A Helpful Summary of Psalm 119 (Futato)

This morning while studying Psalm 119:49-50 I found a helpful five-paragraph summary of the entire Psalm. It's from Mark Futato's commentary in the Cornerstone Commentary set. Futato said that Psalm 119 teaches us five things about the Lord's word (instruction). (I've edited the five points slightly for length.) 1) Our Attitude toward the Lord’s Instruction. …

From Love Springs All Good (Augustine)

One of my favorite statements in the New Testament is found in 1 Corinthians 16:14. It's straightforward yet profound: "Do everything in love" (NIV). Today, I was reflecting on how those words of Paul are a perfect interpretation of Jesus' teaching that love is the greatest commandment (Mk. 12:29-31). Love for God and love for …

Love for God: A Wonderful Devotional by Abraham Kuyper

This morning, when I was studying the first fruit of the Spirit (love) I came across this wonderful devotional on love for God by Abraham Kuyper. It's a bit longer than I like to post here, but it's very encouraging and extremely edifying. If you don't have time to read it now, bookmark it so …

Give Yourself; Give Your Heart (Augustine)

Proverbs 23:26 says this: O my son, give me your heart.  May your eyes take delight in following my ways. (NLT) This theme of giving one's heart is a rich theme, to say the least. It's implied in Romans 12:1, 1 Corinthians 6:20, and other Scripture texts. Augustine had some helpful comments on this phrase (give …

How To Decide Who To Help (Augustine)

Very clearly and repeatedly, God calls us to love other people. Both the Old and New Testaments emphasize the importance of loving others. But if we are called to love all people, how do we decide who to help? In other words, if there are quite a few people with needs, which of them should …