The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures… - Psalm 23:1-2 REFERENCE Psalm 23:1-6. Just as green grasses provide food and nourishment for animals, the Word of God provides food and nourishment for us as believers. The Word of God is ever green, ever nourishing, ever fresh, never dry, and ever relevant. More so, in it, the weary is rejuvenated, the discouraged finds hope, the weak is made strong, the confused finds direction, and the distressed finds solace. However, if we are not careful, the issues of life can...
Do not say to your neighbor, 'Go, and come back, and tomorrow I will give it,' when you have it with you. - Proverbs 3:28 REFERENCE Proverbs 3:27-28 If we leave our flesh to do what it wants, it would often procrastinate the good it knows to do; putting off till tomorrow what ought to be done today. However, there are certain things in life that require urgency; that cannot be put off to another day – for example, salvation, forgiveness and the need to mend our relationships with our spouse, family or friends. More importantly, are the ‘good’...
But he said, “O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send.” - Exodus 4:13 REFERENCE Exodus 4:1-16 God often will not do anything on earth without man’s cooperation. He takes one man and does amazing things through him; ordinary men of whom the world thinks nothing, and from whom one would not have expected anything spectacular – Esther, Noah and David are examples. Isaiah heard God’s voice saying, “Whom shall I send and who will go for us?” There are great purposes God wants fulfilled on the earth – dealing with poverty, educating...
Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. Joshua 6:1 REFERENCE Joshua 6:1-20 When God brought out the Israelites from Egypt, He gave them the Promise Land which included Jericho and told them to go and possess the land flowing with milk and honey. Although God granted them access to take the land, yet, they had to contend with the enemy – who completely shut them out from possessing what was theirs and wouldn’t let them in. These enemies securely lock downed Jericho so that it was made safe from...
"...But the just shall live by his faith."~ Habakkuk 2:4 REFERENCE Habakkuk 2:1-4 These are times when the journey of life seems uncertain and finishing seems unachievable. Your mind may be dominated by questions and you are wondering why things are the way they are, why things are not letting up or turning out as they should. You may have even gotten to the point of throwing in the towel, but today’s text admonishes you, the just man/woman, to live by your faith (not by your circumstances). In other words, by faith you shall possess, handle the affairs...
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. - Psalm 1:1 REFERENCE Psalm 1:1. From our text, one can see the retrogressive influence of sin on an unwary man: ‘Walks in the counsel:’ Firstly, the downward spiral of sin begins with the desire to seek and then to follow the advice or suggestions of sinful men; being desirous of their ways until it becomes appealing to you to ‘do things’ their way. Secondly, ‘Stand in the path of sinners:’...
“Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces. Matthew 7:6 REFERENCE Matthew 7:6 Philistinism is a derogatory term that describes the ‘manners, habits, and character’ of a person who undervalues and despises art and beauty. Thus, a ‘philistine’ is someone who does not care about or understand good art, music, or literature, and do not think that they are important. So, if you are an art dealer, it will be a miscalculation on your part to make ‘philistines’ your...
By You I have been upheld from birth; You are He who took me out of my mother’s womb. My praise shall be continually of You. - Psalm 71:6 REFERENCE Psalm 71:1-6. In this 71st Psalm, the Psalmist expressed his abiding trust in God; confident that God would not put him to shame but cause him to escape from every trouble life would throw at him. He took God to be his strong refuge and his rock and fortress. Lastly, he expected God to deliver him out of the hand of the wicked and from every evil plot....
But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. – John 4:23-24 REFERENCE John 4:20-24 Worship means to regard with great devotion or to honor as a divine being. The dictionary defines it as, “The feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity.” To a believer, it means regarding God with great devotion and ascribing worth to Him. Often, in the place of...
All this has come upon us; but we have not forgotten You, nor have we dealt falsely with Your covenant. Psalm 44:17 REFERENCE Psalm 44:9-20 The Psalmist here recounts the many trials that the people of Israel had experienced – they suffered defeat in battle, having gone in without His presence, they were plundered by nations and were scattered as captives amongst the nations. Also, they were sold as slaves at meager prices, and they became a byword amongst the peoples; they became a pariah nation, bowing their heads in shame wherever they found themselves. All these are enough storms...