I Know Him
When the great Princeton scholar James Alexander was on his deathbed, his wife incorrectly quoted 2 Timothy 1:12, "I know in whom I have believed." Gently he corrected her for adding the word in. He wanted to make it clear that in addition to possessing an accurate understanding of the person and work of Jesus Christ, he knew Him in a deeply personal way. He saw his impending death as the door through which he would be ushered immediately into the presence of the One he had come to love and know so well.
Real Peace
Rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix led a promiscuous life, indulging in drugs and behaving outrageously on and off the stage.
Check Your Sources
Someone has written a poem that talks about the problem of using a spell-checking program on a computer. The first stanza says:
The Rescue
The psalmist told us that God "put a new song in my mouth —praise to our God" (Ps. 40:3). The song did not come easily to him. "He . . . brought me up out of a horrible pit," he testified, "out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps" (v.2).
Crucible Steel
Frank has a toolbox full of knives and chisels that are designed for his woodcarving hobby. His favorite is a German-made, all-purpose carving knife. He has honed it repeatedly, and it still holds an edge. "I'm going to be sad," Frank said, looking fondly at his knife, "when this blade gets too thin to sharpen."
Right In Our Front Yard
Grass or weeds? Bluegrass or quack grass? Thick or thin? Browning out or greening up? These are the things I look for when I drive by the front yard of a nearby office building. To the credit of its keepers, the lawn has been green and weed-free for some time now. Even in the middle of summer that grass looks first-class.
Not Likely
I saw a sign that said, "The more Son you get, the less likely you are to burn." The person who created the clever message may have meant well, but the statement is a subtle lie. It suggests that the more we believe in Jesus, the less likely we'll go to hell.
Continuing To Trust
Under King Hezekiah's dynamic leadership, the land of Judah experienced spiritual revival. Idols were smashed, the temple was restored, and people once again worshiped the Lord (2 Chr. 29-31). Hezekiah "did what was good and right and true before the Lord his God" (31:20). But then, on the heels of his obedience, he was suddenly besieged by Sennacherib, the vicious warrior-king of Assyria (32:1).
Your Greatest Desire
The slogan "If it feels good, do it" is pure hedonism —the philosophy that pleasure is the chief good of man. Although pleasure in itself is not wrong, it can lead to moral and spiritual ruin if it is not controlled by God's Spirit.
