“Why is this place [where I am safe] so hard to describe? Because human beings are hardwired for connection, and we are hardwired from infancy to find safety in relationships . . . Trauma breaks this connection. Trauma interferes with the feelings of safety associated with connection. Reconstruction of trust is the first task of…
The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. Deuteronomy 31:8 NASB Forsake you– You are probably more familiar with this verse from its citation in Hebrew 13:5: “Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content…
Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, Romans 1:1-2 NASB The gospel of God– “It cannot be stressed too much that the biblical expression of the gospel is an historical event as God acts on behalf of his people to save. The gospel…
“A Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” declares the Lord. Isaiah 59:20 NASB Turn from– David A. Lambert’s book, How Repentance Became Biblical: Judaism, Christianity, & the Interpretation of Scripture, opens the door for a reconsideration of the role of repentance in the socio-religious communities that arose from ancient Israel. We…
Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” Hebrews 13:5 NASB Forsake – Yesterday I went to see a movie called Leave No Trace. I just picked this movie because I had nothing else to do. …
Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the Lord. Psalm 31:24 NASB Take courage– In the end, faith seems to be about perseverance. It seems to be “going on” when “going on” seems impossible. In the end, the kind of faith found in biblical characters is not the proclamation of doctrines or creeds. …
O love the Lord, all you His godly ones! The Lord preserves the faithful and fully recompenses the proud doer. Psalm 31:23 NASB Proud doer– There’s a problem here. The Hebrew ‘ose(h) gaʾăwâ can be translated as “proud doer” (NASB) or as “the one who acts in pride” (ESV). The NIV reorders the words as “the proud he pays back in full.” …
As for me, I said in my alarm, “I am cut off from before Your eyes”; nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications when I cried to You. Psalm 31:22 NASB My alarm– So scared you can’t move. Petrified by fear. Traumatized. Ah, when did that happen to you? Maybe it was so bad that you really…
Blessed be the Lord, for He has made marvelous His lovingkindness to me in a besieged city. Psalm 31:21 NASB To me– What matters most to you? When you have only one thing to hold on to, what makes the real difference between living or giving up? David’s poem provides us with his answer. What matters most is not just…
You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the conspiracies of man; You keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues. Psalm 31:20 NASB Secret place– Now that we’re searching for the hints of those promised elements of ṭôb, where is the first place to look? David’s song doesn’t leave us in the…
