Passage, Paragraph, and Prayer

Psalm 119:99 continues a string of three verses where the psalmist reflects on the outstanding effects of God’s word by listing three groups of people who cannot stand up to its wisdom. In this devotion, we consider how God’s word gives us more wisdom and insight than our teachers, especially when they do not approach their subjects from a biblical, Christian worldview. Music Credit: Johann Sebast...

God commanded Noah to bring pairs of all the land creatures with him on the ark. But to enable him to fulfill that command, God also performed a miracle—which would be essentially the last sign and call to repentance for the rest of humanity. Music Credit: J. S. Bach, “Wir eilen mit schwachen, doch emsigen Schritten,” aria from “Jesu, der du meine Seele,” BWV 78 (Leipzig, 1724).

Psalm 119:98 begins a string of three verses where the psalmist reflects on the outstanding effects of God’s word by listing three groups of people who cannot stand up to its wisdom. In this devotion, we compare the wisdom God’s word gives to the wisdom of the Church’s enemies. Music Credit: Johann Sebastian Bach, Trio from Brandenburg Concerto, No. 1, Movement 4

The Bible doesn’t record the history of Noah and his family just because they were the sole survivors of the Flood. There is another, even more important reason that Noah and his family figure prominently in the Scriptures. Music Credit: J. S. Bach, “Wir eilen mit schwachen, doch emsigen Schritten,” aria from “Jesu, der du meine Seele,” BWV 78 (Leipzig, 1724).

A really good novel or well-written essay can give you food for thought for weeks or even months, but only God’s word gives you subject matter you can muse on throughout the day, every day, no matter what else you may be doing. Music Credit: Johann Sebastian Bach, Trio from Brandenburg Concerto, No. 1, Movement 4

The construction assignment God gave Noah put him in a situation where he would have to testify about God’s word to his unbelieving neighbors. The commandments we have from God are really no different. We need God’s mercy and strength to fulfill them. Music Credit: J. S. Bach, “Wir eilen mit schwachen, doch emsigen Schritten,” aria from “Jesu, der du meine Seele,” BWV 78 (Leipzig, 1724).

In this devotion, we wrap up the twelfth stanza of Psalm 119 by considering the unexhausted and inexhaustible treasures lying there for everyone, of every age and ability, in God’s word. Music Credit: Johann Sebastian Bach, Trio from Brandenburg Concerto, No. 1, Movement 4

How could God say to Noah, “An end to all flesh has occurred to me,” and not include Noah and his family? How could Noah and his family be exempted from ”all flesh”? Perhaps more importantly, how do we exempt ourselves from the destruction that is coming on all flesh on the Last Day? Music Credit: J. S. Bach, “Wir eilen mit schwachen, doch emsigen Schritten,” aria from “Jesu, der du meine Seele,”...

The wicked love to lie in wait for the faithful and to trap them—to trap them doing wrong, or to trap them with questions they can’t answer. What is the solution for the faithful? Music Credit: Johann Sebastian Bach, Trio from Brandenburg Concerto, No. 1, Movement 4

As we read the description of the earth in Genesis 6:9–11, we can’t help but ask, “Is this describing life on earth more than 4,000 years ago, or life on earth today?” Music Credit: J. S. Bach, “Wir eilen mit schwachen, doch emsigen Schritten,” aria from “Jesu, der du meine Seele,” BWV 78 (Leipzig, 1724).

Even though we don’t like the idea of belonging to someone else, it’s simply a fact that everybody is the property of someone else, to one extent or another. (Think of how often you use “my” or “mine” in relation to those around you.) So when the psalmist says that we belong to God, the question is not whether that is morally right. The question is whether that is to our advantage and what kind of...

Noah is described as “blameless in his generations,” and that really meant something in his time. Music Credit: J. S. Bach, “Wir eilen mit schwachen, doch emsigen Schritten,” aria from “Jesu, der du meine Seele,” BWV 78 (Leipzig, 1724).

Memorials often urge us never to forget the tragedy or atrocity being memorialized, so that we don’t repeat it. The psalmist urges us to follow his lead in resolving never to forget God’s precepts for a very different reason. Music Credit: Johann Sebastian Bach, Trio from Brandenburg Concerto, No. 1, Movement 4

Genesis 6:9 begins the third of the ten “accounts” that make up the book of Genesis (2:4ff; 5:1ff; 6:9ff; 10:1ff; 11:10ff; 11:27ff; 25:12ff; 25:19ff; 36:1ff; 37:2ff). The “account of Noah” begins by talking about Noah’s righteousness and blamelessness. In this devotion we consider what those two traits entail. Music Credit: J. S. Bach, “Wir eilen mit schwachen, doch emsigen Schritten,” aria from “...

How are you doing with your affliction? Whether your affliction is a disease, adverse people or circumstances, wrestling with your conscience, wrestling with unhealthy desires, wrestling with the meaning of life, or facing up to the reality of death, are you able to successfully confront and deal with that affliction, or are you perishing in it? Music Credit: Johann Sebastian Bach, Trio from Brand...

In Genesis 6:9 we’re told that, in the midst of an increasingly and breathtakingly wicked world, Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generations, and he made his way through life with God. But before we get there, Genesis 6:8 tells us where that righteousness came from—not from Noah, but from the favor of God. Music Credit: J. S. Bach, “Wir eilen mit schwachen, doch emsigen Schritten,” aria...

In the first three verses of the twelfth stanza of Psalm 119 (vv. 89–91), the psalmist praises the Lord’s word by going back to its first use, the creation of the universe, and noting how we can still see the effects of that first use to this day. In vs. 91, he also uses this evidence to comment on God’s name, the Lord of Hosts. Music Credit: Johann Sebastian Bach, Trio from Brandenburg Concerto,...

The only reason we are able to rage is because we humans were originally created in the image of God, and God is capable of rage too. But his rage is much different from ours. Music Credit: J. S. Bach, “Wir eilen mit schwachen, doch emsigen Schritten,” aria from “Jesu, der du meine Seele,” BWV 78 (Leipzig, 1724).

In the first three verses of the twelfth stanza of Psalm 119 (vv. 89–91), the psalmist praises the Lord’s word by going back to its first use, the creation of the universe, and noting how we can still see the effects of that first use to this day. Music Credit: Johann Sebastian Bach, Trio from Brandenburg Concerto, No. 1, Movement 4

How does God feel about our sins? What do they do to him? Genesis 6:5–6 answers these questions in soul-stirring language. Music Credit: J. S. Bach, “Wir eilen mit schwachen, doch emsigen Schritten,” aria from “Jesu, der du meine Seele,” BWV 78 (Leipzig, 1724).

In this devotion, we begin looking at the twelfth stanza of Psalm 119. In the first three verses of this stanza (vv. 89–91), the psalmist praises the Lord’s word by going back to its first use, the creation of the universe, and noting how we can still see the effects of that first use to this day. Music Credit: Johann Sebastian Bach, Trio from Brandenburg Concerto, No. 1, Movement 4

The Lord says of mankind before the Flood that “every formation of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil all the time.” But before we think that humans were somehow extra corrupt during that time, we need to remember that the Lord says the exact same thing about humans *after* the Flood (Gen. 8:21), when only Noah and his family were on the earth. Music Credit: J. S. Bach, “Wir eilen mit schw...

By the time we get to the end of the eleventh stanza of Psalm 119, we're probably left with two impressions: 1) Being a Christian can wear a person out, and 2) the psalmist has nearly superhuman resilience. But the psalmist himself makes it clear in the final verse of this stanza that the resilience he has does not originate with himself. Music Credit: Johann Sebastian Bach, Trio from Branden...

When interpreters go astray in interpreting Genesis 6:1–2, they also go astray in identifying the people that Moses calls “the Nephilim.” In this episode, we explore who the Nephilim were and see how they continue to be a cautionary example to us. Music Credit: J. S. Bach, “Wir eilen mit schwachen, doch emsigen Schritten,” aria from “Jesu, der du meine Seele,” BWV 78 (Leipzig, 1724).

In Psalm 119:87, the psalmist acknowledges the harm that persecutors can do and have done to him. But he also makes clear that they are incapable of actual destroying him. Music Credit: Johann Sebastian Bach, Trio from Brandenburg Concerto, No. 1, Movement 4