Building on a Good Foundation
When I was working in construction, building houses, I had an interesting experience that illustrates the importance of a good foundation for building a house that is straight and true. Typically, when our crew built a house, we would put in the foundation ourselves. But on one project, (in fact it was the house of the lady with the perfume, see September 28), my boss decided to have another crew do the foundation instead. So, after the foundation was in, we arrived to frame the house. It was essentially L-shaped with the garage forming one leg that extended perpendicularly toward the...
Read MoreGod is Wise & Good & Sovereign
Two things we must be convinced of in the face of life’s unexpected inconveniences: 1) God is good and wise, 2) EVERYTHING that comes to pass God ordains and He does so for His glory. I was reminded of this recently. On Wednesday this week I was working in my study, and I had Mia, our sixteen-month-old yellow lab, with me. At one point during the morning I looked down from where I was working at my desk to see the power cable for my laptop chewed off and lying on the floor. Unbeknown to me, Mia had been busy. “Oh no,” I said, as I shot up out of my chair, “What have you done!” By the...
Read MoreAs for God, His Way is Perfect
“As for God, His ways are perfect.” This was Lila Trotman’s immediate response to the news of the drowning of her husband, Dawson Trotman, founder of the Navigators discipleship ministry. Dawson died June 18, 1956, in the process of rescuing a young girl who had fallen from a boat into the waters of Schroon Lake in upper New York State. Now, we know that God’s ways are perfect. We know that God does all things well, that He never fails, that He is perfect wisdom, power, and goodness so that He cannot fail to do what is good, and right. We know that, but have we been so taken hold of...
Read MoreSunday, September 7, 2014
Sin is not first of all a matter of wrong actions, but of wrong affections. Conversely, righteousness is not first of all a matter of right actions, but of right affections. Certainly, both sin and righteousness involve actions but these are the fruit, not the root. We do what we love. It is our affections that give birth to our actions. Affections generate motivation, and motivations take shape in actions. That this is the nature of the case is confirmed by the fact that God defines righteousness as love to Himself. The most basic act of righteousness is to love the Lord your God...
Read MoreSunday, August 31, 2014
2 Chronicles 6 records King Solomon’s address to the congregation of Israel and his prayer to the Lord following the completion of the Temple in Jerusalem. After acknowledging God’s faithfulness to fulfill His Word to building the Temple, Solomon speaks of God’s promise that David would not fail to have a son sitting on the throne of Israel. Having reiterated the requirement that this son walk according to the Law of God, Solomon continues in verse 17: “Now therefore, O LORD, God of Israel, let Your word be confirmed which You have spoken to Your servant David.” This request that God...
Read MoreHearts Prepared to Seek God
Sunday, August 24, 2014 2 Chronicles 19-20 are a powerful and tremendously encouraging account of God’s providential working, as well as, of His loving-kindness to His people. In this account, King Jehoshaphat undertakes the task of bringing spiritual reform to the nation of Judah. He also finds himself and his people confronted by the joint-forces of Moab and Ammon. These foes are so formidable that when he heard that this great multitude was coming against him, Jehoshaphat was filled with fear. However, he responded to the situation with faith and immediately sought the Lord in...
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