John is writing to first century Christians to help them discern truth because there were many false teachers who distorted the gospel message. In verse 4, John encourages them and points them back to their new identity in Christ. He continues by saying they “have overcome them” (referring to the false teachers), not through their…
Matthew 25:21 is part of the parable of the talents that Jesus shared with His disciples. In the story, a rich master gave his servants five talents to keep for him while he went on a long journey. In the ancient world, a talent was an enormous weight of precious metals. So, five talents represented…
The phrase, “wait for the Lord,” bookends Psalm 27:14 and reminds me that waiting for God to fulfill His promise or to give me direction is a better plan than taking things into my own hands. Between the bookends lies the phrase, “be strong and let your heart take courage,” which to me, acknowledges the…
The Lord is faithful to protect us from spiritual harm and sometimes from physical harm. David knew he could depend on the Lord to preserve him because he knew God’s promises. He had hope because the Lord always kept His promises. David wasn’t perfect, in fact, he was kind of a mess, but God still…
I absolutely love the last phrase of today’s verse. “Lifter of my head” evokes a powerful image in my mind that brings peace to my soul. I imagine God gazing down on me with kindness and compassion and putting my chin in His hand tilting it up so our eyes meet. He smiles and says,…
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