God promises His protection against our ruin. Beyond His comforting and sustaining presence in trial, God also promises His protection against our ultimate ruin. Of Isaiah 43:2 Edward Leigh said, “Fire and water are two merciless enemies, and yet… They must not pass by these, by the fire and by the water, but through the fire, and through the water.” While God will most certainly keep us from some trials, if it is better for us to face a trial, then as Leigh said, we must not pass by it, but must go through it. And when these trials seem bigger than life, we’re to remember that the Lord promises to preserve us from ruin. Continue reading “Living by God’s promises in affliction, Part 5”
Living by God’s promises in affliction, Part 4
God promises His presence in our afflictions. Is there a more memorable Sunday School story than that of the three Hebrew children who were thrown into the fiery furnace? Maybe. But it has to rank pretty high on the list. And why is this story so memorable? Besides being a great story of holy resolve, trust, loyalty, and faith, it is most memorable as a story of God’s presence with His people in affliction. Continue reading “Living by God’s promises in affliction, Part 4”
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Living by God’s promises in affliction, Part 3
While God holds out many promises to us in our afflictions, we must first note that He also promises to keep us from afflictions and dangers. And it is to these latter promises that we look first, trusting God that if it is in keeping with His glory and our eternal good, we will indeed be protected from trials and afflictions which He knows would otherwise undo us. Continue reading “Living by God’s promises in affliction, Part 3”
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Living by God’s promises in affliction, Part 2
I have no idea what your life entails right now, but I can be reasonably sure that you’re facing a trial of some kind or another. Maybe in your marriage, maybe with your children, maybe with your studies, or maybe simply with the question of what to do with your life next… Some people have this crazy notion that becoming a Christian will remove all our troubles; but that’s just not so. On the contrary, it’s clear from the teaching of several Scriptures that afflictions are an expected and necessary part of our Christian pilgrimage. Continue reading “Living by God’s promises in affliction, Part 2”
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Living by God’s promises in affliction
If there’s anything in life which everyone would like to avoid, it’s suffering. Suffering is inevitably painful, disappointing, uncomfortable, humbling, and frustrating. But if there is anything which everyone knows about suffering, it is that ‘it’s not going anywhere.’ Continue reading “Living by God’s promises in affliction”
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Learning to hold things loosely
Our kids teach us a lot of lessons, don’t they? They challenge us in ways that others do not––which really just means they confront us with ourselves in a way that no one else can. One lesson I’ve been forced to learn as a parent is to hold everything with a loose hand. Continue reading “Learning to hold things loosely”
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Sin is still here
Nothing grieves me more than to discover every day that sin is still here. I don’t mean still here in this world; for I expect it to be here until Christ comes to eradicate it. This is, after all, a fallen world, a world under the curse of Adam’s rebellion against God. The Lord said “In the day you eat of it you shall surely die,” and the world of men has been under the curse of that death ever since. Nor do I mean still here in my family and friends; for I know full well that my wife and children, my dearest friends and loved ones, and every member of my church is a sinner living every day as pensioners of God’s grace and mercy. So what, then, do I mean? Continue reading “Sin is still here”
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Trial by jury
So I have jury duty today… It’s my duty as a citizen and it’s my loving service to my fellow citizens. Since we have the constitutional right to be tried by a jury every citizen should be ready and willing to serve as a juror when a fellow citizen needs him to. But as I reflect upon my duty today and upon our right to a jury this question comes to mind: Why does a guilty man want the right to be tried by a jury? Continue reading “Trial by jury”
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Walking with wisdom towards outsiders, Col 4.5
Paul calls us to walk with wisdom towards outsiders (Col 4.5). So what does this look like? I would suggest it means three things. Continue reading “Walking with wisdom towards outsiders, Col 4.5”
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The blessings of true friendship
We’ve been looking at friendships the last few days. Things to look for in a friend. Things to avoid in looking for a friend. Pitfalls to avoid in friendships. I have a final word for you this morning: the blessings enjoyed in friendship. When you find a true friend, someone you can let close to you and with whom you feel comfortable opening your heart, someone you can trust with yourself and whose wisdom, input, and opinion you trust, there are some real blessings in such a friendship. Continue reading “The blessings of true friendship”
