God’s Words to Adam

Garden of Eden

Adam was created by God and was the first man to live on the earth. The first three chapters of Genesis record his beginning up until his fall. In these chapters, God made several statements directly to Adam. In this article, we will consider what God said to Adam and see what we can learn from these statements.
Continue Reading

The Psalm of the Word (Part 12): Stability

The Psalm of the Word

Forever, O Lord,
Your word is settled in heaven.

Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations;
You established the earth, and it stands.

They stand this day according to Your ordinances,
For all things are Your servants.

If Your law had not been my delight,
Then I would have perished in my affliction.

I will never forget Your precepts,
For by them You have revived me.

I am Yours, save me;
For I have sought Your precepts.

The wicked wait for me to destroy me;
I shall diligently consider Your testimonies.

I have seen a limit to all perfection;
Your commandment is exceedingly broad.

(Psalm 119:89-96)

The world around us is constantly changing. Yet God’s word is “firmly fixed in the heavens” (Psalm 119:89, ESV). This allows us to have stability in our lives if we follow God’s word.
Continue Reading

All Things Work Together for Good

Gears

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

This verse is popular among religious people. It is often used to refer to a wide range things – finding a spouse, obtaining a job, recovering from an illness, receiving some unexpected financial benefit, etc. Are all of these types of things under consideration in this verse or was Paul discussing something specific?
Continue Reading

Bringing Up Children in the Lord (Part 1): The Gift of Children

Bringing Up Children in the Lord

Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; they will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate” (Psalm 127:3-5).

Continue Reading

Why Does the Earth Still Stand?

View of Earth from space

At the close of his second epistle, Peter told those to whom he wrote about the end of the world: “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10).

Because this day was coming “like a thief,” he wanted them to be prepared: “Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God” (2 Peter 3:11-12). “Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless” (2 Peter 3:14). He wanted them to be living in a state of readiness knowing that the Lord could return at any time.

Approximately two thousand years later, the earth is still here. Why? It is important to understand that Peter’s words were not meant to suggest imminence (the end was soon), but unexpectedness (the end could come at any time). With this in mind, the Scriptures give three reasons why the earth has not yet been destroyed.
Continue Reading

How to Handle the Trials of Life

Stress

Everyone faces trouble in life. But for the Christian, it is important that we know how to handle the trials that we will encounter in a way that will please God.

The apostle Paul is an example of one who had many struggles in this life. His suffering was such that he told the brethren in Corinth, “I die daily” (1 Corinthians 15:31) and that he was “in danger every hour” (1 Corinthians 15:30). In his second letter to these brethren he spoke of the suffering he faced for the cause of Christ – labors, imprisonments, beatings, shipwrecks, and more (2 Corinthians 11:23-29). When he wrote to the brethren in Philippi, he mentioned that there were times in which he was “going hungry” and “suffering need” (Philippians 4:12).

How was Paul able to handle all of this? He told the Philippians, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

As we face trials in this life, we can handle them as Paul did – through Christ. But what exactly does this mean? In practical terms, what must we do to overcome these hardships? What does God provide to aid us in our efforts? What attitude must we have to be successful in dealing with the trials of life? To answer these questions, we must look to the word of God.
Continue Reading

The Appeal of Wisdom: The Timeless Nature of Wisdom

Notes on Proverbs

After considering the appeal of wisdom – both from a father and from wisdom itself – it is important to consider whether or not this same wisdom is good for us today. The wisdom we are considering in the book of Proverbs is not worldly wisdom but wisdom that comes from above. As Solomon explains in the following passage, godly wisdom will never become obsolete or irrelevant. For this reason, wisdom also appeals to us.
Continue Reading