Ezra was ashamed to ask King Artaxerxes for an escort because he previously had told him, The hand of our God is for good on all who seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake him. (Ezra 8:22) Almost as if Ezra knew Romans 8:28 says, And we know that for those … More The hand of our God is for good
And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15 ESV) J. C. Ryle: It would be vain to decide positively which is the most common sin in the world. It would be safe to … More Ryle: Happy is he who is persuaded that whatever is, is best
John Piper, in the last sermon in a series on Ruth, “Ruth: The Best is Yet to Come” What one main thing does the author want us to take away from reading this story? Here’s what I would suggest as the main lesson: The life of the godly is not a straight line to glory, but … More Not a straight line to glory, but we do get there
Dr. Kim Riddlebarger helps us understand Job 25-26: In Job 25, we have the very short and final speech from Bildad, along with Job’s response. After three increasingly heated exchanges, Job and his friends have clearly run out of steam. But like trains passing on parallel tracks, Job and Eliphaz have been speaking past each … More Trains passing on parallel tracks
John Piper, in a sermon on Hebrews 11:29-38, “Faith to Be Strong and Faith to Be Weak” God does not always work miracles and acts of providence for our deliverance from suffering; sometimes by faith God sustains his people through sufferings. That’s the point of verses 35b-38. Or another way to put it would be … More Piper: Having true faith in God is no guarantee of comfort and security in this life.
Ezra was ashamed to ask King Artaxerxes for an escort because he previously had told him, The hand of our God is for good on all who seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake him. (Ezra 8:22) Almost as if Ezra knew Romans 8:28 says, And we know that for those … More Trust in God’s Good Hand
Our passage today in Luke 9 is similar to one in Mark 8. John Piper comments in a post at the Desiring God Blog: After Jesus had fed both the 5,000 and the 4,000 with only a few loaves and fish, the disciples got in a boat without enough bread for themselves. When they began … More Understanding the Leftovers
Bob Deffinbaugh, in a commentary on 1 Samuel 21:1-22:4, “A Man Without a Country:” Many like to think of David as a real man. I believe our text portrays him as a real man. He does not always think or do the spiritual thing. He has a heart for God, but he also has feet of clay. David … More David’s Deliverance and David’s Psalms
John Piper, in a series on Ruth, Ruth: Under the Wings of God But before we leave verses 1–7, did you sense a merciful providence behind all this? Notice verse 3: “So she set forth and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and she happened to come to a part of the field belonging … More The Providence and Mercy of God
Kim Riddlebarger concludes a sermon on the life of Samson, from Judges 15-16 As for application for us today, there is much to learn from the life of Samson. No question, his allegiance is to YHWH. No question, his sin–especially his dalliances with Philistine women–was his undoing. Like Israel during the time of the Judges, … More Life Lessons from Samson
Knowing God through His Word ... Day by Day 