When Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (John 11:4, esv). It’s not hard to imagine the desperation of these two biblical sisters, Mary and Martha, who sent a messenger to Jesus, […]
Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end . . . But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the […]
And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. And the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. The children struggled together within her . . . ” (Genesis 25:21–22, esv). Everyone is born with a disposition, but it doesn’t always show up as dramatically as twins warring in […]
Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18, esv). You can never wring quite as much refreshment from a week’s vacation as you anticipated in the months leading up to it. You can never maintain the thrill and excitement of a big weekend football game, […]
Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth (John 17:17, nkjv). If you were to look around from your seat in church, I hope you’d see a lot of familiar faces. But most likely, if you looked a little closer, you might also realize that a familiar face is missing. Perhaps it’s not someone […]
And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (Luke 1:46–47, ESV). “My soul magnifies the Lord,” was the opening line in Mary’s worship song. It wasn’t a random thought. She was expressing what we all know to be true: there is more to us than just who we […]
I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ (Philippians 2:19–21, esv). Are you […]
Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence (Psalm 139:7, esv)? To hear us justify it in our own heads, it sounds like all we’re doing is innocently trying to free ourselves from someone’s overbearing control or from a hassle we don’t need. That’s why we’re leaving this […]
All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were much afraid. . . . And David said to the men who stood by him, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that […]
Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always […]