The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my savior, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm 18:2 NASB Rock – Gibraltar or the Grand Canyon? When you read this verse, do you think of granite or sandstone? They’re both rocks. Which one comes to mind? Before you answer,…
Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer nor His lovingkindness from me. Psalm 66:20 NASB Has not turned away – As we discovered yesterday, the biblical standard is holiness. Absolute holiness. There is no “bell curve” of righteousness. There is no appeasement policy. There is no “life” insurance because you once made some…
There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil. Job 1:1 NASB Turning away – Finally, a participle. To this point Job’s character has been described with adjectives (as we would expect). Now we come to a participle, an action description of the…
Remove the false way from me, and graciously grant me Your law. Psalm 119:29 NASB Remove– Okay, I admit it. I make lots of mistakes. I do know a few things, and sometimes I get them right, but most of the time these little adventures into the language and culture of ancient people is just the best…
You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Psalm 139:5 NASB Enclosed– There’s not much wiggle room here. ṣûr, the Hebrew verb used in this expression, is related to words meaning, ‘besiege, bind, tie down’ and ‘encircle.’ The psalmist’s choice seems to make it abundantly clear that God Himself puts restrictive fences around our…
According to the terms of the law which they teach you, and according to the verdict which they tell you, you shall do; you shall not turn aside from the word which they declare to you, to the right or the left. Deuteronomy 17:11 NASB Turn aside – It all comes down to choosing whom…
“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow.” Isaiah 1:16-17 NASB Remove – What worries you? Job security? Taxes? Politics? Terrorism? Your children? Perhaps those worries need to be removed by concentrating on what God…
According to the terms of the law which they teach you, and according to the verdict which they tell you, you shall do; you shall not turn aside from the word which they declare to you, to the right or the left. Deuteronomy 17:11 NASB Turn aside – It all comes down to choosing whom…
Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, Isaiah 1:16 ESV Remove – How can I remove my evil deeds? Once done, aren’t they a permanent part of my own history? How is it possible to extract them from who I am? Isaiah offers…
“The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just;” Duet. 32:4 NASB Rock – The Hebrew word sur is used 75 times in the Old Testament. Many of those uses are metaphorical. Here, God is likened to a rock. He is absolutely reliable, completely trustworthy and an unfailing source of strength. The…
