Watching Daily At Wisdom's Gates

 If you're a Christian writer who wants to share your writing on my blog, email me your submissions to bobjc88 @ gmail.com (no gaps!)

 To whom it may concern, I'm going to pause posting on here, but feel free to read my writings at the following link: https://chat.whatsapp.com/CsrnTcC5cxwHzx6FdVxbUi  God bless, Robert    

  Arise, O God, judge the earth; for you shall inherit all the nations! Psalm 82:8 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.82.8.ESV We don't naturally like the idea that we're going to be judged. The thought of being held accountable is scary. Yet if we know God's forgiveness through Jesus, we don't need to fear God's judgment. If we're at peace with God through Jesus, we don't need to be afraid of God's judgment. We can actually look forward to it, albeit not in a sadistic way. We can look forward to our vindication and the comeuppance of our haters. God will inherit all the nations. When worldly empires seek to inherit all the nations, that's just greedy: whether it's Roman, British or Russian empires. God is sovereign over all nations however. Whatever nation we're from, we're all made in God's image and likeness. He is our Master and Maker and we owe Him everything. One day the kingdoms of this world will all get swallowed up by

  And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another. 2 John 1:5 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/2jn.1.5.ESV There's no real discrepancy between the old and new testaments. The old testament commands us to love God and one another. The new testament motivates us: we love because God first loved us. It sounds so simple: 'all you need is love' as the Beatles sang. Of course, it's more complicated than that. 'Love is love' is a popular slogan nowadays, but it's essentially meaningless, suggesting that love is whatever you want it to be: failing to define it clearly. Even in the love of God, it needs to be defined. John goes on to warn about deceivers who dent that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. If we don't love the One True God, the god we think we love is demonic. Lust isn't love. Love isn't just a feeling of attraction that may or may not b

  Do not remember against us our former iniquities; let your compassion come speedily to meet us, for we are brought very low. Psalm 79:8 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.79.8.ESV Iniquities are the stains of our sins, that pollute and marr us. Thankfully, God can atone for our sins and cover us in the cleansing blood of Jesus. We find it nigh on impossible to forget our grievous sins, but God is able to. If all was well with us, we possibly wouldn't feel the need for God's compassion. If we forget our own iniquities, we might delude ourselves that we're alright as we are. Yet we always need God's compassion. I love the description of Jesus's feelings when a great crowd gatecrashed His attempt to grieve John the Baptist's murder by king Herod. He was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus sees through our facades of having it all together, and longs to actually make us whole. When we&

  Open the gates, that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in. Isaiah 26:2 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/isa.26.2.ESV Jesus said 'I will build my church, and the gates of hell cannot prevail against it'. Christ is in the business of snatching people from the jaws of death and delivering them through the open gates of heaven's city. Heaven is open to all, and Jesus Himself is the gate through whom we enter in. The righteous nation isn't an ethnic group or a socio-political entity. It is those who keep faith in the Jewish Messiah and Saviour of the world. The Lord Jesus Christ is the founder and leader of the righteous nation of His people. It doesn't matter who we are. We could be Jew or Gentile, man or women, old or young, black or white. Whoever we are and wherever we're from, we can be part of God's righteous nation through faith in Him. We don't enter into heaven because we're intrinsically righteous. We believe God, and He cred

  so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments; Psalm 78:7 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.78.7.ESV How should we parent or grandparent? This verse encapsulates some of the most important things we can do. If we set our hope on anything other than God, we're only going to be disappointed. Hope in God doesn't disappoint because Jesus has defeated death so we can have eternal life. Because Jesus historically rose again, we can rise again in the future. Christ has guaranteed our hope's fulfilment. We mustn't forget the works of God. Not only did Christ defeat death, but He also went through it on our behalf. We preach Christ crucified: the power of God for all who are being saved. It's not enough to say we trust in God's works, and fail to work for Him ourselves. Having been saved, we ought to keep His commandments in recognition of their goodness and in thankfulness to God. We are to love Him wholehe

  You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples. Psalm 77:14 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.77.14.ESV God works wonders to this day. His wonders and might aren't just seen in the parting of the Red Sea or the resurrection. Every time someone comes to faith in Him, they have been born again spiritually and come alive. Every believer in God is a wonder. That God can take spiritually dead people and make us alive is a miracle. God is more powerful than death. God can free people from spiritual slavery, like He delivered Israel from Egypt. Just as Christ defeated death, so can we, by trusting in Him. People can see the transformed lives of God's people and give glory to God. No other god can change us from the filthy rags of our own self righteousness to the righteous robes of Christ. Only God Almighty can transform us, through the Lord Jesus. By faith in Him we can become holy. 'Lord God Almighty, thank You for the ultimate expr

  For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up, Psalm 75:6 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.75.6.ESV At new year we get all sorts of declarations. 'This is going to be my year of divine exaltation' kind of thing. Yet it's not up to us to dictate to God whether we should be lifted up. The idea that we can 'force God's hand' and compel Him to exalt us is profoundly unbiblical. God is Sovereign, not us. His word stands, not ours. It's true that God raises people up for His purposes, but not because we ordered Him to! God exalts the humble in heart, not proud self promoters. God lifts us up, we're powerless to lift ourselves up. We might sometimes wish we had a wealthy benefactor. 'If only Elon Musk took a shine to me'! we might think. Yet people are ultimately powerless to promote one another- ultimately it's from God that promotion comes. 'God, we submit to Your sovereignty. Whether You raise

  Arise, O God, defend your cause; remember how the foolish scoff at you all the day! Psalm 74:22 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.74.22.ESV Doesn't it sometimes feel like God is taking a nap on the throne of heaven, while the foolish scoff at Him all day? The Psalmist seemed to feel the same. He wasn't going to let himself get all defeatist about it though. I love the directness of the Psalmist. He isn't afraid to appeal to God to get off the throne of heaven to intervene in the world. Of course, Christ did exactly that when He came down to earth over 2,000 years ago as our Saviour. The Psalmist seems to have in mind for God to smite His enemies. That time will come. When Christ returns, He will judge the living and the dead, and evildoers will get their comeuppance. We're all naturally evil. Thankfully, we can be made righteous through faith in Jesus. May we become right with God through Him! 'Arise Lord, and bring all foolish unbelief to an end. Please v

  For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. 2 Peter 2:21 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/2pe.2.21.ESV Is it better to have loved and lost, or never to have loved at all? When it comes to God, it would be better to have never loved Him at all than to have claimed to do so, and then to change our minds. Worse than overt apostates are fake Christians who become false teachers. The false teaching Peter seems to be getting at is the idea that God loves us regardless. We might call it 'cheap grace'. This is the idea that we can get away with failing to change having professed faith in Jesus. If we trust Jesus, we cannot stay as we are. We must change. The righteous live by faith alone, but saving faith is always accompanied by works as the evidence of our faith. As Paul says (and I paraphrase): shall we carry on sinning so that grace might superabound? God fo

  and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 2 Peter 1:7 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/2pe.1.7.ESV Faith alone is not enough. We are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone. It is always accompanied by godliness, brotherly affection, and love. If we have faith without works, we betray the fact that our faith isn't genuine. We need to be holy as God is Holy. We need to be godly. Godliness doesn't mean to say we're austere and aloof. If we're godly we'll be full of brotherly affection. Jesus didn't die for us begrudgingly. He did so willingly because of His great affection for us. We therefore ought to have affection one for another. We ought to be defined by love. We love, not to earn our salvation, but because God first loved us, and gave Himself for us. We should think of others more highly than ourselves. 'Sovereign Father God, help us to be defined by godliness, brotherly affection and love, in

  My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge. Psalm 71:15 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.71.15.ESV Our raison d'etre is to make Christ known. The Psalmist's declaration ought to be our own. God is righteous and good, we should declare that to the world. The most wonderfully righteous act of God is, amazingly, the crucifixion of Christ. How could God turn the worst miscarriage of justice ever into a righteous act? Because Christ died for sinners, to reconcile us to God. Unrighteous people can now be made righteous through Christ's righteous act of dying in our place. Salvation isn't just some one off thing when we pray a 'sinner's prayer'. God saves us from danger all the time. We don't know all the goings on in the spiritual realms, but satan hates our guts and wants to destroy us. God saves us time and again. Salvation isn't just pie in the sky when we die. It

  Positivity and Practicality My wife and I were talking about these two words yesterday. I think we often assume them to be contradictory. How could we be both positive and practical in the face of a cancer diagnosis for example? I'm not a particularly positive or practical person, as my wife would testify, yet even I have heard that studies suggest that positive people are more likely to overcome cancer. There is genuine power in positive thinking, not to make everything okay, but to help us to overcome the negativity of life. How can we be positive in the face of death for example? Ultimately, it's through Christ's defeat of death in His resurrection on the third day from His crucifixion on our behalf, to help us overcome all that's negative in our lives. He gives us something to be positive about. A word on practicality: isn't it unrealistic to think that Christ overcame death? Nothing is impossible for God. More farfetched is the idea that something came fr

  Deliver me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies and from the deep waters. Psalm 69:14 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.69.14.ESV I can't read this verse without thinking of John Bunyan's story of Pilgrim's Progress. Bunyan was imprisoned for being a Christian. Whilst in prison he had a dream that was partly echoed in this verse. Bunyan dreamt of Christian's pilgrimage from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City. Not long after he set off, he got bogged down in the Slough of Despond. Often, when people first come to faith in Christ, they are attacked by satan to try and make them doubt their salvation. A verse that helped my assurance of salvation is that when our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and He knows all things. If salvation depended on us, we would be lost. Thankfully, salvation is 100% of the Lord. Death is sometimes pictured as passing through deep waters, in Pilgrim's Progress too. Just as Chris

  Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. Psalm 68:5 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.68.5.ESV A father and a husband are meant to provide for their wives and children. If the father or husband is absent, that isn't an ideal situation for women and children. Thankfully, God is more than enough for those who are struggling. There was no social services or welfare state so such in ancient Israel. So in that patriarchal society, if someone didn't have a man to look after them, they were in trouble. Thankfully, God isn't distant and uncaring towards the needy. Spiritually, we're like orphans in thrall to the devil by nature. We need God to rescue us and to adopt us into His family. Thankfully, He's willing and able to do so. Spiritually, we're naturally lost and alone like a widow. Yet Jesus wants to be our spiritual Bridegroom, if we would simply trust in Him. Heaven is the spiritual consummation of our relationship w

  Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man. Psalm 66:5 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.66.5.ESV What has God ever done? The skeptic scoffs. Yet He is the One in whom we live and move and have our being. Without Him we can't do anything. God took His people from slavery in Egypt to the promised land, parting the Red Sea on the way. He is taking His new covenant people from slavery to sin to the promised new creation. He's defeated death along the way. The Lord sent His Son to be born into our cursed world to bless it. He bore God's curse upon Himself upon the cross, so that we can be blessed by Him. We deserve God's curse, but we can receive His blessing in Christ. The One who saved Israel from Egypt and sent His Son will assuredly call us home. Because of God's awesome deeds, we can have confidence that He will fulfil His promises. Our salvation is assured. 'O God our Father, how awesome are Your mighty deed

  but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 1 Peter 1:15 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/1pe.1.15.ESV We love to meditate on the fact that God is love, because it gives sinners like us hope that we can be forgiven. Having been forgiven through faith in Jesus however, we cannot stop there. As Peter says, we must be holy as God is Holy. The holiness of God might not be as popular as His love, but it is central to who He is. He is set apart from sinners like us. He is glorious in His righteousness, in how different He is to us. Although God is holy and we are sinners, if we come to faith in Him, we're expected to become holy as He is holy. How can we do that, sinners as we are? By the work of His Holy Spirit in our lives. Just as Jesus could sinlessly endure hardship, so can we, through faith in Him. We might have to endure many trials as God's people. Yet we rejoice in the guarantee of our salvation in Christ. 'Father God, we thank You for

  So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Psalm 63:2 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.63.2.ESV David was in the wilderness of Judah, on the run from his murderous usurper of a son, Absalom. Understandably, he wasn't in a good place. Still, to help himself out, he remembered better days. David had seen something of the Lord in worship of Him in the tabernacle. The memory of it spurred him on in the lean time he found himself in. We too can draw inspiration from better days when we go through hardship. When we meet with God's people, in worship of Him, we ought to behold something of His power. He draws people from all backgrounds and walks of life to follow Him. In our diversity, we are united in worship of Him. God is glorified in how He can take such a diverse bunch of people like us, and unite us in Him. He is worthy to be praised by Jew and Gentile, rich and poor, men, women and children, old and young. He is glorious in the salvat

  What will you do on the day of punishment, in the ruin that will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help, and where will you leave your wealth? Isaiah 10:3 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/isa.10.3.ESV Isaiah was anticipating the punishment of Judah by Babylon. Yet his words could equally be applied to the return of Christ. Jesus is coming back to judge the living and the dead. Ruin can't come from further than the highest heaven! Yet that's where Jesus will come from to condemn unrepentant rebels against Him. We need to make our peace with God before it's too late. We can't flee for help to anyone. Elon Musk or Vladimir Putin or anyone like them will be impotent on that great day. We will all have to give an account of ourselves to God. Wealth will be worthless on the day of judgment. We can't bribe God not to hold us to account. We came into this world with nothing and we'll leave empty handed too. 'Almighty Lord God, may we prepare for the g

  The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. Isaiah 9:2 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/isa.9.2.ESV We're naturally in darkness. God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. We're incapable of brightening up our lives without the intervention of God. Thankfully, over 2,000 years ago, God became a Man who gave His life for us. The Light of the world was snuffed out, but He is like one of those 'magic' candles that reignites even when you try and blow it out! Death could not hold Him. Having had the light of Jesus shone in our hearts, we become the light of the world. He is enthroned in heaven, but His Spirit enables us to reflect His light in this dark world, until He calls us home. Our job is to brighten up this dark world with the light of Jesus. What dark places to we need to illuminate with the brightness of Jesus? If we're honest, there's probably shadowy parts

  You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book? Psalm 56:8 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.56.8.ESV This verse is a beautiful, poetic way of saying that God cares for us very much. As good poetry, there is poetic license, but it communicates a wonderful truth. Not only is God omniscient/all knowing, but He loves us deeply. I'm sure most of us have had nights where we've tossed and turned. Maybe we've been in physical pain, or maybe it's emotional turmoil we're wrestling with. God knows and cares, and empathises. Jesus has been there, in the garden of Gethsemane. I don't think God literally has a bottle filled with our tears, but it's good to know that He doesn't turn a blind eye when we get upset. He knows whether our sorrow is godly or whether it's just selfish. He can distinguish between the tears of Esau and Peter for example. I'm not sure God has a literal book of our tears. Yet He is int

  And the staff of the man whom I choose shall sprout. Thus I will make to cease from me the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against you.” Numbers 17:5 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/num.17.5.ESV As farfetched as a staff budding is the idea that a Man's crucifixion could lead to eternal life for a myriad of people. Yet nothing is impossible for God. More farfetched is the idea that you can get something from nothing. It's not just ancient Israelites who were prone to grumbling. It is a rebellious, sinful human trait to blame God every time something goes wrong. When Christ returns however, all grumbling will cease. If we're grumbling because of our suffering, we would do well to consider how Christ suffered on our behalf. He bore the sins of the world: He suffered infinitely more than any of us ever will. How dare we have any sense of entitlement, that God somehow owes eternal life to us! Aaron was ancient Israel's high priest, whose staff b

  Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When God restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad. Psalm 53:6 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.53.6.ESV There's a sense in which this verse has already been fulfilled. Salvation for Israel has come through Christ Jesus the Lord. Most Israelites rejected Him, but to all who accepted Him, we have been grafted into spiritual Israel. God's people aren't an ethnic group or a unique cultural entity. Anyone and everyone who trusts in Jesus for salvation are part of His people. His people are at a low ebb in the UK. Some people want to make 'conversion' illegal. Yet nothing can hinder God from converting those whom He's chosen. God will restore His people's fortunes, either in revival, or when He calls us home to eternal glory. We can rejoice in our salvation. We are 'Jacob'- deceitful, sinful, worthy of rejection: and yet God loves us anyway. God transforms us

  then if it was done unintentionally without the knowledge of the congregation, all the congregation shall offer one bull from the herd for a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma to the Lord, with its grain offering and its drink offering, according to the rule, and one male goat for a sin offering. Numbers 15:24 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/num.15.24.ESV Ignorance of the law is no excuse. That's true today as it was all the way back then. In terms of God's law, we all have consciences which make us uncomfortable if we don't love Him or one another as we ought. Even sinning in ignorance requires sacrifice. Clearly, animal sacrifices can't atone for our wrongdoing, but Jesus can. By His crucifixion we can gain atonement with God. Even if someone never hears the good news of salvation in Jesus, they will still have to give an account of themselves to God. God is just. He knows how people would have responded to the gospel if they had the opportunity. If Sodom and Gom

  And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them? Numbers 14:11 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/num.14.11.ESV Sadly, it's not just the ancient Israelites who despises the Lord. It's not even just skeptics and overt mockers. Many people who profess to be Christian rail against God when the going gets tough. Life was tough for ancient Israel in the wilderness, but they didn't make it any easier for themselves. Because of their unbelief, they were doomed to spend decades wandering around the wilderness. If we aren't good witnesses of Christ, we similarly only delay His return and the advent of the promised land of the new creation. One of the main reasons Jesus doesn't return yet is because there are still more people to be saved. If we want to get out of the wilderness of this world quicker, we could do little better than to make Christ known. He'

  And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and he departed. Numbers 12:9 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/num.12.9.ESV Most people would strug their shoulders at the thought of God departing. 'We didn't even know He was around in the first place!' they'd scoff. Yet the departure of the Lord is a scary prospect. Why should we care if God departs? What difference would it make? Well if we considered that every good thing is a gift of God, the Source of all goodness, we would be concerned. Why was God angry in this instance? Aaron and Miriam had been racist against Moses' African wife, and opposing his leadership. This passage is one of the clearest indications in the Bible that God hates racism. Thankfully, even racism is forgivable. Even racists can be transformed. Maria might have been struck with leprosy, but through Moses' intervention, she was healed. Tellingly though, when she died, the lack of any mourning for her was conspicuous by its absen

  Zion shall be redeemed by justice, and those in her who repent, by righteousness. Isaiah 1:27 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/isa.1.27.ESV How can God redeem us from our sins and yet still be just? After all, our sins cry out for our just condemnation. Thankfully, Christ was condemned in our place, so that we might go free. God was just in punishing Christ as a willing sacrifice on our behalf. Because He has paid the price, we can be delivered from the condemnation we deserve. How can we be saved? We need to repent. We need to turn from our sins and convert to Christ, whatever the temporary cost. We do well to remember the eternal reward for entrusting our lives to Him. Righteousness is not our own, for we have none intrinsically. Righteousness is all of Christ. By faith in Him unrighteous people like us can become righteous. 'God of justice, thank You for the redemption and righteousness we can enjoy in Christ. May we repent and receive His blessings, in whose name we pray

  And he said, “Please do not leave us, for you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you will serve as eyes for us. Numbers 10:31 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/num.10.31.ESV I love how Moses persuades his in laws to join the children of Israel to the promised land. He lets them know how useful they'd be on the journey. There's a lesson here for new testament believers. We often think of those who are redeemed by God as the down and outs of this world, and we often are. Yet maybe a way to attract people more established in the world to the faith is to let them know how useful they could be in God's Kingdom. Ultimately, we come to Christ for our own salvation, yet having been saved we can serve Him for His glory. God calls people to follow Him. Not only so though, He also calls us to make other followers of Jesus. One way we could do this is to let people know how valuable they could be to God. There's a sense in which we're all valuable to God, as

  He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. Hebrews 7:27 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/heb.7.27.ESV The Hebrew Christians were tempted to go back to their old religious Jewish ways, as familiar to them as Christmas trees and tinsel might be to us. Here, the writer to them urges them to consider Christ, who died once and for all to deliver His people. Whether we're Jews or Gentiles, we can be redeemed from our sins by the blood of Jesus. Even the high priests of the old covenant were only a shadow of the substance who is Christ. They were sinners themselves, which meant they had to sacrifice for their own sins, never mind anyone else. Jesus however is the perfect sacrifice for sin. Not only is Christ the perfect sacrifice for sin, but He also defeated death. Now He ever lives to make intercession for us. 'Because He lives, I can face

  Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Numbers 8:1 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/num.8.1.ESV This simple refrain keeps cropping up throughout the book of Numbers. It's easy to overlook. Yet it's worth considering for a few moments. Are we so careless as to fail to appreciate the awesomeness of this statement? Or does the idea of the Holy God communicating with sinful mankind not astound us. Moses for example had been guilty of murder. Yet God graciously transformed his life. The idea that God would bother to communicate with us is amazing. He is holy and we are sinners. Why would He want to have anything to do with us? The glory of God is to take our mess as it were and turn it into a message of His glorious grace to iniquitous people like us. Moses was able to lead God's people to the promised land because God communed with him. God still communicates to us today, primarily through the principles we can learn from His word the Bible. 'O Lord our God, thank You

  So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”; Hebrews 5:5 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/heb.5.5.ESV Jesus wasn't into self promotion. He didn't appoint Himself as our great high priest. Father God committed Him to such a role. Because Jesus is fully God and fully man, He's perfectly placed to reconcile God and mankind. He's God's eternal Son, begotten but not created. Christ intercedes on our behalf to Father God. He also represents God to us. If we want to approach the Holy One, we do so through Jesus. Because Jesus is a man, He can empathise with us in our battles against sin. Because Jesus is God, He has the authority to forgive us. Because He bore God's penalty for sin on the cross, we can be forgiven. 'Our Lord and Father, we praise You for sending Jesus for our salvation. In His Holy name we pray, amen'

  You have captivated my heart, my sister, my bride; you have captivated my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace. Song of Solomon 4:9 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/sng.4.9.ESV Even in translation from the original Hebrew, this love poetry is beautiful. Amazingly, people often interpret this 'Song of Songs' as being not just about romantic love, but about the 'love of loves': God's divine love for us. When we consider our sinfulness, this is astounding. We're naturally estranged from God. By nature, we're not into Him. Let even if we were to simply glance as it were and briefly consider our God, it's as though such a consideration would set God's heart beating faster. It seems almost blasphemous to think of God's love in these terms. Yet too often we're too complacent about the idea that God loves us. It should amaze us that God could love sinful rebels like us. God's love for us is like the prophet Ho

  As an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the young men. With great delight I sat in his shadow, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. Song of Solomon 2:3 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/sng.2.3.ESV  Do you ever feel like you can't see the wood for the trees? Do you ever wonder what the Bible is all about. Jesus claimed it was all about Him.  Take this verse for example. On the face of it, it's a lovely piece of romantic poetry, a beautiful metaphor for the love between a woman and a man. If we're to look at the big picture of Scripture as a whole however, we consider what it tells us about Christ.  Scripturally, Christ is the heavenly Bridegroom who seeks out His bride, the Church, from this world. Yet we the church aren't simply passive participants in this divine romance. As we traverse this life, we might often feel like we can't see the wood for the trees, but then we come across Jesus.  Jesus is like an apple tree in a forest. He m

  For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. Hebrews 3:14 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/heb.3.14.ESV What is our confidence? Is it in self? We're only going to let ourselves down. Is it in others? They're only going to let us down. The only One who is worthy of our unreserved confidence is the Lord Jesus Christ, who is God, but allows us to share in Him. Through faith in Jesus, we can have confidence in One who will never fail us. We need to persevere in our professions of faith in Him. The Hebrews were tempted to give up on their Saviour. Persecution was hotting up. Was this Christianity business really worth it? How do we know our confidence in Christ isn't in vain? If we persevere to the end. How can we ever do that? Because He who began a good work in us will carry it through to completion upon the day of Christ Jesus. 'Our Lord God, we put our confidence in You, that we will endure to the end. Bless us, w

  Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off. Psalm 37:34 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.37.34.ESV Waiting for the Lord isn't like waiting for the postman: sitting around fidgeting until he arrives. Waiting for the Lord is to be coupled with keeping His way. Jesus is the Way. He's coming back, but in the meantime we follow after Him on His way. Waiting for the Lord is a pilgrimage: we're waiting to reach our destination, but not from the comfort of our sofas! We're striving to reach journey's end. We seek to be faithful until Christ calls us home. 'Blessed are the meek', Jesus declares, 'for they will inherit the earth'. We don't have a sense of entitlement. We don't delude ourselves that God owes us the new creation. We will look on when the wicked are cut off. God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, and neither should we. Yet there is a sens

  Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity. Ecclesiastes 12:8 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/ecc.12.8.ESV This is a surprising verse within a surprising book- about the meaninglessness of life- within the Bible which is about the meaning of life. The reason for the apparent discrepancy is that Ecclesiastes is about the meaninglessness of life 'under the sun', whereas the Bible as a whole often gives us a heavenly perspective. If we write our Creator out of the perspective, life becomes empty and pointless. The 'Preacher' was in fact king Solomon of Israel. God gave him a blank cheque, and he chose to receive wisdom. His conclusion however was that even worldly wisdom was vanity. Solomon tried a load of other things, conveniently beginning with 'W' in an attempt to find meaning in the world. Wine just gave him a headache. Women were similarly pleasurable, buy Solomon definitely overindulgence! Work and wealth are two other 'W's that simi

  The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. Titus 3:8 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/tit.3.8.ESV 'The saying' refers to the salvation that comes through faith in Jesus. Having believed and getting saved, we aren't free to indulge our sinful desires. Instead, we are to devote ourselves to good works. When we get saved, God realigns our values. From selfishness, we become selfless. From lustful, we become purified. From covetousness we learn contentment. We might assume that good works are miserable, but they make for a fulfilled and satisfied life. There's nothing better than to live according to God's blueprint. As Paul says, to live God's way is 'excellent'. To commit to good works is profitable for all peoples. It's not just for Jewish people or particularly religious people

  For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, Titus 2:11 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/tit.2.11.ESV Grace is sometimes described as 'God's Riches At Christ's Expense'. There's some truth to that, but that isn't to say that Christ was robbed by God to benefit us. He willingly went to the cross on our behalf. God's grace isn't just a secret for the initiated. It is for all who will come to Him in faith. The undeserved gift of God's kindness is most clearly displayed at the cross, where Jesus died for us. By His wounds we are healed of our sin-sickness. The grace of God isn't just for Jews, even though the Lord Jesus is their Messiah. He is also the Saviour of the world. Whatever people we identify with- English, Nigerian, Pakistani or whatever- there's room for us at the foot of the cross. Jesus might be Jewish Himself, but God isn't racist. He loves all peoples equally. There's room for representatives

  Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, Psalm 33:18 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.33.18.ESV God can see everyone and everything simultaneously. Yet He always keeps an eye out for those who fear Him. He might be aware of everyone, but He especially cares for those who have a reverent awe of Him. The fear of the Lord is the beginning, because if God is watching out for us, we have nothing else to fear. God isn't a terror to those who trust in Him. We just don't want to grieve His Holy Spirit by failing to respect and worship Him as we ought. What do you hope in? Do you hope for riches, relationships or relaxation? The only sure and certain hope is in God's unfailing love. God's love isn't just 'pie in the sky when you die'. It's 'steak on the plate while you wait'. He demonstrates His love in Christ's crucifixion on our behalf. 'Fearsome God, may we fear You as we ought. P

  For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. Psalm 32:3 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.32.3.ESV If we truly belong to Jesus, this verse will be our experience if we keep quiet about Him. Jesus demands an exclusive relationship with us as our only Lord and Saviour. There's ultimately no such thing as a secret believer in Christ. If we are ashamed of Jesus and His words, why would we expect Him to not be ashamed of us when He returns? It's not enough to pray the 'sinner's prayer': we need to devote our lives to Him. When we trust in Jesus, He gives us His Holy Spirit who empowers us to obey Him. Christ's Spirit helps us to testify of Him to others. Even if we face temporary persecution, eternal glory makes it all worthwhile. When we truly trust in Jesus, we cannot help but speak of the One who loved us and gave Himself for us. He gave everything to us. It's not too much for Him to ask everything of us. 'Dear F

  and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 3:15 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/2ti.3.15.ESV I'm grateful to say I had a similar privilege to Timothy, to have godly family who taught us God's word, the Bible. What if you didn't have that privilege? Why not start getting acquainted with it now? Why should you get acquainted with the Bible? Because it's able to make you wise for salvation. How can a book do that? Because it reveals Christ Jesus, and encourages faith in Him. Jesus criticised the religious people of His day because they searched the Scriptures, thinking that life is in them. Life is in Christ Himself. The Scriptures simply testify of Him. Want to get to know God? Want to know how to get forgiven, saved, and reconciled to Him? Get into the word, and let it get into you. Start with John's gospel, which was expressly written to inspi

  No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. 2 Timothy 2:4 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/2ti.2.4.ESV The Christian life isn't literally a war. Yet we do need to wage spiritual warfare. Thankfully God has equipped us with His full armour to provide for us. I don't think Paul is saying we can't have hobbies. Yet civilian pursuits aren't for soldiers of Christ. Should we really be wasting too much time on TV streaming services? Should we be mindlessly scrolling on social media? Our raison d'etre is to worship God and to call others to do the same. It's a spiritual battle. Naturally we might want to just slob on the couch and mindlessly watch TV. God has called us into His spiritual army, to fight for lost souls against dark spiritual forces. May He give us the fortitude to do so. May we equip ourselves with the full armour of God. 'Commander in Chief, help us to obey Your marching orders. Thank Y

  May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace! Psalm 29:11 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.29.11.ESV Maybe we're not too fussed about the idea of being God's people. Maybe we think that would make us too extreme. Yet we're either God's people or the devil's! Any strength we may have is ultimately from God. So it's right that we should ask Him for more strength. In Him we live, and move, and have our being. The world could always do with more peace. Jesus didn't come to bring world peace, He only gives peace to those on whom God's favour rests. If we don't think that's us, we can always ask God to graciously favour us. Jesus brought division to the world between His people and unbelievers. Yet a day is coming when Christ will return and eternal peace will reign. We can enjoy peace with God even today, by the blood of Jesus. 'Dear God, may You strengthen us, and give us peace we pray in the midst

  For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in your faithfulness. Psalm 26:3 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.26.3.ESV David didn't see his Descendant Jesus with eyes of flesh. Yet with eyes of faith, he looked forward to His advent. David knew his Son's love would be put on display. It's much easier for us to see Christ's love than it was for David. We can look back to His crucifixion on our behalf. It might still be through eyes of faith, but we can more clearly see the fulfilment of God's love for us in the Son of David. We walk in God's faithfulness, not ultimately in our own strength. The Christian life is a marathon, not a sprint. God is like a divine pace setter who keeps us going until He calls us home. When we are faithless, God remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. Even our faith is a gift from Him. So there's no room for boasting. 'Dear God, thank You so much for Your love and faithfulness towards us in Christ our

  “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. Leviticus 19:33 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/lev.19.33.ESV Note what this verse doesn't say. It doesn't say to detain or deport the stranger. The passage goes on to say to treat the stranger as we treat natives. We ought to treat everyone the same. We ought to love our neighbours. God forbid that we would treat someone as an inconvenience. Sadly, the UK is an inhospitable place. 'An Englishman's home is his castle'. Sadly, the drawbridge of the castle is often up! In ancient Israel, immigrants were expected to abide by God's law. In return however they were treated equally. In the new covenant, Gentiles get to enter into the people of God as equals too. The Jewish Messiah is the Saviour of the world. 'Dear God, thank You for Your hospitality in welcoming us into Your Kingdom through faith in the Lord Jesus. Help us be hospitable too, in Christ's name we pray, amen'

  You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. You shall not walk in their statutes. Leviticus 18:3 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/lev.18.3.ESV The children of Israel were to live distinctively. God's new covenant people are too. We're not to live like the rest of the world. In the West nowadays, like much of the rest of the world, the idea that people can change their minds and convert to Christianity from things like homosexuality and transgenderism, Islam and Hinduism, are challenged. Surely it's common sense that it's possible and should be allowed for someone to change their mind. Sadly, the core of the Christian message: the idea that we need to change our minds from sin to the Saviour, is challenged by unbelievers. Those of us who believe in God need to stand up for the truth as He's revealed it to us. There were all kinds of false religions and pract

  She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. Proverbs 31:26 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/pro.31.26.ESV The 'Proverbs 31 woman' is an exemplary person. We often might think of her (rightly) as an excellent businesswoman, but I love this detail in this verse too. She doesn't just do well, but speaks well too. The Proverbs 31 woman isn't stingy with her wisdom. She's generous with her knowledge. Nowadays she'd probably set up a podcast to teach people how to balance faith, family and work. Not everyone's cut out to be successful in business. We can all work hard at what we do, but the Proverbs 31 woman is kind to those who might not be as successful as her. She imparts her knowledge; she doesn't keep it to herself. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Kindness is a fruit of God's Spirit. When we fear God, we come to Him for salvation and for Him to bear fruit in our lives. 'Dear God, please h

  To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory forever and ever. Amen. 1 Timothy 1:17 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/1ti.1.17.ESV If you want to know who God is, this verse is a good place to start. He's the King of the ages, the Sovereign of the universe. In theological speak He's omnipotent: all powerful. God is immortal. Yet, in the words of the old hymn, 'Tis mystery all, t'Immortal dies, who can explore His strange design?' The Immortal Son of God died so that we can attain to immortality. Being immortal, He defeated death, it couldn't hold Him. God might be invisible, but Jesus is the image of the invisible God. If we want to know what God looks like, we need to look no further than the Lord Jesus Christ. We don't need to see Him in the flesh yet, just to read about Him in Scripure. There's only one God, and all honour and glory belong to Him for all eternity. Our raison d'etre is to honour and glorify H

  I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. Psalm 18:3 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.18.3.ESV I love what this verse seems to imply: whether or not I am saved from my enemies, God is worthy to be saved. It doesn't seem like David's faith is conditional upon His deliverance. He seemed to know that the world doesn't revolve around him. We have no right to have a sense of entitlement. God doesn't owe it to us to save us from our enemies. Thankfully, He often graciously does. If we need salvation, we simply need to call upon the Saviour. As Jonah testified before he was delivered, 'salvation is of the Lord'. Thankfully, He delights to deliver His people. Our ultimate enemies are sin, death, hell and the devil. Thankfully they're already defeated at the cross. Some of them might still hurt us, but they cannot overcome us. If God's overcome them, He can overcome any temporal enemies we might have. 'Lovin

  Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law strive against them. Proverbs 28:4 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/pro.28.4.ESV This verse isn't necessarily about the laws of any particular land, which are made up by sinful humans. It's on about the law of God, which is ultimately to love Him wholeheartedly and to love others as we love ourselves. Sadly, many people forsake God's law. You can't have love of neighbour without the love of God, because He is the One who gives us our worth. If we don't have the love of God and neighbour, we have the survival of the fittest, a dog eat dog world where everyone looks after themselves and tramples on other people to get what they want. Those who forsake the law of God praise the wicked abortionists who murder unborn children and the surgeons who mutilate people who are confused about what gender they are. Murder and mutilation aren't loving; they're against the law of God. Should those

  For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. Psalm 16:10 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.16.10.ESV It's officially a Psalm of David, but this verse is quoted in the new testament as relating to the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the One who told the dying criminal 'today you will be with me in paradise', not the grave. Jesus is the Holy One who never saw corruption. Jesus gave His life for us, but that wasn't the end of the story. He defeated death on the third day, often now known as the Lord's Day. His body never rotted, and His Spirit is exalted in the highest heaven. There's a sense in which we can claim this verse for ourselves. It's ultimately about Jesus. Yet if we are in Him, then we get to enjoy the blessings He's achieved for us. Jesus bore God's curse upon the cross. We get to enjoy eternal life in Him. The sky, not the grave is our goal. 'Our Heavenly Father, thank You that Christ defeated d

  While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 1 Thessalonians 5:3 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/1th.5.3.ESV Curiosity killed the cat apparently; but complacency will destroy people. We might assume that we're secure and at peace, but are we ready for the day of judgment? It's not enough to be in a country that's not at war, we need to make our peace with God. As James said in his letter, sin is like something that gets conceived in us, and eventually gives birth to death. The reason we face death, and judgment, and hell, is because of our sins. Thankfully there is a way out of this darkness. If we trust in Christ, the Light of the world, we come into His light. We no longer need to walk in darkness. We can live as children of the light. The day of judgment will be too late to repent. We need to repent today, or else inevitably perish. If we rep

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  You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean, Leviticus 10:10 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/lev.10.10.ESV This isn't just an archaic old testament commandment. It still has principles for us today. Should we necessarily do what is popular, or common, or shouldn't we have discernment? Why watch trash TV when we can be meditating on God's word, in prayer, and making Him known to a lost and dying world that's entertaining itself to death? Why scroll through meaningless social media when we could be using it to proclaim Christ? Even our hobbies can take up time that could be more gainfully occupied in Kingdom work. Jesus declared all foods clean, so these commands are not so much about what we consume as to what comes out of our hearts. Although we should be careful not to consume junk, what really matters is that we're not emitting junk, but holiness and spiritual cleanliness that blesses others. What comes our o

  to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more. Psalm 10:18 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.10.18.ESV In an age with no welfare state or social services as such, there was greater reliance on God and godly people to provide for orphans and the oppressed. When Christ returns, justice will be served. In the meantime, injustice is forgivable; but we should strive to become just people. Christ's return should be a comforting prospect to the fatherless and oppressed. Oppression will cease when He returns. God is a Father to the fatherless. Even nowadays, people can cause terror. Think of how much misery and oppression Putin has caused for example. One day, the likes of him will get their comeuppance. Until Christ returns, we ought to help the fatherless and marginalised in society. We want to be found about God's business when He returns. Otherwise, we might get swept away by the flood of His retribution. '

  You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. 1 Thessalonians 2:10 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/1th.2.10.ESV May we have a similar testimony to Paul and his team. May we relate to our fellow believers how they did. May the glory go to God. Paul and team were holy. They were set apart from the world in how they related to the Thessalonian church. There was no hint of impropriety. So may it be with us. Righteousness defined Paul and his team. They always sought to do right by the Thessalonian church. Likewise, we are to strive to be righteous in our dealings with one another. To be blameless means Paul and company even avoided any appearance of evil. There wasn't even a suggestion they were improper in their dealings with the Thessalonian church. The only way they could be attacked was in regard to their teaching, which was true and right, whatever the naysayers said. 'Our Lord, please help us to be holy, ri

  Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, Proverbs 22:24 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/pro.22.24.ESV The very next verse gives the reason why we shouldn't befriend bad tempered people. We learn from those we hang out with, and rage ensnared those who are caught up with it. As another saying goes, 'show me your friends and I'll show you your future'. We tend to become like those we spend time with. If we are friends with grumpy people, we're likely to become grumpy. If on the other hand we befriend joyful people, we're likely to become joyful. It is true that if we befriend people who push us to succeed, we're more likely to do so. Having said that, we shouldn't just befriend people as a means to the end of success. We should appreciate good friends for their own sakes. If we're related to an angry man, or live next door to one, or work with one, we can scarcely avoid them. We can still choose to keep them at a