How long, Lord?
Echoing through the history of the righteous is this plaintive cry. Send article as PDF
Author: jchowning
Jehovah’s Mercy and Faithfulness
According to its superscription, Psalm 89 is intended to be instructive. Ethan’s Maschil focuses on Jehovah’s mercy and faithfulness; this is introduced at the outset: “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; with my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to…
Faithful Unto Death
Hebrews 11:33-38 discusses two sharply different facts about faith: There are occasions when people of faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made…
Dark Days
Psalm 88 has been described as “the saddest psalm in the Psalter.” From beginning to end, Heman the Ezrahite’s words throb with immense pain in the midst of great darkness. Read slowly his words pregnant with anguish: Send article as PDF
Zion
Like the patriarchs of old, all of us who walk by faith confess that we are strangers and pilgrims on this earth (Hebrews 11:13). Our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20), where Christ is—sitting at the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1). We…
Practical Reasons to Pray
David’s prayer in Psalm 86 is an interesting patchwork of petition and affirmation. Sandwiched between each of the four petitions (vv. 1-4, 6-7,11-14, and 16-17) is an affirmation of God and His character. When each of these affirmations is an integral part of…
Importunity
As Jesus was praying in a certain place, His disciples came to Him when He had ceased and asked that He teach them to pray (Luke 11:1). Our Lord then proceeds to instruct His disciples on the verbal (vv. 2-4) and spiritual (vv….
A United Heart
The enduring challenge of faith is to unite what is learned intellectually about God with how you decide to live. In Psalm 86, David sums up this truth in one verse—”Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; unite my…
Oh, What a Kiss!
One of the reasons for Jesus’ incarnation was to bring abundant life (John 10:10). To do this, humanity had to be reconciled to God so that there could be peace—the full satisfaction of God’s wrath toward humanity’s transgressions and lawlessness and the cessation…
Praying in Three Tenses
Humans speak of life in three tenses—past, present, and future. In Psalm 85, as a son of Korah recounts the past, addresses the present, and looks to the future, he ever looks in faith to the timeless One—the great I AM. Send…