Why trust God?

When in difficulty, it is tempting to despair. We look at life through dark-colored lenses and see only trouble and no hope. We see only trial and persecution and no deliverance. We might say with David (Psalm 57): My soul is among lions; I must lie among those who breathe forth fire, Even the sons […]

All things are possible for God

“If you ask where God’s glory most is seen, I will not point to creation, nor to providence, but to the raising of Jesus from the dead,” said Charles Spurgeon. There is a parallel to that statement. If God’s glory is most seen in the resurrection of Christ, then His glory is likewise seen in the […]

God is…

John tells us that Jesus Christ came to explain the Father (Jn. 1:18). That is, Jesus came to expose or exegete God; He came to give an accounting and revelation of the Father (and at the same time also revealed His own nature and character, Jn. 10:30). Only the Son, who has the very nature […]

Remember the character of God when you pray

All it took to capture the disciples’ attention was for Jesus to pray. They heard Him pray, and when He finished, the immediate response was, “Lord, teach us to pray…” (Lk. 11:1). Something about the manner of His praying evidently made them realize the deficiency of their prayers. And they wanted to pray with greater […]

When you are in trouble

There are a number of ideas about David’s circumstances in Psalm 27, but no one is certain what actually was happening to him. But one thing is certain — he was tempted to despair. Notice all the different phrases he used to indicate the oppression he was under: fear (vv. 1, 3), dread (think “panicked […]

Desiring God Conference for Pastors

The audio for the 2012 Conference for Pastors, hosted by Bethlehem Baptist Church and Desiring God is now available. The theme this year was “God, Manhood, and Ministry.” I haven’t listened to any of the messages yet, but I have almost always received great encouragement from these messages. Download the messages at Desiring God.

A reluctant Giver?

A few years ago I was encouraged to ask someone for a favor — “Ask him…I really think he’d be willing to help you.” I was uncertain. The favor I was asking was not insignificant and while this man was well-known to my friend, I did not know him at all. Why would he take […]

Only God

We like stories. Sometimes they are dramatic, sometimes inspiring, sometimes perplexing, sometimes amusing, and almost always entertaining. But we don’t just tell stories to entertain each other. Our stories have purpose; they are designed ultimately to illustrate a truth and instruct the mind and conscience. The writers of Scripture used stories in the same way […]

The beloved Son

It seems self-evident that a father would love his child. There are aberrations to that statement, but in general it’s true (as Christ Himself verified, Mt. 7:9-11). Even unredeemed men enjoy taking their sons to the park to throw the ball and are happily willing to sit down with their elementary-aged daughters for “tea.” And […]

Pleasing God

Martin Luther: Now, we are sure that Christ pleases God, that he is holy and so on. Inasmuch, then, as Christ pleases God and we are in him, we also please God and are holy. Although sin still remains in us, and although we daily fall and offend, grace is more abundant and stronger than […]

The world belongs to the Lord

That the world — all of it, in every sphere — belongs to the Lord was expressed well by Dutch theologian Abraham Kuyper: “…there is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: ‘Mine!’” Of course his assertion was preceded […]

How to think about 9/11

This Sunday is the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks against America. Many are offering commentary on the topic. Here are two that I find particularly helpful and a couple more that I have penned in response to various tragedies. First, Al Mohler has republished the sermon he gave two days after the attack. His […]

What I wrote on 9/11/01

I wasn’t blogging in 2001. But I was writing an email devotional, and this is what I wrote the day after 9/11/01. “Enemy-occupied territory — that is what this world is.” So said C. S. Lewis nearly 50 years ago in Mere Christianity. Those words are haunting in their poignancy this morning, for as we […]

Interpreting God

How will you perceive God when suffering? What will you think of God when life doesn’t work as well for you as you think it should? By what standard will you measure God when life is harsh? Joe Thorn offers some godly counsel: Do not attempt to base your interpretation of God on your circumstances, […]

God’s knowledge: a grace for sinners

Awareness of the knowledge of God is a preventative for sin. But God’s knowledge of us is also a grace to us, as Thomas Watson explains: The infiniteness of God’s knowledge is a comfort, in case the saints have not a clear knowledge of themselves. They find so much corruption, that they judge they have […]