"Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law." ~ Psalm 119:18 REFERENCE: Psalm 119:17-19 It is not every eye that looks that sees. Have you ever driven on a road you usually use only to notice a colorful five-floor building, and you wonder, "When did this building show up here?" It did not show up; it was built block-by-block. You drive on the road, but you rarely pay attention enough to see the changes on the road. To see 'wondrous' things, you need to pay attention. Wondrous means wonderful, unique, extraordinary, or mind-blowing. God's word...
"How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel?" ~ Hosea 11:8 REFERENCE: Hosea 11:8-9 "How can I" in this verse is not about the inability to do a thing; it is God declaring the absurdity of doing it. It is like someone saying, "How can I stop following Jesus?" It is not because the person cannot stop following Jesus, but why should they; it would be absurd to do so. So, when God said, "How can I give you up," He said to Israel, "Don't ever think that I would do that; it...
“Hearing God’s teaching and doing nothing is like looking at your face in the mirror and doing nothing about what you saw…But when you look into God’s perfect law that sets people free, pay attention to it…” ~ James 1:23-25 (ERV) REFERENCE: James 1:23-25 The entrance door to our office has reflective glass. I have noticed that when anyone wants to enter the office, they glance at themselves. Mirrors do have that effect on people. However, how many people look at the mirror to pay attention to what it says about their looks and make adjustments? Many take a...
"And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed." ~ Romans 13:11 REFERENCE: Romans 13:11-14 As we approach the end of all things, the devil's wickedness is more evident, and he seems to be tightening the noose around the necks of believers, but God gives hope in trying times. God promises that salvation is near, no matter how bad things seem. Let the words of the Apostle in this verse be a beacon of hope, assuring you that God's timely...
Then Elisha said, "Hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord: 'Tomorrow about this time, a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.'" – 2 Kings 7:1 REFERENCE: 2 Kings 7:1-18 Although God lives in eternity, He works in time to change mankind's situation. No matter what you are going through, you will wake up one day and discover that it has become a thing of the past. Everything with a beginning has an end; this is why the prophet could...
“Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in.” ~ Psalm 24:7 REFERENCE: Psalm 24:7-10 In the Bible, gates represent seats of authority where the Council of States sits to formulate policies, make strategic decisions, and transact business. The courts were held at gates, and kings dispensed justice and decided matters there. When scripture says, ‘Gates of hell,’ it means a place where the satanic council sits to decide battle plans and schemes to do wickedness. Spiritually, gates are places of power and control. Whoever possesses...
"Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." ~ Matthew 17:20 REFERENCE: Matthew 17:14-21 Scripture often uses mountains to symbolize immovable obstacles or insurmountable challenges. Imagine being confronted by a towering mountain that seems to touch the heavens. Jesus tells us that faith, the size of a mustard seed, can move the mountain. An unwavering trust and absolute belief in God's power (without having options) will overturn impossible situations. The father of...
"And Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him." ~ Matthew 8:7 REFERENCE: Matthew 8:5-13 As we conclude 'The Sufferer, the Suppliant, and the Savior,' the episode's hero captures our attention—Jesus, the Savior with a kind heart. Imagine a situation where there is suffering and supplications but no Savior; imagine having an illness and the financial means to secure healing, but there is no doctor or known cure for the infirmity. Thank God for our Savior. Who is this Jewish carpenter that a Roman centurion will become a humble supplicant before Him? Who is this Savior that was...
“And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die. So, when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal His servant.” ¬ Luke 7:2-3 REFERENCE: Luke 7:1-10 Yesterday, we looked at the sufferer, the centurion’s servant. Today, we will consider the centurion himself – the supplicant who urgently appealed to Jesus to come and heal a slave that he regarded as dear to him. It was a strange gesture in a culture where enslaved people were no better than property, but this...
“And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die. So when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him…” ~ Luke 7:2-3 REFERENCE: Luke 7:1-10 Here is a famous text that paints the beautiful story of faith found in a gentile man, like a rose flower in a thornbush. Three main characters arrest our attention in the story: the sufferer (the centurion’s servant), the supplicant (the centurion who prayed to Jesus), and the Savior (Jesus Christ). The text speaks of the power of service, loyalty, loving intercession, and...