"All of life is business with God…" John Calvin
“Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name.Your kingdom come,your will be done,on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:9–10) Jesus taught us to pray that God’s will would be done here on earth. If we believe that God is sovereign, then we believe that everything that happens on earth is according to his divine will. … Continue reading Not a Blind Faith, but a Puzzled Faith
Last week we lamented with Habakkuk over the violence and destruction that was rampant in Judah, among the very people of God (Hab. 1:2–4). Why didn’t God do something to bring order and peace? How long would Habakkuk continue to cry out to the LORD and have his petition fall on seemingly deaf ears? This … Continue reading Wonder and be Astounded
Last week we began a study of the book of Habakkuk with the women of our church with an introduction by my co-teacher on the historical context in which Habakkuk lived and wrote. This week we covered the first four verses of Habakkuk. I’d like to share here the substance of our lesson for those … Continue reading O Lord, How Long?
The week before Thanksgiving we paused our study of Hebrews, just in time to turn and focus on the season of Advent. Our lesson covered 9:15–10:18, pausing at just the right place, for the author of Hebrews pivots at this point from teaching, to focus on application beginning in 10:19. It’s also a perfect spot … Continue reading A Body Prepared
I was away last week, and our study was led by Jana, who very faithfully and capably put in the work to walk us through this portion of the book of Hebrews, 8:1–9:14. I say “walk,” but getting to this chapter has taken a climb. Together with the author of Hebrews we have scaled the … Continue reading Such a High Priest
As I age, I’m finding that even with the progressive lenses in my spectacles, I often need a magnifying glass to read fine print. (Why does the important information on medication bottles need to be so small anyway?) Pulling out the curved lens of a magnifying glass enlarges and brings clarity to that which was … Continue reading After the Order of Melchizedek
In my previous post, we considered the personal rebuke and sober warning found in Hebrews 5:11–6:8, and the questions raised concerning assurance of salvation. As we learned, that passage does not teach that a genuine believer in Jesus Christ can lose her salvation. But where do we find assurance of salvation? Knowing that genuine believers … Continue reading A Sure and Steadfast Anchor
I'm a big fan of infants. After all, I'm a Grandmommy, and in recent months we have welcomed two precious grandsons to our family. There are so many joys that come with these precious children: snuggling and feeding them, watching their faces as they explore their new world, seeing them grow and change into the … Continue reading The Peril of Perpetual Immaturity
In the first four chapters of the book of Hebrews the author has been exhorting his readers to persevere in the faith of the gospel, gathering his encouragements in the form of arguments for: the supremacy of Christ as the final and best revelation of God, Christ in his humanity being perfectly suited to be … Continue reading God’s Life-Giving Word
