All Scripture references are quoted from the Christian Standard Bible (unless otherwise noted).
“But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’” – 1 Samuel 16:7 Many people who...
“And they were calling to one another: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.’” – Isaiah 6:3 The overarching theme of the Old Testament is God’s holiness. Holiness refers to that fact that God is completely set apart from His creation. The...
“The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” – Genesis 2:15 On Monday of this week, our family dog, Dinah, passed away. Dinah was 17 years old, so none of my five children have ever known...
“Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.”...
“Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator – who is forever praised. Amen.” –...
“A good man produces good out of the good storeroom of his heart. An evil man produces evil out of the evil storeroom, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.” – Luke 6:45 (HCSB) As a child, did you ever say, “Sticks and stones may break...
“Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you. Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning.” – Proverbs 9:8-9 Proverbs chapter 9 holds great truth for...
“For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.” – Proverbs 2:6-8...
“He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the garbage pile.” – Psalm 113:7 I have always been a little bit of a “gear head.” I enjoy working on cars and motorcycles. I especially love trying to bring classic vehicles back to life. It intrigues me...
“A man’s own foolishness leads him astray, yet his heart rages against the LORD.” – Proverbs 19:2 (CSB) The Bible teaches us that everything truly bad or evil in this world is here as a result of sin. And often times the bad and evil in our own lives is...
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” – Romans 3:23 Recently, I have been dealing with some health problems that have been very challenging for me. My health problems are not especially serious, and many people face much greater difficulties. However, my personal health problems...
“Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.” – 1 Peter 2:16 Yesterday, most Americans celebrated freedom and independence, in recognition of the 4th of July. As usual, that celebration included a great deal of fireworks. Sometimes, probably...
“When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other.” – Ecclesiastes 7:14 It is important, when we experience times of great joy, to remember that every good and perfect gift is from God (James 1:17). We must...
“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” – Romans 1:16 There are probably aspects of the Christian life that we each gravitate toward. Some of us love to...
“You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden.” – Matthew 5:14 There is a good chance you have heard this saying of Jesus many times before and, possibly, you have not given it much thought. But today I want to draw your...
“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.” – 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 Unfortunately, our hope usually resides in our circumstances. We are...
“If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen its edge, then one must exert more strength; however, the advantage of wisdom is that it brings success.” – Ecclesiastes 10:10 The work God calls us to do as His hands and feet in this broken world is not easy....
“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” – Psalm 37:4 Have you ever felt like nothing is going your way? Have you ever felt that all your plans seem to be failing? Have you ever felt that God is doing anything but...
“It was good for me to be afflicted so that I could learn Your statutes. Instruction from Your lips is better for me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.” – Psalm 119:71-72 When God sent Moses to speak to the most powerful man in the known world, He purposefully...
“In a loud voice they sang: ‘Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!’ Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is...
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.” – Proverbs 3:5-6 This passage in the book of Proverbs holds two great keys for everyday living. First...
“‘No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me,’ declares the LORD.” – Isaiah 54:17 Isaiah 54:17 is a popular verse that we call to mind...
“For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of peoplewho by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” – Romans 1:18 Whether we realize it or not, we all intrinsically understand that wrath and judgement are good and righteous qualities. And the absence of them is evil. For...
“Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand markedoff the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance?” – Isaiah 40:12 My dad...
“Sing to the LORD, you saints of his; praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” – Psalm 30:4-5 I can’t remember a time when I laid worried in...
“Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.” – Proverbs 29:25 What is motivating you today? Many of us spend our days in the trap of “fearing man.” The decisions we make, the things we say, and the places we...
“I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.” – Malachi 3:6 God does not change. This truth is known in theological circles as God’s “immutability.” To say that God is immutable is to say that He does not mature or grow old; He...
“When He (the Holy Spirit) comes, He will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment.” – John 16:8 We, as people left to our own, have no ability to change hearts. So often, when thinking about sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ, we make the mistake of thinking...
“When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well...
March 1, 2017 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” – Psalm 119:105 Why is it important to spend regular, disciplined time in the Word of God? Because God’s word is the fixed point on which we set our bearings in order to...