Hebrews 12:2, ‘…looking to Jesus, the originator and perfector of faith.’ One of the surest ways to descend into a labyrinth of confusion, apprehension, and spiritual weakness is to make our own faith the object of our scrutiny. ‘Am I really trusting?’ ‘Is my faith sincere?’ ‘Is my faith strong enough?’ etc. Questions like those …
Hebrews 2:8-9, ‘we do not yet see everything in subjection to Him. But we see Him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.’ Notice the …
1 Peter 1:5, ‘…who, *by God’s power*, are being guarded *through faith* for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.’ Note that in this verse, Peter tells us that it is *God’s power* that guards the believer, but the means by which His power guards them is *their own faith.* The power …
Job 23:8-10, ‘Behold, I go forward, but He is not there, and backward, but I do not perceive Him; on the left hand when He is working, I do not behold Him; He turns to the right hand, but I do not see Him. But He knows the way that I take…’ In verses 8-9, …
Hebrews 11:19, ‘…[Abraham] considered that God was able to raise [Isaac] from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.’ See the place that resurrection plays in Abraham’s faith. In this passage, resurrection is the unexpected—yet necessary—conclusion that arises from the equation of God’s Promises + Death. The Genesis 22 command …
Luke 22:32, ‘But I have *prayed* for you, that your faith may not fail…’ The word translated ‘prayed’ here might literally be taken to mean ‘bound.’ On top of that, it is passive, essentially telling us that Jesus *was bound* on behalf of Peter. Now, the central meaning here is that Jesus was bound by …
Matt. 4:4, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” Satan asks Jesus to turn stones into bread in order to prove that He is indeed the Son of God. Except, recall that the Father has just proclaimed Jesus to be …
Today’s picture is divided into TWO PARTS in order to highlight two different perspectives on the ‘dark night’ of the Christian soul: Part 1 (the darker one) corresponds to Ps.22:1-2; Part 2 (the lighter one) corresponds to Ps.22:9-10. Picture 1: Ps. 22:1-2, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you …
Mark 9:24, “I do believe, help my unbelief!” What is the spark of primal faith that creates a faith in Jesus that is able to ask Jesus to create faith in the midst of faithlessness? Of course, the answer would be the sovereign grace of God (Eph 2:8). However, if all of God’s grace …
Matthew 14:28-29, “‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’ And He said, ‘Come.’ And after getting out of the boat, Peter walked on the water and came to Jesus.” What Peter asks, what Jesus commands, and what Peter—therefore—does, is *not* primarily to walk on water, but *to …
Psalm 34:8, “Oh, taste and see that YHWH is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” Hebrew poetry often employs a technique called “parallelism” by which the second parallel line in some way restates or comments on the first. When we read Psalm 34:8 in light of this technique, it helps …
Matthew 10:28-30, “But fear rather the one who is able even soul and body to destroy in Gehenna. Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore, do not fear, …
Romans 9:20-21, “But who are you, O man, to answer back to God?…Has the potter no right ver the clay…?” Dark-veiled, the hand of Sovereignty Does fashion all aright And from the clay, humanity Is well-formed in His sight But we from vantage creaturely Cannot His purpose know Why one is formed for dignity …
Matthew 14:26-27, “But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke the them, saying, ‘Take heart, it is I. Do not be afraid.’” The disciples see what they think is a restless spirit rising up …
John 14:1, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.”
2 Chronicles 20:12, “…we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” I read this passage in 2 Chronicles a few days ago during my morning reading. It’s such a beautiful and invincible response to suffering…..To be able …
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of YHWH forever” – Psalm 23:6 The Passage In these 6 short verses, David has walked through green pastures, dark valleys, and feasts prepared in the presence of his enemies, and now—as Psalm 23 draws to …
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. The Passage Explained With verse 5, Psalm 23 seems to shift its central metaphor from that of shepherd and sheep to one that more prominently pictures YHWH as the master of a …
Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters – Psalm 23:1-2 Psalm 23 is perhaps one of the best loved passages in the entire Bible, and yet it’s important for the post-Calvary reader to recognize that the green pastures and …
