For I am your servant (Psalm 143:12z NIV).
The servant of God belongs to God. What a blessed privilege it is to belong to God. At the same time a servant is humble. He depends on God and asks God to teach him His will.
He is also dependent on the Spirit of God. He … Read the rest
The Lord has kept the promise he made (2 Chronicles 6:10 NIV).
This is characteristic of our Lord. If He has made a promise to you, be sure that it will be fulfilled. He never forgets the promise He makes! Solomon exclaims here the truth that God had indeed kept His promise.
To a Christian … Read the rest
He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it. He named it Rehoboth, saying, “Now the Lord has given us room and we will flourish in the land” (Genesis 26:22 NIV).
Progress is through opposition. When Isaac dug wells the water was disputed over and he was opposed. But … Read the rest
Early the next morning Abraham got up and returned to the place where he had stood before the Lord (Genesis 19:27 NIV).
Why did Abraham return? It was to know the result of his standing before the Lord the day before. If you too have the habit of standing before the Lord you too will … Read the rest
For I delight in your deliverance (1 Samuel 2:1z NIV).
It is that simple. Hannah delighted in God’s deliverance. What about you?
This simple proclamation of her source of confidence and her joy in God’s deliverance comes in her prayer after God had given her the answer to her earlier prayer. Her deliverance was birthed … Read the rest
In those days the Lord began to reduce the size of Israel. Hazael overpowered the Israelites throughout their territory . . . (2 Kings 10:32 NIV).
Look carefully at the text. Was it Hazael who overpowered the Israelites? Yes. But he was only an instrument. It was really the Lord who began to reduce the … Read the rest
Now your impurity is lewdness (Ezekiel 24:13a NIV).
Lewdness is a common sin today. It is no longer frowned upon. Now lewdness is referring to sex in rude and offensive ways with an intention of exciting lust or sexual desire.
God spoke about this sin of the Israelites. And Jesus pointed out that what comes … Read the rest
Now the people of Beth Shemesh were harvesting wheat their wheat in the valley, when they looked up and saw the ark, they rejoiced at the sight (1 Samuel 6:13 NIV).
There are seasons of disappearances of God’s favor in the life of His children. It can be caused by many things. Sin and disobedience … Read the rest
“Come now, let us reason together,” says the Lord. “Though yours sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool” (Isaiah 1:18 NIV).
Have you all your life been in search of assurance of forgiveness of your sins? If yes, your search … Read the rest
Then the Philistine said, “This day I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other” (1 Samuel 17:10 NIV).
The challenge of evil is what you find here in this verse. It began in the garden of Eden when God created man and woman. Through deception Satan was … Read the rest
Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end (Isaiah 9:7a NIV).
This is a simple equation. More of His government in your life will bring more of His peace into your life. There is no end to the possibilities of more of His government and more of His peace. Now … Read the rest
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6b NIV).
The world craves for peace. To achieve it they go to war. This is the tragedy of the world.
Brokenness seems to have invaded the world. Nothing fits together for long. Relationships get broken, treaties are broken, and … Read the rest
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6b NIV).
Everlasting Father. It shows God’s unchanging nature towards His children. Yes, God loves to have a loving relationship with you. Have you yet realized it?
The Christian life is miserable when you think of it in terms of … Read the rest
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6b NIV).
Is there anyone else who can claim to be Mighty God? God asks, “Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock, I know not one” (see Isaiah 44:8b).
This is an absolute claim. God … Read the rest
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6b NIV).
He is a God who searches hearts and minds (see Revelation 2:23). He is the One who knows your future (see Jeremiah 29:11). He is the One who can tell you whether He has kept an open door … Read the rest
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6b NIV).
Let us for a moment think of those who heard this prophecy when it was first delivered by Prophet Isaiah. They would have wondered at the strange words of it. For it talked about a child. But what … Read the rest
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14 NIV).
The eternal question is, “Whom will you trust?” Will you trust your own plans or will you accept the sign that God has given you. … Read the rest
Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high . . . on behalf of a man he pleads with God as a man pleads for his friend (Job 16:19, 21 NIV).
Job longed for someone to plead his cause with God (Job 9:33). Like him we too might come to a … Read the rest
But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live (Numbers 33:55 NIV).
This was an instruction to the Israelites who were about to enter … Read the rest
But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap (Malachi 3:2 NIV).
Do you desire to have God come to you? If yes, think again. Do you really want Him to come to you? You might think … Read the rest
There is no sorcery against Jacob, no divination against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and of Israel, “See what God has done!” (Numbers 23:23 NIV).
There is a special grace given to God’s children. And you need to know it. No sorcery or divination can work against you as long as you … Read the rest
Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the Lord’s wrath. In the fire of his jealousy the whole world will be consumed, for he will make a sudden end of all who live in the earth (Zephaniah 1:18 NIV).
A sudden end! How terrifying that would … Read the rest
At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who are complacent, who are like wine left on its dregs, who think, “The Lord will do nothing, either good or bad” (Zephaniah 1:12 NIV).
After having said that the day of the Lord is near, the prophet talks about people who are … Read the rest
Whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud lifted, they set out. Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out (Numbers 9:21b, 22 NIV).
Think about a faithful … Read the rest
Speak to Aaron and say to him, “When you set up the seven lamps, they are to light the area in front of the lampstand” (Numbers 8:2 NIV).
A Christian is called to shine. But he has no light of his own. Instead he is given the ability to shine. It comes from above, from … Read the rest
From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God (Jonah 2:1 NIV).
Disobedience to God is costly. It not only puts you under His wrath but also causes others to suffer because of you. This is shown by the way the sailors of the ship in which Jonah sailed suffered.
But then God … Read the rest
“The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign Lord, “when I will send a famine through the land-not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord (Amos 8:11 NIV).
The Bible says that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that … Read the rest
Glorious things are said of you, O city of God (Psalm 87:3 NIV).
Have you ever realized your privilege in being a child of God? Or for that matter have you ever realized the privilege of being a citizen of heaven; the city of God?
Even though this Psalm talks about the earthly Zion, it … Read the rest
When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions (Psalm 65:3 NIV).
This verse gives us a glimpse of the enormous burden of sin. A man who has never been overwhelmed by his consciousness of sin has never understood forgiveness in a real sense.
A real understanding of what sin is creates in you … Read the rest
… Read the restBut on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where my people live; no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know that I, the Lord, am in this land. I will make a distinction between my people and your people. This miraculous sign will occur tomorrow (Exodus
