“If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the Lord, to do good or bad of my own will. What the Lord says, that I must speak” (Numbers 24:13). Hearing and obeying the Word of the Lord is more important than the benefits of hard work and…
“How you have advised the one without wisdom, and abundantly revealed your insight!” Job 26:3 (NET) God’s advice to those who are void of wisdom can be translated as those who lack the ability to plan ahead. Those who lack foresight to make plans for the future are advised by God in things only known to Him. Forward thinking is…
“And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” (1Thessalonians 1:10). The posture of the follower of Jesus Christ is anticipation for what lies ahead. The word of God received has lifted his sights above the persecution of trials and the tests that come against…
“Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:14). The way that leads to life remains as the road less traveled. There are rabbit-trails along the way often taken by wayward travelers who get sidetracked by petty issues. Then there are dazzling streetlights with flashing signposts captivating…
“The diligent find freedom in their work; the lazy are oppressed by work” (Proverbs 12:24 MSG). There is a freedom that allows us to fully cooperate with God in what He is doing. There is a bondage that can hold one back so that they are never able to accomplish or complete anything. It is the mental bondage of procrastination. It…
“I am God, your personal God who rescued you from Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians. I ripped off the harness of your slavery so that you can move about freely” (Leviticus 26:13 MSG). God identifies with us and calls us His own. In order for us to experience the blessings of communion, there…
Romans 6:15-19 “So, since we’re out from under the old tyranny, does that mean we can live any old way we want? Since we’re free in the freedom of God, can we do anything that comes to mind? 16 Hardly. You know well enough from your own experience that there are some acts of so-called freedom that destroy freedom. Offer…
“But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ” (Philippians 3:7). What a marvelous work must have taken place in the life of Apostle Paul to now be at a place of devaluing what once was measure of his boasting. Now things had changed for him. Things that were measured as advantages had now become deficits.…
“But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty” (1Corinthians 1:27). God very often uses simplicity in order to convey complexity. One’s rationale may cause them to miss out on the most important and…
“And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs” (Mark 11:23). Jesus expected figs out of season as He approached a tree bearing leaves. For those close to Him, time…
“But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel” (Philippians 1:12). The trials of the Apostle Paul were sent to destroy him on the part of the enemy, but allowed to prove him on the part of God. Faith is not a mere idea of…
“The ordinary and disreputable people who heard John, by being baptized by him into the kingdom, are the clearest evidence” (Luke 7:29 MSG). When ordinary and common people are awakened to the message, the clearest evidence is presented. It is not the theologians or religious experts who will readily embrace the truth. They have to work their way through too…