Matthew, Mark, and Luke write like kayakers on a swiftly flowing river with occasional patches of white water. There’s never any doubt that they’re going where the course of the river takes them. But John is more like a canoe on a quiet lake, drifting unhurriedly, paddling leisurely to take in the sights along the […]
Proverbs 30:1-9 chronicles a conversation between the skeptic and the believer. In the skeptic, we see arrogance: “There is no God!” he states emphatically. And that arrogance leads to presumption: “I can do anything I want!” (verse 1). Arrogance closes our minds to anything outside of our own self-interest and the fulfillment of our most […]
If you look closely at the beginning of Psalm 34, you’ll find that it doesn’t say, “I am happy at all times,” but “I bless God every chance I get” (Psalm 34:1). These aren’t the words of a person whose moods are always ebullient; they’re the words of a person who has simply decided to […]
The concept of rest is central to living the Christian life. Two things happen when we rest. First, we understand where we’ve come from. And second, we understand where we’re going. When we rest, we look back and see how God has providentially led us along the way, how he has protected us and provided […]
When Paul came to Corinth, he was apprehensive, not only because of what was behind him but also because of what he feared might be ahead of him. For Paul, Corinth was a time of transition from hopelessness to hope, from bleakness to brightness, from an intractable situation to an exciting community. The first thing […]
