God's Love

“Thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness: thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head” (Psalm 21:3, KJV). At first glance, this verse by David is a bit puzzling. The word “prevent” is usually associated with a hindrance, but the modern translation here would be, “You meet him with the blessings of goodness” (NKJV).

The biblical word for “prevent” meant “to anticipate, to precede, to foresee and fulfill in advance, to pay a debt before it is due.” Furthermore, in almost every instance, it implied something of pleasure.

Yes, you may love God and seek him, but that’s not enough. The true victory in Christ is not that you have sought God out but rather that he has sought you out. He has come after you. He has chased you.

Hebrews 12:1 tells us that the world is encircled by a cloud of witnesses who are with Christ in glory. What does this multitude of heavenly witnesses have to say to the present world?

Our day is one of great prosperity. Our economy has been blessed, yet our society has become so immoral, violent and anti-God that even secularists bemoan how far we have fallen. Christians everywhere wonder why God has delayed his judgments on such a wicked society.

Luke 15:3-7 talks about the shepherd who leaves his flock of 99 sheep in order to search for one lost sheep, and we usually focus on the lost sheep, but what about the others who were left behind?

Most Christians know what the Bible says about God’s great love for his children, yet many have never learned to appropriate that love, even after years of faithfully walking with Jesus. There are dedicated servants of God who have never enjoyed the glorious experience and benefits of knowing the Father’s love — and nothing saddens God’s heart more.

“Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil … let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith” (Hebrews 10:19-20, 22).