Struggling through reading the lesser-known Old Testament passages and long prophetic oracles may seem to have little relevance to everyday 21st-century life. But there are important things we can learn from the Old Testament. First, the New Testament is based on the Old Testament. Second, the Old Testament reveals the character of God. Third, the Old Testament has transformational power. Its message transcends time, geography, and culture. It speaks to everyone, everywhere, in every situation.
When it comes to temptation, our culture offers very little motivation to resist it. More often than not, we hear the voices yelling, “Give in! You deserve to be happy!” Truly, yielding to temptation is much easier than resisting it. Joseph provides a sterling example of one who could have cuddled lust and enjoyed its warm embrace but instead chose to resist its persistent, alluring offer in favour of righteousness.
The biography of Joseph is nothing short of remarkable, occupying as much or more space in Genesis than the biographies of Adam, Noah, Abraham, or even his father, Jacob. Joseph emerges from the pages of Scripture as a man with whom most of us can identify. Over his long life, Joseph responded to broken dreams and impossible circumstances with a faith that propelled him from the pit of slavery to the pinnacle of power.
While our impersonal world makes us wonder if we really matter, Psalm 139 tells us that we do matter—we matter to God. The Lord watches over us intently, He probes the deepest recesses of our hearts, and His love always reaches us no matter how far we stray. As we prepare to learn this last song in our study, let’s quiet our minds and silence the messages from the world that tell us we don’t matter.
Psalms 127 and 128 provide the encouragement we need to put the Lord at the helm of our families, and they show that blessings come if we keep Him at the centre of our lives and endeavours.
This psalm provides help for the helpless. No matter how bad life may seem, God is in control. And because He’s sovereign, He’s a perfect refuge and place to hide when life comes unglued. Why is God’s sovereignty such a help to us? We’ll see in Psalm 46 how the Lord’s sovereign power puts our fears to rest and instils triumphant confidence.
Who hasn’t felt alone and abandoned? Who cannot remember times when God seemed far away? Who doesn’t understand when a friend suffers a “panic attack”? Who hasn’t asked, “O Lord, how long?” If those four questions strike a note of relevance, you’ll have no difficulty identifying with David’s feelings as he composed Psalm 13. The psalmist may have begun on his face, but he wound up on his feet. Let’s find out what made the difference.
The first psalm extols the virtues of single-mindedness by emphasizing the danger of compromise. The godly life is placed in bold contrast to the ungodly…one leading to true happiness and the other to tragic destruction. Single-mindedness keeps the believer on the right track.
The Bible is chock full of songs. Down through the centuries of the illustrious history of the Hebrews, songs were used to unify and rally those whose hearts overflowed with joy. We Christians continue the tradition and have done so for almost 20 centuries. This message will take a quick safari through Scripture, discovering just how significant songs have been throughout time.
At the height of his success, King David fell in the midst of battle. But his lost battle wasn’t against the lion, the bear, the giant, or the Philistines. David lost the battle against himself.
Who had more of God than the Israelites in Moses’ day? But they were ungrateful, hardened, and faithless. Their Great Deliverer, in their eyes, had become a cruel taskmaster.
Sign up to receive Chuck Swindoll’s Daily Devotional in your inbox seven days per week.
Insight for Living is committed to excellence in communicating the truths of Scripture and the Person of Jesus Christ in an accurate, clear, and practical manner so that people will come to an understanding of God’s plan for their lives, as well as their significant role as authentic Christians in a needy, hostile, and desperate world.
1-30445 Progressive Way • Abbotsford, BC • V2T 6W3
info@insightforliving.ca
1.800.663.7639