seamusdelion

2 Chronicles 1:1–3:17; Titus 1:1–4; Psalm 91:1–16 “What would you do if you won the lottery?” This question always seems to generate the same responses: There’s the person who devises an investment strategy, the dreamer who envisions ending global poverty, the individual who would travel the...

‘And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes. He said, Bring them hither to me.’ Matthew 14:17–18 SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Romans 12:1–8 The Church’s first duty is, when she looks to her resources and feels them to be utterly insufficient for her work, still to bring...

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 CORINTHIANS 5:17 When you receive Jesus Christ, are born again, and enter into God’s kingdom, you become a totally different individual. The change that occurs when you’re saved...

DIVINE ASSEMBLY. Common to the mythopoeic world of the ANE was the idea of a council or assembly of the gods that met to determine the fates of the cosmos. Depictions of such divine gatherings are found in the religious and mythological literatures of Mesopotamia, Ugarit, Phoenicia, and Israel...

1 Chronicles 26:1–27:34; 2 Timothy 4:1–8; Psalm 89:23–52 I like to operate when I feel like I’m in control. When I haven’t gathered enough information or I feel uncertain of my circumstances, it’s tempting to avoid making a decision or taking action. Paul knew that this type of outlook was...

‘Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions?’ Song of Solomon 1:7 SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Mark 9:2–9 When Tigranes and his wife were both taken prisoners...

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. EPHESIANS 1:3 Presently we don’t live in heaven physically, but in a sense we do live in the heavenly realm. Though we are not in heaven, we are...

NEPHILIM [Heb nĕpilı̂m (נְפִלִים)]. A group of antediluvians who were the product of the union of the sons of God (hāʾĕlōhı̂m) with the daughters of humans (hāʾādām) (Gen 6:1–4). They are described as heroic (hāggibbōrı̂m) and famous (ʾanšê hāššēm). In Genesis 6, the Nephilim are connected with...

1 Chronicles 23:1–23:32; 2 Timothy 3:1–9; Psalm 88 Sometimes we go through dark periods in our lives where the misery feels never-ending. Trial hits, pain hits, and just when we think life might get “back to normal,” we are hit by yet another difficulty. At times like these, we may feel...

‘For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.’ Romans 11:36 SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: 1 Corinthians 10:31–11:1 The apostle puts his pen back into the ink bottle and falls on his knees—he cannot help it—he must have a doxology. ‘To whom be glory for...

From which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. PHILIPPIANS 3:20 Anticipating Christ’s return is the greatest source of spiritual motivation, accountability, and security. It provides tremendous motivation in pursuing Christ because you will want to be ready when He...

1 Chronicles 18:1–20:8; 2 Timothy 2:1–13; Psalm 85 God is long-suffering, but sometimes we take this for granted. How often have we given into temptation, expecting to be obedient at a later date? Psalm 85 gives a testimony of God’s faithfulness in the past: “O Yahweh, you favoured your land...

‘I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.’ Ezekiel 36:26 SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Proverbs 30:7–9 Men who have lost their stony hearts are afraid of sin, even before sin they are afraid of it. The very shadow of evil across their path...