Have you read the Psalms lately? They contain such striking language, fluid meter, beautiful imagery, and a wide range of emotion. They communicate to the human heart unlike any other form of poetry. In Psalm 86, we see the format of prayer that is repeated in the collection of Psalms. The psalm begins with a plea to be heard, “Incline Your ear,…

“Isn’t it enough to give?  As long as I’m giving, does it matter why?  Does it really matter what my motivation is?”  Think about this for a moment and consider what Scripture has to teach us. Much of the giving in the early church was done to help brethren who were in need (1 Cor. 16:1-2; 2 Cor. 8:16-24; Rom. 15:25-27).  Giving…

The saints of God have often found themselves in dire circumstances. In the first century when God’s just judgment was about to come against the Jewish nation, it was preceded by wars, rumors of wars, famines, pestilences and earthquakes. Christians were in the midst of all these troubles. What hope did they have? In addition to this, their faith in God created…

Clearly-communicated expectations are key to relationships. In the case of God with His people, He has been exemplary in giving us clear communication—not just in our conduct but how we should operate in our many different roles. That is no different in the area of parenting. God has communicated to us what he expects of us as parents. It should go without…

One of the thoughts we find most comforting is summed up in that song which has the phrase, “He’s got the whole world in His hands.” Each verse then talks about how He has “you and me brother” and “you and me sister” and “the little bitty babies” in His hands. The very concept that we are cradled in the hands of…

Have you ever found out something about another person that was disturbing to you and was potentially (if not certainly) destructive to that person?  What did you do with that piece of information?  Would it matter if that person was someone you cared about or if that person was someone you didn’t really like? In our day and age, it is so…

Greed is a heart condition. It can lead to the ruin of many good and perfect things. We must change the heart in order to change from greed to contentment. Greed ruins the spiritual mind. “For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things…

It is easy for us think of our omniscient God in a general sense. God knows the actual weight of the earth and measured the entire universe with the span of His hand (Isa. 40:12). We know that the heavens show this wisdom and glory to all men. However, sometimes it is not easy to think about what God knows about us…