Clint Eastwood may not be your first choice for understanding truth. But there is one quote of his that does resonate with biblical truth. Eastwood says “a man has got to understand his limitations.” Proverbs 3:7 says “don’t be wise in your own eyes.” In other words if you think your own understanding is something you can rely on, you are headed for trouble. The structure of Hebrew wisdom literature, of which Proverbs is a part, uses a literary device called parallelism to highlight important truths. In this case, being wise in your own eyes is contrasted exercising the fear of the Lord and turning from evil. If you think you can trust yourself, you will not exhibit a healthy […]
Monthly Archives: September 2012
15 posts
For many using the internet means social media, email, keeping track of current events, or online shopping. But there is also the side of the internet that has to do with commerce and, for an increasing number of Christians, full time ministry. God’s people need to be able think biblically about to best use the vast resources of the internet in a way this is honoring to God. Matt Heerema can help to do just this! Matt Heerema lives and works in this new world of the web. He describes himself this way: Web Consultant, Theology Geek, Musician, Husband, and Father of 3; but not in that order. Matt is intentional about his faith and his work. I had the […]
Stress is a common occurrence. Stress is a common cause of emotional struggles. Stress has become part of modern everyday life. Parents feel stress. Children feel stress. Most would say that stress is not a good thing. However, there is a remedy for stress that is easy to miss. That remedy is fear. I know that sounds like a contradiction – fear is one of the things that most often leads to stress. But what is important here is the object of fear. If you have a healthy fear of God then stress in your life will be minimized. Proverbs 3:7-8 describes the process this way: if you believe that you must determine for yourself how to solve the problems […]
If hope is not based on performance, then why bother to obey, to attempt to excel? Why bother to obey if I cannot earn God’s favor? I obey because I have been loved and been shown mercy. I obey because I want to see my Savior’s reputation enhanced on earth. I obey because it means participating in the only thing that truly matters, living for the glory of God. Some might say, “well that is fine for me, but what about my children who have not yet professed faith?” Why should they obey? The answer is the same, because obedience that flows from a response to the mercy of God is the only form of obedience that is not in […]
Something to think about. We are justified by faith. Our faith is a gift that cannot be earned by our performance. Therefore my confidence is not based upon how I perform, but on how God performs. When I mess up I have hope, because when I am weak then I am strong. This is because I always have access to the gift of faith. Therefore, I always have access to hope. When I think this way I will have thoughts & feelings that are based in hope that I can’t see. When I don’t think this way my hope is based upon what I do, what I see, which leads to despair. Hope that is seen is no hope at […]