Like David
The deepest longing in our hearts, the “Abba!” cry of our spirits and our constant prayer, should be to be transformed – or, to be more precise, to be conformed into God’s likeness. That’s why Zechariah’s prophetic prescription in Zechariah 12:8 is so stirring: ‘(The weakest among us) in that day shall be like David…’ (my paraphrase). He speaks of a day when we’ll display the dignified qualities of royal heirs of the King of Heaven. It’s the culmination of […]
Adrift
‘Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away…’ Hebrews 2:1 When I was a teenager, our family rented a camp (our version of a chalet) on a lake for a week. I took the rowboat out fishing one afternoon and, when I came back, I nonchalantly tied a knot, mooring it to the dock. A violent storm ensued that night while we slept, and in the morning the boat was […]
God’s Friend
‘And he was called the friend of God.’ James 2:23 Only two people were given the distinguished title ’Friend of God’ in Scripture. What an honour! What a privilege! What a legacy! I can think of no greater elite class to be a part of than this space occupied by Moses and Abraham. Exodus 33:11 says, ‘The Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.’ Lest we forget, Exodus was written by Moses. Over […]
Idle Talk
Paul, the greatest apostle the world has ever known, was a man of action. As a result, he simply could not stomach people who were full of bluster. His letter to his spiritual son, Timothy, exhorted him to ‘Have nothing to do with pointless and silly myths’ (1 Timothy 4:7). Peter, too, warned us to stand clear of people who bragged about themselves with empty foolish boasting, describing them as dried-up springs, mists blown away in the wind, incapable of […]
Into The Fray
He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.” Matthew 12:30 Christianity is not for spectators. For the believer, there simply is no such thing as taking a neutral stand. There are no passive observers or ones who teeter on the fence. When Jesus encounters people, He does not give them multiple options to choose from. If He says, “Follow Me”, either you do or you don’t. Your feet move, […]
Murmuring
Warning: Complaining is hazardous to your health. Despite it not being included among the notorious ‘seven deadly sins’, the unambiguous teaching of Scripture is – if it’s not checked, complaining can kill you. If you’re not convinced, I wish to direct you to the Levite tribal leader Korah and his entire family for their insights. Tragically, you won’t find them. While griping about Moses’ and Aaron’s misguided leadership was fresh on their lips, ‘the earth opened its mouth and swallowed […]
The Pilgrim Way
(Abraham) dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob… they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. Hebrews 11:9,13 The father of our faith was a nomad. When he chose to leave the land of his fathers, he had to leave lots of stuff behind. How many things could he carry with him on those camels? It’s doubtful his tents had much closet space! Those who follow the footsteps of […]
A Book About You
‘Those who feared the LORD spoke to one another. The LORD took notice and listened. So a book of remembrance was written before him for those who feared the LORD and had high regard for His name.’ Malachi 3:16 CSB Imagine for a minute what the library in Heaven looks like. Its shelves must stretch for miles and miles! The prophet Malachi is saying something here that’s not only profound but exhilarating. Whenever you or I or any of His […]
<strong>My Forefather Was A Cave Man</strong>
David wrote some of his best psalms, worshipping the Lord with all his heart, while living deep in the belly of caves. Clearly, there were also times when he sat in the mouth of these grottos and pondered the majesty and grandeur of the firmament. Obviously damp, dank caverns did not inspire his adoration. Exalting God must never be restricted to days when all is cheery and comfortable. The cave man who walks in the footsteps of David blesses the […]
Forgetting To Remember
‘The person who lacks these qualities… has forgotten the cleansing that he has received from his past sins.’ 2 Peter 1:9 ISV When I park my car at night, I take a picture of it. Sounds strange, I know. But there are no designated parking spaces where we live. It could be at Block A, or B, or on seven different levels of a multi-storey car park. If I don’t take a picture, I won’t be able to find it […]
