The states of confidence and doubt are jarringly juxtaposed in this psalm. How can the psalmist go from praise to impassioned pleas for a glimpse of God’s help? How often do...

God is like light, like a stronghold. Light, by its very nature, drives away the darkness and shows what has been hidden; it can do no less. A stronghold could be...

Imagine yourself to be Andrew. Already a follower of John the Baptist, you pay close attention when your spiritual master, John, proclaims Jesus to be the Lamb of God. You and...

John the Baptist’s ascetic practices of self-discipline and prayer distinguish him as one who sought union with God. His intimacy with God leads to his discernment of being chosen for a...

God often chooses “unworthy” people to fulfill holy tasks. Moses killed an Egyptian. A younger son in a minor Hebrew clan, Gideon lacked any social status. One of only four women...

God acts, and the psalmist moves from exaltation to action. His happiness has given him insight and energy to become a witness for God to all he meets. Look at the...

The psalmist waits patiently. Then God acts on the psalmist’s behalf: God inclines, hears, draws up, and sets feet on rock. The psalmist’s response is one of joy. Wouldn’t we be...

Put yourself in the servant’s place. First, God tells you that you have been chosen to lead the nation of Israel back to righteous living. Then God says you’re not only...

All of us know what it’s like not to be chosen. From our childhood days when we’re chosen last or not at all for school yard games, a sense of inadequacy...

Has anyone ever told you they are proud of you? My parents did a good job of modeling this behavior over the years. Even now in my adulthood they tell me...