We often pray for a variety of things. We’ll pray for a good job opportunity, healing in a health situation, or for wise guidance. A lot of times, we’ll even pray these requests for others. As important as these petitions are, they all have something in common—they are all external to ourselves. It’s easy to … Continue reading Dependent in Growth →

Throughout Psalm 119, the author has poured his heart out to the Lord, desperate for deliverance from his persecutors. He found himself oppressed and afflicted by men “without cause,” without any good reason for their attacks (v. 161). If we were in his shoes, I imagine we would cry out as well. Yet the Psalmist’s … Continue reading Throughout Our Lives →

We can sometimes view the Old and New Testaments in somewhat of a false dichotomy. We tend to view the time before Christ as one of judgement and wrath, setting this in opposition to the time of grace after the cross. However, Scripture doesn’t present such categories. Yes, “grace and truth were realized through Jesus … Continue reading Merciful and Loving Advocate →

We all have those concepts that are hard to grasp, don’t we. The eternality of God is one concept that has been hard for me to try and understand. I acknowledge the truth of the fact, but it’s hard for me to really comprehend what that really means. But that is somewhat of an abstract … Continue reading Fully Dependent →

Have you ever thought much about the righteousness of God? It’s something we profess to believe, but what does it mean and have we taken it for granted? That’s a huge topic, but the next stanza of Psalm 119 helps direct our minds to this subject. The very first verse lays out the basic premise: … Continue reading Gracious Gift →

The terms “theology” and “doctrine” can be quite polarizing, can’t they? For some, those words make us want to run and hide, fearing some abstract debate that doesn’t have any real impact on how we live. For others, the terms fill us with excitement as we get ready to debate the finer points of the … Continue reading Goals of Study →

Have you ever noticed that when we talk about our hope in Christ, we tend to relegate it to a future sentimentality? I mean, we do want to be with Him in heaven, but it seems so distant and separate from how we live now. Our hope doesn’t have to be separate. The Psalmist’s hope … Continue reading Hope that Shapes Us →

We’ve all seen ‘cross-stitch verses.’ At least, that’s my name for verses we see on picture frames and quote to one another because they sound good (i.e. “I know the plans that I have for you,” Jeremiah 29:11). However, we’re so familiar with the verses, we may not take time to consider what they actually … Continue reading Unchanging Light →

We all want true wisdom, don’t we? Yet wisdom and understanding seem to be elusory concepts just beyond our reach and not quite coming into focus. We love the idea of being wise, but what does wisdom actually entail? And beyond that, how do we obtain true understanding? When considering this concept, our first inclination … Continue reading What True Wisdom Looks Like →

Storms can be disorienting. This is true for ships out at sea and it’s true for us in the trials we face. We’re bewildered, surrounded by darkness, and don’t know where to turn next. The Lord does not want this feeling of hopelessness to characterize our lives. Paul calls us to “continue in the faith … Continue reading The Firm Rock →