“But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then” (Matthew 19:30 NLT). After a rich young ruler came to Jesus asking what good thing he must do to have eternal life, the Lord told him to sell his possessions, give
“The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need” (Psalm 23:1 NLT). David, the shepherd-king, knew how sheep trusted their shepherd with every need. As he considered his relationship with God, he wrote of his total dependence and contentment to the Lord as his shepherd. He said that having the Lord as his
‘Then the Lord asked him, “What is that in your hand?”’ (Exodus 4:2 NLT). When Moses made excuses about his inability to answer God’s call to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, God asked, “What’s in your hand?” Moses replied dismissively, “A shepherd’s staff.” It was not a sword to fight with, nor a priceless
“My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help?” (Psalm 22:1 NLT). This Davidic psalm begins with the question that Jesus cried out from the cross. The NLT chose the word “abandoned” in place of “forsaken,” but it has the same meaning. David surely
“From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be
“Now I am claiming as my own sons these two boys of yours, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born here in the land of Egypt before I arrived. They will be my sons, just as Reuben and Simeon are” (Genesis 48:5 NLT). Jacob, who was called Israel, spoke a word of blessing over each of
“The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known” (Psalm 19:1-2 NLT). When David looked at the sun and blue sky by day or the moon and stars at night, he did not worship them. No, he saw
‘Then Judah stepped forward and said, “Please, my lord, let your servant say just one word to you. Please, do not be angry with me, even though you are as powerful as Pharaoh himself”‘ (Genesis 44:18 NLT). When Judah, the fourth son of Jacob’s twelve, stepped forward to act as his brother’s advocate, the future
“He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters” (Psalm 18:16 NLT). David wrote this psalm to the Lord during the time when God had delivered him from the hand of Saul and his enemies. He felt like a drowning man that God had reached down and rescued. Have
“Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!” (Matthew 13:43 NLT). Christ’s parable of the wheat and tares concluded with this: “The righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom.” In other words, those who denied their own righteousness and