God / Sovereignty

  • The Everlasting King

    Psalm 145

    Because God’s kingdom is everlasting, we can be confident that He will overcome all of His and our enemies. No foe can outlast Him, and nothing will ever cause His throne to fall. We should therefore be unafraid that ...Read More

  • The Eyes of the Lord

    1 Peter 3:10–12

    When we relate the command to bless our enemies to the rest of Scripture we may fall into one of two extremes. We can either put ourselves into unnecessary dangers by refusing always to defend ourselves, or we can use ...Read More

  • The Foolishness of Kings

    Esther 5:1–6:13

    Paul tells us we must subject ourselves to the ruling authorities (Rom. 13:1–7). Yet in submitting to human governments, let us never forget that their authority is not ultimate and that their power is not absolute. In fact ...Read More

  • The Fullness of Christ

    Ephesians 1:22-23

    Because the faithful church bows to Christ willingly today, it receives special graces and gifts not found in the outside world. Churches faithful to God’s revealed Word enjoy the blessings of discipline, growth in servant-like love for others, the ...Read More

  • The Good News of God’s Reign

    Isaiah 52:1–12

    Restoration requires faith in the Lord, but we are not able to muster up in ourselves faith that will persevere to the end. We need an atonement that covers even our unbelief, and God must create in us new hearts ...Read More

  • The King and His Reign

    1 Chronicles 16:31

    That God is sovereign over all is a comforting truth that we must never forget in these difficult days. As we see many apostatize because of economic catastrophes, wars, natural disasters, and more, let us remember that none of these ...Read More

  • The Kingdom of God

    Genesis 1:26–28

    Subduing the earth involves anything over which we exercise wise stewardship. Every time a mother teaches her child a Bible verse, an accountant refuses to cook the company’s books, a flowering plant is pruned to increase its blooms and ...Read More

  • The Lord Saves Israel

    1 Samuel 14:16-23

    Saul gives the appearance of “having a form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Tim. 3:5). He gives more heed to rituals than to the God behind them. Rituals are good so long as they bring us closer ...Read More

  • The Restrainer

    2 Thessalonians 2:1–12

    Knowing the identity of the restrainer mentioned in today’s passage would indeed be a good thing for our understanding of this text. However, whether or not we are ever clear of the identity of this restrainer, the important point ...Read More

  • The Saving Purpose of Christ

    1 Timothy 1:15-16

    John Calvin writes, “The more any one is oppressed by his sins, let him the more courageously betake himself to Christ, relying on this doctrine, that he came to bring salvation not to the righteous, but to ‘sinners.’” God’s ...Read More

  • The Second Petition

    Romans 14:17

    Today, God’s special kingdom of blessing is manifested primarily in the church. It is through the ministry of Word and sacrament that we learn what it means to bow the knee to Christ as Lord. Furthermore, it is through ...Read More

  • Turning Adversity to Good

    Luke 11:5–13

    When the catechism says that God gives His Spirit only to those who ask, it is not speaking of God’s blessing of the Holy Spirit in our regeneration, which is His work alone. Rather, the confession is speaking of ...Read More

  • Understanding Free Will

    Is your heart open to the needs of others? Is it responsive to spiritual things? Ask God to keep your heart soft and pliable to His divine will and purposes.Read More

  • Vessels of Destruction

    Romans 9:14–24

    Many misunderstand Reformed theology to say that God forces some to go to hell against their will. Though God does indeed pass over some people, He never acts apart from their desires. In our natural state since the fall, all ...Read More

  • What Is Providence?

    1 Peter 1:1–2

    Even we who believe in God can sometimes be guilty of living our lives as if He did not exist. How often do we drive around town, work at the office, dig in our gardens, read a book, prepare our ...Read More