By You have given me relief when I was in distressBe gracious to me and hear my prayer. Psalm 4:1 Isn’t that the testimony and plea of every believer? God has given us relief when we were in distress, but we still plead for His listening ear and His gracious care.
Jesus: God Revealed To Man
Christmas cheer is perhaps the peak of Christian calendar joys; and with good reason. It is impossible to miss. Joy is the attitude of Elizabeth’s greeting (Luke 1:55), Mary’s song (Luke 1:47), the angel’s declaration (Luke 2:10), and that of the wise men’s pursuit (Matthew 2:10). Rejoice, all saints, in
Don’t Sing with a Sad Face
Singing with a sad face is like trying to lick your elbow—it just isn’t really possible. It is true that not every person exudes their inner joy in equally expressive ways, and it is true that we worship God in the heart-breaking troubles of life too, but when we choose
Romans 12:15 Empathy Explained
The Oxford dictionary defines empathy as “the ability to understand another person’s feelings, experience, etc.”. The Bible might not use the English word empathy, but has required it of Christians all along already. Romans 12:15 must be one of the most practical explanations of empathy. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with
Romans 12:12 How to Maintain Sanity in This World
What a glorious eternity awaits us, but how difficult this world is in the meantime! Jesus is wonderful in every regard, but most of the people on this world seem to lack basic neighbourly love. Heaven is perfect, but this world is most certainly not. How do you maintain some
The X on Your Treasure Map
Jesus illustrated the Christian life as a treasure map where X marks the spot where your heart is. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth
How Loudly Do You Rejoice?
Sadly we too easily complain louder than we rejoice. Reading through the life and accomplishments of Nehemiah you soon realise how frequently he was opposed and how intense some of the disappointments in his life were. And yet, the book is filled with praises almost as much as it is
Joyful Celebrations
Scripture recounts many occasions of joyful celebration among believers. Moses got the people singing after witnessing God at the Red Sea, and Miriam, grabbing a tambourine, added her own song to the celebrations in Exodus 15. After their experience of God’s power, Deborah and Barak broke out in song in