Even if we can’t respect the person in the office, we must respect the office (Rom. 13:1–7; 1 Peter 2:13–17). You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people (Ex. 22:28 NKJV).
Edwards was never content to have only book knowledge of God. He sought to experience God in his own life in a personal way. He was not an ivory-tower theologian, spinning webs of words. He always cen...
Don’t waste time and energy being an imitation. Let God make you into an original.
Do you desire to be nearer to God today? Fill your mind with the truth of the Word and your heart with prayer, and trust God to take care of you.
Difficult circumstances often rob us of our peace and our perspective. When you find yourself in adverse circumstances or in the face of frightening consequences, admit your trouble and affirm your tr...
Charles Spurgeon used to say, Little faith will take your soul to heaven, but great faith will bring heaven to your soul. It is not enough that we long for heaven during times of suffering, for anybod...
Character is the raw material of life, out of which we either by diligence construct a temple or by negligence create a trash heap.
As you study the book of Isaiah, you will discover that the prophet interspersed messages of hope with words of judgment. God remembers His mercy even when declaring His wrath (Hab. 3:2), and He assur...
As we begin each day, we trust we’ll still be around at the end of the day. What happens in between depends on how we start in the morning and how we end in the evening. Verses 1 and 2 describe an ide...
An older generation, chastened by one depression, is afraid to be optimistic; and a younger generation, accustomed to security, is inexperienced at being pessimistic.
Amy Carmichael’s principles for prayer: (1) We don’t need to explain to our Father things that are known to him. (2) We don’t need to press him, as if we had to deal with an unwilling God. (3) We don’...
Action without promises is presumption, not faith, but when you have God’s promises, you can go forward with confidence.
A faithful parent must discipline his children. It is not enough to teach them and be an example before them; he must also punish them when they rebel and refuse to obey.
Some of this occurred when God defeated Assyria and delivered Jerusalem (Isa. 37). But the ultimate fulfillment is still future; all military material will be destroyed (9:5) because the nations will...
Above all else, we must be willing to obey truth wherever it leads us. It is not enough for your mind to be enlightened, or your heart enriched; your will must be enabled in the service of others. Suf...
You probably know the following verse well, but read it aloud as though you were hearing it for the first time. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (v. 105). What lessons can we lear...
When we suffer in the will of God and depend on His grace, that suffering has a maturing and purifying effect on our lives. Sadly, we have too many leaders today who proudly display their medals, but...
What we are is God’s gift to us. What we do with our lives is our gift to Him. He accepts us as we are. He’s not going to judge us on the basis of what He has given someone else, but on the basis of w...
We’re prone to want God to change our circumstances, but he wants to change our character. We think that peace comes from the outside in, when in reality it comes from the inside out.
We need to keep our tongues under control. They are capable of causing great damage. Beware of having a boastful or sharp tongue. Be careful that your tongue does not spread lies. And when others slan...