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Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. (Matt. 4.10) For us, jealousy isn’t attractive, but for God, it’s a holy attribute. God is unhappy when we worship anyone besides Him. Only He deserves our praise. When reading in the Old Testament, we may not understand why people would bow before idols—surely they didn’t think that these objects were living and powerful. But we make a similar mistake, placing too high a value on money, relationships, power, and the like. Though not…

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Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. (2 Tim 4.2) Spiritually, we’ve all had dry seasons, so you probably understand the desire for renewed vitality in your relationship with Christ. Perhaps you tried the latest devotional book people rave about, sought an emotional experience through worship music, tried to gain momentum by attending a conference, or looked online for a message that assured growth. Although these methods all seem promising, they’re not infallible. On their own, some might afford short-lived solutions, but others could actually be ear ticklers…

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Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. (Phil. 4.6) One of the best ways to improve your prayer life is by imitating prayers in Scripture. Consider starting with Paul. When you read the prayers in his letters to the churches, you will notice three characteristics that distinguish them—an accurate understanding of God, joy in others’ salvation, and a desire for the Lord to continue the good work He began in their lives. Even though Paul wrote many letters from prison, his concern was not for…

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And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. (John 14.16-17) There’s some confusion in the church today concerning the Holy Spirit. A number of Christians think the indwelling of the Spirit occurs sometime after salvation, but Scripture teaches that He comes to permanently live within a new believer the moment he or she places faith…

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This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. (Joshua 1.8) God’s way is often contrary to the world’s. Our culture says, “Don’t let anyone push you around,” but Jesus teaches that it is the merciful, the meek, and the peacemakers who are successful in God’s kingdom (Matthew 5:5-9). The world encourages material prosperity and personal comfort, while Scripture says we…

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Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. (James 3.13) The world claims to know the path to a successful and rewarding life: ambition, education, wealth, public recognition, power, and influence. But human wisdom is foolishness in God’s eyes (1 Corinthians 3:19). While it may feel risky to set aside our own reasoning, the benefits of walking in God’s wisdom are great. Divine wisdom could be defined as seeing life from the Lord’s perspective and responding accordingly in reliance on His strength. Then…

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Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Heb 11.1) Faith is often thought of as a thing we have—a belief in something or someone. But in the Scriptures, faith is more than a passive possession—it’s a firm confidence that results in action. In today’s passage, an action follows every mention of faith. Noah prepared an ark, Abraham obeyed without knowing where he was going, and Sarah confidently anticipated the son God promised. Instead of sitting back, believers should count on God’s promises and act accordingly, as did the men and women listed…

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 O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth. (Psalm 96.9) God is perfectly beautiful “in the splendor of his holiness.” The more we know about God’s perfect holiness, the more we realize that we need to walk in perfect holiness. We realize we need to live up to the way God created us to live. Psalm 96 describes the greatness and splendor of God, who is perfectly holy and calls us to come before him with an offering. We are called to “worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness,” and yet we…

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And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. (1 Corin 3.1) Some people have received Christ but have never reached spiritual maturity. They have been in church all their lives, and yet they have never become mature Christians. They are still considered “spiritual children” and “babes in Christ.” They know little Scripture. They have little desire to pray, and bear few of the marks of a Christian in their daily living. To say, “I will resolve to do better, I will muster all my will power and…

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