Days of Praise

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February 12, 2025
Lessons from the Rich Fool
“But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?” (Luke 12:20)

This sobering verse gives in a nutshell God’s evaluation of people whose dominating concern is the accumulation of material possessions. Such a person is, by the Lord’s own testimony, a fool.

But before the man in this parable became a covetous fool, he first became a self-centered clod, interested only in his own desires. In the verses comprising his monologue (Luke 12:17-19), he used the personal pronouns “I” and “my” no less than 11 times and then even addressed himself using the pronoun “thou” or “thine” twice more.

Satan was the first to be covetous and proud: “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God:...I will be like the most High” (Isaiah 14:13-14). Lucifer’s primeval, self-seeking covetousness brought rebellion and sin into the angelic host and then into the human family. Ever since his fall, he has used this deadly sin of self-centeredness to keep men away from God and to lead them into all kinds of other overpowering sins.

In the case of the rich man, his pampering of self had led him into a life of such greed and covetousness that he was still concerned only with his own personal comfort (“eating and drinking”) right up to the day of his death. He “thought within himself” (Luke 12:17), giving no thought whatever to God’s will or the fact that all his possessions really belonged to God. Multitudes over the ages have been overtaken by this same sin of self-centered covetousness, perhaps never more pervasively than in modern America, even among American Christians. To anyone of such covetous spirit, the day may soon come when the Lord will say, “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee.” HMM

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February 13, 2025
God Our Habitation
“LORD, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.” (Psalm 90:1)

These are the tremendous opening words of the oldest psalm in the book of Psalms called, in its superscript, the “prayer of Moses the man of God.” Moses must have written it shortly before his death as he looked out over the promised land and realized that he himself would never live there (Deuteronomy 34:4-5). It did not really matter though, for he had lived in many places and none of them were really his home. He lived for a brief while in a basket on the river as a baby, then in a queen’s palace, then 40 years in Midian, and 40 more years wandering in the wilderness.

Furthermore, he meditated on the men of God of previous generations (after all, he had compiled all their ancient records in the book of Genesis) and found that they, too, like the apostle Paul 1,500 years later, had “no certain dwellingplace” (1 Corinthians 4:11). Adam was expelled from the garden; Noah lived for a year in an Ark on a worldwide sea and lived the rest of his life in a devastated earth; Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob lived in tents in Canaan, and their descendants lived as slaves in Egypt.

Yet wherever they were, the Lord was with them. He was their dwelling place, and this was Moses’ first thought as he composed his great prayer. He also had written down “the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death” (Deuteronomy 33:1). Its climax was this great assurance: “The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms” (v. 27). The “refuge” of this promise is the same Hebrew word as “dwelling place” in our text.

We, like they, are “strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13), but “underneath are the everlasting arms.” Where the Lord is—there home is! HMM

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February 24, 2025 Waiting for Jesus “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.” (Isaiah 12:2) It is fascinating to note all the occurrences of the word “salvation” in the Old Testament. Most are translations of the Hebrew yeshua, which corresponds to the name “Jesus” in English. For example, the verse above could just as well read “behold, God is my Jesus;...the LORD JEVOHAH is my strength and song; he also is become my Jesus.” Hebrew parents usually gave their children names that had significance. Thus, when Gabriel instructed Joseph to name Mary’s son “Jesus,” they would recognize immediately that they were, in effect, to name Him “Salvation,” because “he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). We can easily imagine that Mary and Joseph spent many hours together poring over their Bibles and reading again all the great prophecies of the coming Savior—especially those in which His very name, yeshua, had been anticipated. The first of these was in the dying words of their ancestor, Jacob, after whom Joseph’s own father had been named (Matthew 1:16). In almost his last words, the dying patriarch had exclaimed: “I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD” (Genesis 49:18). We can at least wonder whether they wondered if Jacob, in his prophetic vision, had actually seen Jesus and cried out, enraptured, “I have waited for thy Jesus, O LORD!” Then, in Habakkuk 3:13, they could even have found both His name and His title (“anointed” = Messiah = Christ). Thus, “Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed [i.e., Jesus thy Christ]; thou woundest the head out of the house of the wicked” (i.e., Satan—note Genesis 3:15). In any case, we can be sure that Joseph and Mary “marvelled at those things which were spoken of him” (Luke 2:33). HMM

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February 26, 2025
Lessons from Amos: Seek the Lord
“But seek not Bethel....Seek the LORD, and ye shall live.” (Amos 5:5-6)

Bethel had a long history with Israel. Abraham camped near Bethel when he first entered the land of Canaan (Genesis 12:8) and “called on the name of the LORD” at Bethel when he returned from Egypt (Genesis 13:3-4). Jacob’s dream of the ladder took place at Bethel (Genesis 28:10-12, 19), and later it was there his name was changed to Israel (Genesis 35:9-15).

However, Bethel eventually became Bethaven, the “House of Idols” (Hosea 4:15), after Jeroboam I established a temple to the golden calf (1 Kings 12:28-33). And much later, Assyria, after the destruction of Israel, left false priests at Bethel to corrupt the land (2 Kings 17:27-34). The place became a substitute for the person of God.

The danger comes from showing more concern for property than people. The kind of place (one’s denomination) substitutes theology for truth, or the experience gives more credence to intuition than inspiration. Worship of place or event supersedes the worship of God. Both substitutes will produce error.

The admonition of Amos is to “seek the LORD” (Amos 5:6). The promise is that if we seek the Lord, we “shall live.” We will not find God in a place but in a person (Acts 4:12). We cannot find God in a campaign but in a commitment (Matthew 6:33). We surely will not find God in promises from men but in power from God (2 Peter 1:4). HMM III

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February 27, 2025
Lessons from Amos: Don't Enter Gilgal
“But [do not]...enter into Gilgal...for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity.” (Amos 5:5)

Gilgal was the place of new beginnings. Twelve memorial stones from the Jordan were set up at Gilgal after the miraculous crossing of the Jordan River (Joshua 4:3). The nation was circumcised there in preparation for their possession of the land (Joshua 5:5). The Passover was celebrated (Joshua 5:10), and the miraculous manna ceased (Joshua 5:12). The victorious campaign in the hill country of Judea extending to Kadesh-barnea and Gaza was conducted from Gilgal (Joshua 10:15). The great battle at the waters of Merom was conducted from Gilgal (Joshua 10:43; 11:5). Saul was crowned Israel’s first king at Gilgal (1 Samuel 11:15).

Yet, the activity at Gilgal began to obscure the Word of God. Saul compromised and sacrificed at Gilgal to try to gain God’s blessing. His desire for political favor resulted in direct disobedience to God.

A zeal for “righteous action” without obedience can result in evil. Jephthah’s foolish vow and subsequent bad leadership led to a horrible slaughter (Judges 11–12). Micah’s selfish desire for a personal priest led to terrible apostasy (Judges 17–18). A Levite’s false zeal for revenge led Israel into civil war (Judges 19–21).

When activity substitutes for holiness, the cause starts to justify the activity. Activity then becomes necessary to preserve the cause, and dedication to the activity is equated with loyalty and holiness. In many cases, preservation of a memorable event overrides biblical truth. We don’t need “activity” at Gilgal as much as we need “abiding” in Christ. The “branches” need the “vine” (John 15). HMM III

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February 28, 2025
Lessons from Amos: Don't Pass Through Beersheba
“But...pass not to Beersheba.” (Amos 5:5)

Beersheba (well of the “sevens”) became a location of some importance in Israel’s early history. Hagar, the Egyptian bondwoman who bore Ishmael, was rescued by God at Beersheba (Genesis 21:14-19). Abraham improved the well at Beersheba and settled there, built a grove, and “called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God” (Genesis 21:33). It was at Beersheba that Abraham was told to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22:1-4).

Beersheba figured prominently in the life of Israel. Isaac made a covenant with the Philistines there, repaired the well, and lived at Beersheba for many years (Genesis 26:17-33). Historically, Beersheba is best known for the political oaths ceremoniously confirmed there with the secular nations around Israel.

At Beersheba, truth later became equated with tradition. Substituting the wisdom and traditions of man (Mark 7:3-13) or the world’s logic (Colossians 2:8) for truth can be very dangerous.

• God looks forward not backward. Historical places and events are lessons not laws.
• God wants obedience not activity. Past victories are to be praises not patterns.
• God demands truth not compromise. Successful negotiations are directives not doctrines.

“Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken. Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph” (Amos 5:14-15). HMM III

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March 6, 2025
Jesus Wept
“Jesus wept.” (John 11:35)

This two-word verse is packed with meaning. Jesus hears his close friend Lazarus is quite ill, and Lazarus’ sisters, Mary and Martha, urgently send for Jesus. But Jesus waits two days before journeying to Bethany to see them, and Lazarus dies.

Jesus arrives at the tomb with the grieving sisters. His heart breaks for his friends, and He weeps with them (John 11:35). This is astonishing considering that Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead only moments later.

Why would the Son of God openly weep while knowing He was about to restore Lazarus to life? The answer is clear: Jesus loves us. The depth of His compassion is beyond comprehension. In Matthew 11:29, Jesus, our all-powerful Creator and Redeemer, describes His own character, telling us He is “meek and lowly in heart.”

Jesus’ love for us today is no less than His love for those three siblings. He empathizes with us when we struggle under the burdens of this broken Earth (Hebrews 4:15), and He mourns with us when we grieve.

No doubt Jesus’ resurrection miracle instantly changed Mary’s and Martha’s tears of grief into tears of unspeakably great joy. This miracle was a clear sign of Jesus’ own upcoming resurrection and His absolute power over creation and even death.

On the last day, when we meet Jesus face to face, we will be overcome with joy, and Jesus will enfold us in His arms, the same arms that have held us from the moment of our conception, and welcome us home to the place He’s prepared for us (John 14:3). “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain….Behold, I make all things new” (Revelation 21:4-5). MJS

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March 17, 2025 Three Mindsets for Joy “And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith.” (Philippians 1:25) Bible expositors often call Philippians “the joy book.” In it, Paul mentions “joy” or “rejoice” 14 times—all while he was imprisoned! Paul certainly found his source of joy from way outside his circumstances. He also mentioned “mind” seven times. This might suggest that the key to joy lies in how we choose to think. The epistle offers three key mindsets that should bring believers joy. The first mindset is unity. “Stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel” (Philippians 1:27). In particular, our mindset should unify around the gospel—the good news that a holy God saves vile sinners who repent and trust His only Son Jesus, the resurrected One. The second mindset that sets us up for joy is humility. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus,” who “took upon him the form of a servant” and “humbled himself” (Philippians 2:5, 7-8). For how can we lose joy when we’ve already dropped our desire to have things our way? Instead, “in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves” (v. 3). The last mindset is to “count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8). When we sever ties with the things of this world—whether bank accounts, the praises of men, or entitlement to happiness—then we clear enough clutter from our minds that simply knowing the Lord takes over. Unity in the gospel, humility in service, and detachment from worldly things bring peace that “surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7). BDT

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March 22, 2025
Holy Things
“If a soul commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the LORD...” (Leviticus 5:15)

The “shadow of things to come” (Colossians 2:17) in the Old Testament focuses on physical items and places that were considered especially holy and dedicated.
 

• Holy place (Exodus 26:33-34)
• Holy altar (Exodus 29:37)
• Holy sacrifices (Exodus 29:33-34)
• Holy garments (Exodus 28:2-4)
• Holy ointment (Exodus 30:31-37)
• Holy vessels (1 Chronicles 22:19)

In the New Testament, however, the “holy things” were focused on the eternal and spiritual holiness that was merely “shadowed” by the earlier ceremonies. Our “holy calling” (2 Timothy 1:9) is granted through our “holy faith” (Jude 1:20). God has designed us to become “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light” (1 Peter 2:9).

While we serve the Lord on this earth, we are “sealed with that holy Spirit of promise” (Ephesians 1:13), expecting that the Lord will make us “to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men.…To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God” (1 Thessalonians 3:12-13).

Jerusalem on Earth, destroyed and rebuilt throughout history, is the prototype of “the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven” wherein “the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God” (Revelation 21:2-3). HMM III

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March 25, 2025
Seeds of Doubt
“He [Satan] was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” (John 8:44)

Satan loves to plant seeds of doubt into the minds of both believers and nonbelievers alike. Jesus warns in today’s passage that Satan is an old pro at lying, so to speak. He has been at it “from the beginning.”

The first example we see in the Bible of Satan’s lying is in Genesis 3:4. When tempting Eve to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he says, “Ye shall not surely die.” Going back one chapter to Genesis 2:17, we see God’s original command concerning the tree: “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shall not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

Notice that Satan removed the “not” from “thou shall not eat of it” and inserted it into “thou shalt surely die.” That change was enough to plant seeds of doubt into the minds of Adam and Eve, damaging their relationship with God and ultimately bringing about the Curse of the Fall on the earth and all mankind who would come after them.

Since we have the benefit of recorded Scripture to study and learn from, let’s be aware of Satan’s tactics to spread lies. We know one of Satan’s devices is to attack the validity of God’s Word. “Did God really say…?” seems to be the approach taken in this instance. Satan may also attack the accuracy of God’s Word, adding or removing words from the Holy Scripture to advance his deadly agenda.

Let’s be “vigilant” (1 Peter 5:8) and informed about the ways Satan attacks so we can stand strong in the faith, “for we are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Corinthians 2:11). DWR

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March 31, 2025 Power from Grace “...and with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.” (Acts 4:33) The apostle Peter observed that believers are to be ministering our “gift” to one another as “good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10). The words for “gift” and “grace” are very closely related. “Grace” is the most frequent translation for the Greek word charis, and charisma is most often rendered “gift.” “The working of his mighty power” (Ephesians 1:19) appears to be “the manifestation of the Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:7) displayed among God’s people by means of the gifts that the Holy Spirit has graced us with. Paul’s ability to minister was “according to the gift of the grace of God given unto [him, Paul] by the effectual working of his power” (Ephesians 3:7). Thus, when we preach the gospel, we are using “the power of God unto salvation” (Romans 1:16). When our lives radically change in response to the “new man” created in us by God, we do so by “the grace of our Lord” that is “exceeding abundant with faith and love” (1 Timothy 1:14). When we access the strength to rise above our infirmities or difficult circumstances, we experience that the Lord’s “grace is sufficient for thee….Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:9). “And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:9-11). HMM III

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April 1, 2025
Power of Forgiveness
“...to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins.” (Acts 26:18)

All too often we consider forgiveness a mysterious and spiritual transaction that, once accomplished, is a past event that has little to do with our subsequent lives.

It is certainly true that there is a historical point in our earthly lives where the forgiveness of Christ was granted—even though He was “slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8).

Christ has subdued, cleansed, and forgotten our sins. “Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity?…he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:18-19). “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins” (Isaiah 43:25). “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins” (Isaiah 44:22).

Christ has replaced our sins with His holiness. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new….For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:17, 21).

Christ has given us victory over sin. Since all of the above (and more) is true and active in the lives of all believers, there should be an obvious exhilaration that enables us to confidently stand against whatever “fiery darts” the enemy may throw at us. We are clearly told that “sin shall not have dominion over [us]” (Romans 6:14). And since Jesus already dealt with the “offence” of sin on the cross, we can “reign in life” by Him (Romans 5:17). HMM III

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April 2, 2025
Son of God

“...concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” (Romans 1:3-4)

It is noteworthy that the identification of Jesus Christ as the Son of God is directly associated with His resurrection from the dead. “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death” (1 Corinthians 15:26), and since only God Himself can conquer death, Christ’s bodily resurrection is the conclusive affirmation of His unique deity: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). Many others have claimed divine sonship, but all are dead—only Christ validated that claim by defeating death. “God...hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee” (Acts 13:33). “Death is swallowed up in victory....through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:54, 57).

Jesus is explicitly called “the Son of God” about 44 times in the New Testament, only half as often as He is called “Son of man.” Nevertheless, this great truth is clearly taught in numerous other ways than by the use of the title itself. It’s so important that there is no salvation for the one who denies it. Jesus said plainly, “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18).

Because He lives, we who believe on His name will also live forever! “Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?...He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life” (1 John 5:5, 12-13). HMM

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April 11, 2025 Jabez's Model Prayer “And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.” (1 Chronicles 4:10) Scripture spotlights Jabez amidst an otherwise plain chronology in 1 Chronicles 1–9. Three aspects of his model prayer show the kind of heart the Lord appreciates. First, Jabez resisted the temptation to treat God like a vending machine by asking Him for any self-serving thing. He instead prayed, “Oh, that thou wouldest bless me indeed,” leaving the Lord to choose what, when, how, and even if to bless. Now that’s trust. Second, he asked that the Lord “enlarge my coast.” He did not say, “Enlarge my bank account.” Rather, it could be that he wanted a wider sphere of influence for the Lord. This would imply that Jabez really desired others to know “the God of Israel.” Third, Jabez asked the Lord to help keep him holy—not necessarily happy. He invited God’s hand to “be with me,” not to make him wealthy but to “keep me from evil.” He had the same mind as Peter, who wrote, “Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16, quoting Leviticus 11:45). How many of our prayers have we wasted in either seeking selfish gain from our Lord, seeking secure circumstances instead of Him, or seeking His blessing amidst a refusal to do what’s right in one area or another? It’s a good bet that the Lord would appreciate it if we instead, like Jabez, seek His blessing according to His will, ask Him for help in pointing more people to Him, and cling to His help to live holy lives set apart for Him. BDT

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April 12, 2025 The Law Fulfilled…in Us? “That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Romans 8:4) A miraculous exchange happens when we daily live for our Savior. We give up striving to be good enough in our own power. This is idolatry. We were born with this sinful nature. It compels us to deceive ourselves into thinking that we can be God, knowing enough good and evil to call all the right shots. Nonsense. When we repent, we admit that we cannot be good enough on our own and that we need outside help. And help us He can! “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14). Knowing I can never be righteousness for myself, He works righteousness through me. “The righteousness of the law” from today’s verse is nothing less than perfection. People cannot achieve that, but we all need it. Jesus is perfect, however! He applies that perfection to anyone’s account the moment they repent of sin and trust Him. Now what? He does all the work “in us”! Just trust Him and obey. It has always worked that way. Abraham believed that God could raise Isaac from the dead and behaved like that was true (Hebrews 11:19). James said of Abraham, “Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?” (James 2:22). Similarly, as you “reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:11), you can walk “after the Spirit.” We then do what’s right—the “righteousness of the law.” “But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected” (1 John 2:5), and thus the law is “fulfilled in us” by Him. BDT

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April 20, 2025
I Will Ever Be True
“...looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)

The concluding verse of our song, “The Old Rugged Cross,” contains a commitment to follow Christ in this life and looks forward to life with Him in eternity.
 

To the old rugged cross I will ever be true,
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.

When coupled with the preceding scriptural verse, our text mirrors these thoughts: “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us” (v. 1). In this life, we have both the victorious examples of many that have gone before (Hebrews 11) and Christ Himself. Both He and they have suffered joyfully, and so can we: “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you,…but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye” (1 Peter 4:12-14).

Once Christ fully “endured the cross,” He rose from the dead in victory over death to take His rightful place “at the right hand of the throne of God.” He now calls us to be “crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20), “in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Ephesians 1:7). He’ll call us some day to Himself, where we shall “sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6), “and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross. JDM

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April 23, 2025
Your Personal Eclipse
“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5)

A total solar eclipse is awesome in the true sense of the word. If you are in the path of totality, you can see the moon pass directly between the sun and your location on Earth. A dusky darkness covers everything. After a few minutes, the moon continues on its way, and full sunlight returns.

This experience may trigger a thought, a parallel to the times of “darkness” we experience in each of our lives. We lose a loved one, experience a health or financial setback, or are betrayed by a trusted friend. All these events can bring on a “personal eclipse” of our faith if we focus on the darkness.

In an eclipse, the moon does not affect the sun’s light-generating abilities, but it does affect our reception of the light. So the sun shines just like it does every day, and the darkness we experience is limited in intensity, location, and duration. While our trials may seem like total darkness has settled over us, we must remember that just as the sun continues to shine uninterrupted behind the moon during a total eclipse, God is still there shining His goodness over our lives.

“He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him” (Psalm 91:15). God does not promise believers a trouble-free life on this earth, but His promise to be with us in our troubles is what we need to cling to until our personal eclipse passes. Ultimately, for the believer all darkness will be eliminated. “And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 22:5). DWR

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April 27, 2025
Habitation for God
“...until I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob. Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah: we found it in the fields of the wood. We will go into his tabernacles: we will worship at his footstool.” (Psalm 132:5-7)

These fascinating verses may well have a double meaning: first, a retrospective reference to David’s desire to build a temple for God, and second, a prophecy concerning a still-future habitation for God. Ephratah was the same as Bethlehem, the birthplace of both David and his greater son, Jesus.

The writer of this psalm may have been King Hezekiah, a contemporary of the prophet Micah, who had written: “Thou, Bethlehem Ephratah,…out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2). He was also a contemporary of Isaiah, who had written concerning this same coming Son: “His name shall be called…the mighty God” (Isaiah 9:6).

David had desired to build an earthly habitation for the mighty God of Israel; Isaiah had said this “mighty God” would be “a child born” and “a Son given”; and Micah said He would be born in Bethlehem Ephratah. Our psalmist must have been thinking about these truths when he saw, through the future eyes of those “in the fields of the wood” “at Ephratah,” this “place for the LORD,” who then would go to “worship at His footstool.”

Some 800 years later, “there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the fields” at Bethlehem Ephratah when a great host of angels told them the promised Savior had come, directing them to go to His “habitation” to worship Him. And that was where they did, indeed, find Him, “wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger” (Luke 2:8, 12), and they were the very first to “worship at his footstool.” HMM

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May 1, 2025
Joy in Prison
"Yea, and if I offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all." (Philippians 2:17)

The epistles Paul penned while in prison include Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, and likely 2 Timothy. One can imagine Satan’s glee when the apostle was first thrown into prison. But cell and chains didn’t silence Paul or thwart his joy.

The book of Philippians, “the epistle of joy,” was likely written from an imprisonment in Rome. Here we see a perfect example of a common biblical theme: something happens that appears evil, but God uses it for good. “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good” (Genesis 50:20).

Think of it this way: God “sentenced” Paul to pray and write for a season. It was a retreat of sorts, a time of great intimacy between Paul and his Redeemer. Far from being despondent about his incarceration, Paul embraced it. He didn’t beg to be free, ask his friends to bribe the guards, or even insist on his innocence. He rather encouraged believers to “stand fast” for the faith (Philippians 1:27, 4:1).

Paul yielded to God’s will, and this was the key to his peace in prison. Only then could he say, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). The Holy Spirit was present in the prison with Paul, and the Spirit inspired every word Paul wrote.

God advances the gospel despite and through apparent obstacles. “The things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel” (Philippians 1:12).

Are you in a place you don’t want to be? Remember that the Holy Spirt is with you in that seemingly dark place. God can and will use you wherever you are. There is purpose in the trial—the furtherance of the gospel and joy. “In thy presence is fulness of joy” (Psalm 16:11). MJS

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May 11, 2025
The Faith of Our Mothers
“...when I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.” (2 Timothy 1:5)

The “dearly beloved son” (v. 2) of the apostle Paul was a young disciple whose strong and sincere Christian faith was due, more than anything else, to the lives and teachings of a godly mother and grandmother. As Paul wrote to Timothy in his last letter, “From a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15).

Timothy’s mother was a Christian Jew (Acts 16:1), but his father was a Greek who evidently was not a believer. In the ideal Christian home, the father is to assume spiritual leadership (Ephesians 5:22, 25; 6:4), but countless fathers, for some reason, are either unable or unwilling to do this. There have been many homes where a mother or grandmother, usually by default, has had to assume this all-important responsibility, and the Christian world owes these godly women a great debt of gratitude. The writer himself was raised in such a home, and much of his own concern for the Word of God is due to the concerned dedication of a Christian mother and two Christian grandmothers.

It is significant that the fifth of God’s Ten Commandments requires children to honor their parents, and it is the only one of the 10 that carries a special promise: “Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth” (Ephesians 6:2-3). Every godly parent is worthy of real honor every day—not just once each year. And when a Christian mother, like Timothy’s mother, must assume all the responsibility for leading her children in the ways of God, she deserves very special praise. HMM

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May 14, 2025
Invisible Qualities: Faithfulness
“Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” (Acts 14:17)

The apostle Paul said, “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20). This teaches that anyone can clearly see some of God’s invisible qualities through His handiwork. As this handiwork principle pops up throughout Scripture, it offers at least two benefits.

For one, it encourages those who already know God as Savior. To know Him simply requires repentance from sin and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, who made Himself “to be sin for us, who knew no sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21). The Lord paid sin’s required death penalty to become “the mediator of the new covenant” (Hebrews 12:24). These true spiritual teachings come from the same Word of God that teaches God created the whole world. Thus, believers find assurance in the congruence between what the Bible says about God’s work in creation and what the creation itself implies about the kind of Person who must have made it.

Today’s verse suggests a second benefit from this handiwork principle. Paul teaches that God has been the one responsible all along for supplying rain to produce the fruit that exactly meets both our need for nourishment and our desire for food’s flavors. What invisible qualities of God does this show? Certainly, one is His faithfulness.

He is faithful to supply even the needs of those who despise Him. In this and many other ways, the handiwork principle supplies us even as it did Paul with ways to introduce God to those who do not yet know Him. BDT

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May 15, 2025
Invisible Qualities: Transcendence
“Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” (Psalm 90:2)

Surely God’s transcendence is one of “the invisible things of him from the creation of the world [that are] clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).

In this psalm, Moses offers high praise to the most high God. God transcends “the earth and the world” that He formed. This means that God both began this cosmos and keeps it running. His essence is not tied to the created order. He exists before and beyond it.

The New Testament agrees. As God, Jesus is “upholding all things by the word of his power,” “and he is before all things, and by him all things consist” (Hebrews 1:3; Colossians 1:17). Stars, the earth, and our bodies all had a beginning. And they also decay toward death as “the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now” (Romans 8:22). Someone who transcends this Curse must be holding our finite world together. Scripture reveals the Lord Jesus as He who transcends all created things, does not change, and cannot fade away. What might this mean for each of us?

Paul wished that the Ephesian believers would “make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 3:9). How glorious that such a One would actually long for fellowship with cursed creatures like us! His very transcendence is just what we sinners need—someone to transcend our sin and restore our fellowship with Him. BDT

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May 16, 2025 Invisible Qualities: Authority “Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” (Psalm 100:3) As we consider that “the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20), we may notice one of the key motivations for those who deny God’s handiwork in crafting our very bodies. Our psalm says we did not make ourselves. In order to make yourself, you would have to exist before you came into existence. That violates basic logic. Likewise, the assertion that “it is he that hath made us” demands that something outside of us made us. Either nature gets credit or “the LORD,” here translated from Jehovah, which means self-existent or eternal. But nature itself is created. Therefore, God is our Creator, and if God made us, then we are His people, as today’s verse asserts. We should do what He says since He has that kind of authority. His authority over us is one of those invisible attributes that are clearly seen, being understood by noticing how carefully He crafted our bodies, from speaking lips to fingertips. What motivates us to suppress the truth of His rightful authority? Our unrighteousness does, not science or any experiment or observation. Indeed, what experiment has ever shown that nature can craft even the simplest biochemical from scratch, let alone a whole, integrated body? On the other hand, if you “humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord,…he shall lift you up” (James 4:10). When we submit to the authority of our Creator, He “giveth grace unto the humble” (James 4:6-7). BDT

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June 5, 2025 Death Done “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (Genesis 2:17) Death means separation. Does any experience hurt worse than losing a loved one? Christians need to know the start and finish of this curse to effectively minister to those who suffer such loss. The Bible has the answer. According to Genesis, doubt of God’s truthful word led the first humans to adopt a lie in its place. The Hebrew verbs translated “shalt surely die” are môt tamût. The verb môt is in the infinitive form, and tamût is imperfect, indicating an act not yet completed. We could thus translate it, “to die, you will be dying.” When mankind in Adam rebelled against God’s loving direction, God’s holy, just, and true-to-His-word nature compelled Him to execute the appropriate consequence: a process of dying that would eventually lead to death. Just as the tragic process of decay unto death is real, so is the spiritual reason behind it: sin. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23). Likewise, just as the miracle of Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead was real, so is the spiritual reason behind that: life. “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22). Truly, “he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken” (Isaiah 53:8). Disbelief in God’s word brought about death, but “he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life” (John 5:24). “There shall be no more death, neither sorrow” for believers (Revelation 21:4). BDT

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June 6, 2025
Choosing This Day
“Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. (Joshua 24:14-15)

At the end of his life, Joshua presented the nation of Israel with a two-step challenge: a putting off and a taking on. Holding to only one part of this commitment would do no good. If they clung to foreign gods, their spiritual state would resemble that of the surrounding nations. Trying to add the great I AM (Exodus 3:14) into their personal pantheon (syncretism) would not work either. The Lord made it clear, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3).

For a time, the nation followed the one true God. But as time passed, they began to compromise, and Judges records their cycle of falling away and returning to God. By the end of that book the assessment of their spiritual condition was “every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25).

So what can a believer do to avoid outright rebellion, syncretism, or just simple wandering? Begin each morning with the refreshed decision to “choose you this day whom ye will serve.” The new day will hold temptations, distractions, and general busyness. It is a challenge, but God is pulling for His children (2 Chronicles 16:9)! DWR