Born for a Purpose

I feel abandoned in my trial. Why does God seem so distant when I need Him most? You're troubled, so you pray. You're distressed, so you cry for God to bring you quick relief. But all you hear in reply is silence--a silence so deafening it drowns out every thought but this: God isn't listening. Is that your testimony? If so, we want to help you attain a biblical perspective by providing a few principles for you to reflect on. We trust these thoughts will bring you comfort and hope. Yours Is a Common Experience Feel left alone? Other believers have felt the same way. Peruse the writings of Oswald Chambers, Charles Spurgeon, and D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, and you'll discover they knew well the agony you experience. Spurgeon wrote this autobiographical account in his comments on  Psalm 88:6 : He who now feebly expounds these words knows within himself more than he would care or dare to tell of these abysses of inward anguish. He has sailed around the Cape of Storm...

God Bless!

His Love Endures Forever | Psalm 136:1-9 Psalm 136:1-9 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever. to him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever.  who by his understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever.  who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever.  who made the great lights - His love endures forever.  the sun to govern the day, His love endures forever.  the moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever. Our heavenly Father is the God of gods and the Lord of lords; and...he is good. Everything he does is right. His love is unconditional. He has provided the way to himself through his Son, Jesus. We belong to him because of "his enduring loyal love." Twenty-six times in this Old Testament song, worshippers repeated, "His love endu...

God Stooped Down | Psalm 138:6-8 Psalm 138:6-8 Though the LORD is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly; though lofty, he sees them from afar.Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life. You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; with your right hand you save me. The LORD will vindicate me; your love, LORD, endures forever-do not abandon the works of your hands.   God stooped down. Although he is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly. God stooped down. Though lofty, he still sees me right where I am. God stooped down. He is there in my challenges. God stooped down. He saved my life. God stooped down. He protects me from my enemies. God stooped down. He defends me. God stooped down. His love never quits on me. God stooped down. He will never abandon me. God stooped down to breathe life into Adam. God stooped down to breathe eternal life into my dead soul through Jesus.  The amazing truth of Scripture: God stooped down. ...

A Hallelujah Life | Psalm 135:1-7 Today's Passage: Psalm 135:1-7 Key Verses: Psalm 135:1-3 Praise the L ORD . Praise the name of the L ORD ; praise him, you servants of the L ORD , you who minister in the house of the L ORD , in the courts of the house of our God. Praise the L ORD , for the Lo RD  is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant. Anyone want to take a wild guess at what the psalmist is driving at in these verses? I am pretty sure the point is: Praise the Lord! The English phrase "Praise the Lord" comes from one powerful Hebrew word "Hallelujah." According to this psalm (and many passages like it), followers of the Lord are to live a "Hallelujah" life. Praise is the act of expressing approval, admiration and adoration. It includes belting out songs from the tops of our lungs and the bottoms of our hearts, but it doesn't stop there. Praise must be expressed with all of our being. Some questions to consider: Ar...

Today's Passage: Psalm 129 Key Verses: Psalm 129:1-4 A song of ascents. "They have greatly oppressed me from my youth," let Israel say; "they have greatly oppressed me from my youth, but they have not gained the victory over me. Plowmen have plowed my back and made their furrows long. But the LORD  is righteous; he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked. " You may be oppressed, but you're not defeated. OK, so you're down, but you are not out. You may be on the short end of the score, but the game is far from over. Get your head up! Look up! The Lord does what is right and he will cut you free from the cords that bind you. The psalmist was experiencing a tough time. From early in his life he was weighed down by heavy burdens. He describes the pain of his life as a plow digging a long furrow right down the middle of his back. However, even when others were greatly oppressing him he proclaimed, "but they have not gained victory ...

Forgiveness: Costly and Free | Psalm 130:1-4 Psalm 130:1-4 A song of ascents. Out of the depths I cry to you, L ORD ; Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If you, L ORD , kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you. Forgiveness. The word is powerful and tender, cleansing and costly.  If God would keep a database of our sins we would be bowled over by indefensible and mounting guilt; but (say it out loud)  with God there is forgiveness! Here's what forgiveness looks like. God removes our sins from us as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). God washes our hearts until they are as white as snow (Isaiah  1:18 ). God sweeps our sins away like a cloud (Isaiah 44:22). God hurls our sins into the depths of the sea (Micah  7:19 ). God paid the penalty of sin by sacrificing himself (Hebrews  9:26 ). Jesus "bore...