We should not miss the opportunities presented by our problems. It’s good to have the courage to face our difficulties, but we can do better than just be courageous. We can see in our difficulties the productive possibilities that they offer to us.
Truth is what we’ll be tested by. Death will strip us of every advantage we’ve ever gained by sidestepping the truth. So, my friend, is there anything about you that is going to last? Time will surely tell. “Death cancels everything but truth.”
While life under the sun lasts, we had better be thinking about life beyond the sun. Death is coming, and we need to ask whether we’re doing anything that won’t be erased by that event. Only one such thing is available to us, and that is godliness.
Short of heaven, I don’t want to hear the Lord say, “You have your reward.” I don’t want anything in this world — or all of it put together. What I want can’t be had in this world, and that’s a sinless, eternal relationship with my God in heaven.
There is nothing in the world that is ours to keep — we must let go of all of it. The only thing we’ll never have to give up is God. Let’s allow the One Thing to be our security that was MEANT to be our security and see everything else as temporary.
A greater life can be ours in Christ. May we spend our days seeking Him and His forgiveness, on whatever terms He stipulates, so that when this life slips away, as it surely will, the thing that will be waiting for us is real life — life indeed.
As long as even one of your parents is alive, you can still view yourself as the “younger” generation, but when both parents are gone, the truth is unavoidable: you are “next” on the brink. For the Christian, that should be a thrilling thought!
We need to give tomorrow as much of an advantage as possible. Why would we put off doing anything today if doing it would put us ahead of schedule tomorrow? And if we can make tomorrow easier, why would we do anything to make it harder?
The past can be a valuable resource, certainly. We should be encouraged by it, and also humbled by it. Above all, we should be instructed by the past. But the past is gone. So whatever we were, what we are now matters more.
Spiritual strength requires a vivid remembrance — and that means most of us have a problem, because our “rememberers” don’t work very well. But God understands, and that’s why we have such an emphasis in the Scriptures on reminders.
It was not merely by being humble that Jesus procured our salvation — it was “by becoming obedient” (Philippians 2:8). We have learned nothing of Jesus Christ and His gospel ...
Out of all we have learned from the Scriptures, only a fraction of that has truly been “received.” Today, let’s determine that we will not let pride keep God’s word ...
There is nothing about any of us that is not known to God (Hebrews 4:12,13). What if God made known to the public everything He knows about us, even the ...
Rebellion may be a temptation sometimes, but it’s not the only way we may depart from Christ. In a dangerous world, our confidence needs to be balanced with carefulness — ...
The idea that God has the right to govern everything about us is hard for us to swallow. But if God is indeed our Creator, we are not free to ...
The “teaching of Christ” is a teaching we must “abide in” if we hope to be saved from our sins (2 John 9). And whatever else the teaching of Christ ...
The entire gospel depends on the Incarnation. God could not have died an atoning death for our sins if He had not become a human being who was capable of ...
Hatred comes straight out of hell. Sexual sin is an abomination that will damn your soul, but if things like pride, anger, and selfishness are in your heart, you are ...
In Christ, we are assured of being protected from the wrath that will be poured out on the rebellious and disobedient. But even in Christ, we must not fail to ...
The gospel’s value does not lie in its power to remove the difficulties of this life; its power is the promise of resurrection to eternal life (1 Peter 1). May ...
As you consider obeying the gospel, many of the “what ifs” will be frightful. I won’t insult you by saying that your path will be easy. But this much I ...
Heaven is the reason why people become Christians. At least, that’s what life in Christ was about in the apostolic age. Its “end” or intended goal was not a better ...