Promises for the Battle
Just Thinking
I Was Just Thinking … About Walking in His Ways
One of the helpful metaphors the biblical authors use characterizes our lives as a journey or a walk. For example, when Abraham turned ninety-nine, God said to him, “Walk about before me with integrity” (Genesis 17:1). After Solomon finished building the temple, Yahweh reminded him to “walk before me as your father David walked, in … Continue reading
I Was Just Thinking … About True Riches
What makes someone rich? The Bible talks about being “rich in faith” (James 2:5), and having “the true riches” (Luke 16:11). But what are these “true riches”? Paul tells us they consist of the overwhelming gain of knowing Christ, of having personal fellowship and communion with him. Only in this way can I find total … Continue reading
I Was Just Thinking … About the Supper and the Covenant
Remembering the significance of events is important in our culture. So we invent slogans and ceremonies to help us. “Remember the Alamo!” Fireworks on the fourth of July. “Never again!” Memorial Day. God gave the nation of Israel similar ways to remember. The most important of these was the observance of Passover. The Lord Jesus … Continue reading
I Was Just Thinking … About Having Fellowship With God
The psalmist said, “As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God” (Psalm 42:1). He was a shepherd, who had often seen deer panting for a satisfying drink from a stream’s pure waters. This was the best illustration he could think of to describe the intense longing that he … Continue reading
I Was Just Thinking … About Opposing God’s Glory
Isaiah 3:8 uses a figurative expression to describe disobedience to God which has greatly helped me in understanding what sin is; and, more importantly, just what we can do to maintain fellowship with God. Isaiah says, “Jerusalem has stumbled, and Judah has fallen because their speech and their deeds are against the Lord to defy … Continue reading
I Was Just Thinking … About Resting Work
We all want rest for our souls, and we come to Jesus because he wants to teach us how to receive it from him. One part of his prescription for finding this rest reads, “Whatever your task, work heartily, as serving the Lord” (Colossians 3:23). Working heartily brings rest because it dispels the tension that … Continue reading
I Was Just Thinking … About Working Rest
Jesus invites all who labor and are heavy laden to learn from him, so that they might experience rest instead of travail in their lives (Matthew 11:28–30). But we may ask, What does Jesus prescribe in order for us to experience this “rest for our souls”? For one thing, he would tell us to give … Continue reading
I Was Just Thinking … About the Springs of Life
A literal rendering of Proverbs 4:23 would be, “Above all that you guard, watch over your heart, for the springs of life issue from it.” It came as a shock, a surprise, when I realized that here God commands me to guard my heart with more concern than other valuable things: physical health, financial solvency, … Continue reading
I Was Just Thinking … About “Keeping Myself in the Love of God”
In Jude, verse 21, I read the simple command: “Keep yourselves in the love of God.” This implies that God’s love for me remains constant and unchanging. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He loves me with an “everlasting love.” This command also implies that I can either remain in the sunshine of … Continue reading
I Was Just Thinking … About Learning from the Mistakes of Others
An old saying goes like this, “Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from poor judgment.” But sometimes our poor judgment results in consequences that keep us from the learning what is necessary to developing good judgment. So, we would be wiser to “learn from the mistakes of others, because we will never live … Continue reading
Promises for the Battle 