February 19 “When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the Lord.” (Prov. 19:3, RSV) There is no book on psychology like the Bible. It gives insights on human behavior that you cannot find in any other place. Here, for instance, it describes a man whose own waywardness wrecks his…
February 18 “Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?” (Gen. 18:25) When there are mysteries in life too deep for us to fathom, we can relax in the confidence that the Judge of all the earth is the God of absolute and infinite righteousness. There is the question of the status of…
February 17 “In pressure thou hast enlarged me.” (Psa. 4:1 Darby) It is true that “calm seas never made a sailor.” It is through tribulation that we develop patience. It is through pressure that we are enlarged. Even men of the world have realized that difficulties have educative and broadening values. Charles Kettering once said,…
February 16 “Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful.” (Prov. 14:13) Nothing is perfect in this life. All laughter is mingled with sorrow. Every diamond has a flaw. Each person has some character defect. In all of life, there’s a worm in the apple. It is good to be idealistic; God has set within us…
February 15 “Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.” (Eccl. 11:1) Bread here is probably used, figuratively, for the grain from which it is made. In Egypt, seed was sown on flooded areas. As the waters receded, the crop came forth. But it did not happen immediately. The…
February 14 “And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word.” (Acts 4:29) When the early Christians were undergoing persecution, they did not wait for their circumstances to change. Instead they glorified God in the circumstances. Too often we fail to follow their example.…
February 13 “Owe no man anything, but to love one another.” (Rom. 13:8) We need not take this verse as a prohibition against any and every kind of debt. In our society we cannot escape telephone bills, gas and light bills, and water bills. Also under certain circumstances, it may be better discipleship to buy…
February 12 “…neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem.” (John 4:21) For the Samaritans, the center of worship was on Mt. Gerizim. For the Jews, Jerusalem was the place on earth where God had placed His Name. But Jesus announced a new order to the woman of Samaria, “…the hour cometh, and now is,…
February 11 “…the division of soul and spirit.” (Heb. 4:12 NASB) When the Bible speaks of man in his tripartite being, the order is always spirit, soul and body. When men use these terms together, the order almost invariably is body, soul and spirit. Sin has turned God’s order upside down. Now man puts the…
February 10 “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit…” (Gal. 5:16) Exactly what is involved in walking in the Spirit? Actually it is not as complicated and impractical as some tend to think. Here is what a day’s walk in the Spirit would be like! First, you start the day in prayer. You confess…