A Verse, A Comment, A Prayer, A Blessing

A Verse 1 Corinthians 1:31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” A Comment If we are going to boast, then our boast can only be in the Lord. In other words, anything in our lives that is worth boasting about must be understood in relationship to the Lord and His provision of it. Apart from the Lord, there is no boasting. A Prayer O’ Lord, help me make my boast in...

A Verse Romans 15:3 For even Christ did not please Himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” A Comment We are constantly tempted to live to please ourselves. Yet, as Christians, our example is Christ, who did not aim to please Himself but to serve others. Doug Moo quotes Chrysostom on this point, saying of Jesus, “He had power not to have been reproach...

A Verse Mark 14:3 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. A Comment According to the first-century philosopher, Pliny the Elder, “The best ointment is preserved in alabaster.” While an alabaster jar could have been reused, th...

A Verse 1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin. A Comment It may be a well-known (and well-worn) song, but the hymn, "Nothing But the Blood of Jesus,” remains a classic reminder of the simple yet profound truth of the gospel: only through the person and work of Jesus can our sins...

A Verse Psalm 1:1-2 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wickedor stand in the way that sinners takeor sit in the company of mockers,but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,and who meditates on His law day and night. A Comment The blessed life is not one of unrestrained freedom to live out the wicked desires of our flesh. No. The blessed life is the one that mediates on and em...

A Verse 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. A Comment Each command that went before the final clause of these verses pointed to our joy, confidence, and thankfulness in both good times and bad times. It was and is God’s will for us to not only obey these commands but to experience these feelings...

A Verse 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances ; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. A Comment A “god” that is only “god” during the good times is no “god” at all. We need a “god” that is “god” during the good and the bad. Only then will we be able to give thanks in all circumstances, because there will never be a circumstance that He...

A Verse 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray continually , give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. A Comment While we might be tempted to feel overwhelmed by the command to “pray continually,” we must not miss the comfort afforded by this command. The fact that we are commanded to “pray continually” is because we are able to “pray continually.” We...

A Verse 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always , pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. A Comment The command to “rejoice always” cannot be obeyed apart from the God of Peace who comforts us and give us confidence in the midst of trials and tribulations. Paul’s admonition is not a call to “Fake it until we make it.” He is not commanding...

A Verse Philippians 4:13 I can do all this through Him who gives me strength. A Comment Philippians 4:13 is a well-known verse. It tends to be used in our culture in the context of the pursuit of great achievements. Maybe it’s an Olympian. Maybe it’s a Quarterback. Maybe it’s a Gymnast. And that is wonderful. We should not be cynical to such usages of Philippians 4:13. Yet, we must also remember t...

A Verse Romans 5:15-17 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and...

A Verse Romans 5:15-17 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and...

A Verse Romans 5:15-17 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and...

A Verse Genesis 27:12 What if my father touches me? I would appear to be tricking him and would bring down a curse on myself rather than a blessing. A Comment It’s interesting to see Jacob being more concerned with appearances and the prospect of being caught by his father than having a concern for doing the right thing. I wonder how often this is true for us, being concerned with how things appea...

A Verse Matthew 24:44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. A Comment We tend to live without readiness for the return of Christ. Maybe the idea is embarrassing to us. Maybe we do not want to be perceived as fanatics. Maybe we simply do not take God’s Word seriously. Yet, Jesus commands us to be ready. We ought to be sober-minded, living...

A Verse Isaiah 64:1 Oh, that You would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you! A Comment To ask God to show up is to ask God to disrupt our life. When God comes, mountains tremble before Him. Our tendency is to ask God to come along with us in what we have already proposed instead of asking God to show up and power and disrupt us if need be. If we long for God...

A Verse Acts 20:24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. A Comment Of all the things that the apostle Paul could have aimed at in his life, his only aim was to finish the race and complete the task that the Lord Jesus had given him. Such single-mi...

A Verse Nehemiah 10:39b We will not neglect the house of our God. A Comment In the context of a rebuilding project, the book of Nehemiah tells the story of the people of God recommitting themselves to faithfulness. At the end of Nehemiah 10, after repenting of their neglect in bringing the firstfruits of their works to the LORD, the people declare, “We will not neglect the house of our God.” As a...

A Verse Matthew 20:26-28 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave - just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. A Comment Jesus’ definition of greatness is fundamentally different than the world’s definition. Our world defines greatness as b...

A Verse Luke 17:32-33 Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it. A Comment When Lot’s wife was fleeing Sodom and Gomorrah, she looked back as the cities were coming under God’s judgment and was turned into a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26). Jesus interpreted and applied this passage to His disciples at the coming of the Kingdom...

A Verse Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest . A Comment This morning, we conclude our consideration of Matthew 11:28 by looking at the final clause of the verse. In it, we hear God’s promise to give rest to all who come to Him. Jesus’ claim is grounded in His love and compassion for the weary and burdened sinner. He loves us and intends to relieve...

A Verse Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened , and I will give you rest. A Comment This morning, we move to the next clause in the verse and we see God’s concern for us. Those who are invited to come to God are not those who are perfect or who have their lives fully put together, but those who are weary and burdened. The guilt of our sin is weighing us down. We are weary fr...

A Verse Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. A Comment Focusing on just the first three words, we encounter an invitation from God incarnate to come to Him. In the book of Deuteronomy, the LORD set Himself apart from other so-called gods in the ancient world by being “so near to His people.” In Christ, the LORD Himself has come near to us and invites...

A Verse Isaiah 45:9 Woe to those who quarrel with their Maker, those who are nothing but potsherds among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you making?’ Does your work say, ‘The potter has no hands’?  A Comment One of the greatest sources of sin and deception in our lives is failing to remember the distinction between Creator and creature. God is God, and we ar...

A Verse Matthew 6:27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? A Comment What a question from Jesus! We cannot fully grasp the glory of this statement. We have not only permission but a promise from God incarnate to stop worrying about our lives. God in the flesh is telling us that worrying adds nothing to our lives. Not even an hour can be added to our lives by worrying! What...