My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever (Psalm 73:26 NIV).
The psalmist is thinking about a real possibility here. Though he is now fine, he thinks of a day when his strength would be gone. But, to our surprise, we find that he … Read the rest
Then you will say in your heart, ‘Who bore me these? I was bereaved and barren; I was exiled and rejected. Who brought these up? I was left all alone, but these–where have they come from?’ (Isaiah 49:21 NIV).
There is a phase in every Christian’s life that can be termed as a barren phase. … Read the rest
I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it (Psalm 81:10 NIV).
God loves to remind us of certain things over and over again. This is because they are very important in themselves and at the same time we are prone to … Read the rest
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions (Psalm 51:1 NIV).
There is no cry that God will listen to more than this one. There is a sure answer to this heartbroken cry. God would stop all other activity to listen to this … Read the rest
Be still, and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10a NIV).
Being still is not an outward lack of activity; but it is an inward attitude of quietness. To make it a bit more clear, it can be said that you can be perfectly still physically, yet be thoroughly disturbed in your mind.
In this … Read the rest
But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds, declares the Lord, because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares (Jeremiah 30:17 NIV).
God punishes sin. When His children do not repent of their sins, God sends judgment. But when God acts thus He always does so in love. … Read the rest
As they were going down to the edge of the town, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on ahead of us”–and the servant did so–“but you stay here awhile, so that I may give you a message from God” (1 Samuel 9:27 NIV).
How often do you get a message from God? … Read the rest
When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul (Psalm 94:19 NIV).
There is a common practice of awarding consolation prizes for competitors. Usually it is awarded to those whose performances were good, in spite of which they failed to receive a prize.
It is given both as a consolation as … Read the rest
When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your love, O Lord, supported me (Psalm 94:18 NIV).
There is no one who wants to slip in one’s walk. Still more no one desires to slip and fall in life. Yet there is no one who has not slipped in their walk and in their life as … Read the rest
Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding (Psalm 148:7,8 NIV).
Observe the words: “stormy winds that do his bidding.” We often think on God’s merciful dealings toward us. But we do not see God in “stormy … Read the rest
He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord (Deuteronomy 8:3 NIV).
Those who have never gone hungry in their … Read the rest
The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down (Psalm 145:14 NIV).
One of the difficult things in life is to see life move on as usual for others when our spirits are crushed within us. We hope that someone would stop by to ask how we are doing. … Read the rest
But ten of them said to Ishmael , “Don’t kill us! We have wheat and barley, oil and honey, hidden in a field.” So he let them alone and did not kill them with the others (Jeremiah 41:8 NIV).
This incident happened soon after the Babylonian army had plundered Jerusalem. They left the city in … Read the rest
Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know (Jeremiah 33:3 NIV).
This message came to Prophet Jeremiah while he was still imprisoned. This came in response to his earlier prayer. God was speaking to him the second time.
Surely this message was important. It … Read the rest
I rejoice in your promise like one who finds great spoil(Psalm 119:162 NIV).
We often rejoice during occasions of celebrations; but such occasions do not last forever.
We often rejoice during moments of achievements; but we cannot rest on our victories for long.
We often rejoice when we get new and expensive things; but the … Read the rest
As you have been an object of cursing among the nations, O Judah and Israel, so will I save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong (Zechariah 8:13 NIV).
Are you mourning today? Is it because your life has turned into a curse? Are people … Read the rest
The angel answered me, “These are the four spirits of heaven, going out from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world” (Zechariah 6:5 NIV).
God has tasks that He assigns His servants from time to time as He sees fit. The success of these missions depends on a lot of factors … Read the rest
So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king’s table (2 Kings 25:29 NIV).
This king of Judah who was carried into exile was thirty seven years in prison. He was eighteen years old when he surrendered to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.
He had spent … Read the rest
This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: a basket of ripe fruit (Amos 8:1 NIV).
Ease and comfort are dangerous beds for a Christian to sleep on. For often they breed sin. It was just like this for the nation of Israel. They were lounging in their security and indulging in sin.
But what … Read the rest
Her filthiness clung to her skirts; she did not consider her future. Her fall was astounding; there was none to comfort her (Lamentations 1:9a NIV).
Prophet Jeremiah is mourning over the total destruction of Jerusalem. Among many other things he finds one sure reason why this most favored city of God was destroyed–“she did not … Read the rest
But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded (2 Chronicles 15:7 NIV).
There is no man of God who has not experienced discouragement in his work. It sometimes comes in unexpectedly. It plunges a man into the valley of despair and doubt as no other thing … Read the rest
Like a horse in open country, they did not stumble; like cattle that go down to the plain, they were given rest by the Spirit of the Lord (Isaiah 63:13b, 14a NIV).
This passage is a clear reference to the deliverance that God gave the Israelites through the hand of Moses from the Egyptian army … Read the rest
Who despises the day of small things (Zechariah 4:10a NIV)?
God begins all His great works from small things. In this passage people were asked not to despise the day of small things. This is because it is part of human nature to look down upon small beginnings.
People are generally impressed only by the … Read the rest
Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare (Isaiah 55:2 NIV).
In these lines you are called to listen carefully. If you will do so you will be … Read the rest
Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you (Genesis 13:17 NIV).
Go! Do not keep on looking at what God has given you. Now you have got to move. But you will say, “Lord, let me enjoy the scenic beauty for some more time.” This hesitancy … Read the rest
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting (Psalm 139:23,24 NIV).
Can you pray this prayer with an honest and earnest heart? If you can do so you can be assured that … Read the rest
Tell it not in Gath, proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines be glad, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised rejoice (2 Samuel 1:20 NIV).
Here we are in the beginning of the lament which David composed concerning Saul and Jonathan when he had heard of their death … Read the rest
The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemy before you, saying, ‘Destroy him!’ (Deuteronomy 33:27 NIV).
These words are part of the concluding verses of Moses’ farewell blessing to the tribes of Israel. Here he points out the fact that the eternal God is their … Read the rest
Though Ephraim built many altars for sin offerings, these have become altars for sinning (Hosea 8:11 NIV).
God is here giving us a solemn warning. It points out great pretensions that can happen in our spiritual life. God had given the Israelite people the ability to build a temple for His name. They were asked … Read the rest
The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules (Daniel 4:26 NIV).
King Nebuchadnezzar is the “stump of the tree” referred to here. He was a great king who enjoyed great glory and splendor. He once had … Read the rest
