In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You alone, Lord, have me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8 NASB Dwell in safety – Is God ruthless? We’re quite comfortable with the idea of God’s benevolence, but we probably bristle at the thought that God might be ruthless. Ruthlessness is such a negative concept. We want a God…
In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You alone, Lord, have me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8 NASB In peace – David was a man of war. That’s why he was not allowed to build the Temple. But even a man of war desires something other than war. Peace. Not a common occurrence in the history…
Those who love Your Law have great peace, and nothing causes them to stumble. Psalm 119:165 NASB Nothing – Wouldn’t that be nice? Wouldn’t you jump at the chance to have “great peace; to live a life where nothing ever caused you to trip up”? Sounds like paradise, or maybe heaven. But it certainly doesn’t sound…
Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. Ephesians 6:11 NIV Full armor – In my dream I’m covered with some kind of black plastic tarry substance. It tries to hold me down to the ground. I try to fight it off, but no matter what…
For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, Romans 8:6 NASB Life and peace – Returning to Paul’s great exposition of life in the Messiah, we have learned that “the mind set on” is really the single Greek word phrónēma, a word that encompasses…
Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to his edification. Romans 15:2 NASB 1977 Please – The wonderful thing about paradigms is that they help you make sense of the world. In fact, if you start discovering anomalies in your world—things that just don’t add up–paradigms offer useful solutions. You can claim…
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.Romans 15:13 NASB Joy and peace– Paul connects joy and peace. There is a link between chará and eirḗnē. In fact, this link also includes elpís (hope) for it is the “God of hope”…
Lord, You will establish peace for us, since You have also performed for us all our works. Isaiah 26:12 NASB Since – ki is a very flexible conjunction in Hebrew. TWOT notes: “(kî) as though, as, because that, but, certainly, except, for, surely, since, that, then, when, etc.” The range of meanings is broad. Context…
To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. Titus 1:4 NASB Grace and peace – Paul often uses these words, “grace” and “peace,” in personal letters. We have a tendency to skip right over them, imagining that we know what they mean to his audience simply because they…
If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey wandering away, you shall surely return it to him. Exodus 23:4 NASB Return – The instructions that accompany citizenship in the Kingdom of YHVH are fundamentally different than our view of political affiliation. In systems based on Western thought, individual rights and privileges are at the…
