If John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, why was it necessary for Jesus, the sinless Lamb of God, to be baptized? What practical truths can we, as followers of Jesus Christ, learn from this incredible event that was recorded in all four...

John baptized with water, but he delared that the coming Messiah would baptize His people with the Holy Spirit and with fire. May the Lord fill us all with His Holy Spirit today that we might powerfully tell the world that Jesus is coming again, and that we must...

John the Baptizer declared to the multitudes, “Prepare the way of the Lord, and make His paths straight,” because the long-awaited Messiah was about to be revealed. As Christians, our message should be much like John’s: Repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and...

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Of course, His followers believe this. However, as recorded in Scripture, unclean spirits also declared that He was the Son of God as they fell down before Him in fear. Therefore, simply knowing that Jesus is the Son of God is not...

Today’s passage concerns the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The word Gospel literally means good news. The good news is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He was not created or adopted like we are. He is God’s only begotten Son, and He is fully God and fully man. This...

The biblical psalter concludes with songs of praise to the Lord. We can praise God with our voices, musical instruments, and with dancing. Worship can be exuberantly loud or reverentally silent. Our posture could be one of standing, sitting, kneeling, or even laying...

Today’s passage calls for all creation to praise the Lord, and it celebrates God’s sovereignty and design. It is in the center of the concluding section of the biblical psalter in which each of the last five psalms begins and ends with hallelujah. This passage...

God rules in heaven and on earth. He faithfully provides for both man and beast. Though moons and stars move at His bidding, He will also take the time to heal a broken heart. For all that our God is and does, He should be exuberantly praised with musical instruments...

Many think that today’s passage celebrates Jerusalem’s restoration after the Babylonian exile. However, this passage could also be looking ahead to when Jesus returns and fully restores the city and the nation. Please open your Bible to Psalm one hundred forty-seven,...

Today’s passage gives several reasons that God is worthy of our trust and praise. For example, He is the omnipotent Creator that is also a faithful advocate for the helpless. He provides food for the hungry, and He is the emancipator of captives. He can heal the sick....

The best of men are men at best. They cannot save themselves, nor anyone else. Therefore, as explained in today’s passage, only God (and not man) is worthy of our complete trust and worship. Please open your Bible to Psalm one hundred forty-six, and listen as Pastor...

In times of trial, it can be very uplifting to remember all the good things that God has done for you in the past. You will often realize that He is still doing many of those same good things for you, even in the midst of your trial, and He is still near. God is great...

Today’s passage focuses on God’s goodness and His greatness. Generation after generation will extol His mighty deeds, and His redeemed will sing His praises forever in eternity. We pray that you will be able to join that eternal chorus by yielding your life to Jesus...

Jesus taught that we should love our enemies and pray for them, because vengeance belongs to the Lord, not us. However, the day will come when the invincible and invisible God will destroy His enemies. The psalmist used phenomena like lightning and earthquakes to...

In comparison with the Lord’s eternal majesty, mankind should be utterly insignificant. However, our loving, compassionate, and merciful God, not only notices us, He wants to have fellowship with us. Jesus came to die on the cross to erase sin’s penalty, which is...

In today’s passage, David began by declaring that God provided everything that he needed to face life’s battles. In confrontations with his enemies, God gave him skill and dexterity with his weapons. Moreover, the Lord was his foundational rock, his shield, and his...

Today’s passage is another prayer offered by David. As in several other of his psalms, he asked the Lord for pardon and for relief from his enemies. As we have seen before, afflictions in David’s life produced confession and repentence. David’s example is a good one...

David knew persecution. In today’s passage, he had to hide himself in a cave to escape from his pursuers. He was depressed, and he felt abandoned. However, he did what every believer should do in a time of crisis: He called out to the Lord for help and refuge. David...

David was a man of tender conscience. He asked God to deal with his own sin and weakness before addressing the wicked men who fought against him. It shows that David was more concerned about evil inside himself than he was about evil from others. Jesus described such...

There has always been tension between godly people and ungodly people since Adam and Eve first sinned. Though David was a man after God’s own heart, he had many enemies. David’s enemies frequently used their tongues to attack him. David wisely prayed that the Lord...

Today’s message begins with David referring to a time when he was in his mother’s womb. Even then, God had already recorded all the day’s of David’s life in His book. This shows that, in God’s eyes, life begins in the womb, even before the organs and bones have been...

No one can hide from God. Not only does He know everything, He is also omni-present, that is, He is in all places at one and the same time. Therefore, if you are a born-again Christian, then nothing can separate you from God’s love, because He is always with you, and...

God is great. He knows everything, and He is present everywhere. Moreover, there is nothing too difficult for Him to do, because He is all-powerful. Don’t perish as an enemy of such a magnificent God! Submit to the lordship of Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, and...

God is most concerned with the attitude of our heart. The Lord desires that an individual’s total being be involved in the pursuit of the knowledge of Him. One of the key ways that we show that our pursuit of Him is heartfelt is when we are merciful. Please open your...

As Chrstians, we have been born again by God’s mercy and through His grace. Since we have freely received His mercy, and by definition we do not deserve it, we should freely extend mercy to others, though they do not deserve it either. His indwelling Holy Spirit makes...

Today’s passage, which the Jews read as a regular part of their observances of Passover and Rosh Hashanah, extols God’s everlasting mercy. Evidence of His mercy appears in His creation, His redemption of Israel and mankind, and His daily provision and guidance. Please...

Our God is worthy to be praised with uplifted hands, shouts of joy, and musical instruments. While one can cite many reasons for praising and thanking the Lord, His goodness and awesome power are emphasized in today’s passage. Throughout history, and in the days to...

Today’s passage is a call to the priests and Levites of the temple to continue their service of praise to the Lord throughout the night. The priests responded with a blessing upon God’s people. Please open your Bible to Psalm one hundred thirty-four, and listen as...

The Lord made an unconditional covenant with David concerning his throne. However, the covenant with respect to his descendants was condtional: To be assured of a place on David’s throne, his heirs had to be obedient to God’s law. Jesus was the only Son of David to...

Some problems in life defy explanation. For example, why do godly people sometimes suffer, or why do some prayers seemingly never get answered? David did not profess to know all the answers. He did not concern himself with matters too deep for his intellect, but he...

When our lives are peaceful and pleasant, it can be easy for our prayer life to suffer. However, when we suffer, it seems to be much easier to reach out to the throne of grace, in desperation and with penitent fervency. Perhaps, if we followed Paul’s advice to pray...

As pilgrims came to Jerusalem to celebrate feasts like Passover, which commemorate God’s deliverance in the past, they prayed confidently for God’s continued protection and for the defeat of their present and future enemies. The Lord will always be faithful, because...

God’s word promises blessings to those that walk in practical obedience to His word. These blessings include happiness, longevity, and fruitfulness. Moreover, through Christ, we have the promise of enjoying Christ’s future kingdom on earth and eternal life in God’s...

After returning from captivity in Babylon, the Jews had much to do to restart their lives in Israel. Though they sowed their crops with tears, they knew that they would rejoice at harvest. They also knew that if the Lord was not with them in the rebuilding process,...

In today’s passage, Mount Zion in Jerusalem represents an immovable fortress and ultimate stability. People with faith in the Lord are like that, because they are positionally safe in Christ Jesus, now and forever, regardless of what our enemy tries to do to us....

In times of trouble or chaos, it is always wise to look to the Lord for His wisdom and help. Many that have known the Lord for a long time realize that, if the Lord had not been not by their side in the past, then, instead of deliverance, they would have experienced...

In today’s passage, David said that he was glad when those around him said that they wanted to go up to the house of the Lord. Though he lived near the Jewish Temple, and could have gone any time, it shows how easy it is to take for granted our easy access to the...

When we need help, there is no better place to look than to the Lord. He made heaven and earth. Therefore, no challenge is too hard for Him. Also, He never stops watching over us, because He never slumbers nor sleeps; therefore, He is always ready and willing to help...

Some refer to today’s passage as The Traveller’s Psalm. When Jewish pilgrims went to Jerusalem for required feasts, many traversed long distances over dangerous roads. During their journeys, they sang of the Lord’s constant watchfulness, care, and protection....

Being the target of lies and slander can be a bitter experience. The psalmist in today’s passage was such a victim. He was living in exile among a savage people that would rather fight than come to terms of peace. In his distress, he sought deliverance from the Lord....

The last octet of the longest Psalm contains seven petitions that begin with the word ‘let’. He started with a petition that asked God to hear his cry. Then he sought spiritual understanding. Finally, he closed with a confession that he had strayed like a lost sheep....

God’s word gives Christians peace, even when the world is in turmoil. It also gives the believer the ability to resist temptation’s power. This does not mean that believers are immune from sorrow or trouble, but they can avoid the pitfalls of sin as they walk by...

People in places of authority have often oppressed God’s servants. Nevertheless, those that have a deep respect and awe for God’s word are able to remain faithful to the Lord, despite the persecution, for they know that His word is full of treasure, and that obedience...

In today’s passage, the psalmist asked God to be his Advocate, because his enemies were persecuting him, and He needed a Defender. Fortunately, Christ Jesus the righteous is the Christian’s Advocate. Because of His tender mercies, God will save those that desire to...

We should never get over the wonderful fact that we have instant access to God’s presence through prayer. Though the enemy might be near, God is even nearer and more powerful, and He will never forsake His own. Today’s passage shows that the psalmist prayed night and...

In today’s passage, the psalmist is crying out to God with his whole heart. He trusts God to answer, because the Lord will answer prayers that express a desire to do His will. As Jesus said, ask anything in My name, that is, according to Jesus’ character, and He will...

In today’s passage, the psalmist showed a great deal of spiritual maturity, because he was more grieved that his enemies were violating God’s law than he was about them harming him. When we are despised, it is wise to hold on to God’s precepts, because His words are...

The psalms are filled with repeated pleas for mercy. We should never tire of these requests, because God doesn’t, and He is rich is mercy. In this life, we will never get to the place where we are beyond the need of His mercy and His grace. Please open your Bible to...

God’s word is wonderful. That is, it is literally full of wonder. His word is wonderful, because our God is wonderful and so are His deeds, many of which are recorded in the inspired book that He has given us. Those that read it, including the simple minded, and obey...

Despite following God’s laws and behaving justly, the psalmist still found himself under attack from his oppressors. Jesus told His followers that if the world hated Him, then they would also be hated. Though rescue might seem slow in coming, our God is merciful, and...

As Christians, we should be careful about who we choose to be our friends or confidants, because poor choices could cause us to stray from the path of righteousness. However, we should not completely isolate ourselves from the world either, because we must maintain...

The Lord is our hiding place when enemies pursue us, and He is our shield when we are directly attacked. All that hope in His promises will never be disappointed, because He cannot deceive, nor can He be deceived. Please open your Bible to Psalm one hundred nineteen...

Several times in this long chapter that focuses on God’s word, the psalmist prayed, “Teach me!” As students of God’s word, we must open our hearts and minds to His divine instruction so that we may walk worthily in the path that He has chosen for us, and which He has...

God’s word has a sanctifying effect on those that meditate upon it and incorporate His precepts into their lives. As stated in today’s passage, the psalmist was able to keep his feet from the paths of sin, because God’s word was sweet to him. Please open your Bible to...

To love the Lord is to love His word. As you meditate upon it, you will gain insights into what is going on around you. It has been said that, a humble believer, equipped the wisdom of God’s word, will see more on his knees than his enemies can see on their tiptoes!...

One can see God’s faithfulness in His word and by His works. His word is forever settled in heaven and earth. Throughout the universe and, as we observe on earth, nature bears consistent testimony to His faithfulness. Seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, the orderly...

In our brief lives, it can seem as if trials fill a disproportionate share of our days. The godless and the lawless are often reposnsible for our troubles. Fortunately, God and His word are dependable. Charles Spurgeon once said that, if we stick to God’s precepts,...

Like the psalmist in today’s passage, Christians may sometimes be persecuted, afflicted, or perplexed. Though he languished for God’s saving help, he did not lose hope, because He did not pray, “Will you comfort me?” Rather he prayed, “When will you comfort me?”...

God’s discipline produces righteousness in us. When we remember what our wanderings cost us, it deters us from repeating sinful behaviors. God is good, and everything that He does is good. Sufferings are only for a moment, but the benefits of suffering are forever....

The wicked will often conspire to trip up the innocent believer. Although the ways of sinful pleasure and advantage were presented to the psalmist’s mind, today’s passage shows that he eventually rejected them, and returned himself completely to God’s ways. We should...

For a Christian, the Lord is our portion. That is, in Christ we have our inheritance and our reward, because He has removed our sin debt and given us a new life in Him. He is the All-sufficient One, and to have Him is to have everything that matters. Please open your...

As students in God’s seminary of life, we should pray for instruction. Our goal should be to eagerly learn how to translate God’s precepts into practical obedience in our lives so that we might finish well. As His Spirit guides us along the path of His will, we must...

In life’s dark spots, when our soul melts in heaviness, it is good to meditate on God’s wonderful works. Then, as we reverently consider God’s precepts and incorporate them into our lives, we can almost sense the God of all comfort reaching down to strengthen us and...

Life is full of spiritual and emotional highs and lows. When we are up, it is important not to forget that it was the Lord that has blessed us. When we are down, we must remember that we can call on God to revive us through the restoring power of His word. Please open...

In the matter of holiness, there is a curious merging of human desire and divine empowerment. That is, God does not make us holy against our will or without our cooperation. Hiding God’s word in our hearts is something that we can do to help us avoid sinning against...

Obedience to God’s testimonies is essential to having true happiness. Said another way, a key to finding happiness is to separate oneself from every form of iniquity. The surest way to abstain from evil is to wholeheartedly desire to do that which is pleasing to the...

Today we will begin a series of broadcasts concerning the Bible’s longest chapter, which is a Hebrew acrostic poem. All but four verses contain some title or description of God’s word. C. S. Lewis described this poem as a thing done like embroidery, stitch by stitch,...

Getting help from others is a wonderful thing, and it is a blessing to give help to those in need. However, people are not perfect, and we all fail from time to time. However, our ultimate trust should be, not in people, but in the Lord, because Jesus never fails....

In today’s passage, the psalmist gives an account of many of his troubles that also prophetically pointed to things that Jesus faced in the days just before His crucifixion. Many hated Jesus without a cause, and He was, at times, completely surrounded by His enemies....

Today’s teaching discusses the shortest chapter in the Bible. Though it is brief, it has a profound message of praise to God for His loyal love and faithfulness. It also reveals that Gentiles will receive the Gospel and participate in Christ’s kingdom. This short...

Our hope of resurrection into eternal life with Christ Jesus is a key pillar of our Christian faith. Though our earthly bodies will perish and decay, unless we are alive when Jesus comes for His Bride, we can know that we will one day walk before the Lord in the land...

As Christians, we are never alone. The Lord is always there. He inclines His ear to us when we pray. He delivers us from trouble, and He deals bountifully and mercifully with us. Therefore, our declarationis of love for Him should be frequent and heartfelt. Please...

When Israel went through seasons of trial, such as when they were in the wilderness for forty years or in captivity for seventy, the surrounding nations taunted them by asking them, “Where is your God now?” However, God has, and will one day again, vindicate His name...

After the Jews returned to the Promised Land following the Babylonian captivity, they did not take any credit for themselves. They realized that the Lord was solely responsible for their restoration. Moreover, the Jews renounced their idols, and acknowledged God’s...

From beginning to end, God’s deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage and His miraculous sustainence of the nation throughout their wilderness wanderings were filled with unprecented displays of divine power. Today’s passage briefly recounts some of those glorious...

Our God is infinitely high. As such, He is worthy to be praised by His servants. We should bless His Name continually, for He never changes, and no one or no thing could ever come close to His matchless glory. Please open your Bible to Psalm one hundred thirteen, and...

There is no guarantee of immunity from darkness, but today’s passage promises that, for those that fear God and walk in His ways, the Lord’s light will rise in the darkness. For God’s people, the Lord will show Himself to be gracious and full of compassion, and this...

What is the secret to being happy? Today’s passage tells us. A person will be happy if they delight themselves greatly in the Lord’s commandments and obeys them with a reverential fear of Him. Such a person will reap the benefits that flow from a life of practical...

God’s works are great, but His greatest work is the redemption of mankind, because redemption is God’s work alone. The only work required of you and me for our redemption is to believe in Jesus, Whom God has sent. Faith in Jesus is what makes us righteous in God’s...

Today’s passage reveals that the Messiah is the glorified One at God’s right hand. He is also the King of glory that will come to earth to take the scepter of universal government, and He is our eternal Priest, according to the order of Melchizedek. Please open your...

David had many enemies. He knew that vengeance belonged to the Lord, so he sometimes prayed impreccatory prayers in which he asked God to take vengeance on his enemies. However, in the age of grace, Jesus commanded us to pray for our enemies and to love them that...

David was a man after God’s own heart. One evidence of this was that, when he was in the midst of a trial, his primary focus was on God, and not on his enemies. This enabled him to wholeheartedly praise the Lord, despite his circumstances, both in public and in...

For our redemption, Jesus offered the one and only acceptable sacrifice for sin. However, God does ask us to make other sacrifices. Our most important sacrifice is the offering of ourselves for His obedient service. Another is the sacrifice of praise, which is based...

Today’s passage begins with an admonition to give thanks unto the Lord, because He is good, and His mercy endures forever. That is, regardless of our changeable circumstances, we should always praise God just because of Who He is, for He is always good and always...

God was angry with Israel after Aaron made a golden calf. Were it not for Moses’ intercession, God might have destroyed the entire nation, except for Moses, while they were in the wilderness. This shows that we should never underestimate the power of intercessory...

Today’s passage recounts many of Israel’s historical sins. May their backslidings remind us of our own that we might remain humbly on our knees before God, lest we repeat their mistakes! Please open your Bible to Psalm one hundred six, verse seven, and listen as...

While Psalm one hundred five declared God’s goodness throughout Israel’s history, today’s passage is primarily a confession of Israel’s fickleness throughout that same period. This historical psalm also contains short sections of praise and petition. Please open your...

God makes everything beautiful in His time. Though Joseph spent many years in fetters and in servitude, it only took God one day to raise him up from prison to become the second most powerful person in Egypt. Like Joseph, God uses trials to shape us into images of His...

Today’s passage enthusiastically rehearses all that God had done: from His covenant with Abraham, to His leading of Israel into the Promised Land. This passage emphasizes all that God did, saying nothing about Israel’s sins and backslidings, which characteristically...

Our God created a universe so vast that even the most powerful telescopes cannot see the end of it. Moreover, He so methodically structured it, that no microscopes can see the orderly arrays of its smallest building blocks. Yet this awesome, powerful, and wise God has...

All the good things in the earth testify to mankind that there is a good God that loves us and cares for us, even those that have no regard for the things of the true and living God. God’s greatest gift was sending Jesus to die on the cross for the sins of the whole...

The Lord is the Author of creation. Moreover, He has committed Himself to sustain that which He has made. When man sinned, which doomed mankind to destruction, the Lord paid the supreme price to allow penitent people to be rescued from death through faith in His Son,...

God is merciful, but He will punish the unjust. This is not a contradiction: In His mercy, God, through Jesus Christ, bore the punishment that we deserve when He sent His only begotten Son to die on the cross for our sins. However, if you have not trusted in Jesus...

Today’s passage beautifully expresses praises and words of thanksgiving unto the Lord that we might not otherwise find within ourselves, especially if we are in a time of sorrow. David literally commanded his soul to bless the Lord and to remember all the benefits...

Our society has been desensitized to what the Bible calls the deceitfulness of sin. Sin never satisifies, and it steals, kills, and destroys. We must put on armor of light so that we can stand against the forces of darkness. In contrast, the Lord has said that His...

Living a holy life does not come naturally to us. Just as Daniel purposed in his heart not to defile himself with the Babylonian culture while in captivity, David also had to assert his will, especially when no one else was around, to behave himself wisely in a...

Many of us are frustrated with our elected leaders at every level of government. Today’s passage provides godly guidelines that every magistrate should take to heart. We should pray that every elected official would hearken to this biblical instruction. One day, Jesus...

One of God’s key attributes is that He is holy, and He wants His children to be partakers of His holiness. Therefore, when we sin, He will chasten us, not out of anger, but out of love so that we can learn how to walk in His ways instead of our own. Please open your...

Today’s passage exalts the Lord as King, and One that loves righteousness, justice, and mercy. Amazingly, this holy King, that is both sovereign and just, chooses to work in and through imperfect beings such as ourselves, and He desires to establish and intimate and...