Jonah 1:18, ‘So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging.’ Mark (4:35-41) seems to model his account of Jesus’ stilling the storm of Galilee upon the account here in Jonah 1. One aspect of these paralleled accounts stood out to me this morning and I […]
Proverbs 30:5, ‘Every word of God proves true; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.’ A number of things to note in this verse. First, see the wonderful hope (or terrifying certainty, depending on the posture of our soul toward Him) that every single word God speaks WILL prove true. Period.
Psalm 46:2, ‘…though the earth gives way…’ In Psalm 46, we see that YHWH God Himself is the unshakable refuge for those who have fled to and hidden themselves in Him. To emphasize this point, the Psalmist employs catastrophic language about the earth itself being shattered, the mountains being hurled into the sea, or the
Exodus 14:14, ‘YHWH will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.’ Moses speaks this promise to Israel as they stand on the banks of the Red Sea. Death is before them in the churning waves of the abyss, death is behind them in the hammering hooves and flashing swords of the Egyptian
Psalm 12:2, 6, “Everyone utters lies to his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.” /// “The words of YHWH are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.” See the contrast implicit in the two verses above. Human words are alloyed with deceptive meaning,
Isaiah 50:10-11, “Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of YHWH and rely on his God. Behold, all you who kindle a fire, who equip yourselves with burning torches! Walk by the light of your fire, and by the torches you have kindled!” Are we in darkness?
Psalm 36:7-8, “How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights.” In this passage, the steadfast love of the Lord (which is essential to
Psalm 34:8, “Oh, taste and see that YHWH is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” Hebrew poetry often employs a technique called “parallelism” by which the second parallel line in some way restates or comments on the first. When we read Psalm 34:8 in light of this technique, it helps
Matthew 10:28-30, “But fear rather the one who is able even soul and body to destroy in Gehenna. Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore, do not fear,
Psalm 62:5-7, “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.” When David says “For God ALONE…” and
John 10:3-5, “The sheep hear His voice, and He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out…the sheep follow Him for they know His voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” The sheep recognize the VOICE of
Isaiah 8:12-13, “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But YHWH of hosts, Him you shall honor as holy. Let Him be your fear…” How we fear and what we fear reveals whose we are. When the wolves of an Assyrian
Psalm 107:30, “…He brought them to their desired haven.” In Psalm 107:23-32, the people of God are pictured as sailors in the midst of a violent storm. They cry to YHWH and He stills the storm and brings them to their desired haven. What I want to focus on this morning is that last part….bringing
Luke 12:4-7 “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. but I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.” Imagine that you
2 Cor 7:10, “…godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” Short Thoughts: In the midst of grief over our sin, may we not fold inward toward self-destruction, rather, may we turn outward and fall in blood-bought repentance on Him who bore all sin and grief
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Psalm 116:3,6, “The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish…YHWH preserves the simple; when I was brought low, He saved me.” /// When sinking down, in chaos bound And ‘compassed round with fear To Him I look, who chaos took And so, in
Psalm 116:7, “Return, O my soul, to your rest, for YHWH has dealt bountifully with you.” /// Return, my soul, my weary soul To Him who is your rest His wounded side, now glorified, A refuge in His breast
Psalm 63:7, “…for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.” A song we would not have sung if the storm had not driven us to seek refuge under the wings of steadfast love and faithfulness, pierced on Calvary.
Isaiah 43:1, “I have called you by name, you are mine.” The Christian is not bound to God by their own piety or sincerity, they are bound to Him by His zealous possession of them. They are His….ransomed by the blood of His Son (1 Peter 1:19), hidden in the risen Jesus (Colossians 3:3), sealed
Joshua 7:17, “And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to YHWH for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute an all who are with her in her house shall live…” Another instance of the Lord’s shockingly unexpected way of working. First, a little background:. In Deuteronomy 20:16-18 (and many other places beside),
