“The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness, and he will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is Zion’s treasure.”
—Isaiah 33:5-6
Jacob in the Wilderness (Genesis 28)
“The divine covenant partner commits himself to be present with, to preserve, and to protect his pilgrim-saint until he returns safely to the Promised Land. … The pilgrim obligates himself to come to God’s house and worship him with tithe in hand. These commitments commence the plot of [Jacob’s sojournings]. Jacob sets out to find a wife, but first God finds him.”
—Bruce Waltke
“And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
—Matthew 28:20b
The Unbelief of the People (John 12:36-50)
God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform. He plants his footsteps on the sea, And rides upon the storm.
Ye fearful saints fresh courage take, The clouds you so much dread, Are big with mercy, and shall break, With blessings on your head.
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, But trust him for his grace. Behind a frowning providence, He hides a smiling face.
His purposes will ripen fast, Unfolding every hour.
The bud may have a bitter taste, But sweet will be the flower.
Blind unbelief is sure to err, And scan His work in vain; God is His own interpreter, And He will make it plain.
—Written by William Cowper d.1800; last hymn written before he descended into mental illness, from which he subsequently died.
Should I not Pity Ninevah? (Jonah 4:5-11)
“How we react is often a better thermometer of our heart than how we act.”
—Sinclair Ferguson