Good reasons undergird why we might want to have bodyguards in uncertain situations. Some circumstances could feel troubling if we were on our own. These same circumstances feel much safer if we happen to have along with us a huge guy carrying . . . Continue reading →
In 1815, the Duke of Wellington led his British army against Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle of Waterloo. As Wellington defeated his enemy, the British attempted to send a message back to England using a system of light signals. Because of a . . . Continue reading →
The superscription of this psalm says that it is “A Psalm of David.” There is nothing in the psalm to make us think otherwise, and the circumstances from David’s life described here are familiar to us. Out of jealousy and unbelief, Saul . . . Continue reading →
In the first half of Psalm 41, we witnessed how the haters were piling on David in his season of desperation. Their appetite for harm, though, was just getting warmed up for some serious evil. In addition to cheering for the psalmist’s . . . Continue reading →
Most of us are familiar with the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. This is another version of the second great command: Love your neighbor as yourself. This clear but profound rule is also found . . . Continue reading →
Psalm 40 opens with a wonderful tune of thanksgiving, but just as the melody of this gratitude sweeps us away in its beauty, a shrill note tears at the harmony. The high-flying thankfulness crash lands into a lament (v. 12). As he . . . Continue reading →
What is one thing you badly want to do but is just not in the cards? You may dream of playing basketball at a high level but Providence made you short. You would love to climb mountains but your fear of heights . . . Continue reading →
One thing I have realized about home repair projects is that the whole job is not done just because you finish the job you set out to do. You may complete the main task, but cleanup is still a feature of a . . . Continue reading →
Previously, we beheld David crushed by the gravity of what his sin deserved—namely, death. Yet because of the purity of the Lord, he will not protest or complain; the psalmist will not raise a hand against heaven or clamor against the Holy . . . Continue reading →
What makes something valuable? What are the attributes of the precious? The list is by no means short. There is the source material (gold or oak), rarity versus the common, usefulness, desirability, expertise to create—I could go on. One thing, though, that . . . Continue reading →
We saw how Psalm 38 laid out in gruesome detail the slow perishing of the psalmist. All his systems have shut down; there is no fixing him. It is time to close this book, bury this dead, and move on. Yet even . . . Continue reading →
The time eventually comes for an all-systems failure. You have nursed your car for 250,000 miles with only minor repairs and maintenance—brakes, tires, an alternator—but then, one after another, all the dominoes tumble: Engine blows, transmission cracks, the exhaust falls out. This . . . Continue reading →
By recording an oracle of Mr. Transgression, Psalm 36 lays out the cosmic battle between the descendants of the serpent and the heir of Eve, the Servant of the Lord. Even though the action might be fierce, our Lord is not a . . . Continue reading →
Even though our scientific instruments cannot detect them, there are unseen realities in the cosmos. Angels and demons lurk and roam, but we do not hear them. God’s throne room in the heavenly dimension does not register on any radar or sonar. . . . Continue reading →
The last-minute arrival of the hero is one of the great suspense breakers in good stories. When all hope seems lost against the rising tide of enemy forces, hope reignites as reinforcements arrive to carry the heroes forward. The civilian ships unexpectedly . . . Continue reading →
As we noted in part one, Psalm 110 can be divided into two parts: verses 1–3 and verses 4–7. Whereas the first half opens with a heavenly oracle, the second starts with an eternal oath of Yahweh. After listening to the oracle, . . . Continue reading →
If you survey the story of David, you must admit that his biography is quite exceptional. He is a remarkable figure. This is in part due to the fact that David is so diverse. He has moments of stunning integrity and days . . . Continue reading →
In its first half, Psalm 33 disclosed to us the reason behind its happy music—God’s power of creation and providence—and how this truth produces our blessed happiness. But why are the people of the Lord so happy, when the designs of the . . . Continue reading →
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the . . . Continue reading →
Control versus chaos—which is winning? If you scan the world and your life, which one seems to be prevailing? Control is generally the team we want to win; it is the good, and chaos is not. But in this contest or battle . . . Continue reading →
