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 →

Is it wrong to pray for justice? We know that God has promised to comfort His people and to deal out vengeance when Christ comes (2 Thessalonians 1:6-8; Revelation 21:4). We know He “will bring every act to judgement” at that point (Ecclesiastes 12:14; 1 Timothy 5:24, 25). We serve the God who said, “Vengeance … Continue reading Desire For Justice →

We tend to individualize the Christian life. At least, in Western cultures we see our faith as a very personal thing between ourselves and the Lord alone. Yet Scripture presents a very different picture. The next stanza of Psalm 119 testifies to this fact (vv. 73-80). Every single verse of this section describes some aspect … Continue reading We Need One Another →

It’s one of those Christian pet phrases we’ve all heard: “You’ve got to look at the context.” We hear that, smile, and go on. How much do the verses around a particular line really impact our understanding of it? While we mentally acknowledge the importance of context, we sometimes doubt whether it is all that … Continue reading Consider the Context →

There’s a lot of talk these days about self evaluation and life inventory. And that can be a good thing. Psalm 119:59 speaks of taking time to consider where we are at and where we are going. However, a lot of the talk today centers around self: making time for yourself and giving yourself room. … Continue reading The Lord Our “Portion” →