that He does not love Mary, Martha, or Lazarus, or that somehow Jesus takes pleasure in human suffering, John, the author of this gospel, tells us that Jesus loved them. But how can we discern Jesus’ love in this context? Wouldn’t love have compelled Jesus to heal Lazarus immediately upon hearing of the news of his illness? Indeed, Jesus was able to do this, as we are aware of Him doing it in the case of the Centurion’s servant (Luke 7:1-10).
Yet, Jesus waited in the case of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Why? If we read this passage in its context, we must conclude that it is because Jesus loved them that He waited. Jesus intended to do something that would benefit not only Lazarus's physical health but, more importantly, the faith of the whole community in Judea, especially those He loved: Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.
Jesus, in complete submission to the will of His Father, waited until the time was right to begin the journey to Judea to glorify God by raising Lazarus from the dead. Jesus would not compromise the glory of God at the request of others, even those He loved. This is good because by doing so, Jesus not only performs a miracle, which benefits those He loved, but He reinforces the bigger context, which is the need for people to behold the glory of God.
I wonder how often you or I have interpreted the Lord’s waiting as indicating that He does not care or love us. I know I’ve been guilty of thinking like this before, but this passage in John 11 reminds me that “God’s thoughts are not my thoughts, neither are His ways, my ways” (Isaiah 55:8-9). We are called to trust the Lord, even our waiting. We can trust that He is working all things for His glory and our good.
A Prayer
Will you pray with me?
A Blessing
May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).
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A Verse
John 6:5-7
When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”
A Comment
Today’s passage appears in the well-known story of Jesus feeding the five thousand. As the crowd grew, Jesus showed regard for their well-being. But He was interested in more than simply filling their stomachs. He also wanted to grow their faith, especially the faith of His disciples.
So, Jesus poses a question to Philip about where one might find enough bread to feed the great crowd. NT scholar D. A. Carson noted that Philip was the natural choice to be asked this question because he “came from the nearby town of Bethsaida” (John 1:44). Philip’s response reveals that he could “think only at the level of the marketplace, the natural world.” Philip’s solution did not take into consideration the greatness of the One who asked him the question. Philip sought natural solutions to supernatural needs.
I love the fact that Jesus tests Philip with a question. Admittedly, though, I rarely think of how Jesus might be testing me with questions. Sometimes, the questions we face in life are posed not to see how intelligent we are but how much we believe Jesus is who He says He is. We think that the answers to the questions require great solutions from us when, in reality, the solutions are actually beyond us.
This can be difficult for us to realize, especially in our solution-oriented, problem-solving society. We hesitate to answer these kinds of questions with “Jesus, I don’t really know, but you know” because we fear it makes us look incompetent or unprepared. But the reality is that we are far less competent or prepared than we like to think. The answers to many of the questions we face are beyond us, but that is not a bad thing when we know that Jesus is with us.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (Romans 15:13)
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A Verse
Psalm 25:4-5
Show me your ways, LORD,teach me your paths.Guide me in your truth and teach me,for you are God my Savior,and my hope is in you all day long.
A Comment
Bible study and prayer go hand-in-hand with one another. And when I read Psalm 25:4-5, I cannot help but think about the need to open one’s time in the Word of God with an appeal to God for His divine assistance.
Here in Psalm 25:4-5, the psalmist, who is identified in the opening superscript as David, makes an appeal to the LORD for His help as he meditates on God’s truth. I love how Calvin describes the meaning of this passage as being something to the effect of “Lord, keep thy servant in the firm persuasion of thy promises, and do not suffer him to turn aside to the right hand or to the left.” There is patience here, reflected before the LORD, as we seek to understand and obey His truth.
Spurgeon makes the point that one could almost imagine this psalm as coming from a child’s mouth to his father. To paraphrase, it is as if a child were asking his father, “Show me what I need to do, then teach me how to do it.” As Spurgeon declared, “What weak dependent creatures we are! How constantly we cry to the Strong for strength!” This is the sort of prayerful disposition that we should seek to maintain before the LORD and His truth.
Our aim before the LORD’s truth is not to ask for “our wills to be done,” but rather to submit ourselves to the LORD’s truth and be transformed by it. There is no use in knowing the LORD’s paths if we are unwilling to walk on them. What is the use of being taught God’s Word if we will not obey it once we have learned it? For, as verse 5 of our passage tells us, God is our Savior, and the only one in whom we may hope all day long.
How do you approach the study of God’s Word? Do you approach it with a desire to confirm your ideas? Or do you approach it with a desire to be transformed by it? What if you started praying a Psalm like this one to prepare your heart to encounter God in His Word?
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20-21)
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A Verse
Psalm 16:2
I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have not good thing.”
A Comment
A few weeks ago, I slowly started working through a book by Herman Bavinck. The book's title, at least in English, is The Wonderful Works of God. It has also gone by the title, Our Reasonable Faith. This book is Bavinck’s adaptation of his four-volume Reformed Dogmatics. He opens the book with this sentence: “God, and God alone is man’s highest good.”
When I first read that sentence, I was both captivated and puzzled. What a thought? The highest good that humanity can have is God Himself. Yet, I wondered, “What does it mean for God to be humanity’s highest good?”
As I read his first chapter, it became more and more clear that Bavinck was teaching that humanity lives in emptiness apart from God. As he concludes the chapter with a paraphrase of St. Augustine. “The heart of man was created for God and it cannot find rest until it rests in his Father’s heart.”
We search for all sorts of solutions to the emptiness that we feel in our lives. We look for it in our careers, our possessions, and in the accolades that others give us. We seek it in our own passions and interests. Yet, if we do not ultimately “know the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom He sent,” then we do not know eternal life. We do not know what we were created to know. We will find no lasting, soul-satisfying good. For, as the Psalmist declares in Psalm 16:2, “apart from the Lord, we have no good thing.”
I wonder how this truth might transform our week. If instead of seeking our highest good in creation, what if we sought our highest good in knowing the Creator of all things? What if our relationship to God’s gifts was gratitude instead of idolatry? What if our hope was found in God Himself and not the things of this world? Maybe we would be able, with the psalmist, to say, “apart from the Lord, I have no good thing.”
A Prayer
Would you join me in praying that we would seek God as our highest Good?
A Blessing
The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace. (Numbers 6:24-26)
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A Verse
Proverbs 17:19
Whoever loves a quarrel loves sin;whoever builds a high gate invites destruction.
A Comment
As I reflected on Proverbs 17 this morning, I was struck by the emphasis on peace and its contrast with quarreling or strife. The word for “quarrel” here in verse 19 is associated with strife or brawling. In other words, it refers to someone who loves to fight, whether verbally or physically. According to this proverb, those who love to quarrel love sin. This is a strong statement.
When we find ourselves at odds with others, we need to be reminded that God intends for his people to live at peace with others. This is supported by Proverbs 17:1, which says, “Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife,” and other portions of Scripture. Think of Romans 12:18, where we are told, “If it is possible, as much as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
This pursuit of peace with others is a mark of the Spirit-led life. The Spirit works to produce humility in us. When we find ourselves loving strife through our pride, we need to remember the humility of Christ and have the “same mind” that was in Him (Philippians 2:1-11) and ask the Holy Spirit to humble us that we might not “love the sin” of quarreling.
A Prayer
Will you pray with me?
A Blessing
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.
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A Verse
Proverbs 12:15
The way of fools seems right to them,but the wise listen to advice.
A Comment
This morning’s verse is short but profound. It is a proverb of Solomon that contrasts the foolish person with the wise person. This type of comparison happens throughout the book of Proverbs, so this singular verse is by no means exhaustive. However, it gives us a glimpse into one of the key differences between foolish and wise people.
According to our passage, the fool is self-assured about their way. They believe that they are in the right. And they refuse to consider the possibility that they are wrong. They do not seek advice or counsel from others. By way of contrast, the wise person listens to advice. The implication here is that the wise person seeks out the counsel of others. They ask questions. They examine their motives and their emotions. They have safeguards that keep them from the way of the fool who assumes that they are always right.
As I reflected on this passage, I was reminded of the importance of having people in my life who counsel me. If I would be protected from foolishness, then I need others to speak into my life. But it’s more than simply having people who speak into my life. It is also a matter of me being willing to heed their counsel.
Do you have these types of people in your life? Do you listen to the advice of others? Or do you assume that you are always right?
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
1 Corinthians 2:9-10
However, as it is written:
What no eye has seen, what no ear heard, and what no human mind has conceived—the things God has prepared for those who love him— these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.
A Comment
In verses 9-10, the apostle Paul aims to support the claims he has made in verses 6-8. In verses 6-8, Paul explains how people who are wise according to the world have failed to understand God's wisdom and salvation. The idea that God would bring about salvation through the crucifixion of the “Lord of glory” is foolishness to the world. It was a “stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles” (1 Corinthians 1:23). This, however, is not the case for those who have received God’s Spirit.
The wisdom of God is only understood and received by those whom God has chosen to reveal it. This revelation is found in the gospel of Jesus Christ, which Paul preached. And those who received this message understand it to be “the power of God unto salvation” (Romans 1:16, cf. 1 Corinthians 1:18)
This truth should help us understand why unbelievers do not yet understand the hope of salvation that believers possess in Christ. No human eye could see, nor human ear hear, nor human mind conceive “the things God has prepared for those who love him.” And this true of all of us until God opened our hearts as he did Lydia’s to receive this unbelievably good news.
Thus, we should not boast in ourselves but in the Lord. We should pray for the unbelievers in our lives that do not yet understand what God has prepared for those that love him. And we should be full of thankfulness that God through his Spirit has revealed these great and glorious things to us as His children.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
Grace and peace be yours in abundance, through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
John 19:26-27
When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
A Comment
“The disciple whom he loved.” What a title, right? As John wrote his gospel account of the life of Jesus, he recounts these moments near the cross. As Jesus was preparing to die and rise again, he was also preparing for his mother to be cared for by his disciple, John.
John knew that Jesus loved him. The title was not intended to show some superiority over the other disciples but rather to place the emphasis of his identity on Jesus’ love for him.
As I reflected on this verse this morning, I couldn’t help but think of how peace and hope must’ve filled John’s heart to know that Jesus loved him. Yet, this is not only true of John; it is true of all disciples of Jesus. If you are a follower of Jesus and have placed your hope in Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then you also are a disciple whom Jesus loves.
What a wonderful thought! He loves you! He has demonstrated this love for you by dying the death that you deserved to die and granting you the life that he alone earned through his own life of obedience to the Father.
If you are in Christ this morning, then you are loved by Jesus! And if you are not in Christ this morning, then you are invited to come and experience his great love and mercy to you this morning.
A Prayer
Will you pray with me this morning?
A Blessing
The God of peace be with you all. Amen.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Luke 6:36
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
A Comment
In Luke 6:27-36, Jesus is teaching his disciples about loving their enemies. This is one of Jesus’ most well-known teachings, but it is also one that Christians tend to struggle to learn and obey. Let’s face it, loving our enemies is hard. In fact, I would say it is impossible without a proper understanding and experience of God’s love for us in Christ.
We do not naturally love those that hate us. Yet, this is exactly what we find in God’s love for us. As Romans 5 states, God loved us when we were his enemies. Instead of wiping out his enemies, God chose to love them. He chose mercy. And those of us who have received and experienced such mercy have become his children. And now, as his children, we have been called to be merciful just as our Father is merciful.
Our world will not really understand such an approach to our enemies. To the world, mercy looks weak. But for our enemies who receive mercy from us, it points them to Christ. And this is our aim. We want to glorify what God has done in Christ. And one of the ways we do this is by showing others a glimpse of what his great mercy is like.
I encourage you to reflect on this truth today, and join me in praying that God would fill us with the strength and faith that we need to be merciful, just as our Father is merciful.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Exodus 20:17
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
A Comment
In brief, the 10th commandment prohibits us from desires that are not rooted in love for God and love for others. To state it positively, the 10th commandment exhorts us to be content with what God, in His mercy, has provided us, and to not envy or be greedy for the things that God has blessed our neighbors with. So, you could restate the commandment positively and say, “Be content. Be content with your spouse. Be content with your stuff.”
This commandment teaches us to never think that our desires are no big deal. Disordered desires lead to destruction. God has not designed us to ceaselessly desire other things. He has designed us for contentment. Yet, sin has distorted this design and warped our relationship with God and others. Instead of satisfaction and contentment, we struggle with greed, jealous, and envy, even though we do not want to admit it. Yet, in God’s mercy, this 10th commandment, direct us away from the desires of our flesh and to God.
A Prayer
Will you pray with me?
A Blessing
Grace and peace be yours in abundance, through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Exodus 20:16
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
A Comment
The fundamental concern of this command is truth. God is the God of truth, and He expects His people to be people of truth. The specific prohibition here is dealing with false testimonies in the court setting, but it has implications for all forms of truth in society.
From a negative standpoint, this passage forbids all forms of gossip, slander, backbiting, deceit, and lying against others. From a positive standpoint, this passage encourages honesty, encouragement, kindness, and support for others. If any society is going to flourish, truthfulness must be valued and practiced. Thus, this commandment expresses love for God and one’s neighbor, which summarizes God’s law.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me this morning?
A Blessing
The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Exodus 20:15
You shall not steal.
A Comment
Almost everyone has heard or encountered the 8th commandment, which prohibits “taking something that does not belong to us.” Or, to put it another way, stealing “deprives someone of something that they are owed or due.” There is, however, a positive way of stating this commandment. As John Dickson writes, “The fundamental rationale of the 8th commandment is not so much the utilitarian aim of stable society, valuable as that is, but the inherent value of the neighbor made in God’s image and loved by him. The more you value someone the less likely you are to take what is theirs against their will or without their knowledge.”
The apostle Paul makes this clear in Romans 13:9-10, where he wrote, “The commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not covet,’ and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”
So, refusing to steal from others is an example of how we show love for our neighbors. One of the implications, then, for this commandment is to work hard to earn and provide for others instead of stealing from others. Again, the apostle Paul mentions this in Ephesians 4:28, where he stated, “Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.”
As Christians, we work unto the LORD and for the care and benefit of others. Instead of stealing, we ought to work with the gifts and skills that God has given us to bring Him glory and do good to others in our family and in our community.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
Grace and peace be yours in abundance, through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Exodus 20:14
You shall not commit adultery.
A Comment
When we encounter the prohibition against adultery in the seventh commandment, we must pay close attention to the LORD’s specificity to address the marriage relationship. While it is undoubtedly true that Scripture addresses all sorts of sexual immorality, the fact that adultery is singled out in the Ten Commandments is significant. But why is this the case?
I believe this is significant because the marriage relationship, which is a covenant relationship, is concerned with faithfulness. When one or both parties, which can only be one man and one woman, of a marriage, break their promises to one another before God and others, they become unfaithful to God, each other, and the people who were witnesses to their promises.
On this point, I find Peter Craigie’s comments incredibly helpful. Commenting on the Seventh Commandment, as it appears in Deuteronomy, Craigie writes,
The reason why adultery is singled out for attention in the Decalog is because adultery, more than other illicit sexual behavior, has to do with unfaithfulness in a relationship of commitment. Marriage was a binding commitment of faithfulness between two persons and it was in principle similar to the covenant relationship itself. The crime of adultery was the social equivalent to the religious crime of having other gods (5:5); both offenses involved unfaithfulness and both were therefore reprehensible to the God of the covenant, whose character it was to be totally faithful. It is this emphasis, that faithfulness (expressed in obedience) must permeate every sphere of life, both the religious and the secular, that gives a distinctive character to the Israelite law on adultery. Adultery of one partner in a marriage involved not only unfaithfulness to the other partner, but also unfaithfulness to God.
Another way to say this would be to say that marriage is a microcosm of faithfulness to God. Those who would be faithfully committed to God, would also be the type of person who would be faithfully committed to their spouse. For, they understood that faithfulness in all things is a defining mark of belonging to God’s people. God’s people are a faithful people. They are faithful to God. They are faithful to their parents. They are faithful to their spouses. They are faithful because God is faithful and has called them to be faithful.
Obviously, there is more at stake in the Seventh Commandment than initially meets the eye. The marriage commitment is about far more than pleasure and personal success. Marriage is fundamentally about reflecting faithfulness to another as a testimony to the faithfulness of God.
Thus, as God’s people, we ought to honor marriage (Hebrews 13:4), which means recognizing that marriage is only and always between one man and one woman in a monogamous, covenantal relationship before God and others until death does them part. Neither culture nor the government gets to redefine what God created for His glory and our good. Marriage belongs to God and ought to be upheld in honor by all.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me this morning?
A Blessing
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Exodus 20:13
You shall not murder.
A Comment
One of the saddest accounts in all of the Bible is the way that sin corrupts our relationship with one another. We see it not only in the relationship between Adam and Eve, but we quickly see the corruption spread to their offspring. Cain kills Able out of envy and jealousy over God’s acceptance of Able’s offering. Yet, the murderous rage does not end with Cain’s violence against Able. We read chapter after chapter of humans created in the image of God killing other humans created in the image of God. Thus, when we read the LORD’s prohibition against murder in Exodus 20:13, we recognize that murder is not only a crime and sin committed against another human, but also a sin against the holy God who regards human life as valuable because we are made in His image.
Jesus elevates this command in his Sermon on the Mount and goes right to the heart of our issue. It is not enough to simply not murder each other. We must also guard our hearts from the hatred that eventually leads to violent actions toward others. Hatred and murder of fellow image-bearers are contrary to God’s will for humanity. We must put to death such thoughts, words, and behaviors that express hatred for the neighbors and enemies that we have been called to love. How do we do this?
Our relationships with others must be sustained and resourced by God’s own love working itself out in our hearts. We must learn to forgive others as God in Christ has forgiven us. And when we rightly ask, “What about justice?”, we must remember that our God is the avenger of His people. Justice might not come in our timing, but we can be sure that God, the Judge of all the earth, will do right. He will vindicate his people who have loved and trusted Him. We must leave room for the vengeance of God and not resort to the hatred and murder that characterizes so much of this fallen, broken world.
A Prayer
Will you pray with me?
A Blessing
May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Exodus 20:12
Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
A Comment
The fifth commandment bridges the first four commandments, which deal with our obligations to God, and the last five, which deal with our obligations to one another. As such, the fifth commandment picks up elements of both the first four and last five commandments.
Regarding the first four commandments, we understand that parents have a responsibility to pass on the things of God to their children. They taught them to know and obey the LORD, who had delivered them from Egypt. As the parents taught these things to their children, the children would keep the first four commandments of the ten commandments as they honored their parent's instruction.
Regarding the last five commandments, we understand that children were not only obligated to love and obey God but also to show love and obey their parents. To be sure, this commandment to “honor” one’s parents likely includes the idea of taking care of them in their old age, but it is not limited to such demonstrations. It also includes honoring their instruction in the things of God, so far as that instruction actually aligned with God’s Word. So, while the original commandment likely points to the need to care for one’s parents, it also points to the need to honor them by following their instruction, as they follow God’s instruction of passing on the faith to their children.
When we reflect on this commandment, we should be reminded of our need to relate to God as our Father and honor Him with our love and obedience. While no earthly parent is ever perfect, our Father in Heaven is, and He instructs us in righteousness for our good and His glory. When we fail to honor Him as He deserves, we are reminded of the provision that He has made in Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God, who honored His Father perfectly and now gives us the right to be called children of God.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
Peace to all of you who are in Christ.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Exodus 20:8-11
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”
A Comment
Well, I intended to send this devotional out on Wednesday, but it appears that I need to apply the lesson of this passage to myself before sharing it with others. Monday and Tuesday were great days, but I was exhausted after two early mornings and lack of sleep. The morning that I woke up to write this devotional, I could hardly think. So, instead of sending a devotional about resting, I rested.
This was a good and practical reminder for me. God has not designed us for ceaseless work. Instead, he created rhythms of work and rest for his creation. We need these types of reminders in the hustle and bustle of our busy schedules.
The temptation that we face in the world is to believe that we will not have what we need if we do not work at all times. From the near-constant notifications on our smartphones to the demanding meeting schedules that many of us maintain, we rarely miss opportunities to turn our attention away from God. Yet, God’s Word promises us that as we work, He will take care of us. We can trust Him with our work and our rest.
We see this principle of Sabbath rest most clearly in the story of the people of Israel as they were delivered from captivity in Egypt. The LORD provided manna and meat for the Israelites in miraculous ways. The people were commanded to collect God’s provision on six of the seven days. And they were only supposed to collect enough of God’s provision for one day of sustenance, otherwise, the leftovers would spoil. Yet, there was an exception on the sixth day of the week. On the sixth day, the people would collect enough food to be eaten on the seventh day, their Sabbath, their day of rest, and the LORD would keep the food from spoiling.
On the seventh day of their week, the Israelites did not have to collect food from the field. They were to rest from their labors. But, as you can imagine, this required them to trust that God would provide and preserve the food for an additional day. Resting was an expression of faith in God’s provision.
I think this principle carries over to us as well. When we work, we should work hard as unto the LORD. Yet, when we rest (and we must rest), we should trust that God will take care of us. Both our work and our rest are expressions of faith that God will take care of us as His children. As you move into the weekend, my prayer is that you will have confidence in the LORD’s provision, unplug from your busyness, and rest in His goodness.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Exodus 20:7
You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
A Comment
If you are anything like me, you were probably taught that the third commandment was about not using certain swear words. To “misuse” or “take the LORD’s name in vain” was more about a particular speech pattern. Yet, I think there is more going on in this passage than many of us were initially taught.
While “using” or “bearing” the name of the LORD certainly covers how we speak, it is primarily about representing God as God’s people in the world. It is about representing God in our words and deeds in a manner that reflects His holy, righteous character. We, as God’s people, bear His name. We represent Him as a “kingdom of priests” in this world (1 Peter 2:8-10). Thus, this commandment calls us to more than avoiding certain swear words. It calls us to speak and act in such a way in the world that people see what our God is like. And when we “bear His name” without regard for God’s holy character, we are guilty of “bearing His name in vain” or “misusing God’s name.”
When I think of some modern-day examples of this, I cannot help but think of the many charlatans that use God’s name for their own purposes. We see near countless examples of such so-called “preachers” and “ministers” who claim to represent God in the world but who use God’s name to enrich themselves instead of bring glory to Him. Such use of God’s name is a violation of this commandment. We bear God’s name to bring Him glory as we fulfill our God-given roles in the world.
And we do this as His people who have been saved by Jesus Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit for the purpose of being a kingdom of priest in a lost and dying world that needs to come to God!
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Exodus 20:4-6
You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
A Comment
This morning, we come to the second commandment. In the first commandment, we were called to a life of loyalty to the LORD alone. In the second commandment, we are called to a life of submission to the LORD’s own self-revelation. Or, put it another way, we are called to allow the LORD to reveal and define Himself. In this call, we are to abandon our imagination of what we feel the LORD should be like and instead acknowledge and submit to LORD as He is.
For years, I took this verse to only apply to physical or material images of God, like those seen in art. And while I will not deny that such images can be highly problematic, I don’t think that such depictions are the only or even the primary way that we violate this commandment. Rather, when we attempt to fashion God in our own image or conform Him to some idea or conception of how we think He should be, we are guilty of breaking this commandment of making a graven image.
Again, I find J. I. Packer’s comments on this commandment are helpful. When asked, “How should we keep the second commandment?”, he answered, “By reining in our disordered imaginations and reverently accepting that God is as He says He is.” A practical way of doing this is by seeing and responding to God has He has revealed Himself in His Word, which points us to Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God, the one who is described in Hebrews 1:3 as “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word.”
A Prayer
Would you pray with me this morning?
A Blessing
Now may the Lord of Peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. the Lord be with all of you.
A Bonus
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Exodus 20:1-3
And God spoke all these words:
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land ofslavery. You shall have no other gods before me.”
A Comment
We will spend the next ten episodes of this podcast reflecting on each of the Ten Commandments. This morning, we begin with the first commandment, “You shall have no other gods before me.” The first commandment deals with loyalty to God as the One who has redeemed and delivered us. Because of what God has done for us in Christ, He is worthy of our complete devotion.
At first, this commandment might seem out of place. In our culture, we don’t tend to think about having “other gods” before the “LORD God,” but as J. I. Packer put it, “Your god is what you love, seek, worship, serve, and allow to control you.” If this is true, then it is easy to see how often we place “other gods” before the “LORD God.”
This morning, as you reflect and meditate on this verse, I invite you to ask the LORD to search you and reveal any “other gods” that you have placed before Him. As you do so, remember that God alone can save you. The other things that you are tempted to place your hope in will never be able to save you. Furthermore, as God reveals ways that you have placed “other gods” before Him, remember the forgiveness and mercy that is freely bestowed on you in Jesus Christ. Don’t allow the guilty of past idolatry to keep you from approaching God, confessing your sin, and asking for forgiveness. He loves to forgive and restore His children.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Psalm 34:18
The Lord is close to the brokenheartedand saves those who are crushed in spirit.
A Comment
Today’s passage reminds us that our brokenheartedness does not drive the Lord away from us. He draws near to those who are feeling crushed in spirit. Our struggles do not scare him away. As Psalm 73 tells us, the nearness of God is our good.
I’m not sure what you may be going through this morning, but I want you to know that you can be sure that the Lord is near you. He is close to those who are feeling crushed. Call out to him for help, for peace, for strength, and for mercy. He saves those who are crushed in spirit.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
Grace and peace be yours in abundance, through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Psalm 111:2-3
Great are the works of the LORD;they are pondered by all who delight in them.Glorious and majestic are his deeds,and his righteousness endures forever.
A Comment
Over the past three weeks, I have been studying prayer with my congregation. We have been working through a study on child-like prayer. One of the most important practices from that study has been the practice of writing down our prayers. As the author of the book that we were working through put it, “Specificity leads to visibility.” In other words, when we are specific in our prayers, we also tend to be more mindful of when those prayers are answered.
As we reflect on this morning’s passage, it is crucial that we see how God’s Word calls us to reflect on his works and deeds. While I certainly believe that these works and deeds include the great stories that we have received and cherish through Scripture, we should also work to ponder and reflect on the great works that God is doing in our life now as well.
So, this morning, I would ask you to pause and reflect in gratefulness on God’s mighty works.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Luke 7:36-50
When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”
Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
A Comment
Today is Holy Wednesday, on which many Christian traditions remember Judas’ betrayal of Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. What is less known among Protestant Christians is that there is also a Christian tradition of remembering the Parable of the Two Debtors on Holy Wednesday as well. We have just read Luke’s account of this parable above.
In the parable of the two debtors, Jesus teaches us a lesson about forgiveness. The woman who came into Simon the Pharisee’s house and washed Jesus feet with her tears, and dried his feet with her hair, and then anointed him with expensive oil, was a known sinner in the area. Based upon Jesus’ interaction with her and the parable that he tells, this known sinner, this woman who was anointing Jesus’ feet, had either been forgiven by Jesus or knew that she could be forgiven by Jesus. There was no expense that she was spare to demonstrate her love for him.
To those who had not received Jesus’ offer of forgiveness, the woman’s actions seemed foolish. Why would anyone waste such valuable oil on someone’s feet? Furthermore, why would Jesus dare to be associated with such a woman?
These are the types of questions and objections that deceived people ask when it comes to Jesus. They are deceived and do not realize the infinite value of forgiveness offered to sinners in Jesus Christ. They cannot fathom why anyone would humble themselves as this woman did in the pharisee’s home. But Jesus reveals the reason why in his parable. It is because they do not perceive the value of what they have been offered in forgiveness.
The woman had been forgiven much. Therefore, she worshipped and sacrificed much to bring honor to Jesus. Others, however, either did not believe that they needed forgiveness or they thought that they only needed a little forgiveness. Thus, they did not bring Jesus the worship and sacrifice that he was due.
As we think about the parable of the two debtors and remember Judas’ betrayal of Jesus on this Holy Wednesday of Passion week, we encounter a striking difference between the two sinners. With the first sinner, she would spare nothing to worship Jesus. He had forgiven her of so much. In contrast, Judas betrayed Jesus for a mere 30 pieces of silver. Such a betrayal was satanic (Luke 22:3). How could anyone forfeit and ignore the gift of forgiveness that Jesus offered to all to gain some fleeting thing from the world?
This morning, I want you to consider the two responses to Jesus. The first being the response of the woman who had been forgiven much. The second being the response of Judas who refused to see what Jesus was offering and instead betrayed him. Take time to meditate on this comparison. Think about how much you have been forgiven by Jesus. How does your response to what he has done for you reflect his worth? How are you treasuring Jesus in your response to what he has accomplished for you?
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
A Bonus
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Psalm 4:8
In peace I will lie down and sleep,for you alone, LORD,make me dwell in safety.
A Comment
Psalm 4 is a psalm of David. It begins with a confession of David’s distress and a cry for mercy to the LORD. Yet, it ends with a declaration of confidence in the LORD to make David lie down and sleep in peace and safety.
When I reflect on this psalm, I am reminded of the importance of balancing our honesty before God with our faith in God. When we come to the LORD in prayer, asking for mercy and relief from our distress, we must also come with an acknowledgment of the LORD’s character and power. Like David, we must remember that the LORD can fill our hearts with joy even in the midst of our sorrow. And that the LORD alone is the One who makes us dwell in safety and sleep in peace.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
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A Verse
Genesis 2:16-17
And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
A Comment
When we consider Genesis 2:16-17, we see the benefits of God’s boundaries. When God prohibits man from eating of the one tree in the garden, it is because He desires to protect His creation from death. Furthermore, we see that the prohibition of one tree is paralleled with a welcome to enjoy all of the other trees that God has provided. God’s boundaries are aimed at our good and His glory.
In a society that prizes personal liberty without boundaries, we need to be reminded that the boundaries that God has given us are intended for our good, not our harm. When God prohibits us from doing something, be that idolatry, disrespect for others, murder, hatred, sexual immorality, lust, stealing, or envy, it is not because He intends to deny us some joy or pleasure in life but because He intends His goodness to be enjoyed within the boundaries of His will. Furthermore, we must resist the temptation only to hear the prohibitions and fail to hear the invitation to enjoy so many other things within the boundaries of God’s will.
A Prayer
Will you pray with me?
A Blessing
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.
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A Verse
Colossians 3:15
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
A Comment
We live in a society that is marked by near-constant conflict. Peaceful is not the way most people would describe our world. Whether it is a global conflict between countries or internal conflicts within an organization or a family, we long for peace.
In Paul’s letter to the church in Colossae, he reminds them to “let the peace of Christ rule” in their hearts. That is to say, “let the peace of Christ hold sway.” As the Prince of Peace, Christ calls us to peace with one another. But this is not our natural bent. Yet, in Christ, we can know and experience the rule of His peace not only in our personal lives but in our relationships with others.
When we remember that we belong to the same body as those who are united to Christ by the Holy Spirit, we recognize that conflict with other believers is like a self-inflicted wound. They are not the “other,” but instead, they are part of the same body that we are a part of. And Christ is the head of this body, nourishing it and leading it in keeping with His purpose.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
Peace to all of you who are in Christ.
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A Verse
Psalm 63:1
You, God, are my God,earnestly I seek you;I thirst for you,my whole being longs for you,in a dry and parched land where there is no water.
A Comment
I can only remember a few times in my life when I felt like I was dying of thirst. It was when I was younger and ended up severely dehydrated after a stomach virus. I was hospitalized for a day due to the severity of my dehydration. I can still remember how good the ice chips tasted when the ER staff finally brought me a cup. Until they knew what was wrong with me, they would not give me any water or even ice chips to eat. But once they did, it was best thing I ever tasted.
When David wrote Psalm 63, we are told that “he was in the Desert of Judah.” For many of us, we do not really know what it is like to be in a desert. But as one OT scholar puts it, “While a desert landscape can lure the newcomer into a romantic trance, we soon discover that this environment is fierce and inhospitable.” Prone to severe heat and severe cold, the desert can be an excruciating place to dwell. It does not take one long to imagine how thirsty they could get if they spent significant time in such a wilderness.
Yet here is David, in the desert, and he is thirsting for God. As he stated, “my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where this is no water.” It is likely that David’s experience in the desert of Judah is influencing his imagery for his desire for God. While David doubtlessly had a physical thirst for water, when he composed this psalm, the thirst in his body reminded him of an even greater thirst, the thirst of his soul for God.
As we reflect on this psalm, my prayer is that regardless of where we find ourselves in life, which could be a desert for many of us, the LORD is faithful to satisfy us with the living Water of his grace and mercy in Jesus Christ. We will be satisfied by God and God alone. He is the only One who can satisfy the thirsty soul.
May we thirst for His satisfaction together today.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
Now may the Lord of Peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. the Lord be with all of you.
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A Verse
1 Timothy 6:11
But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.
A Comment
In this morning’s verse, we see that as we turn away from pride, arrogance, and the love of money (verses 1-10), we are called to turn toward righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. The temptation we often face is to believe that we must avoid and turn away from evil while failing to recognize the call to turn toward and pursue the good that God has placed before us.
This is a charge that God lays before all of us. While Paul is specifically addressing Timothy in verse 11 (hence, his comment about “man of God”), the pursuit of righteousness is issued for all disciples of Christ. Yet, we must recognize that this pursuit of righteousness depends upon the work of the Holy Spirit within us. In our own strength, we have no appetite for true righteousness. But when we are filled and led by the Holy Spirit, our affections are ordered toward the things of God. As the Holy Spirit works in us, we will grow in our conformity to the image of Christ, just as God ordained for His people.
A Prayer
Will you pray with me?
A Blessing
Now may the Lord of Peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. the Lord be with all of you.
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A Verse
Psalm 145:18
The LORD is near to all who call on him,to all who call on him in truth.
A Comment
For as long as I can remember, I have understood this verse to mean that to call upon the LORD, we must know certain truths about him. That is how I understood the word “truth” at the end of the verse. To be sure, knowing certain truths about the LORD is vitally important. We ought to desire to know the LORD in truth. Truth about God matters! Yet, I believe there is more to this verse than simply having the right view of God.
When David tells us to “call on the LORD in truth,” he not only wants us to know the LORD truly but also to speak truthfully to the LORD in our prayers. What this means is that it is important for us to be honest with God when we call on him. We should call on the LORD with sincerity. We should make our requests known to the LORD without hypocrisy. He already knows our hearts, so there is no point in concealing what we desire.
Obviously, we must realize that our desires might not always accord with God’s will for us. In such cases, we need to submit ourselves to his will. Yet, at the same time, this should not keep us from praying, from asking boldly for the LORD to fulfill our desires as they are in keeping with fearing Him.
This morning, as we pray, be honest with God. Tell him what is weighing you down. Tell him your burdens. Tell him your desires and aspirations. Admit your failures and thank him for your success. Call upon the LORD in truth.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
The God of peace be with you all. Amen
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A Verse
Proverbs 8:13
To fear the LORD is to hate evil;I hate pride and arrogance,evil behavior and perverse speech.
A Comment
The title of this morning’s meditation may have thrown you off a little. Christians are called to be known by their love. So why is there a need to cultivate something like “hate?” Well, I hope you can already see from Proverbs 8:13 that this is no ordinary hate. This is a holy hate that results from a proper fear and reverence for the LORD.
To fear the LORD is to hate evil, which the writer describes as “pride, arrogance, evil behavior, and perverse speech.” We can quickly define these evils as any action that contradicts God’s will. Pride and arrogance seek to elevate us above God. When we are proud or arrogant, it is because we believe that we know best. Similarly, evil behavior and perverse speech are the fruit of pride and arrogance.
The person with a proper fear and reverence for the LORD will love the things that the LORD loves and hate the things that the LORD hates. And this will be deeply personal. What I mean by this is that we will, by the power of the Holy Spirit, desire to root out pride, arrogance, evil behavior, and perverse speech from our own lives. We will seek to remove the log from our own eye before ever attempting to deal with the speck in our brothers or sisters’ eye.
And how can we do such a thing? Through faith in Christ and repentance from sin, which is made possible by God’s grace through the Holy Spirit.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
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A Verse
Psalm 5:3
In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice;in the morning I lay my request before you and wait expectantly.
A Comment
This morning’s meditation is short and simple. When we “lay our requests” before the LORD, we must “wait expectantly.” This does not meet that we wait with presumption, but rather, we wait with an expectation that is rooted in God’s character and power.
God reveals Himself as both our Father and our creator. He is near to us with a fatherly affection but also almighty, possessing all power at His disposal to meet us in our time of need. We do not bring our requests to someone who is unwilling to hear them, nor do we bring our requests to someone who is willing to hear them but unable to answer them. Instead, we bring our request before our powerful Father.
Because of who God is and what He is able to do, we can bring our requests before Him with expectations that He will answer in the best way for our good and His glory.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
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A Verse
Romans 3:23-24
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
A Comment
Many people are familiar with Romans 3:23, but not as many people are familiar with Romans 3:24. Yet, the apostle Paul intended for these verses to be understood together. While it is certainly true that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” it is equally true that those who have placed their trust in Jesus have been “justified by his grace as a gift.”
This gift of grace comes from God on the basis of the redemption that Christ Jesus secured on behalf of those who are in Him. To be redeemed in Christ Jesus means that we have been freed from our enslavement to sin and now belong to Him. We have been purchased. We are His. We are His people. If you are in Christ, you belong to Him.
When we reflect on Romans 3:23, we also need to be reminded of Romans 3:24. While we have fallen short, we have also been set free in Christ Jesus. We receive this redemption by grace through faith. It is not by our works, but it is a gift of God (Eph. 2:8-9).
As you think of these verses today, meditate on what it means to have been purchased, to have been redeemed by Christ Jesus. You belong to Jesus. And there is no one better to belong to than Him.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
Grace and peace be yours in abundance, through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
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A Verse
Mark 6:31-32
Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.
A Comment
We live and move in a busy society. When we think about spending time with God, we are often tempted to believe that we “just don’t have time.” This, however, is not what Jesus taught us. When the demands of life and ministry are pressing in on us, we MUST make time to go to what Jesus calls the “quiet place” and rest.
Rest is not mere inactivity. Rest is not passive. Rest takes effort. It requires that we prioritize our time to simply be in the presence of Jesus. The fact is not that we are too busy to spend time with Jesus in the quiet place, but that we are too busy NOT to spend time with Jesus in the quiet place.
We were not made for ceaseless labor. We were made to work and to rest. We were made to slow down, even in the midst of the demands of life, and find the “quiet place” with Jesus.
As this week begins, I want to encourage you to make time to be alone with Jesus. To find the quiet place in the midst of all the busyness. Don’t just say, “I’ll spend time with Jesus if I have the time.” Make the time. Pursue Jesus in the quiet place.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.
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A Verse
Romans 8:35, 37
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
A Comment
Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. If we are in him, if we belong to him, there is no power of hell or scheme of man that could ever pluck us from his hand. We are secure in his love. We are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Not in our own strength or wisdom, but through Christ alone who loved us and gave himself for us, in our place, that we might not ever no separation from God again.
A Prayer
Will you pray with me?
A Blessing
Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
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A Verse
1 John 3:1
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!
A Comment
While I doubt my children would feel loved just because they are called mine, with God as our Father, to be his children is to be loved by him. While earthly fathers are sure to fail and disappoint at times, our heavenly Father never fails. He lavishes his love on us as his children, and reminds us regularly that we belong to him. Given how often our enemy would tempt us to doubt our relationship to God as his children, we should welcome this reminder that we belong to the LORD God Almighty as precious and loved.
A Prayer
Will you pray with me?
A Blessing
The Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.
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A Verse
Lamentations 3:22-23
Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
A Comment
What a thought? That the compassions of the LORD never fail. They are new every morning. As you woke this morning, you were greeted by new mercies because our God is more faithful than even the rising and the setting of the sun. Such reminders ought to fill us with hope as we embark on a new day. May you live and move and have your being today as one who knows the great love of the LORD as demonstrated in the person and work of Christ on our behalf.
A Prayer
Will you pray with me?
A Blessing
May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.
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A Verse
Zephaniah 3:17
The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.
A Comment
Zephaniah 3:17 gives a beautiful image of the Lord’s joy over his children. The prophet aims to have us hear the Lord’s song of rejoicing over us with the ears of faith. He wants us to understand the delight that has resulted from God’s mercy toward us. And we know that this is true because of God’s demonstration of love in the giving of his son, Jesus Christ. Furthermore, we are reminded elsewhere in God’s word that the Holy Spirit has been sent into us that we might know our adoption as God’s children. Take some time this evening to reflect on God’s delight over you as his child. Meditate on this truth as we pray together.
A Prayer
Will you pray with me?
A Blessing
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Pictures from Middleburg, VA
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A Verse
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
A Comment
This week, we are focusing on God’s love. This morning’s passage is one of, if not the most well-known, Bible verses in all of Scripture. While some have debated its meaning, my hope is that you will join me in slowing down and reflecting on the greatness of God’s love.
Many times we read past the first few words in this passage. We don’t reflect upon grammar, but the grammar in our passage is important. As one scholar noted, the Greek construction behind “so loved that he gave… emphasizes the intensity of the love, and insists that the envisaged consequence really did ensue.” But this passage points to more than the intensity of God’s love, it also points to the manner of God’s love. In other words, this verse tells us how God has demonstrated his love for the world by giving his one and only Son.
When someone asks or wonders, “Is God loving?”, the biblical response is to point them to God’s giving of his Son in our place that we might not perish but have eternal life. We must allow God to determine how he shows his love, and reflect on it often.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
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A Verse
Hebrews 6:19-20a
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf.
A Comment
What a great verse! I love the imagery of an anchor for the soul. An anchor holds the ship in place so that it does not drift. Though the storms batter the ship, the anchor holds strong. The author of Hebrews has used the image of drifting earlier in the book, but here we see our hope is not in our own strength, but the anchor that holds steady.
No matter what you face today, remember that we have an anchor for our soul. Jesus Christ, who ever lives to make intercession on our behalf. He has gone before us, but he has not left us. He is faithful. We can trust him, even in the storms of life as the winds of unbelief and temptation batter us. He is faithful.
A Prayer
Will you pray with me?
A Blessing
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.
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A Verse
Isaiah 40:31
But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
A Comment
We are looking at hope again this morning from Isaiah 40. In this well-known passage, we see that it is the LORD who renews our strength. I don’t know about you, but this passage is particularly encouraging to me.
With the LORD as the source of our strength, we can persevere and run the race that has been set before (Hebrews 12:1-2). Yet, it is not in our own strength that we run. It is in the strength that the LORD himself supplies.
This morning, as you prepare to start the day, take a few moments to reflect on how the LORD strengthens you. Think about his grace and mercy, which frees us from condemnation through union with Christ. Think about his love and patience, which sustains us, even when we do not feel it. Think about his kindness, which should lead us to repentance. Think about his power, which is at work in us for his glory and our good.
Take a few moments to slow down this morning and be reminded that if you are in Christ, the LORD is your strength, and be filled with hope that you will have all the grace you need to make it through the day.
A Prayer
Will you pray with me?
A Blessing
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
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A Verse
Ephesians 1:18
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people.”
A Comment
God intends for his people to know and reflect on our inheritance as his children in Christ. This is what Paul prays for the church in Ephesus in this morning’s passage. That we might know the “riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people.”
We have been guaranteed an inheritance through Christ. This is what the first chapter in Ephesians is all about. Through faith, having been united to Christ and sealed by the promised Holy Spirit, we possess an eternal inheritance that cannot be shaken. This inheritance includes forgiveness, eternal life, new bodies in the resurrection on the day of Christ Jesus, a new heavens and a new earth, freedom from evil, and an eternal dwelling place in the presence of God.
All of these blessings have been secured for the believer through Christ. And it is in Christ that we hope. Paul wants us to know this hope. To be reminded of this hope. To not lose hope, but rest assured that God is faithful and will fulfill his promises.
A Prayer
Will you pray with me?
A Blessing
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
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A Verse
Psalm 149:4
For the LORD takes delight in his people;he crowns the humble with victory.
A Comment
This morning’s passage somewhat resembles yesterday’s passage regarding the people in whom the LORD takes delight. We are reminded again that it is not just a matter of what we do as the LORD’s people but also how we do them. In today’s passage, the stress is on our humility.
I like what C. S. Lewis said about true humility in his book Mere Christianity. Lewis wrote, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.” Humility is not a degrading of the self in one’s eyes but an elevation of the LORD instead.
As we make our way through this week, let us aim at walking in humility, thinking of ourselves less and thinking more of the LORD.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
Now may the Lord of Peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.
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A Verse
Psalm 147:10-11
His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;the LORD delights in those who fear himwho put their hope in his unfailing love.
A Comment
I must admit that this morning’s passage challenges me. My heart tends to believe that God is more pleased with me when I “perform well” instead of “depend well” on him. Yet, these verses serve as a much-needed reminder that God is pleased when his people trust him. They remind us of what Paul taught in Romans 14:23, “everything that does not come from faith is sin.”
This means that while we are capable of doing all sorts of things “for the LORD,” God’s greatest concern in those things that we do is how we are “fearing him” and “putting our hope in his unfailing love.” He is not pleased with my proud self-sufficiency. He is not pleased with my sense of adequacy. He is pleased when I acknowledge my desperate need for him in everything that thing that I do.
In reflecting on this morning’s passage, I love what C. H. Spurgeon wrote, “God does not take pleasure in us because of our attainments, or potentialities: he respects character rather than capacity.” If I may dare to modify Spurgeon’s thought on this verse, I don’t think that he is saying God takes no pleasure in “our attainments or potentialities” but that God is concerned with the character that we display in such “attainments and potentialities.” He is pleased when the things that we do are marked by fear of and hope in him.
May the LORD work in us an ambition to achieve great things for his glory with even greater hope and fear in him!
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
Grace and peace be yours in abundance, through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
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A Verse
Luke 17:32-33
Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.
A Comment
In speaking of the coming of the Kingdom of God, Jesus reminds his audience of the tragic death of Lot’s wife as they fled Sodom and Gomorrah. We do not know much about Lot’s wife from the Bible, but the things we know are startling. As Lot and his family fled God’s judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah, they were commanded to “not look back.” Lot’s wife, however, looked back at her former city, and when she did, she was judged by the LORD.
Jesus reminds his audience of this event in relation to the coming of the Kingdom of God. It is a way of saying that those who look back on their former way of life, those who miss the days of their rebellion, those who long for how things once were apart from God, and those who do not trust that God’s way is best, they are not ready for the coming of the Kingdom of God. Jesus thus warns them to prepare themselves. But the preparation seems paradoxical. Those who would keep their life will lose it, but those who are willing to lose, to give up their life for the Kingdom, will preserve or gain life.
Lot’s wife serves as a sobering reminder of this principle of not looking back but instead looking forward, with hope and faith in Christ, in God’s fulfillment of His promises to His people.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.
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A Verse
2 Corinthians 3:18
And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
A Comment
For the last few weeks, I have been studying the relationship between spiritual rhythms (or spiritual disciplines) and spiritual transformation. As I have thought about the relationship between our practices and spiritual transformation, I have constantly been reminded of this morning’s passage in 2 Corinthians 3:18.
Spiritual transformation is the result of contemplating or meditating on the Lord’s glory as it is seen in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6). This means that when we are practicing spiritual disciplines like Bible reading, prayer, or fasting, our aim, our goal ought to be meditation and contemplation of God’s glory as he has revealed it in Christ.
Such an approach to spiritual rhythms requires us to engage in these practices with relational expectations, which declare, “I will encounter the living God today. I will read of, meditate on, and respond to his glory in Jesus today.” I believe this is an essential aspect of spiritual transformation through sacred rhythms. We practice these rhythms not as an end in themselves but as a means to behold the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
Grace and peace be yours in abundance, through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
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A Verse
Psalm 78:19
They spoke against God;they said, “Can God really spread a table in the wilderness?”
A Comment
Psalm 78 recounts, in part, the rebellion of the wilderness generation that was delivered from Egypt by the LORD’s mighty hand. Specifically, in verse 19, Asaph captures the slander of that generation who questioned the LORD’s ability to provide for them.
As Spurgeon noted, “To question the ability of one who is manifestly Almighty, is to speak against him. These people were base enough to say that although their God had given them bread and water, yet he could not properly order or furnish a table. He could give them coarse food, but could not prepare a feast properly arranged, so they were ungrateful enough to declare. As if the manna was a mere make-shift, and the flowing rock-stream a temporary expedient, they ask to have a regularly furnished table, such as they had been accustomed to in Egypt.”
Spurgeon continued, making an application for us, “Alas, how have we also quarrelled with our mercies, and querulously pined for some imaginary good, counting our actual enjoyments to be nothing because they did not happen to be exactly conformed to our foolish fancies. They who will not be content will speak against providence even when it daily loadeth them with benefits.”
How true this is, that when we are not content with what God has given us, we are slow to be grateful and quick to speak ill in our hearts against God’s provision. May we not doubt our great God’s ability or goodness in the desert. He is able to do whatever he wills to do for his glory and our good.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.
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A Verse
Psalm 59:9-10
You are my strength, I watch for you;you, God, are my fortress,my God on whom I can rely.
A Comment
As I meditated on this passage this morning, I was struck by the description of God in the final line: my God on whom I can rely. To rely on God is to depend upon him. To cast our lives on him.
As C. H. Spurgeon reflected on this passage, he wrote, “God who is the giver and fountain of all the undeserved goodness I have received, will go before me and lead my way as I march onward. He will meet me in my time of need. Not alone shall I have to confront my foes, but he whose goodness I have long tried and proved will gently clear my way, and be my faithful protector.”
What a thought that God will meet us in our need?!? He is reliable. He is trustworthy. He is faithful and worthy of our full confidence!
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.
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A Verse
Psalm 10:4
In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.
A Comment
Last night, I was sitting in a parking lot waiting for my youngest son to finish an indoor rock climbing session and a song came on the radio that I had never heard. It was entitled “Make Room,” and the lyrics in the chorus are sung to God, which says, “I will make room for you, to do whatever you want to.” Initially, I wasn’t really sure what to make of the song. Was this idea of making room for God a biblical concept? Is the God of the universe, the one who upholds everything by the word of His power, subject to my willingness to “make room for him?”
After the song went off, I didn’t think much more about it, until this morning as I was reading through Psalm 10. As this morning’s passage says, “In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.” Admittedly, I kind of froze. There it was. Right there in the text. But not like I had originally imagined it. You see, Psalm 10 states negatively what the song states positively. It is the prideful man who has no regard for God in his thoughts. He believes he prospers by his own strength. He rejects the Lord’s will for his life. He is confident in his own future. He has no room for God.
By contrast, the humble person makes room for God, which is not to stay that God is subject to our willingness, but rather to say that a humble, God-fearing person, acknowledges their need for God. To “make room” for God is not to grant him permission. As Psalm 115:3 tells us, “Our God is in the heavens, he does all that he pleases.” No, to “make room” is not to grant the King of the Universe permission but rather to bring our lives into humble submission and conformity to his kingship over us. It it to “make room” for his word in our lives. It is to look to him in dependence and trust.
The proud have no room for God. The humble have nothing but room for God. For they understand that apart from Him, they can do nothing (John 15:5)
So, in his grace, the Lord corrected my cynical pride and showed me my need to make room for him in my life.
A Prayer
Will you pray with me?
A Blessing
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.
A Bonus
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A Verse
Psalm 33:11
But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever,the purposes of his heart through all generations.
A Comment
If you are anything like me, you know what it’s like to make plans and then have to change them. There are so many things in life that are outside of our control. Hence, James tells us that when we make plans, we should say, “If the Lord wills.”
God, however, is not subject to such changes. His plans stand firm forever. Whatever God purposes comes to pass. There is great comfort to be found in this truth, especially when we think of the plans that God has revealed for us. His plan for the believers in Christ is fixed. And it will stand forever. We do not have to worry if he will be faithful to his plans or concerned that his plans might not turn out how he wishes. The purposes of his heart toward us remains, even through all generations.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
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A Verse
Psalm 27:1
The LORD is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear?The LORD is the stronghold of my life -of whom shall I be afraid?
A Comment
I love how David ties his confidence to the character of God. Because of the LORD is his light, his salvation, the stronghold of his life, David had no grounds to fear or be afraid.
This is true for the believer as well. Our confidence is not in our light but in God, who is light. Our confidence is not in our ability to save ourselves but in God, our salvation. Our confidence is not in our own strength but in God, the stronghold over our life.
O’ how sweet it is that God’s character is sure and steadfast, which secures our safety as his people.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
The God of peace be with you all. Amen
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A Verse
Job 1:5
When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom.
A Comment
As I read this passage this morning, I couldn’t help but think about Job’s concern for his children. As the passage says, it was Job’s custom to rise early in the morning and provide a sacrifice for the sins of his children. Given what we know about the rest of the book of Job, this early sacrificial scene is even more moving. In just a chapter, he would lose all his children (among many other things). Job loved his children, and losing them was almost more than he could bear.
As I meditated on this passage, I was struck by Job’s early morning custom. It stirred me to demonstrate a similar though different concern for my own children. I want to be the type of father who wakes early to pray to God for my wife and children. Herein the similarity with Job. Yet, there is a crucial difference. While I want to rise early and pray for them, I do not have to make an atoning sacrifice for them. This has already been done for them by God the Father in Jesus Christ the Son through the Holy Spirit.
I pray as a child of God for my children. I pray as one who needed a sacrifice for my own sin. And I pray to the Father who has already provided the atonement I need. I don’t have to fret about the efficacy of my own intercession because there is one who ever lives to make intercession on my behalf, Jesus the Christ.
A Prayer
Will you pray with me?
A Blessing
“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.”
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A Verse
Psalm 8:3-4
When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?
A Comment
Psalm 8 is an evening meditation of David wherein he reflects on the greatness of God in creation while also considering how the Creator cares for him and the rest of humanity. As we look at verses 3-4, we note this contrast between David’s thoughts of God’s work in the heavens versus God’s mindfulness of humanity.
It is staggering and sobering thought that the Creator and Sustainer of all things is mindful of us. He watches over us. He cares for us. All while upholding the universe by the word of His power. The LORD never misses the slightest detail in our lives. While He is the God above all, He is also the God who is near to us, near to those who call upon His name.
As you reflect on God’s works today, keep in mind that you are on God’s mind. His thoughts toward you are innumerable. Praise Him for this reality as David did in the evening. Give Him glory for His greatness and His nearness.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.
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A Verse
Psalm 119:71
It was good for me to be afflictedso that I might learn your decrees.
A Comment
I tried to read through the book of Psalms and Proverbs once a month with my other daily Bible readings. When you are wading through some of the more strenuous reads in the OT, like long lists of genealogies and land divisions, it is nice break to encounter the praise of the Psalms and the wisdom of the Proverbs. But this morning’s reading through Psalm 119 stopped me in my tracks once again.
In Psalm 119:71, David makes a staggering comment about affliction. While those who afflicted him intended evil through their actions, David perceived that God was working for his good, teaching him the LORD’s decrees. In fact, the entire section from verses 65-72 emphasizes the goodness of God even while the psalmist is suffering.
In commenting on Psalm 119:71, Charles Spurgeon, a great Baptist pastor from the 19th century who was well acquainted with grief and depression, wrote these words:
Even though the affliction came from bad men, it was overruled for good ends; though it was bad as it came from them it was good for David. It benefited him in many ways, and he knew it. Whatever he may have thought while under the trial, he perceived himself to be the better for it when it was over…
Truly he has dealt well with us, for he has dealt wisely with us. We have been kept from the ignorance of the greasy-hearted by our trials, and this, if there were nothing else, is just cause for constant gratitude. To be larded by prosperity is not good for the proud; but for the truth to be learned by adversity is good for the humble. Very little is to be learned without affliction. If we would be scholars we must be sufferers. As the Latins say, Experientia docet, experience teaches. There is no royal road to learning the royal statutes; God’s commands are best read by eyes wet with tears.
I have to admit, I am no natural fan of affliction. I do not long for it, nor do I believe that God’s people should seek it out. Yet, living in a fallen, sick-broken world means that affliction will be part of our lives. But this does not mean that God has abandoned us. He is working in the brokenness and the affliction to bring about good in all things for His people (Romans 8:28).
If you find yourself living through affliction this morning, take heart that God is still working in your life. He is teaching us that this world is not our home. He is teaching us that He is faithful. He is teaching us that He is still God. And in these truths, we can rest and find peace.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me this morning?
A Blessing
The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.
A Bonus
Music ministers to me in profound ways, especially in hard times. This song is a profound and glorious reminder of God’s faithfulness in our trials and afflictions. I pray that it will minister to you as it did to me.
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A Verse
2 Kings 18:4
He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.)
A Comment
This morning’s passage may seem a little obscure, but I wanted to share with you some of my reflections on this passage after reading it last week. The context is Hezekiah, the king of Judah, reforming the worship of Judah when he started to reign as king. Hezekiah was a good king, though one could say that his regard for the future prosperity of Judah was short-sighted (2 Kings 20:12-21). But for this morning’s passage, I want us to consider how a good thing (the bronze serpent that Moses fashioned in the wilderness for the healing of the people) became a bad thing, an idol intended to replace the LORD.
As I just mentioned, the bronze serpent was made by Moses during Israel’s wanderings in the wilderness. You can read about it in Numbers 21, but for those that don’t want to have to turn back to Numbers, here are the main verses: The LORD said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.
The bronze serpent on the pole was a provision from the LORD during the wilderness wandering intended to heal them and strengthen their faith in the LORD who heals them. Yet, over time, the people of Judah turned the good thing of God’s provision into a bad thing by worshipping the bronze serpent itself, burning incense to it. What was intended for good by God to the Israelites was taken and turned into an end in itself. They forgot the God who provided for them, and instead, trusted in the provision rather than the provider.
I think this story reminds us that we must be very careful not to put our hope in the provision itself, but in the God who provides. God made provide all sorts of wonderful, well-timed blessings to His people, but He never intends for us to turn those good things into gods. There is only one true God whom we should place our trust. We must be sober-minded and watchful that we do not look to the things that God has provided us and turn them into a replacement for God himself.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
Now may the Lord of Peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. the Lord be with all of you.
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A Verse
2 Samuel 22:31
As for God, his way is perfect;The LORD’s word is flawless;he shields all who take refuge in him.
A Comment
As I read David’s song of praise, I could not help but reflect on these words. David’s life was full of God’s favor and discipline. Favor for his faithfulness to the covenant and discipline for his unfaithfulness to the covenant. He conquered the LORD’s enemies, but he also experience great personal loss due to his sin. Yet, as he neared the end of his life, David praised the LORD for his perfect ways, which were revealed in His word.
As I think on my own life, I desire to have the same response to the LORD and His way. I want to remember, even in the turmoil and upheaval that I encounter that the LORD “shields all who take refuge in Him.” David’s temptation, as is our own, is to find refuge in our own wisdom, abilities, and accomplishments. This, however, should not be the case. We must remember that our only refuge is in the perfect way of the LORD, who has shown us His way in His word.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
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A Verse
Psalm 80:3
Restore us, O God;make your face shine on us,that we may be saved.
A Comment
Today’s verse is a refrain that is repeated throughout Psalm 80. The Israelites were experiencing God’s discipline. Yet, this did not make the psalmist want to run away from God but to God.
I think our tendency as Christians is to think that we need to run from God instead of to God when we have sinned and fallen short of his glory. Yet, this psalm reminds us that salvation is found in God’s grace. We do not need to attempt to hide ourselves from God but to have his “face shine upon us,” which is another way of saying, “LORD, let your favor be upon us.”
When we are living in darkness and feeling hopeless, our need is for God’s light to come upon us, revealing him, and leading is to hope in him.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me this morning?
A Blessing
The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.
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A Verse
Amos 5:21-24
I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me.Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them.Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them.Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps.But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!
A Comment
Today is Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. At some point today, you might hear a clip from his famous “I Have a Dream” speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. In that speech, Dr. King employed biblical language and imagery from the Bible to address the racial injustices of his day. One of the most memorable moments of that speech comes when he quotes from Amos 5:24, saying, “No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
These words from Amos addressed the people of Israel, who, while engaging in religious activity, were not embodying the call to holiness and justice. The community maintained religious fervor in their ceremonies but refused the weightier matters of the law. The LORD rebuked them through Amos, noting that the professions that they were making in their ceremonies contradicted their actual treatment of their neighbors.
Just as this was true in Amos’ day and in Dr. King’s day, we have a responsibility as God’s people to examine our own lives and discern where our professions contradict our actions. It is one thing to say that we love God and our neighbors, but it is a whole other thing to actually demonstrate this love for God and our neighbors through our actions.
Today, as we reflect on God’s Word for us and are reminded of Dr. King’s legacy of fighting racial injustice, I would encourage each of us to examine our lives and ask, “Lord, search me and know me, see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the path of righteousness.”
May our professions of faith be complemented by lives of faith. Let us also long for the day when justice rolls down and righteousness like a mighty stream. May we hear Amos’ words anew this morning and respond, by God’s grace, with a concern for his name and renown in our lives.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
Now, go forth with a renewed commitment to glorify God.Seek good, not evil, love goodness, and establish justice,letting justice roll down like waters,and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.Go in peace, with love for God and our neighbors.
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A Verse
John 15:5
I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
A Comment
This week, I’ve been preparing for a new sermon series on marriage. The first sermon in the series examines how Jesus’ teaching is the rock upon which we can build a strong marriage. This comes from Matthew 7:24-27. While this is undoubtedly true, it is also important to realize that obedience to Jesus’ teaching depends upon abiding in Him by faith. We cannot expect to bear fruit if we are detached from the source, who is Christ.
So, this morning, as you aspire to live in obedience to Christ, don’t forget that you must abide in Him as well. To abide in Him is to trust Him, which is reflected in our obedience to Him. We cannot separate obedience to Christ from abiding in Christ. Nor can we claim to be abiding in Christ if we refuse to obey Him.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
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A Verse
Psalm 42:5
Why, my soul, are you downcast?Why so disturbed within me?Put your hope in God,for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
A Comment
Sometimes we have to preach to ourselves. That is what we find here in Psalm 42. The psalmist is honest about his feelings, but he is also aware that his feelings can be misleading. Though he is downcast and disturbed within, deliverance from these feelings will not be found in himself. He knows he has to look to God, to “put his hope in God.” Therefore, he preaches to his soul, “Put your hope in God!”
In anticipation of how hoping in God will change him, the psalmist declares his confidence that he will yet praise the LORD, his Savior and God. He might not feel it yet, but he knows if he would look outside of himself to the God who is his hope, then, and only then, would he be delivered from the downcasting disturbance that plagues his soul.
From this psalmist, we learn that sometimes we need to be very honest about our feelings, but we must also not allow those feelings to take the place in our soul that ought to be hoping in God. Our despair is no match for our Savior and God. Sometimes we’ve got to preach this to our soul.
A Prayer
Would you join me in prayer?
A Blessing
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.
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A Verse
Psalm 33:20
We wait in hope for the LORD;for He is our help and our shield.
A Comment
This morning, I want to remind us to hope in the LORD. As you begin another week, look to Him. He alone is our help and our shield. He cares for us. He is trustworthy. His eyes are upon us. Rest in this truth this morning.
A Prayer
Would you join me in prayer?
A Blessing
May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
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A Verse
Genesis 45:4-8
4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! 5 And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. 6 For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. 7 But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
8 “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.
A Comment
There is a lot that could and should be said about this passage, but I want to focus on one aspect. Joseph had a reputation for being a good interpreter. Even when his interpretations were unfavorable (see the chief baker’s dream in Gen. 40), he was still correct. When Joseph looked back over the many tragedies and difficulties of his life (e.g., sold into slavery by his brothers, falsely accused by Pharoah’s wife and then imprisoned), he discerned the invisible hand of God’s providence at work.
Genesis 45:4-8 capture Joseph’s interpretation of God’s providential dealings with him and his family. Such an interpretation does not arise from a quick look at the details at any given moment in history. Instead, it took time to discern and interpret what God was doing. While from a human perspective, it would make sense for Joseph to be bitter toward God and his family because of his circumstances, instead, Joseph was patient and trusted in the goodness of God. His patience and confidence in the goodness of God allowed him, in time, to rightly interpret God’s dealings with him.
While Joseph does not excuse the evil intentions of his brothers, he does not impute or accuse God of doing evil. In Genesis 50:20, he tells his worried brothers, “You intended harm to me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”
Joseph’s confidence in God and his purpose is an important model for us when it comes to interpreting the providence of God. It takes patience and perspective to rightly interpret what God is doing in our lives. We might not discern it in the moment, but we can trust that God has not abandoned His good purpose for His children. He is still “working all things for good for those that love Him and are called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28). We just might need more time to see it all unfold.
A Prayer
Would you join me in prayer?
A Blessing
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)
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A Verse
1 Corinthians 3:6
I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.
A Comment
In his letter to the church in Corinth, Paul was concerned with division in the church. There seemed to have been a “party spirit” at work within the church. The people appeared to have their “preferred” servants of the Lord. Yet, Paul would not allow such division to be entertained in Christ’s church. He reminded the people that while Paul had planted the gospel seed and Apollos was responsible for watering that seed, it was ultimately God that made it grow.
This is an important reminder for each of us this morning. We are all but servants. We have a task to fulfill as the Lord has appointed. Some of us will plant the gospel seed, and others will water it, but at the end of the day, God is the only one that can make our work bear fruit. We must know what we have control over and what we do not have control over. We can faithful to sow the seed of the gospel and even water that seed, but the growth depends on God, which should drive us to prayer.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me this morning?
A Blessing
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (Romans 15:13)
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A Verse
2 Timothy 1:7
For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
A Comment
While Paul mentions power and love in this verse, I want to briefly focus on self-discipline. As we begin a new year, I’m sure many of you have new goals and aspirations. Without self-discipline, our new goals and aspirations will remain just such: new goals and aspirations. If we would make progress, we will need self-discipline.
To be sure, I have no intention of cheapening the role of God’s Spirit in relating self-discipline to our goals and aspirations. Instead, I want to remind us why God has gifted us with the Spirit. His goal in us is godliness. To be more like Him in our thoughts, words, and deeds. If our new goals and aspiration are primarily about our own ambitions and glory, then it is the mercy of God for us to fail in those things. Yet, if our aim is His glory in our lives, then it is vital that we see our need for God’s Spirit.
As you seek to have self-discipline today and in the days ahead, I want you to remember that the source of our self-discipline in the Spirit of God. And this being this case, should lead us to acknowledge our dependence on Him in prayer and ask the LORD to grant us the power, the love, and the self-discipline that we need to live for His glory and the good of others.
A Prayer
Would you join me in praying that God would grant us power, love, and self-discipline in our pursuit of His glory and the good of others?
A Blessing
May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 15:5-6)
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A Verse
Proverbs 2:1-5
My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding— indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.
A Comment
As I read this passage on New Year’s day, I was struck by Solomon’s emphasis on applying our hearts to understanding. The Hebrew behind the word, “understanding,” refers to a “pragmatic insight” or “competence.” Another way of stating this is to say that understanding refers to “know how.” Thus, when Solomon speaks to his son about “applying his heart to understanding,” he is not simply speaking of “knowing” details, but “knowing” and “doing” according to the wisdom that he has been taught.
When I think about the New Year and the many resolutions and goals that Christians have as they begin anew each year, it is very typical to hear and see Christians who want to grow in their Bible reading. This, of course, is a wonderful goal. I encourage each of you to make plans to read more of God’s Word this year! But more than merely reading it, I want to encourage you, as Solomon did to his son, to “apply your heart to understanding” God’s Word. Don’t be satisfied with merely reading about God’s will. Apply it! Live by it! Demonstrate a “know how” of the things of God. It is far better to read and apply a smaller portion of God’s Word than to read more of it and not orient your life accordingly.
A Prayer
Join me in prayer over these truths…
A Blessing
The LORD bless you and keep you;the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.
Recommended Resources for Deeper Study
Helpful resources for Studying the Bible by Casey Hough
A Free, Lay-Level Series on Interpreting the Bible
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Psalm 21
1 The king rejoices in your strength, Lord. How great is his joy in the victories you give!
2 You have granted him his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips.3 You came to greet him with rich blessings and placed a crown of pure gold on his head.4 He asked you for life, and you gave it to him— length of days, for ever and ever.5 Through the victories you gave, his glory is great; you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.6 Surely you have granted him unending blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence.7 For the king trusts in the Lord; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken.
8 Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies; your right hand will seize your foes.9 When you appear for battle, you will burn them up as in a blazing furnace.The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath, and his fire will consume them.10 You will destroy their descendants from the earth, their posterity from mankind.11 Though they plot evil against you and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed.12 You will make them turn their backs when you aim at them with drawn bow.
13 Be exalted in your strength, Lord; we will sing and praise your might.
Isaiah 24
See, the Lord is going to lay waste the earth and devastate it;he will ruin its face and scatter its inhabitants—2 it will be the same for priest as for people, for the master as for his servant, for the mistress as for her servant, for seller as for buyer, for borrower as for lender, for debtor as for creditor.3 The earth will be completely laid waste and totally plundered.The Lord has spoken this word.
4 The earth dries up and withers, the world languishes and withers, the heavens languish with the earth.5 The earth is defiled by its people; they have disobeyed the laws,violated the statutes and broken the everlasting covenant.6 Therefore a curse consumes the earth; its people must bear their guilt.Therefore earth’s inhabitants are burned up, and very few are left.7 The new wine dries up and the vine withers; all the merrymakers groan.8 The joyful timbrels are stilled, the noise of the revelers has stopped, the joyful harp is silent.9 No longer do they drink wine with a song; the beer is bitter to its drinkers.10 The ruined city lies desolate; the entrance to every house is barred.11 In the streets they cry out for wine; all joy turns to gloom, all joyful sounds are banished from the earth.12 The city is left in ruins, its gate is battered to pieces.13 So will it be on the earth and among the nations,as when an olive tree is beaten, or as when gleanings are left after the grape harvest.
14 They raise their voices, they shout for joy; from the west they acclaim the Lord’s majesty.15 Therefore in the east give glory to the Lord; exalt the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, in the islands of the sea.16 From the ends of the earth we hear singing: “Glory to the Righteous One.”
But I said, “I waste away, I waste away! Woe to me!The treacherous betray! With treachery the treacherous betray!”
1 Thessalonians 4:1-12
As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
3 It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; 6 and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.
9 Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. 10 And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, 11 and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
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Psalm 124
1 If the Lord had not been on our side— let Israel say—2 if the Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us,3 they would have swallowed us alive when their anger flared against us;4 the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us,5 the raging waters would have swept us away.
6 Praise be to the Lord, who has not let us be torn by their teeth.7 We have escaped like a bird from the fowler’s snare;the snare has been broken, and we have escaped.8 Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
Genesis 8:1-19
1 But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded. 2 Now the springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens had been closed, and the rain had stopped falling from the sky. 3 The water receded steadily from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the water had gone down, 4 and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. 5 The waters continued to recede until the tenth month, and on the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains became visible.
6 After forty days Noah opened a window he had made in the ark 7 and sent out a raven, and it kept flying back and forth until the water had dried up from the earth. 8 Then he sent out a dove to see if the water had receded from the surface of the ground. 9 But the dove could find nowhere to perch because there was water over all the surface of the earth; so it returned to Noah in the ark. He reached out his hand and took the dove and brought it back to himself in the ark. 10 He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark. 11 When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth. 12 He waited seven more days and sent the dove out again, but this time it did not return to him.
13 By the first day of the first month of Noah’s six hundred and first year, the water had dried up from the earth. Noah then removed the covering from the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry. 14 By the twenty-seventh day of the second month the earth was completely dry.
15 Then God said to Noah, 16 “Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives. 17 Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you—the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground—so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number on it.”
18 So Noah came out, together with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives. 19 All the animals and all the creatures that move along the ground and all the birds—everything that moves on land—came out of the ark, one kind after another.
Romans 6:1-11
1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with,[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
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Proverbs 7:21-23
With persuasive words she led him astray;she seduced him with her smooth talk.All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter,like a deer stepping into a noose till an arrow pierces his liver,like a bird darting into a snare,little knowing it will cost him his life.
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Be sure to check out the audio version!
A Verse
Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
A Comment
Check out the podcast audio above for today’s comments on Proverbs 1:7
A Prayer
Pray for wisdom today by asking God to teach you the fear of the LORD
A Blessing
May the LORD bless you and keep you today.
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A Verse
Ephesians 3:20-21
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
A Comment
Paul is praying for the benefit of the church for the sake of the glory of God, and in his mind, these things are not a contradiction.
It is not a contradiction to pray that God would be glorified and to pray that God would do good for His people.
It is not a contradiction to ask God to fill us with the power of His Spirit, the presence of His Son, and the knowledge of His love for the sake of His glory because when God answers these prayers for our filling with power, presence, and knowledge, He manifests, that is, he makes known, He glorifies his ability to empower us, to encourage us, to bless us.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.
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A Verse
Ephesians 4:31
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
A Comment
I must admit that struggle with bitterness. Where I am at this point in my life is not where I assumed I would be when I started the journey of being an adult…
For the rest of my comments, listen to the audio link at the top of this episode.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
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A Verse
Ephesians 3:14-19
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
A Comment
In verse 16, Paul specifically asks the Father to grant that believers might be “strengthened with power through His Spirit in their inner being.” The power that Paul has in mind here is the power of God himself. Notice how verse 16 begins: “that out of his glorious riches.”
Paul is asking God to fill believers with the “power of God’s Spirit,” that is, the Holy Spirit, according to the “glorious riches.” As one commentator noted, “The idea here is that God possesses extraordinary might, which He is able and willing to impart to His people.”
So here, we see that the glorification of God’s power results in the strengthening of believers with the power of the Holy Spirit. The glory of God results in good for the believers. Thus, pursuing God’s glory is no hindrance to God’s goodness in our lives. They are inextricably related.
A Prayer
Would you pray with me?
A Blessing
The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.
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A Verse
Ephesians 3:11-13
This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.
A Comment
What does the “this” in verse 11 refer to? It refers to God’s ordering of the church for the sake of His glory, the manifestation of His wisdom to the heavenly authorities through Jesus Christ.
In other words, Paul is referring to the church, that is, the assemblage of God’s One People which consists only of those who have trusted in Jesus Christ, Jew and Gentile alike. God’s goal was always to assemble a people from “every kindred, tongue, tribe, and nations” for the sake of His glory. And it would be through the Lord Jesus Christ that “this people” would be unified, filled with the Holy Spirit to the praise of the glory of God’s grace.
“This people,” brought together by Jesus Christ according to God’s eternal purpose and plan, are blessed with “boldness” and “access with confidence” through faith. God hears and beckons His people to come to Him with boldness. He desires for His people to use their blood-bought access to Him in confident, faith-filled prayer.
A Prayer
Would you join me in prayer?
A Blessing
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
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A Verse
Ephesians 3:7-10
Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
A Comment
In verse 7, Paul revisits the gospel, that is, the mystery of Christ that resulted in the unification of the Jews and Gentiles into the One People of God. Paul is a minister of this gospel. What is this gospel? Well, we have already seen it to some degree in Ephesians 2. This gospel is the message that “it is by grace that you are saved through faith and this is not of yourself, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
The gospel that Paul preached excludes all grounds for boasting because all of its benefits are based on grace, not your performance. The gospel spoken of in these verses does not require you to clean your life up before you receive the good news. It only beckons you to come just as you are and be accepted by God on the basis of what Jesus has already done for you. This is the gospel that Paul preached, and he preached it to those who thought that in order to be a part of the people of God that they would have to become like the Jews and keep the law in order to please God and remain in His favor. But Paul taught that God’s favor is not earned through obedience to the law. It is given powerfully and freely in Jesus Christ.
When Paul preached “the unsearchable riches of Christ” to the Gentiles, the result was that God’s plan to save the world was revealed. God would save the world by sending His only Son, Jesus Christ, to the earth to die in the place of sinners so that they might belong to Him as sons and daughters. And as sinners heard this good news, they would be baptized into the life of the church of Jesus Christ, where they would be taught to make disciples of others as well in obedience to the Great Commission.
As baptized believers began to assemble daily with other believers, they grew in their faith and knowledge of God. And as they grew in their knowledge of God’s grace, mercy, love, kindness, patience, justice, impartiality, and holiness, the Holy Spirit caused them to become more like Jesus. Paul talks about this in Romans 8, where he writes that believers have been predestined to be conformed to the image of the Son of God. This means that God intends for every believer to grow in their likeness to Jesus.
And why does God want believers in the church to become more like Jesus? We find the answer in verse 10 – “So that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.”
A Prayer
Would you join me in prayer?
A Blessing
May Christ dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
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A Verse
Ephesians 3:1-6
For this reason, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
A Comment
Having just spoken of the unified people of God in the previous chapter, now, in Ephesians 3:1-6, the apostle Paul reveals how God is going about this unifying work. While there was always an expectation that the nations would be included in the community of God’s people (Zech. 2:11, Isa. 2:2, Mic. 4:1-3), there was not always clear regarding the means by which the nations would be included.
For some, the idea that the nations would be included within the people of God meant that they would functionally become Jews through observing the law (circumcision, food laws, sabbath, etc.). In Ephesians 3:1-6, however, Paul reveals that mystery of the nations’ inclusion is through faith in Jesus Christ. In other words, the nations (the Gentiles) are regarded as God’s people not by becoming Jews, but by placing their hope in Christ. This was the mystery. And in Christ, the mystery was revealed.
We become a part of the people of God not by means of external observation of Jewish religious regulations but through faith in Christ. The apostle Paul makes this even more clear in Romans 9, where he speaks of the offspring of Abraham being those who have the faith of Abraham.
A Prayer
Would you join me in prayer?
A Blessing
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
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A Verse
Ephesians 2:19-22
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
A Comment
Verses 19-22 bring Ephesians 2 to a conclusion with a point of application for our relationship with God and with others in the church.
First, if we belong to Christ, then we belong to the people of God. Note what verse 19 says, “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” No longer strangers and aliens! Why? Because of Christ, which is the point of verse 20! And through Jesus, we have not only been grafted into the people of God, we are being built into the place of his presence here on earth. Verse 22, “In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”
This brings us to the second point of application, that, as the people of God, we have a responsibility to make the presence of God known in this world by the Holy Spirit. When we gather as God’s people and others are in our midst, people should leave thinking to themselves, “Surely God is with this people!” Which provokes me to ask, are we so loving, so caring, so impartial, so full of awe, so full of the Spirit, so committed to Christ and his gospel, so excited about the glory of God, that when people are around us, they sense the presence of God in our midst?
A Prayer
Would you join me in prayer?
A Blessing
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
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A Verse
Ephesians 2:13-18
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
A Comment
The dividing wall was brought down through Jesus’ fulfillment of the law of Moses. Jesus is now the once and for all sacrifice that pleases God and grants people access to the Father. There is no longer a need for the sacrificial system of the Mosaic Law. Christ has abolished it by His own blood. Furthermore, there is no longer a need for ritual circumcision that only pertains to the flesh because Jesus has come to circumcise the heart. Circumcision of the flesh only dealt with outward realities, but Jesus’ work deals with our heart.
As for the need for commandments, Paul is not saying that Christians are no longer in need of law. The last half of the book of Ephesians is full of commandments. No, Paul is not teaching that Jesus came to bring lawlessness, but rather, that Jesus came to rescue us from the curse of the law, reconcile us to God and to others, and teach us the true intention of God’s law. The law was not intended to give life, but rather, to expose our need for God’s grace and mercy. And when the law functions properly in this manner, we see that our only hope is in Jesus, the One who reconciled us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.
And according to verse 17, all people, Jew and Gentile alike, needed to hear of God’s reconciling work in Christ. Both groups heard the message of Jesus as our peace! And this peace, according to verse 18, means that we have access through the Spirit to God the Father. What a blessing!
A Prayer
Join me as I pray…
A Blessing
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
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A Verse
Ephesians 2:13-16
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.
A Comment
In verse 13, the phrase, “by the blood of Christ,” refers to Jesus” sacrificial death for sinners, which is explained in more detail in verses 14 and 16. Jesus is our peace. He is our shalom, that is, a peace that is not simply “the cessation of hostilities,” but rather, the state of being delivered or saved. So, how is it that Jesus is our peace?
According to Paul, Jesus is our peace through His unifying work to tear down the wall of hostility that separated Jew and Gentile. This wall of hostility was represented in the way that Jews observed the law of Moses. Instead of being a blessing to the nations, the Jews separated themselves through their observance of the Mosaic Law.
But, now, in Christ, the Law of Moses has been set aside, as Paul writes in verses 15-16, “By abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.”
In other words, the law that once was used to keep Jews and Gentiles separated has been abolished through Jesus’ redemptive work on the cross. There was no longer a need for the Jews to find their identity in the law of Moses. There was no longer a need for Gentiles to attempt to become like the Jews in order to be a part of their community. In Christ, the wall that divided these two groups had been brought down by Jesus. Our hope for reconciliation with God and others is rooted in Christ alone!
A Prayer
Join me as I pray…
A Blessing
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
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A Verse
Ephesians 2:13
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
A Comment
Verse 13 is so good! It teaches us that our greatest need has been met by the greatest provision. We who were far off have been brought near to God by the blood of Christ. As we were reminded in Ephesians 2:11-12, by nature, we were alienated from God and without hope in this world. But now, in Christ, all of this has changed. Those who have turned away from sin to Christ in repentance and faith have been united to Him, and have been brought near by His blood.
A Prayer
O’ God, thank you for the provision that you have made for us in Christ Jesus! We bless you for your great mercy. We extol you for your patience. Grant us to remember! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.
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The last two months have been quite a whirlwind.
In the providence of God, I had the opportunity to travel to Lebanon, South Sudan, and Uganda to encourage and be encouraged by God’s work among His people. I have also lost my dear father to a sudden stroke. I officiated his funeral with my brother a little more than a week after returning from Africa. You can watch my portion of the service here below.
Needless to say, my weekday newsletter has not been what I intended it to be due to these circumstances, but I hope that will change now. After today, my goal is to get back to the regular weekday newsletter that reflects on a portion of Scripture with an accompanying comment, prayer, and blessing. I hope that you will rejoin me in this journey to know God through His Word and share it with others.
Thank you for your patience and your prayers during this time.
CBH
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A Verse
Ephesians 2:11-12
Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
A Comment
In these opening verses, Paul stresses how important it is for this new community to remember their condition before Christ intervened in their life. Christ was, is, and always will be the believer’s only true hope. And if the believers were going to fully appreciate and grow in their joy and understanding of salvation, then the believers would need to remember the situation of their rescue. For, when we forget the goodness of God in our bad situation, we have a tendency to feel entitled, grow anxious, and be ungrateful. If we do not remember that we were dead in trespasses and sins, we will not be grateful for God’s life-giving mercy.
Now, there might be some who are thinking, “You know, I’m just about sick and tired of being told that I was dead in trespasses and sins. That I was weak. That I was powerless. That apart from the grace of God, I could not save myself. I don’t need the reminder.”
Well, if God’s Word tells us to “remember,” then it’s quite obvious that we do really need the reminder. This passage is actually a command to remember, and every one of us needs to heed this command because we tend to forget how truly bad off we were before Christ. We tend to be like a survivor of a traumatic accident who doesn’t recall their injury or their rescue. And at times, because we don’t remember the rescue or the event, we forget how dire our situation really was. But just because we forget, or we don’t want to remember, that does not mean that we don’t need the reminder. Reminders of God’s grace are always good for us.
A Prayer
Would you join me in praying and asking God to help us remember our need for Him?
A Blessing
Now the God who is mighty,
the Lamb who is worthy,
and the Spirit who is near, fortify
you to live faithfully in these days
and all the days until Jesus comes.
Amen.
from Dale Ralph Davis, Grace Be with You: Benedictions from Dale Ralph Davis
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A Verse
Ephesians 2:11-12
Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
A Comment
Paul’s argument in verses 11-12 is similar to what we saw last week in verses 1-3, except this time, instead of describing our situation apart from God in terms of spiritual death, Paul focuses on what our spiritual condition outside of Christ meant for our status as the people of God. In simple terms, Paul states, “you were once Gentiles” who were regarded as unclean participants in the pagan religions of the nations that do not recognize the true God. You were cut off from the hope of God’s promise. God had no covenantal obligation to you. For God had made His covenant with Israel, which we see in Exodus 20. And that nation with whom God had made His covenant was called to circumcise their males on the 8th day after their birth. Circumcision, along with the Sabbath, were the signs of the covenant that God made with Israel. And the Gentiles had no part in those promises. That is, they had no part in the promises of God until God cut a New Covenant.
The New Covenant, however, would be different from the Old Covenant. With the Old Covenant, you were a member of the covenant people by virtue of your family and your obedience to the law. With the New Covenant, you are a member of the covenant people by virtue of faith in Christ apart from works of the laws. What a blessing to be included in God’s people through union with Jesus Christ!
A Prayer
Take a moment to join me in prayer, thanking God for His mercy to include those of us who were far from Him.
A Blessing
And now hear what Yahweh says,
The One who created you, Oh Jacob,
the One who formed you, Oh Israel:
‘Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed
you, I have called you by name. You are
mine. When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you. And through the
rivers, they will not wash you away. When
you walk through fire, you will not be
scorched, and the flame will not burn you.
For I am Yahweh, your God, the holy One
of Israel, your Savior.’ Amen.
from Dale Ralph Davis, Grace Be with You: Benedictions from Dale Ralph Davis
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Ephesians 2:8-10
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
A Comment
Some of you are probably wondering if there is any hope for you. Some are wondering is there any hope for my spouse. Others are asking, is there any hope for my children? You are crying out, “Is there any grace left for me? Has He run out? Is there any mercy left for me?” Does God really offer grace to a person like me? Do you know the things that I have done? Do you know the types of things that have been done to me? Do you know how broken I am? Do you know the shame that I feel? No one has ever wanted me. How could God ever want a person like me?
To you, I would simply say, you are the only type of person that God ever wants! You are the only type of person that there is outside of faith in Christ. Do you not remember how even Paul spoke about himself in verses 1-3? We were all dead in our wrongdoings and our sins. We were all walking according to the course of this world. We were all broken. We were all abused. We were all full of shame. We were all children of wrath by nature! That is our story. That is our family heritage. That is our shared problem. We are by our very nature and our choice rebels against our Creator.
But God! But God! But God being rich in mercy! But God, because of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead in our trespasses! But God, made us alive together with Christ and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus! But God intervened in Christ to save us by His grace! For by grace we are saved!
A Prayer
If you have not already done so, would you pray with me and call upon Jesus to have mercy on you?
A Blessing
Now the eternal God who is
your refuge, be a rock that
is beneath you, the tower that is
around you, the shelter that is
above you this day and all the days
until Jesus comes. Amen.
from Dale Ralph Davis, Grace Be with You: Benedictions from Dale Ralph Davis
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Ephesians 2:8-10
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
A Comment
Of all people on the planet, Christians should not only be the most humble, but also the most hopeful. Again, if we really get it, if we really understand what God, by His abundant mercy, has done for us in Christ while we were “dead in trespasses and sins,” then we would be far less prone to despair about the future.
The salvation that we possess in Christ is bigger than us. What I mean by that is that God’s own glory is at stake in our future. If we failed to make it to the finish line, if we failed to persevere to the end, if we failed to obtain the inheritance that is ours in Christ, something far greater than our own personal salvation would be lost. The glory of God would fall into disrepute. The glory of God would be blasphemed.
“The immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Jesus Christ” would not be seen or displayed in the age to come if God’s grace did not complete the work that it began in us. We who have been saved have great reason to be full of hope that whatever comes in our life, God is faithful, and He will not allow His promises to fail for those who have truly trusted in Christ Jesus for salvation.
A Prayer
Join me in asking God to fill us with hope in light of His grace.
A Blessing
Now may the God who never
abandons you and never lets
go of you, go before you in your
darkness, stand beside you in your
fears, make you faithful in your
temptations until Jesus comes.
Amen.
from Dale Ralph Davis, Grace Be with You: Benedictions from Dale Ralph Davis
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Ephesians 2:8-10
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
A Comment
Of all people on the planet, Christians should be the most humble. If we really get it, if we understand the dire nature of our situation apart from God and have a clear picture of the grace that He has lavished upon us in Christ, we would not boast.
We would be humble. We would not think so highly of ourselves. We would not walk around like we are entitled to a good life because we have worked hard, paid our dues, and been upstanding citizens.
We would realize that anything good that we have experienced in life is directly related to the grace of God. We would pray with a growing consciousness of our need for God. And we would thank God for His grace.
A Prayer
When was the last time you stopped to thank God for His grace? Join in my prayer now as we thank Him.
A Blessing
Now may the Lord, who is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger, and rich in steadfast love and mercy,
keep you from despair in all your troubles and keep you from idolatry in all your joys. Amen.
From Dale Ralph Davis, Grace Be with You: Benedictions from Dale Ralph Davis.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Ephesians 2:8-10
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
A Comment
Paul brings his argument to a fine point in verses 8-10, giving a summary statement of the preceding material, just in case anyone has misunderstood him. Paul declares that on the basis of God’s grace, everyone who has faith in Christ is saved. And to make sure that no one misunderstands salvation, Paul explains that this salvation is a gift from God.
We do not work for it. Salvation is not a wage that we have earned. It is a gift that we receive, and we receive it by faith. And all of this is on the basis of God’s grace.
What does it mean to have faith in Christ? I like the way that the New City Catechism puts it, “Faith in Jesus Christ is acknowledging the truth of everything that God has revealed in his Word, trusting in him, and also receiving and resting on him alone for salvation as he is offered to us in the gospel.”
A Prayer
Spend a moment praying for someone in your life to experience God’s saving grace in Jesus Christ
A Blessing
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Ephesians 2:6-7
And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
A Comment
As a result of God’s grace, those who have received it have been made alive together with Christ and raised up with Him and seated in a place of security and victory in Christ Jesus. We, as the spoils of Christ’s holy work, have been given a heavenly residence before the heavenly powers that once oppressed us and sought our destruction. God has placed a table for us in the presence of our enemies and guaranteed us that He is present so that our enemies might know that God in Christ is victorious and that we are safe. God’s salvation is complete. God’s salvation guarantees that we will make it home by grace.
A Prayer
Spend a moment thanking God for His grace and asking Him to strengthen you.
A Blessing
The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Ephesians 2:4-7
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
A Comment
What is grace? Grace is the unmerited favor of God. Some have defined it as “Grace stands for – God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense.” Grace consists of God’s love, patience, kindness, and mercy. While we do not deserve God’s grace, He is gracious to us in Jesus Christ, offering us the love, patience, kindness, and mercy that we cannot earn. Grace is a gift.
And so, as God gives grace to us, “the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in kindness to us in Christ Jesus” is revealed as His glory. As people see sinners forgiven, restored, and reconciled to God by Christ, they behold the glory of God in His grace. And they glorify God for His grace, which is what the letter of Ephesians is all about. Paul wants the church in Ephesus to glorify God, to worship God, to regard God as great, because of His grace! To the praise of the glory of His grace!
A Prayer
Jesus, we thank You for Your grace. Apart from Your grace, we could be or do nothing. Help us to live in light Your grace today. In Your name, Amen.
A Blessing
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Ephesians 2:4
“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,”
A Comment
“But God…” Two of the greatest words ever combined in God’s Word.
What does this mean? It means that while we were dead in our wrongdoing, in our sin, while God could have been sharpening the sword of His judgment for us, God, in Christ, was preparing mercy for us. God was looking at the storehouses of His grace and saying, “While they deserve my judgment, I intend to give them grace in the place of grace. I intend to magnify my goodness in their distress. To give them hope when all they deserve is hell. To rescue them from their self-made destruction. I am going to save them, not because they deserve it, but because it is my nature to save sinful people.”
While we are children of wrath by nature, God is the God of grace by nature. It is his nature to love people like us. To give grace to His rebels.
A Prayer
O’ LORD, we thank You for Your grace! We praise You for Your patience and kindness. Thank You for redeeming us! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, Amen.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Ephesians 2:1-3
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.
A Comment
Paul does not pull any punches in his description of our condition apart from God. We were dead in trespasses and sins. What is sin? Sin is rejecting or ignoring the creator God. It is rebellion against God which manifests itself in a life without reference to him. It is the breaking of God’s law. It is the refusal to be what God has made us to be in His image. And the result of sin in this world is death and destruction.
The world in which we live is plagued; it is broken by sin. It does not work as God intended it because sin has damaged us and estranged us from God. When we walked in sin, we followed the course of this world, living in submission to the Devil, the Spirit of disobedience. And it was not just that we chose to live this way, it was our nature to do so, according to verse 3. “By nature, we were children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”
Our sin, both by nature and by choice has destined us for wrath. For judgment. For destruction. We were the walking dead. Judgment was our destination. We were not simply weak and “needing a hand.” We were not simply struggling to get by. We were dead in our trespasses and sins. Not almost dead, but dead. Powerless. Unable to save ourselves. We lacked the ability to save ourselves. We had no interest in saving ourselves. This is our condition apart from God.
A Prayer
O’ Lord, give us clear eyes to see our need for Your grace. Apart from You, we can do nothing. But You give more grace! You are rich in mercy toward us because of Jesus. Thank You for not leaving us in such a dreadful condition. Thank You for Your grace! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
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A Verse
Ephesians 1:19b-23
That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
A Comment
In Ephesians 1:15-23, Paul is praying to the sovereign King of the universe, the One who chose us, redeemed us, gave us an inheritance, and sealed us the Holy Spirit, and Paul is asking the Lord, He is entreating the king, begging Him to have the Holy Spirit illuminate and enlighten our eyes to see the hope of our calling, the value of our inheritance, and the incomparable greatness of His power for the sake of the good of the church!
It is Paul’s grand vision of God that compels him to pray so boldly for the growth of the church in Ephesus in their knowledge of God. Paul wants us to share His vision of the great God who hears our prayers and delights to answer us when we call upon Him in faith for the sake of His name. Paul wants us to entreat the King with our thanksgivings and our requests that we and others might grow in our knowledge of God, and thus be sustained to endure to the end when the trial comes, or the temptation assails us.
As we pray this morning, may this vision of God compel us to pray with bold faith and assurance!
A Prayer
O’ LORD, You are greater than we can imagine! You are too wonderful for words! You are beyond our comprehension! O’ LORD, it is astonishing that You would hear and delight in our prayers to You. Jesus, we thank You for Your grace and mercy toward us. Give us eyes to see even more of what You are already doing for us and our salvation. We love you! In Your name, Amen.
A Blessing
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Ephesians 1:18-19a
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.
A Comment
Paul wants His audience to know the power of God that is at work in them. It is Christ’s resurrection power that is at work within us and for us. And not only that, as Christ reigns, He is reigning for the benefit of the church. Christ’s kingship is centered on His glory for the church’s good!
How do you measure the power of the resurrection? Is there any power greater than being raised from the dead, incorruptible with immortality forever? Is there any ruler reigning anywhere at any time who has ever been as highly exalted and as powerful as the risen Christ? And how about the fact that Christ exercises His sovereignty, that is, His kingship, over all things until the last thing is put into subjection under His feet, and he does so for the glory of His name and the good of His church?
A Prayer
O’ King Jesus, You are great and greatly to be praised. And Your greatness is unsearchable! In Your great power, help us in our weakness and need. For the sake of Your glory and our good. In Your name, Amen.
A Blessing
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Ephesians 1:18-19a
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.
A Comment
In this phrase, Paul is highlighting the place of the saints in the inheritance of Christ. Not only have we received an inheritance in Christ, but we are also Christ’s inheritance. God has lavished His mercy and grace upon us and given us to Christ. F. F. Bruce put it this way
God’s estimate of the people of Christ, united to him by faith and partakers of his resurrection life, is inevitably consistent with his estimate of Christ. Paul prays here that his readers may appreciate the value which God places on them, his plan to accomplish his eternal purpose through them as the first fruits of the reconciled universe of the future, in order that their lives may be in keeping with this high calling and that they may accept in grateful humility the grace and glory thus lavished on them.
How stunning is it that God would give the church to Christ as an inheritance? How unbelievable is it that God would so love and value us in this way as Christ’s people?
A Prayer
O’ God, what an unspeakable privilege it is to be regarded as the inheritance of Christ! Grant us to remember what Christ has accomplished for us and our salvation. Let us not forget that we belong to Him. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Ephesians 1:18-19a
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.
A Comment
What is this hope? It is the hope of glory, that is, the hope of a full and final salvation in Christ Jesus. This is the hope that we find in Christ’s return, when the fulness of His glory will be revealed and we will be like Him as He is, according to 1 John. We also see this language later in the book of Ephesians when Paul speaks of how Christ will “present to himself the church invested with glory, free from spot, wrinkle, or anything of the sort, holy and blameless before God” (Eph. 5:27).
Can you imagine a more powerful hope than the one that we have in Christ?
A Prayer
O’ LORD, fill us with hope this morning. In Your mercy, let us see and experience this hope, which, is ours in Christ. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Ephesians 1:18-19a
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.
A Comment
Paul talks about the illuminating or enlightening work of God in 1 Corinthians 2:6-16. There, he writes about the impartation of wisdom to those who mature, but it is not wisdom “from this age or the rulers of this age.” It is a wisdom rooted in God, which confounds the wisdom of our day and age. It is a revelation that is scandalous to both the ancient and modern minds. It is scandalous because no one could have imagined that God’s appointed King, the Messiah, the Christ who would come and rule over God’s people would come and instead of physically throwing off the oppression of the foreign nations would actually die at the hand of the empire. How could the Christ be killed?
Paul recognizes that this is God’s wisdom that usurps the expectations and understandings of the ancient mind. Such wisdom is only understood as a result of the Holy Spirit, who “searches everything, even the depths of God.” Paul wrote, “For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.”
Paul goes on to explain that “the natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to discern them because they are spiritually discerned.” Thus, we who have believed in Christ do so because the Spirit of God has illuminated our hearts to see Him as He truly is in the gospel of Jesus Christ. I mention all of this to say that not only do we need the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to initially see Christ in the Gospel but we continue to need the Holy Spirit in order to discern the things of God. Spiritual matters are spiritually discerned.
So, what does Paul have in mind in terms of this more intimate knowledge of God that results from the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit? We find the answer and the content of Paul’s prayer in verses 18-19, where Paul prayed that the Ephesian church would know the glory of God as it is revealed in the hope of our calling, the riches of our inheritance, and the greatness of His power toward us who believe in Christ Jesus. In other words, at the heart of Paul’s prayer is his desire for his audience to have a deep knowledge of the blessings that are theirs in Jesus Christ.
A Prayer
O’ Lord, thank you for revealing Christ to us by the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit. In Your great mercy, give us eyes to see and ears to hear this morning. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
Now the Father who chose you,
the Son that bought you,
the Spirit who dwells in you,
go before you in your darkness,
stand beside you in your fears,
hold you up in your sorrows,
until Jesus comes. Amen.
From Grace Be with You: Benedictions from Dale Ralph Davis
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Ephesians 1:17
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
A Comment
In verse 17, we find Paul asking God for the Holy Spirit to be active in the lives of the members of the church in Ephesus to grant wisdom and revelation according to His nature. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, but not just some mere wisdom or general knowledge. No. In this passage, Paul has the wisdom and revelation of God in mind. Paul is not asking for the Holy Spirit to be given to the church again. These Christians, according to Ephesians 1:13, have already been sealed by the Holy Spirit. They belong to Christ as a result of the Holy Spirit’s initial work in their salvation. So, when Paul prays for the Spirit of wisdom and revelation to be given to the church in Ephesus, he is thinking about the continuing presence and work of the Holy Spirit in their lives to bring the people to a deeper, more intimate knowledge of God. Paul is praying that Holy Spirit would continue to illuminate the “eyes of their hearts” in keeping with the “knowledge of God.”
A Prayer
O’ LORD, as the apostle Paul prayed, so this morning, we pray as well: give us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation that we might know You better. Eternal life is to know You. Grant this today, by Your Spirit. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
Now Yahweh, Maker of heaven and earth,
the keeper of Israel, your keeper,
go before you in your darkness,
stand beside you in your fears,
and hold you up in your sorrows until Jesus comes. Amen.
from Grace Be with You: Benedictions from Dale Ralph Davis
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Ephesians 1:15-16
For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.
A Comment
Paul thanks God for the faith that the Ephesians have in Christ and the love that they have demonstrated to other believers, the saints of Christ. As the planter of the church in Ephesus, Paul was grateful to see these disciples continuing in the faith. For the faith had not come easy in Ephesus. When Paul began his lengthy ministry there, it was in the context of an idolatrous culture. One of the major foci of economic and religious attention was the Temple of Artemis, which was considered to be one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Silversmiths earned their livelihood from making and selling “silver shrines of Artemis,” but when the gospel arrived in Ephesus, the nice comfortable, idolatrous culture was turned upside down. As people responded to the gospel of Christ, the local economy was hurt, and religious attention turned away from the Temple of Artemis, and the powerbrokers in the community did not like it.
So, they began to instigate riots and protests against Paul and his followers, but Paul did not stop preaching the gospel nor did his disciples cease to follow Christ. For this reason, Paul thanked God for sustaining the church in Ephesus in its faith for Christ and its love for the saints. He knew that this was God’s work in the church, and therefore, God deserved Paul’s thanksgiving.
In like manner, God is the sustainer of our faith in hard times and difficult circumstances. He is worthy of praise for strengthening our faith in Him.
A Prayer
O’ LORD, thank You for sustaining us. You not only begin the good work within us, but You bring it to completion. We give You glory. For You are good to us. Sustain us today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
May God sustain you in all circumstances by His mighty hand, which is never too short to save.
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A Verse
Ephesians 1:1-14
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
A Comment
In sum, according to Ephesians 1:1-14, the blessings that God has blessed us with in Christ and for which we are to bless and praise him are our election, our redemption, our inheritance, and our sealing by the Holy Spirit. So, why has God done this in Christ? Why have we been chosen, redeemed, given an inheritance, and sealed by the promised Holy Spirit? To what end has God done this in Christ?
To the praise of His glory! So that when we reflect upon God’s merciful, electing, redeeming, and generous grace in Christ Jesus, we might praise Him! That we might bless Him! That we might shout for joy!
Yet, how often do we remain unmoved by the grace of God? How often do we take His mercy for granted? How often do we feel entitled to His salvation? Is God not worthy of our praise? Is He not worthy of our blessing? Yet, how many other things in this world receive our praise and blessing? How often are we so caught up in the dim glory of this world that we forget the brightness and glory of God?
Paul begins His letter to the church in Ephesus to prepare them to respond to the glory of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The glory of the blessed God. Paul would not settle for an unenthusiastic congregation. Paul was not pleased with a people who could behold glorious realities and yet remain unchanged. Unaffected.
Before Paul ever gets to the heart of His message in Ephesians, he stresses the need for God’s people to be captivated by the glory of the grace of God in Christ that is confirmed by the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit.
God is worthy of our blessing and praise because of the blessings that He has bestowed upon us in Christ. May we reflect deeply on God’s grace and bless Him accordingly this morning!
A Prayer
O’ LORD, You are worthy! Thank You for Your mercy and grace. We bless You this morning. Grant us to live as Your people this day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
Now the Father who chose you,
the Son who bought you,
and the Spirit who dwells in you,
go before you in your darkness,
stand beside you in your fears and hold you up in your sorrows until Jesus comes. Amen.
from Grace Be with You: Benedictions from Dale Ralph Davis
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Ephesians 1:13-14
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
A Comment
The Holy Spirit has marked believers as those who belong to God. In the ancient world, a seal was a mark of ownership. As one scholar noted, “Seals were often made of hard stones or precious metals and had a distinctive image engraved on them, such as the figure of a deity, a hero, or a portrait. All of a person’s significant possessions were marked with the impression of the seal.” In a similar way, believers have been sealed by the Holy Spirit. They bear the mark of God’s ownership, which is the Holy Spirit.
And when, according to verse 13, did this sealing work occur? “When you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation.” In other words, our bearing of the mark of God’s ownership begins when we repent of our sins and trust in Christ as revealed in His gospel. And what is that gospel? That God has redeemed us, ransoming us from slavery to sin by sending Jesus to die in our place under the curse of God’s wrath so that we might be adopted as children, obtaining an inheritance in God, bearing the mark of the Holy Spirit!
Thus, this gospel that we have believed is a gospel that calls us not only to repent of our sins and believe in Jesus, but also to acknowledge and live under the lordship of Christ as those who bear the mark of His ownership through the Spirit. We were once slaves of sin have now become slaves of righteousness!And all of this has occurred in Christ! These blessings are ours in Christ! If were not for Jesus, we would not know these blessings!
A Prayer
Almighty Father, we bless you this morning. Be magnified in our lives. As those who have been sealed by the Holy Spirit, grant us, as your children, to live in light of our identity in Christ. Bless us today, for the sake of Your name. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
Now the Savior who died,
who lives and who reigns,
grant you joy in labor,
peace in troubles,
hope in despair, and
faithfulness in temptation. Amen.
from Grace Be with You: Benedictions from Dale Ralph Davis
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Ephesians 1:11-12
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.
A Comment
What does it mean to have obtained an inheritance? As adopted children into the family, all the blessings that belong to us are secured for us by Christ. There is no risk of our Father removing us from His family. We belong to Him as a direct result of his choice of us in Christ. He has started a good work in us that He is faithful to complete in us. Thus, while outwardly we are wasting away, inwardly we are being renewed, day by day, in the hope of the fulness of salvation that we are yet to receive. We inherit salvation and its many blessings because we have become God’s children by God’s choice in Christ.
A Prayer
O’ LORD, help us to see our inheritance in Christ. We are children by adoption. We belong to You because of You. Let us glory in Your grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
Now the God of hope,
fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may overflow in hope. Amen.
from Grace Be with You: Benedictions from Dale Ralph Davis
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A Verse
Ephesians 1:7-10
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
A Comment
God’s redemption, as Ephesians 1:9 tells us, is in keeping with the mystery of His grace, which has been revealed to us in Christ Jesus. And what is the mystery? In light of Paul’s talk about God’s election in Christ, we know that God has shown mercy to both Jews and Gentiles because of Christ Jesus. In other words, through Christ, the blessings of God’s redemptive work come to those who believe in Jesus. The mystery now revealed is that God’s grace has been extended to the nations in Jesus.
There has always been an expectation that the nations would be blessed and drawn to God. This is what God promised to Abraham regarding his offspring. What was a mystery is not if the nations would be drawn to God, but how the nations would be drawn to God. Paul’s point here (and in the rest of Ephesians) is that God has drawn the nations to Himself through the true Israel, God’s Chosen Son, Jesus Christ Himself. Thus, in and through Christ the mystery of God’s will has been revealed. Therefore, all things find their climax and ultimate point in Christ, which is the point of Ephesians 1:10.
A Prayer
O’ Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, from beginning to end, our salvation is Your work. Thank you for saving us. Fill our hearts with gratitude for Your grace this morning. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
May the Lord hide you in His shelter in the day of trouble,
conceal you under the cover of His tent,
may He set you high upon a rock. Amen.
from Grace Be with You: Benedictions from Dale Ralph Davis
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A Verse
Ephesians 1:7
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace,
A Comment
Every bit of our redemption is rooted in God’s abundant grace, not our heritage, not our works, not our human efforts. God has lavished His grace upon us in Christ in order that we might be set free from slavery to sin and live in righteousness by faith.
This is only possible because Christ has paid the penalty of our sin by bearing the curse of the law Himself. As Galatians 3:13 tell us, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse in our place, for it is written, ‘Cursed is the one who hangs upon a tree.’”
By the means of Christ’s substitutionary work in our place, the wrath of God has been satisfied toward our sin and the enemy of our soul has been defeated. And we are justified, that is, declared just, righteous before God, on the basis of Christ’s work in our place, when we receive the gift of His grace by faith in Jesus.
A Prayer
O’ great God, thank you for the abundant riches for your grace in Jesus toward us. May we live in the light of this grace today by your Spirit. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
Now the eternal God who is your refuge,
be a rock that is beneath you,
the tower that is around you,
the shelter that is above you this day and all the days until Jesus comes. Amen.
from Grace Be with You: Benedictions from Dale Ralph Davis
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Ephesians 1:7
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace
A Comment
What does it mean to be redeemed? Well, this language of redemption is deeply rooted in Paul’s understanding of the Exodus event from the Old Testament. Exodus 6:6 speaks of how God would redeem the people of Israel from their slavery through his mighty deeds. Like the Israelites in Egypt, we are, by nature, enslaved to sin and in desperate need of someone to ransom us from our slavery. According to Ephesians 1:7-10, God in Christ has ransomed us, that is, redeemed us from slavery to sin, through the blood of Jesus Christ.
Thus, to be redeemed means that we have been purchased from out of our slavery and been placed under the authority of a new master, Jesus Christ our Lord.
A Prayer
O’ Lord, thank you for redeeming us. Thank you for forgiving us. Grant us by your Spirit to live as redeemed people, today. For the praise of Your name, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
A Blessing
Now the God whose affection never cools,
whose attentions never wavers,
whose arm never relaxes,
and whose grace never fails,
rescue you from every evil attack and bring you safely to His heavenly kingdom.
from Grace Be with You: Benedictions from Dale Ralph Davis
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Ephesians 1:7
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace
A Comment
I’ll never forget hearing the story of a so-called pastor in my hometown who instructed his music director to “stop singing songs about the blood of Jesus.” According to this so-called pastor, “songs about the blood of Jesus” made people uncomfortable. Put aside, for the moment, the idea of whether or not it should be our goal for people to be “comfortable” in our corporate worship services (the apostle Paul has some interesting thoughts on that in 1 Corinthians 14:22-25), and just think about how tragic it is for a so-called pastor to suggest that we should not think about the blood of Jesus.
The New Testament is not ashamed of the blood of Jesus. As Ephesians 1:7 tells us, our redemption comes “through his blood.” In other words, where there is no bloodshed, God has ordained that there would be no redemption for us. Yet, in His great wisdom and mercy, God provided His own Lamb for our sins.
We should not be ashamed of Jesus’ work on our behalf. For, it is through the shedding of His blood that we are redeemed, to the praise of His glorious grace!
A Prayer
O’ Jesus, thank you for the blood that secured our redemption in You. Let us not be ashamed or ever forget Your grace. In Your name, Amen.
A Blessing
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
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A Verse
Ephesians 1:6
To the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
A Comment
God has chosen us so that we might rejoice in His grace! That we might make His grace famous! That we might not boast in our goodness, but in His goodness! That we might bless God for having been chosen in Christ. Would you take a moment this morning to consider how you might make God’s grace famous in your life?
A Prayer
Great Triune God, make Your great grace famous in and through me. You have saved me that I might praise You. Thank you for freely giving me grace in Christ. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
Now the companionship of the man of sorrows,
the power of the King of glory,
rest upon you all. Amen.
from Grace Be with You: Benedictions from Dale Ralph Davis,
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A Verse
Ephesians 1:5
In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will
A Comment
We, who were by nature, children of wrath as we will see in more detail in Ephesians 2, we were chosen, predestined, that is, pre-determined to adoption to Himself, as sons entitled to the full blessings and rights of a child of God. We who were once “not a people,” as Peter would say in 1 Peter 2, have become God’s people. We who were once not near to God have been brought near to Him in Christ, as we will see in chapter 2.
So, as you see from these few verses, God’s choice is not about excluding people from His mercy, but in fact, the exact opposite. It is about including people who once were alienated from His mercy because of their sin and rebellion against Him. His choice is about appointing people for the pursuit of holiness and conformity to Christ. It’s about the spiritual orphan finding a home in Christ.
A Prayer
O’ Jesus, thank you for saving us. Thank you for your mercy and grace that sought us out in our rebellion. Apart from You, we would never be saved. But we are, and that is because of You. We bless you, O’ Lord. In Your name, Amen.
A Blessing
Now the Savior, who died and rose and who reigns,
grant you joy in the midst of labor,
peace in the midst of troubles,
hope in the midst of despair,
and faithfulness in the midst of temptation. Amen.
From Grace Be with You: Benedictions from Dale Ralph Davis
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A Verse
Ephesians 1:4
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.
A Comment
Believers have been chosen in Christ before the creation of the world that they might be holy and blameless in God’s sight. This divine action of God’s choice is directed toward the purpose of our holiness. His choice was not based upon God thinking or believing that we were more predisposed to holiness than others. Hence, Paul clarifies that this choice was “before the creation of the world.” Furthermore, this divine choice had a particular aim: our holiness. Just as God chose Israel for a particular purpose in the world, which was to be a blessing to all nations, so also, God has chosen us for an explicit purpose. In fact, God’s choice of Israel in the Old Covenant and God’s choice of believers (both Jew and Gentile alike) was not aimed at excluding others from blessing but rather as a means for others to be blessed through a holy people, a chosen race, a people possessed by God for His purpose.
As we contemplate this spiritual blessing of being chosen in Christ, let us be sure that we see that this choice is unto holiness for the sake of God’s glory and the good of others as believers fulfill the mandate of the risen Christ.
A Prayer
O’ Jesus, eliminate our boasting and our pride. Humble us that we might be useful tools in the hands of our Redeemer. Grant us to press on in maturity unto holiness as those chosen in You before the foundation of the world. Use us so that others may come to know You. In Your great name, we pray, Amen.
A Blessing
The Lord be the shelter above you,
the tower around you,
and the rock beneath you all your days until Jesus comes. Amen.
From Grace Be with You: Benedictions from Dale Ralph Davis
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A Verse
John 13:34
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another"
A Comment
On the night before He would taste death for everyone, Jesus was washing the feet of His disciples. His work would become a paradigm for His disciples’ work. Just as He had loved, they too were to love one another. As those who continue to follow Jesus, we are also called to love one another as we have been loved. As the context of Jesus’ commandment and service demonstrates, love is oriented to the good of others. As we reflect on this truth on Maundy Thursday evening, may our hearts be pierced afresh by Jesus’ example and exhortation to love.
A Prayer
O’ LORD, as we have been loved, grant us to love one another. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
May the grace and peace of Jesus rest upon us.
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A Verse
Mark 12:41-44
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.
Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
A Comment
Almost everyone is familiar with the story of the widow’s mite. When we see the widow giving out of her poverty, we are stirred with emotion and inspiration to put our trust wholly in God. Yet, while almost everyone is familiar with the widow’s story, almost everyone tends to miss Jesus’ reference to her story as an indictment of the religious leaders of his day.
In the verses that precede the story of the widow’s offering, Jesus issues this warning: “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely” (Mark 12:38-40).
People assumed that God was most pleased with the people who gave out of their abundance, yet they did not give sacrificially like the widow who contributed little in comparison but made a genuine sacrifice in her offering. Furthermore, by pointing out the widow’s offering, Jesus was showing how people who “devour widows’ houses” are in their midst. Instead of the people taking care of the widows, they were taking advantage of them.
Thus, on Tuesday of that Holy Week, Jesus magnified the sacrificial generosity of the widow while rebuking the greedy exploitation of those working in the temple. The generosity of the widow and the greed of the religious leaders did not escape Jesus’ eyes. Judgment was coming for those who had exploited the poor who had already begun to hear the good news of God’s Kingdom preached to them by Jesus.
A Prayer
O’ LORD, stir us to give generously, without greed. Help us walk in the footsteps of the widow while shunning the way of those religious leaders who would attempt to exploit her. Let us behold Your generosity in Christ to us, and be cheerful givers, for Your glory and the good of others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
Now the Savior who died,
who lives and who reigns,
grant you joy in labor, peace in
troubles, hope in despair, and
faithfulness in temptation. Amen.
From Grace Be with You: Benedictions from Dale Ralph Davis
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Luke 19:46
“My house will be ‘a house of prayer’; but you have made it a ‘den of robbers.’”
A Comment
On the Monday following His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus “entered the temple courts and began to drive out those who were selling.” It is most likely that Jesus performed this act in what is called the Court of Gentiles, which is the outer court of the temple. What Jesus found when He arrived was not a place where the people could seek the LORD, but rather, a place where the poor and needy were being exploited by the wicked. As God’s Anointed One, Jesus comes into the temple, cleanses it, and begins to teach. Thus, God Himself visits the place where the people should have been seeking Him. He comes to the people to deliver them from the wickedness that sought to keep them separated from God. Jesus’ work in the temple that day prefigured the work that He would perform at the end of the week, when by His sacrifice He would, once for all, bring sinners near to God.
A Prayer
O’ Lord, as we meditate on Your Word over the course of Holy Week, preparing our hearts for Easter, renew our wonder and worship as we contemplate this old, old story about our Savior’s love for us. Fill our hearts with gratefulness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.
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A Verse
Ephesians 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
A Comment
Our enjoyment of God’s blessings does not depend on our performance. Every spiritual blessing that we receive, we receive as those united with Christ. If there was a dominant theme in Paul’s theology, it would be the concept of being “in Christ.” Through faith, the Holy Spirit unites us to Christ so that every communicable blessing that He enjoys is enjoyed by us as well. This reality should provoke us to worship!
A Prayer
O’ Jesus, as the great Head of the church, thank you for caring for us, blessing us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms that can be communicated to those who have placed their trust in You. Stir us to worship You! In Your name, Amen.
A Blessing
May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
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A Verse
Ephesians 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
A Comment
The reason for Paul’s call to blessing is because God has blessed us in Christ. We bless the one who has blessed us. But Paul realizes that we might not always recall the blessings that are ours in Christ. We might forget God’s blessings. And if we forget God’s blessings in Christ, then we will not fulfill our call to bless and praise God as His people. So, in verse 3, before enumerating the blessings in the following verses, Paul reminds us that every spiritual blessing is ours in Christ.
A Prayer
O’ Lord, grant us not to forget Your blessings. Let us reflect on them and respond to You with praise for Your blessings. Do this for Your glory and our good, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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A Verse
Ephesians 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
A Comment
God has blessed us in Christ. In Christ, we behold and enjoy blessings that go beyond the constraints of this present world. As one theologian puts it, “While we may be overwhelmed and waylaid by what is mundane or worse, in Christ, we have all spiritual or godly goodness in the heavenly places.” This truth ought to stir us to praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
A Prayer
O’ LORD, thank you for blessing us with every spiritual blessing in Christ. In Christ, heaven has invaded our hearts that we might be strengthened by grace. Stir us to respond in praise this day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.
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A Verse
Ephesians 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
A Comment
Our God is worthy of our praise. He is the blessed God over all who blesses us with every spiritual blessing in Christ. When we ponder His blessings toward us, we ought to be stirred to worship Him. As we will see throughout the rest of Ephesians 1, the apostle Paul cannot help but worship God as he recounts the gracious blessings of God toward His people. If you are struggling to praise God this morning, remember His blessings.
A Prayer
O’ LORD, thank You for who You are and what You have done, are doing, and will continue to do. You have blessed us in Christ. Grant us to behold the glory of Your grace in these blessings that we might praise You rightly. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
May the LORD bless and keep you in His grace today.
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A Verse
Ephesians 1:2
Grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
A Comment
Grace and peace come to us from God our Father through the Lord Jesus Christ. We know this grace and peace because, in Christ, we have become God’s children. Jesus, because His life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, has been declared Lord over all and the Christ, the anointed One, who fulfills the promises made to Abraham, Israel, and David. It is only because of Jesus that we can know such grace and peace.
A Prayer
O’ Jesus, thank you for living the life that we could never live and dying the death that we deserved to die so that we might know Your grace and peace. We love you. Fill our hearts with gratefulness. In Your name, Amen.
A Blessing
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
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A Verse
Ephesians 1:2
Grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
A Comment
God our Father. We tend to pass over such phrases because they are familiar to us, but when we do so, we miss a depth of riches. God our Father loves and cares for us. He sustains us. He protects us. We are His children. Yet, He was Father before us, for all eternity, in the perfect fellowship of the Trinity with the Son and the Holy Spirit. So, while the Father’s existence is not contingent upon His relationship to us, in His mercy, He relates to us as His children, showering us with grace and peace, having made us His own through adoption in Christ. Hallelujah!
A Prayer
O’ God, You are greater than we can imagine, yet You chose to reveal Yourself to us. Thank you for who You are. Grant us to grow in this grace of knowing You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
Grace and peace be yours in abundance, through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
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A Verse
Ephesians 1:2
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
A Comment
Our world is starving for grace and peace. As Paul reminded the church in Ephesus, grace and peace come from God. If you are looking for grace and peace this morning, then look to God. He is the only true and lasting source of such blessings.
A Prayer
O’ God, in Your mercy, pour Your grace and peace into our hearts this morning. As You give us grace and peace, help us point others to You, that they too might be blessed in Christ.
A Blessing
Grace, mercy, and peace be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love.
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A Verse
Ephesians 1:1*
To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:
A Comment
While we are saints because of our union with Christ, as saints, our lives should be characterized by faithfulness. As one scholar noted, “Saints are those defined and set apart by their life of trust.” As followers of Christ, we are called to trust Him.
A Prayer
O’ LORD, we believe. Help our unbelief. Grant us to be known for a life of trust in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
May the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
- Yesterday’s verse was also Ephesians 1:1, not Ephesians 1:2 as originally labeled
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A Verse
Ephesians 1:2
To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:
A Comment
The NIV translates the Greek word, hagios, as “holy people.” We most often hear this word translated as “saints.” It is vital for Christians to remember that our status as “saints,” as the “holy people of God,” is rooted in our relationship to Christ. We are “saints, holy ones” because we are “in Christ Jesus.” Apart from Christ, we are nothing.
A Prayer
O’ Jesus, thank you for taking sinful people and making them your own. We are saints because we have been united to You by faith through the work of the Holy Spirit. We belong to You because of Your grace. Thank you for saving us! In Your name, Amen.
A Blessing
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
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A Verse
1 Timothy 4:7
Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.
A Comment
While it would be nice to wake up and realize that we have drifted closer to godliness, that is not how the Christian life works. As the apostle Paul instructed Timothy, there is a place for holy effort, empowered by God’s grace, in the pursuit of godliness. Let us train to be godly as we might train for other things in our lives with a plan, passion, and consistency. God is worthy of our best efforts, rooted in His grace.
A Prayer
O’ LORD, thank you that we do not remain Your children by our obedience. We have been saved by grace through faith. This is not of ourselves. It is Your gift. And, as those who have received this gift from You, we also recognize that You have called us to make progress in the pursuit of becoming godly. Help us, today, O’ LORD. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
Grace be with you.
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A Verse
Ephesians 3:20-21
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
A Comment
I fear that we often project our own limitations back onto God without truly contemplating not only His greatness but His eagerness to answer requests that are beyond our imagination. God is greater than we can imagine. Our prayers should reflect such greatness.
A Prayer
O’ LORD, stir our hearts to ask great things of You, for Your glory and our good. Forgive us for our small requests which spring from our unbelief. Open our eyes to see You as You are that we might honor You with requests that glorify Your power, which is at work within us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
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A Verse
John 10:11
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
A Comment
In today’s passage, Jesus not only declares Himself to be the good shepherd, but He defines His goodness in terms of sacrifice on behalf of His sheep. Just as Psalm 23 spoke of the LORD as our shepherd who cares for us in our need, so here, in John 10, we are reminded of God’s commitment to care for our deepest need through His own sacrifice. Our good shepherd lays down His life in our place.
A Prayer
O’ Jesus, thank you for laying down Your life in our place. You are God and You are good. We bless you this morning. In Your name, Amen.
A Blessing
Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
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A Verse
Luke 11:28
Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.
A Comment
In a response to a blessing being pronounced on his mother, Jesus shifts the focus of the audience to hearing and obeying God’s Word. It was not that Jesus’ mother was not blessed, but that the pronouncement of blessing by the woman in the crowd was lacking. While in the ancient context, one’s status as blessed might have had something to do with physical family relationships, in the Kingdom of God, the blessed one is the one who hears the Word of God and obeys it. In other words, it is not the one with a physical claim to a blessed status that is ultimately blessed in the kingdom of God, but instead, the one who hears the good news of the kingdom, the Gospel preached by and about Jesus, and responds with faith and repentance, that is truly blessed by God.
A Prayer
O’ LORD, grant us to be hearer and doers of Your word. Let us be blessed as those who have received the good news of Your grace in Jesus. Grant this for Your glory and our good. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Romans 5:1
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
A Comment
Before God, we have been declared righteous through faith in Jesus Christ. We are accepted on the basis of Jesus. We could never achieve this on our own. It is only by grace through faith in Jesus.
A Prayer
O’ Jesus, thank You for saving us. Fill our hearts with gratitude for Your matchless grace. In Your name, Amen.
A Blessing
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Psalm 117:1-2
Praise the LORD, all nations!
Extol Him, all peoples!
For great is His steadfast love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.
Praise the LORD!
A Comment
How wonderful is it that God’s love toward us is not only great, but it is also steadfast! God’s love is not fickle. It is not subject to change. It is fixed. God’s love is immoveably great toward His people.
A Prayer
O’ LORD, help us this morning to see Your steadfast love toward us in Christ. Thank you for loving us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Hebrews 12:1-2a
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.
A Comment
We have been called to be passionate runners in the race of faith. We are surrounded by those who have gone before us, cheering us to the finish line. We are fixing our eyes on Jesus, our only hope in the race of faith. We run as those who desire to win the prize. Let us run as we have been called!
A Prayer
O’ LORD, grant us to be passionate runners in this race of faith. Keep our eyes on Jesus. In His name, Amen.
A Blessing
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Hebrews 2:1
We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.
A Comment
The author of Hebrews warns us that we must be sober-minding, paying attention to God’s call on our lives through the Gospel. When we focus on other things, we will be prone to drift away from the LORD. This passage warns us for our own good. We should not move on from what we have heard, but instead, pay closer, deeper attention to the things of God as revealed in Jesus Christ.
A Prayer
O LORD, in Your mercy, guard us against drifting from You. Keep our hearts and minds fixed on You. For our help comes from You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Titus 2:11
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.
A Comment
God’s grace is offered to all people. It is available to all people through Jesus Christ. It is powerful enough to save any and all who call upon Jesus in faith with repentance. The offer of God’s grace knows no limits. All who would come to Him will be saved by Him.
A Prayer
O’ LORD, grant us to be faithful witnesses to the grace that has appeared to offer salvation to all people. Let us look at others not as a problem but as a potential possessor of Your grace through Jesus. In His name, Amen.
A Blessing
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
2 Timothy 1:7
For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
A Comment
We have not been filled with God’s Spirit to be fearful. Instead, we have been given God’s Spirit that we might live in power, love, and self-control. The power we possess is power from God. The love that we express is empowered by God. The self-control that we practice is enabled by God. These are just a few of the reasons we have been filled with Spirit. May we walk in the Spirit today, reflecting His presence and power within us.
A Prayer
O LORD, grant us to walk in the Spirit today and not fulfill the desires of our flesh. Drive out our fearfulness by filling us afresh with the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
1 Timothy 1:15a
Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners
A Comment
The apostle Paul was acutely aware of his unworthiness, yet full of gratefulness for God’s grace toward him in Christ Jesus. When we remember the condition in which Christ found us and even reflect on the lack of progress that we have made in holiness since that day, let us recall that Christ came into the world to save sinners.
A Prayer
O’ LORD, as Your children, do not let us lose our wonder. May Your grace continue to be amazing in our eyes. Help us to never get over this trustworthy statement, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. In His name, Amen.
A Blessing
The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Hebrews 13:5
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
A Comment
If you are in Christ, God promises to never leave you nor forsake you. Even when gas prices soar, God will never leave you nor forsake you. Even when times are hard, God will never leave you nor forsake you. Even when you fail and fall short of His glory, for those who are in Christ, He will never leave you nor forsake you. Take heart this morning!
A Prayer
O LORD, in Your mercy, grant us to remember that no matter what we encounter today, we will not encounter it alone, because You have promised to never leave us nor forsake us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
Peace to all of you who are in Christ.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Romans 13:10
Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
A Comment
Obedience to God’s law is not a loveless act of duty. Rather, it is an act that reveals love to God and others. Where there is no love, there is no true obedience either. Thus, let our hearts be stirred by God’s Word to treat our neighbors with love and thus fulfill the law of Christ.
A Prayer
O’ Father, help us to love others as you have loved us in Christ. We need your grace for such love. Strengthen us, today, for this work. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Philippians 4:19
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
A Comment
We do not have to fear being generous. God has promised that He will meet all of our needs according to His riches. We can trust Him. He cares for us. And because He cares for us, we are free to care for others.
A Prayer
O’ LORD, free us from fear that prevents us from living as You have called us to live. Your promise brings such freedom. Grant us to remember Your Word. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Hebrews 4:16
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.
A Comment
Unlike when the LORD commanded Moses to put limits around those who would attempt to approach the LORD (Exodus 19:23-25), Hebrews reminds us of the grace of God that we possess in Christ, which commands us to approach God with a bold confidence that is rooted in His mercy. We can and should come boldly to the LORD today because His mercy is great and His grace is plentiful.
A Prayer
O’ LORD, forgive us for coming to You with timidity and fear rooted in uncertainty. Christ did not die that we might doubt your loving welcome. Stir us to come to You boldly, making our request known before You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
“The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:26)
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Luke 20:38
He is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.
A Comment
In a showdown with a group of Sadduccees, Jesus proclaimed the hope of the resurrection. The Sadducees denied the resurrection and typically only accepted the first five books of the Old Testament as Scripture. Jesus’ points them to Exodus 3:6, where God is described as the God of the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. According to Jesus, though the patriarchs were dead, God continued to be their God, which implies that their soul remained and that there was hope for a future resurrection. If nothing about Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob remained, in other words, if there was no immortal soul, then God would not have revealed that He was their God. Yet, God relates and rules over even the immortal souls of those who have died and will soon be raised from the dead to a newness of life in the New Creation. Take heart, then, this morning. Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Not even death. For even in death, He is with us, knows us, relates to us, and promises to raise us to life again when Jesus returns.
A Prayer
O’ Jesus, thank you for the hope of the gospel. We might face death, but death does not get the final word. Death is the final enemy that will be destroyed at your return. And You have already shown us by Your own resurrection that death’s power has been broken. Give us eyes to see and celebrate this hope this morning. In Your name, Amen.
A Blessing
Now the God who is from everlasting to everlasting,
who has loved you with an everlasting love and gives you everlasting life,
now support you with the everlasting arms in these days and all the days until Jesus comes. Amen.
from Grace Be with You by Dale Ralph Davis
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
1 Peter 4:7
The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.
A Comment
Many of us have drunk so deep of the things of the world that we are no longer sober-minded. We need to be aroused from our stupor and alert so that we might pray as a people who live with a holy expectation of the return of our Lord.
A Prayer
O merciful God, revive us. Have mercy on us according to your steadfast love. Let us not continue to walk according to the deeds of our flesh, according to the ways of this world. Let us be alert. For the sake of Your glory and our good. In Jesus’ holy name, Amen.
A Blessing
May the God of peace
himself sanctify you entirely;
and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
A Comment
We do not drive out fear by our own effort. It is not a matter of willpower. It is a matter of God’s presence with us. He promises to strengthen and help His people. His righteous right hand will uphold us. He is committed to us, even when we are faithless. He will not deny Himself.
A Prayer
O’ Lord, drive out our fear with Your presence. We are fearful and needy people. Yet, it is in the moment of our weakness that You show Yourself to be strong. Open our eyes to behold this reality. Guard us against low views of You and Your power. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
The peace of God,
which passes all understanding,
keep your hearts and minds
in the knowledge and love of God,
and of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord;
and the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
remain with you always.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
James 4:8a
Come near to God and he will come near to you.
A Comment
It is an amazing thought that we not only can come near to God through Jesus but that He will come near to us. Though full of great glory, He gives great grace, welcoming us to come near to Him as He comes near to us.
A Prayer
O’ Lord, what a privilege to come near to You and to know that You will come near to us. Thank you for this blood-bought privilege that we would have never known apart from the work of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Help us to pray as those who know Your nearness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father,
who loved us and by His grace
gave us eternal encouragement and good hope,
encourage your hearts and strengthen you
in every good deed and word.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Matthew 5:6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
A Comment
When we hunger for the things of God, God is faithful to satisfy our hunger. The problem is never that God is unwilling to satisfy us but that we often hunger not for righteousness, but for the things of this world.
A Prayer
O’ Lord, grant us to hunger and thirst for You. Let us no longer be satisfied by the things of this world. Stir our spiritual appetite for the things of heaven. For the sake of Your glory and our good, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Hebrews 7:25
Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
A Comment
Robert Murry M’Cheyne said, “If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies. Yet distance makes no difference. He is praying for me.”
What a comforting thought? Even as you find yourself struggling to pray today, Christ still praying for you, interceding on your behalf. Let this thought drive out your fear and give you comfort today.
A Prayer
O’ LORD, as we are learning to pray, remind us that we have bold access to You through Jesus Christ, the One who ever lives to intercede for us. In His name, Amen.
A Blessing
May the God of hope
fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
so that you may abound in hope
by the power of the Holy Spirit.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Job 19:25-27
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!
A Comment
When we are living through the darkest times, literally in the shadow of death, O’ how comforting to know that our Redeemer lives. One day, He will make all that is wrong right. Perfect justice will reign. Every tear will be wiped away. Every disease will be healed. Why? Because our Redeemer lives!
A Prayer
O’ great God, give us hope in You. Help our unbelief. We need you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
Grace be with you.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
A Comment
We belong to God. Our lives ought to reflect that we belong to Him. This includes what we do to and with our bodies. Our bodies are not dispensable, unimportant aspects of our personhood. Our bodies matter to God and His plan for our lives.
A Prayer
O Jesus, give us eyes to see that we have been bought with a price. To be Your disciple is to renounce ownership of ourselves. Remind us that we cannot serve two masters. Let us cling to You alone. In Your name, Amen.
A Blessing
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Luke 5:31-32
“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
A Comment
If we fancy ourselves to be healthy with no needs before Jesus, He would tell us that He did not come for us. Yet, the reality is that we all are infected with a cancer that though sometimes undetected is still a terrible threat to our lives. Thus, when Jesus says that he came not for the healthy but for the sick, He was not saying that there were some that do not need Him, but rather, everyone needs Him because everyone is sick, which is good news if Jesus truly can and does heal the sick of their sin-sickness.
A Prayer
O’ Jesus, grant us humble hearts that confess our need for You. Protect us from the pride that blinds us to our need. Heal us, O’ Lord, in Your mercy. Amen.
A Blessing
May your hearts be fully committed to the Lord our God,
to live by his decrees and obey his commands,
by His grace and for His glory.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Luke 5:13
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.
A Comment
The man that Jesus touched had likely not been touched by others for years, except for maybe the touch of another leper. He was an outcast because of his disease. He was expected to announce his presence with a cry of “unclean.” Yet, Jesus did not depart from the unclean man. With a touch, Jesus cleansed the man of the disease that held him captive for so long. With just one touch, the man was cleansed. This is true for us as well. No matter how unclean we feel that we are, just one encounter with Jesus will cleanse us. Hear his call this morning, “Be clean!”
A Prayer
O’ LORD, do not let our uncleanness keep us from coming to You. Jesus came into the world to save sinners. To clean the unclean. You do not desire for us to wallow in our sin and rebellion You desire our freedom and restoration. Grant us to hear the call to be made clean today! For You are faithful and just to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
The Lord will keep you from all evil;
He will keep your life.
The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Exodus 2:23-25
During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.
A Comment
It might not always seem like it, but there is not a moment of our lives that goes unnoticed by our God. He sees our trouble. He hears our groans. In the case of the Israelites, sometimes He alleviates the trouble. In the case of the apostle Paul’s thorn in the flesh, sometimes He leaves the trouble. But we must remember that His sovereign ear never turns away our groans. He always sees and hears and is working out His purpose for His people.
A Prayer
O’ LORD, Grant us to be bold enough in Christ to lift our groans and complaints before You. You hear and see our sorrows. You are not indifferent. You are working out your purposes for your glory and our good. Grant us to endure. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
1 Corinthians 1:31
Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”
A Comment
If we are going to boast, then our boast can only be in the Lord. In other words, anything in our lives that is worth boasting about must be understood in relationship to the Lord and His provision of it. Apart from the Lord, there is no boasting.
A Prayer
O’ Lord, help me make my boast in You. Do not let me live in self-deceit, believing that I can do things apart from You. I must abide in You if my life would bear any lasting, God-honoring fruit. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love. (Ephesians 6:23-24)
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Romans 15:3
For even Christ did not please Himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”
A Comment
We are constantly tempted to live to please ourselves. Yet, as Christians, our example is Christ, who did not aim to please Himself but to serve others. Doug Moo quotes Chrysostom on this point, saying of Jesus, “He had power not to have been reproached, power not to have suffered what He did suffer, had He been minded to look to His own things.” In other words, because Jesus was concerned with others, He was able to endure the insults and shame. Jesus’ example ought to shape our view of serving others as well. Our service must be marked by a concern for caring for our neighbors not pleasing ourselves.
A Prayer
O’ Father, as Your Spirit conforms me to the image of Your beloved Son, grant me to grow in the grace that will empower me to not seek to please myself but instead those who you have placed in my life for Your glory and my good. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
May the Lord hide you in His shelter in the day of trouble,
conceal you under the cover of His tent,
may He set you high upon a rock. Amen.
from Grace Be with You by Dale Ralph Davis
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Mark 14:3
While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.
A Comment
According to the first-century philosopher, Pliny the Elder, “The best ointment is preserved in alabaster.” While an alabaster jar could have been reused, the woman in Mark 14 saw no need to preserve the jar. As some have suggested, the woman’s breaking of the alabaster jar “demonstrated the completeness of the sacrifice.” How could a jar that held the oil that anointed God incarnate ever return to common use again? As we consider this woman’s sacrifice, may we reflect upon the glory of Christ. He is worthy of our very best!
A Prayer
O’ Jesus, grant us sacrificial hearts of love and adoration to You. You are worthy of all affection. In comparison to Your glory, we make no sacrifices in our offerings. It is never a sacrifice to behold and respond to Your glory. Help us to see and feel this in our souls. In Your name, Amen.
A Blessing
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (Romans 15:13)
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.
A Comment
It may be a well-known (and well-worn) song, but the hymn, "Nothing But the Blood of Jesus,” remains a classic reminder of the simple yet profound truth of the gospel: only through the person and work of Jesus can our sins be washed away. Nothing but the blood of Jesus can make us clean.
A Prayer
O’ Jesus, thank you for taking our place and washing away the sins of everyone who calls upon you in faith. Do not let us lose our wonder in this truth. Do not let us move on from the truth that You alone can save us. In Your name, Amen.
A Blessing
Now may the Shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep restore your soul,
lead you in right paths,
walk beside you in the dark valley,
and bring you safely home to the home of the Lord forever more. Amen.
from Grace Be with You by Dale Ralph Davis
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Psalm 1:1-2
Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,
and who meditates on His law day and night.
A Comment
The blessed life is not one of unrestrained freedom to live out the wicked desires of our flesh. No. The blessed life is the one that mediates on and embraces the liberating law of the LORD which guides us away from the desires of our flesh and to the abundant provision of God’s mercy and grace in Christ Jesus.
A Prayer
O’ LORD, in your grace, let us see that your law is love and your gospel is peace. Your prohibitions and admonitions are aimed at our good and Your glory. No good thing will you withhold from Your people. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
May the Lord hide you in His shelter in the day of trouble,
conceal you under the cover of His tent,
may He set you high upon a rock. Amen.
from Grace Be with You by Dale Ralph Davis
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
A Comment
Each command that went before the final clause of these verses pointed to our joy, confidence, and thankfulness in both good times and bad times. It was and is God’s will for us to not only obey these commands but to experience these feelings. He cares about our joy. He desires us to be confident in Him. He wants us to truly be thankful. And these are not burdens to bear but blessings that He intends for us to enjoy as we place our trust in Him through Jesus.
A Prayer
O’ Lord, help me to see Your will in my life in Christ Jesus. Let nothing else dictate my ideas of what You desire for me apart from Jesus. Your will is good. Grant me to receive it as the blessing that it is! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
Oh may this bounteous God through all your life be near you,
with ever joyful hearts and blessed peace to cheer you;
and keep you in His grace,
and guide you when perplexed,
and free you from all ills in this world and the next. Amen.
from Grace Be with You by Dale Ralph Davis
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
A Comment
A “god” that is only “god” during the good times is no “god” at all. We need a “god” that is “god” during the good and the bad. Only then will we be able to give thanks in all circumstances, because there will never be a circumstance that He is not God over and in. The God who has revealed Himself in Christ is the only God like this. Working out His purposes even in the pains and pleasures that we experience in this world, reminding us that we are not home yet. But we will be soon. And with such anticipation of God’s triumph over the brokenness of our world, we can (and must) give thanks.
A Prayer
Thank you, Lord, for being able to be trusted with our cares and concerns. We do not give thanks because we are out of touch with reality, but because we are in touch with You and Your will for our lives. Grant us to believe and trust in You, even when we do not see what You are doing. Grant us to give thanks in all our circumstances because of the hope that we have in Christ. In His name, Amen.
A Blessing
Now may the Savior, who has abolished death,
come to you in your sorrows,
stay by your side in the darkness,
carry you through your distresses,
and give you joy in the morning.
From Grace Be with You by Dale Ralph Davis
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
A Comment
While we might be tempted to feel overwhelmed by the command to “pray continually,” we must not miss the comfort afforded by this command. The fact that we are commanded to “pray continually” is because we are able to “pray continually.” We never have to leave a message with God. He is always near, ready to hear us and answer us. Thus, we not only should but we can pray continually because Christ has thrown open our access to the throne of grace.
A Prayer
O Lord, teach us to pray continually. To not formalize or restrict our communion with you to set times during the day only, but that we might bear our hearts, concerns, and needs to You throughout our day. You never weary of our prayers. Thank you for your nearness to us because of Jesus.
A Blessing
Now the God who is mighty,
the Lamb who is worthy,
and the Spirit who is near,
fortify you to live faithfully in these days and all the days until Jesus comes. Amen.
from Grace Be with You by Dale Ralph Davis
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
A Comment
The command to “rejoice always” cannot be obeyed apart from the God of Peace who comforts us and give us confidence in the midst of trials and tribulations. Paul’s admonition is not a call to “Fake it until we make it.” He is not commanding us to deny the difficulty of our situation. Paul is not ignoring the reality of hardship. Instead, Paul is beckoning us to an obedience that can only be explained by the supernatural presence of the God of Peace.
A Prayer
Sovereign Lord, in our own strength, we are incapable of always rejoicing. Yet, in You, by your Spirit, we can rejoice always because while our situations change, You never do. Our hope is immoveable as long as it is in You. Grant us to see and experience this today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
May the Lord of peace Himself,
grant you peace at all times,
under all circumstances.
The Lord be with you all. Amen.
from Grace Be with You by Dale Ralph Davis
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Philippians 4:13
I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.
A Comment
Philippians 4:13 is a well-known verse. It tends to be used in our culture in the context of the pursuit of great achievements. Maybe it’s an Olympian. Maybe it’s a Quarterback. Maybe it’s a Gymnast. And that is wonderful. We should not be cynical to such usages of Philippians 4:13. Yet, we must also remember that the context tells us that “doing all things through” Christ is just as true in our triumphs as in our trials. The point of the passage is not so much about how we will always be “successful” in the eyes of the world because of Christ, but rather, we can be content in every circumstance because of Christ.
A Prayer
Lord Jesus, help us to grow in contentment in You. Let us not be tossed to and fro by every circumstance that we encounter, but instead, let us rest on the Rock, which is You. Strengthen us for whatever you bring us through, for Your glory and our good. Amen.
A Blessing
The Father who chose you,
the Son who bought you,
and the Spirit who teaches you,
make goodness and mercy pursue you all the days of your life and preserve your life,
though you walk in the midst of trouble.
Amen.
from Grace Be with You by Dale Ralph Davis
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Romans 5:15-17
But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!
A Comment
Death is the result of sin. Yet, in Christ, sin, death, and hell have been defeated for the believer. Through Jesus, we have received the provision of grace and the gift of righteousness that we live forever. While we might face a physical death in the future, it does not have the final word over our life. For just as surely as Jesus Christ rose from the grave, we too will rise and reign with Him because of His grace.
A Prayer
O’ Jesus, thank you for conquering sin and death for us. You lived, died, were buried, and rose again, bearing the penalty of our sins, that we might live, die, be buried, and rise again at Your return and reign in righteousness as those justified through faith. Jesus, thank you! Grant us the grace to hear, see, and grow in our understanding of these truths. In Your name, Amen.
A Blessing
Now may the Savior, who has abolished death,
come to you in your sorrows,
stay by your side in the darkness,
carry you through your distresses,
and give you joy in the morning.
from Grace Be with You by Dale Ralph Davis
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Romans 5:15-17
But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!
A Comment
As we look at the next sentence in our verse, we are reminded that while our sins were many, the grace of God in Christ is more! We should never pit our sinfulness against the power of God’s grace to forgive and cleanse us. There is no sin that He is not able to atone for and forgive us of because His mercy is unfathomably great!
A Prayer
O’ Jesus, thank you for your mercy! Thank you for your grace! Thank you for forgiving all who call upon You! Stir others to call upon Your name through us that they might be saved! In Your name, Amen.
A Blessing
Now the Savior, who died and rose and who reigns,
grant you joy in the midst of labor,
peace in the midst of troubles,
hope in the midst of despair,
and faithfulness in the midst of temptation. Amen.
from Grace Be with You by Dale Ralph Davis
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Romans 5:15-17
But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!
A Comment
In these verses, Paul is contrasting the gift of grace in Christ with the consequence of sin in Adam, To quote Pauline scholar, Doug Moo, “The work of Christ, being a manifestation of grace, is greater in every way than that of Adam.” What wonderful news that God’s grace in Christ is greater than the consequences we face because of the sin that we participate in as offspring of Adam.
A Prayer
O’ Jesus, let us now lose the wonder of your marvelous grace toward us. Thank you for redeeming us. Fill us with praise! In Your name, Amen.
A Blessing
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all. Amen.
from Grace Be with You by Dale Ralph Davis
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Genesis 27:12
What if my father touches me? I would appear to be tricking him and would bring down a curse on myself rather than a blessing.
A Comment
It’s interesting to see Jacob being more concerned with appearances and the prospect of being caught by his father than having a concern for doing the right thing. I wonder how often this is true for us, being concerned with how things appear instead of being concerned with the right thing because it is right, regardless of how it impacts us. A true concern for righteousness depends upon faith in God’s promise to take care of us without resorting to the deeds and deceptions of the flesh, which Christ died to deliver us from.
A Prayer
O Lord, grant us to live with integrity that reflects our confidence in You and Your righteousness. May our lives be consecrated to You. For we have died with Christ. It is no longer we who live but Christ who lives in us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
Now the God of hope,
fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may overflow in hope. Amen.
from Grace Be with You by Dale Ralph Davis
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Matthew 24:44
So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
A Comment
We tend to live without readiness for the return of Christ. Maybe the idea is embarrassing to us. Maybe we do not want to be perceived as fanatics. Maybe we simply do not take God’s Word seriously. Yet, Jesus commands us to be ready. We ought to be sober-minded, living with anticipation for the day when we will see Him face-to-face. Are you ready?
A Prayer
O Jesus, prepare our hearts for Your return. Wean us from the things of this world that we might hunger for Your appearing. Grant us this for Your glory and our good. In Your name, Amen.
A Blessing
And may the God of peace Himself make you holy through and through.
May your whole being, soul, spirit, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls you is faithful and He will accomplish it. Amen.
from Grace Be with You by Dale Ralph Davis
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Isaiah 64:1
Oh, that You would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you!
A Comment
To ask God to show up is to ask God to disrupt our life. When God comes, mountains tremble before Him. Our tendency is to ask God to come along with us in what we have already proposed instead of asking God to show up and power and disrupt us if need be. If we long for God to bring revival and awakening in our lives and in our communities, then we must submit to the fact that things will likely tremble in ways that we could not anticipate. And that is a good thing.
A Prayer
O’ LORD, in Christ, You came to us. Now, through the Spirit, You live in us. LORD, grant us to know Your presence. Through Your Word, revive us. Through Your Gospel, awaken our communities with new life. Cause the settled things in our life to tremble before You. Make your presence known. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Acts 20:24
However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.
A Comment
Of all the things that the apostle Paul could have aimed at in his life, his only aim was to finish the race and complete the task that the Lord Jesus had given him. Such single-mindedness allowed him to say “yes” to the right things and avoid the distractions that bombard us at every turn. Are you committed to the race and task that Lord Jesus has given you?
A Prayer
O’ Jesus, while breath remains in our lungs, let us be about the work that you have called us to. Let us be single-minded in our pursuit of your purpose for us. For your glory and our good, we ask this in Your name, Amen.
A Blessing
May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Nehemiah 10:39b
We will not neglect the house of our God.
A Comment
In the context of a rebuilding project, the book of Nehemiah tells the story of the people of God recommitting themselves to faithfulness. At the end of Nehemiah 10, after repenting of their neglect in bringing the firstfruits of their works to the LORD, the people declare, “We will not neglect the house of our God.” As a follower of Christ, how might you be guilty of neglecting God? How might you repent of such neglect like the people in Nehemiah 10 and recommit yourself to prioritizing God and His work in your life?
A Prayer
O’ God, we confess that we are prone to neglecting you and your work for the things of this world. We rarely give you the firstfruits of our work. The tendency of our flesh is to give you our leftovers after we have given others our best. Lord, in your mercy, forgive us and renew us through Your abundant grace in Jesus. Grant us to live as the people of God that we are through faith. May our activity reveal our identity. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Matthew 20:26-28
Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave - just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.
A Comment
Jesus’ definition of greatness is fundamentally different than the world’s definition. Our world defines greatness as being able to be served by others. Jesus says greatness is being able to serve others. How will you pursue greatness in the Kingdom of God today?
A Prayer
O’ Jesus, give us a heart that longs to be great in your kingdom instead of the kingdoms of this world. As You came to serve us by giving Your life as a ransom for ours, let us also live in joyful sacrifice for the sake of others that they might know You. In Your name, Amen.
A Blessing
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Luke 17:32-33
Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.
A Comment
When Lot’s wife was fleeing Sodom and Gomorrah, she looked back as the cities were coming under God’s judgment and was turned into a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26). Jesus interpreted and applied this passage to His disciples at the coming of the Kingdom of God. When we consider what is coming, we must resolve to keep our eyes fixed on Christ, the One who goes before us, who saves us, and not look back and long for the life of sin that merited God’s judgment. Those who wish to keep their sinful life will lose their life, but those who leave the sinful life behind will gain true life in Christ.
A Prayer
O’ LORD, let us remember Lot’s wife, as Christ commanded us. Let us remember the penalty that was paid by Jesus to set us from our slavery to sin. Grant us to keep our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith. Let us look with anticipation and excitement for the revealing of the Kingdom of God in its fullness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
May the LORD guide you always;
May you be like a well-watered garden,
Like a spring whose waters never fail.
When you cry for help, may the LORD always say, Here am I.”
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Matthew 11:28
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
A Comment
This morning, we conclude our consideration of Matthew 11:28 by looking at the final clause of the verse. In it, we hear God’s promise to give rest to all who come to Him. Jesus’ claim is grounded in His love and compassion for the weary and burdened sinner. He loves us and intends to relieve us and give us rest. All who sin are slaves to sin, but those who have come to Jesus have been set free from such slavery. We are no longer debtors to the flesh because of Jesus’ work on our behalf. He promises to give us rest from our toil of trying to earn our way into His family. His way of salvation is grace. He gives us rest not because we earned it, but because He did, and He delights to share it with us.
A Prayer
O LORD, deliver us from the toil of our flesh that seeks to make a name for itself. We cannot save ourselves. We cannot provide our rest. But You can and will for all who call upon You, coming to You by faith in Jesus Christ. Let us hear Your promise anew this morning. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
May your eyes see the King in His beauty
That you might view a land that stretches afar;
Like Abraham, who looked to a city,
Whose architect and builder is God.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Matthew 11:28
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
A Comment
This morning, we move to the next clause in the verse and we see God’s concern for us. Those who are invited to come to God are not those who are perfect or who have their lives fully put together, but those who are weary and burdened. The guilt of our sin is weighing us down. We are weary from carrying a burden that is too heavy for us to carry. If we continue in the way that we are going, we will not make it. This is the one that God invites near because He cares for them. Our weariness and burdened-ness are not a liability to God. He does not invite us near in spite of our these things, but because of these things. Therefore, we ought to come to Him because we know He cares for us.
A Prayer
O’ Jesus, grant us to see ourselves as You see us: weary and burdened, needing You above all things. Expose our need that we might flee to You for rescue and redemption. Have mercy on us, Lord, according to Your lovingkindness. In Your name, Amen.
A Blessing
May the LORD show kindness to you;
May the LORD grant each of you rest;
May those who dwell in your house be blessed; may they ever be praising the Lord.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Matthew 11:28
Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
A Comment
Focusing on just the first three words, we encounter an invitation from God incarnate to come to Him. In the book of Deuteronomy, the LORD set Himself apart from other so-called gods in the ancient world by being “so near to His people.” In Christ, the LORD Himself has come near to us and invites us to come near to Him. The LORD, who upholds everything by the word of His power, invites us to come to Him. Meditate on that truth this morning. He knows everything about you, and He still invites you to come to Him.
A Prayer
O LORD, let us respond to Your invitation with the boldness that You purchased for us through the work of Jesus Christ. We can come to You because You have provided the way. There is no need for us to be hesitant. Your invitation is genuine. Your desire is that we come to You. Let us, by faith, draw near to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
May the God who works wonders,
Who has made His strength known among His people,
And by His power redeemed them,
May He be your joy and delight in you always.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Isaiah 45:9
Woe to those who quarrel with their Maker, those who are nothing but potsherds among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you making?’ Does your work say, ‘The potter has no hands’?
A Comment
One of the greatest sources of sin and deception in our lives is failing to remember the distinction between Creator and creature. God is God, and we are not, and this is good news. When we forget God and blur the lines between Creator and creature, we often resort to foolishness.
A Prayer
Merciful Creator, deliver us from foolishness. Give us wisdom rooted in reverent fear of You. You are the Potter. We are the clay. Mold us into conformity to Christ. Grant us humility to see You in Your greatness as You have revealed Yourself in the face of Jesus Christ. Amen.
A Blessing
Now the Lord, Maker of heaven and earth,
the keeper of Israel and your keeper,
keep your going out and your coming in from now on and for all time. Amen.
from Grace Be With You by Dale Ralph Davis
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Matthew 6:27
Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
A Comment
What a question from Jesus! We cannot fully grasp the glory of this statement. We have not only permission but a promise from God incarnate to stop worrying about our lives. God in the flesh is telling us that worrying adds nothing to our lives. Not even an hour can be added to our lives by worrying! What freedom is declared in this gracious question! Whether you are alive an hour from now does not depend for a moment on how well you have worried about it. And if lives are not sustained by our worry, then nothing else is either. We are free to trust Him!
A Prayer
O’ Jesus, it is so sweet to trust in You. Just to take You at Your Word. Just to rest upon Your promise. Just to know that Your Word never fails. Precious Jesus, grant us grace to trust You more. In Your name, Amen.
A Blessing
Now may God be your exceeding joy,
Christ your unfailing hope,
and the Spirit your unfailing comforter,
in all your worship and work and troubles until Jesus comes. Amen.
from Grace Be With You by Dale Ralph Davis
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Psalm 56:3
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
A Comment
Putting our trust in the LORD when we are afraid does not require us to know what is going to happen in the future. Instead, it requires us to know that the One in whom we put our trust not only knows the future but holds it in His hand. He is worthy of our trust in the midst of our fears because He is greater than our fears.
A Prayer
Your Word, O’ LORD, tells us that you will not crush the bruised reed nor will you snuff out the smoldering wick. We are weaker and more prone to fear than we like to admit. But Your care for us is unchanging. God Almighty, help us to trust in you when we are afraid. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
Now Yahweh, Maker of heaven and earth,
the keeper of Israel, your keeper,
go before you in your darkness,
stand beside you in your fears,
and hold you up in your sorrows until Jesus comes. Amen
from Grace Be With You by Dale Ralph Davis
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Matthew 6:21
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
A Comment
Theologian Henry Scougal once wrote, “The worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love. He who loveth mean and sordid things doth thereby become base and vile, but a noble and well-placed affection doth advance and improve the spirit into a conformity with the perfections which it loves.”
O’ how important it is for our affections to be order and set upon the things that are above, where Christ is seated (Col. 3:1-4).
A Prayer
O’ LORD, since we have been raised with Christ, let our hearts be set on things above, not on earthly things. Grant us to live as those whose lives are now hidden with Christ in God. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
The LORD bless you and keep you;
the LORD make His face shine on you and be gracious to you;
the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Matthew 6:1
Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
A Comment
Jesus desires that we care about righteousness for the sake of His glory, not our own before our neighbors. We have been called to love and practice righteousness not so that we will be highly regarded by others, but so that God would be highly regarded by others.
A Prayer
O LORD, may we seek first Your kingdom and its righteousness. We long for your name, not our own, to be hallowed. Let there be a Godwardness about our words and deeds that reveal that our concern is for Your glory above all things. In Jesus’ matchless name, Amen.
A Blessing
Now may the Shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep
restore your soul,
lead you in righteousness,
walk beside you in the dark valley,
and bring you safely home to the home of the Lord forevermore. Amen.
from Grace Be With You by Dale Ralph Davis
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Genesis 18:14a
Is anything too hard for the LORD?
A Comment
In the face of natural uncertainty, Abraham and Sarah laughed at the prospect of the LORD fulfilling His promise to them. Yet, as the LORD’s question reveals, their expectations did not take into consideration the greatness of the God who was with them. Nothing is too difficult for Him.
A Prayer
O LORD, when we are tempted to laugh and scorn Your promises to us, remind us as You did with Abraham and Sarah. Nothing is too hard for You. With You, all things are possible. Help our unbelief, O LORD. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
May the LORD prosper your work and defend you,
May His goodness and mercy attend you,
May you ponder anew what the Almighty will do,
That you may rejoice with all your heart and that never again any fear will come upon you.
(A Blessing Adapted from Zephaniah 3:14-15 and the hymn, Praise the Lord, the Almighty)
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
John 18:28
Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover.
A Comment
The Jewish leaders were careful to follow the ceremonial expectations of the Mosaic law, but they missed the Messiah. They were so committed to their understanding and expectations that their hearts were hardened to the mercy and grace of God in Jesus the Christ. O’ how careful we must be to not miss Jesus in all of our religious activity.
A Prayer
O’ LORD, open our eyes that we might see Christ in all of Scripture. Grant us not to search the Scriptures looking for eternal life by virtue of our strict obedience like the Pharisees, but let us see our Savior in merciful glory toward us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
Now the Savior who died,
who rose, and who reigns,
grant you joy in the midst of labor,
peace in the midst of troubles,
hope in the midst of despair,
and faithfulness in the midst of temptation. Amen.
from Grace Be with You: Benedictions by Dale Ralph Davis
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
John 13:34
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
A Comment
The standard of our love for others is the love that we see taught and demonstrated in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Thus, if we are to love one another, we must not only know Jesus’ love but be empowered by it as well.
A Prayer
O’ Lord, you have loved us with an everlasting love. As you have loved us, grant us to love one another, that the world may know that we are your disciples. Amen.
A Blessing
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen. (Galatians 6:18)
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit knowinggod.substack.com
A Verse
Proverbs 30:5
Every word of God is flawless;
He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
A Comment
“The sense is that God’s words (spoken and written) are both flawless and shown to be true. Wisdom about the world is not independent of God, but is based on the prior assumption that God is actively ruling over the world as King.”
from Proverbs: An Introduction and Commentary by Lindsay Wilson
A Prayer
Grant us, O LORD, to take refuge in you. Your word has proven true and trustworthy. Where else can we go, Lord? You have the words of eternal life. Help us to see this and live accordingly. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Blessing
Blessed be the children of Abraham, who believe in the Son of God, by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And praise be to God Most High, who delivers us from our enemies by His mighty hand.
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A Verse
Proverbs 27:1
Do not boast about tomorrow,
for you do not know what a day may bring.
A Comment
Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. (James 4:13-16)
A Prayer
O’ LORD, teach us to number our days, placing our hope in you, and not the things of this world. Grant us to find refuge in Christ alone. Amen.
A Blessing
Now may He who is able to keep us from stumbling and present us before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy grant us to be strengthened by His grace for the sake of His glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
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A Verse
Zechariah 4:6
So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.”
A Comment
The work that God calls us to depends upon the power that God provides by His Spirit. We are not self-sufficient beings. We are needy creatures who belong to a gracious and generous Creator who will meet all of our needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus.
A Prayer
O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need of further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made more thirsty still. Show me Thy glory, I pray Thee, that so I may know Thee indeed. Begin in mercy a new work of love within me. Say to my soul, `Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.' Then give me grace to rise and follow Thee up from this misty lowland where I have wandered so long. In Jesus' name, Amen.
From The Pursuit of God by A. W. Tozer
A Blessing
And now may the Lord, who is the strength of His people, be your Shepherd and carry you forever. Amen.
From Grace Be with You: Benedictions by Dale Ralph Davis
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A Verse
Psalm 145:3 (NIV)
Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
His greatness no one can fathom.
A Comment
It is important for us to be reminded to reflect on God’s greatness as an end in itself. His greatness existed before we did. While it is certainly true that God’s greatness is good for us, God’s greatness is also good simply because it is. And because of His greatness, He is worthy of our praise.
A Prayer
LORD, help us to see your greatness that we might praise you. You are worthy of our praise. Your greatness is unsearchable.
A Blessing
O LORD, bless us with the privilege of proclaiming your great deeds. Grant us to tell of your awesome works. Give us eyes to see and ears to hear the wonders of your glory. Amen.
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As the new year starts, I want to offer a weekday devotional resource. The format is simple. Each weekday, I will read a verse of Scripture, make a comment, pray, and close with a blessing. My hope is that this devotional resource will stir your affection for Christ. This resource is not intended to replace your daily time with the Lord in His Word. Instead, this resource aims to encourage your time with the Lord.
I am looking forward to this endeavor. May the Lord bless you as we hear from Him.
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