Archive for June 2022

2 Kings 6-7, Psalm 119:121-128, Luke 5:12-16, Philippians 1:21-30 Psalm 119:121-128: It is hard when you believe that you have done what is right to still be surrounded by opposition or difficulty. And yet that is the experience of many of us at least from time to time. Why do bad things happen to good people? Part of…

2 Kings 4-5, Psalm 119:113-120, Luke 5:1-11, Philippians 1:12-20   Psalm 119:113-120: One of the hardest things for people today to get their minds around is the negative side. We tend to appreciate the positive, the affirmation, the association with what is uplifting—and rightly so. We should emphasize hope and joy and peace and love. No doubt. But,…

2 Kings 1-3, Psalm 119:105-112, Luke 4:38-44, Philippians 1:1-11 Psalm 119:105-112: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (119:105). Perhaps the most important, and summary, verse in this whole psalm—and for your life too! Let its truth sink deep into your mind and bring integrity and integration to your life. Where do…

1 Kings 21-22, Psalm 119:97-104, Luke 4:31-37, Ephesians 6:10-24 Psalm 119:97-104: What is it that makes the Bible so special? Many different answers could be given to that. One of the clearest is found in the Coronation Oath sworn by the Queen of England in 1953: “We present you with this Book, the most valuable thing this world…

1 Kings 21-22, Psalm 119:89-96, Luke 4:31-37, Ephesians 4:13-30 Psalm 119:89-96: When the going gets tough, the tough get going—or so we are told. Certainly, extremity of situation does reveal character. This is one of the reasons why it is important to build character in the quiet lull of normal life so that you can be ready to…

1 Kings 19-20, Psalm 119:81-88, Luke 4:13-30, Ephesians 6:1-9 Psalm 119:81-88: Have you ever been in a situation where you feel like you cannot take it anymore? You have been burdened by so many things, so much criticism, or such great calamity that you feel that you are at the end of your rope? The psalmist is somewhere…

1 Kings 15-16, Psalm 119:73-80, Luke 3:21-38, Ephesians 5:1-21 Psalm 119:73-80: This part of the psalm continues with the psalmist’s reflection upon and resolution regarding his own suffering. Consider: “I know, O Lord, that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me” (119:75). Or again: “Let the insolent be put to shame, because they…

1 Kings 13-14, Psalm 119:65-72, Luke 3:1-20, Ephesians 4:25-32 Psalm 119:65-72: The problem of suffering is one of the great perennial questions posed to Christians. How can a good God allow bad things to happen to good people? Asked like that, the question appears to be unsolvable. Either God is not really God (omnipotent), or he is not…

1 Kings 12, Psalm 119:57-64, Luke 2:41-52, Ephesians 4:17-24 Psalm 119:57-64: In some ways life is all about decisions. You cannot be everything. If you do not decide to be something, life will force upon you a something that you may not have wanted. You have to decide—to cut off yourself from various options and potentials in order…

1 Kings 11, Psalm 119:49-56, Luke 2:21-40, Ephesians 4:1-16 Psalm 119:49-56: The author of this great, as well as lengthy, psalm is clearly in some sort of difficulty at a personal level. There are various hints of this throughout the psalm, but one of the most pertinent and clear is in this section of the psalm in particular.…