O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand – Isaiah 64:8 God is the father of your very existence. You would not be here if it were not for his creating, sustaining power. You enjoy what Sinclair Ferguson calls the “staggering privilege” …
After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name – Matthew 6:9 Every word of our Lord’s model prayer is remarkable and vital, but it is especially important to notice first what he puts first. He begins with these wonderful and welcoming words: our Father. …
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God – Matthew 4:4 We have to eat to live. Yet, Jesus reminds us (and Satan), food is not all that is needed. You could have all the food in the world and yet remain empty and lifeless. The one thing that truly …
These are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name – John 20:31 John here gives us the mission statement for his gospel; in it we find an excellent summary of the gospel message. First, the purpose of the gospel …
Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by him all that believe are justified from all things – Acts 13:38-39 How strange that it could ever be truthfully said that “through this man”— any mere man—could be found forgiveness of sins! Imagine (and I recognize this may …
Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth – Revelation 14:7 This message comes from an angel, in the last days, and is part of the “everlasting gospel” which he preaches to all the inhabitants of earth (verse 6). This is a …
She said, ‘The Philistines be upon thee, Samson.’ And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, ‘I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself.’ And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him – Judges 16:20 The horrendous tragedy of the shorn, helpless, but foolishly confident Samson is …
Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine – Job 41:11 As God questions Job, we see even this righteous man coming quickly to the end of himself and to the realization of the sovereignty of his God. Job had lost everything he owned and all his …
Thou art good, and doest good – Psalm 119:68 God is good. He is not just partially good, or occasionally good, but He is goodness itself. As John reminds us, “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all ” (1 John 1:5). God’s perfect character does not have even the slightest shade of …
Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst – John 19:28 We come to the fifth of Christ’s seven sayings from the cross, and the lesson we now learn from him, even in the midst of unspeakable suffering, is this: “submit yourself to the …