Articles categorized as God's Sovereignty

Something New Under the Sun: Ancient Wisdom for Contemporary Living – 35. BROKEN HEARTS ON EVERY CORNER

Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun: I saw the tears of the oppressed-and they have no comforter; power was on the side of their op­pressors-and they have no comforter. And I declared that the dead, who had already died, are happier than the living, who are […]

Something New Under the Sun: Ancient Wisdom for Contemporary Living – 20. GOD’S CURE FOR ANXIOUS CARE

20. God’s Cure for Anxious Care   So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor un­der the sun. For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a […]

The ABC’s of Wisdom: Building Character with Solomon – Pride

PRIDE   The First Deadly Sin   Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18   There are several difficulties in talking about pride, one of the most obvious being that it is hard to de­fine but easy to spot. We all know a prideful person when we see one. But […]

The ABC’s of Wisdom: Building Character with Solomon – Sovereignty

SOVEREIGNTY   God Has the Last Word   To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the reply of the tongue. Proverbs 16:1   We might paraphrase this verse as follows: “A man can have his own ideas, but the Lord inspires the words he utters.” This is a powerful […]

The ABC’s of Wisdom: Building Character with Solomon – Guidance

GUIDANCE   Higher Hands Are Leading Me   In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps. Proverbs 16:9   Proverbs 16:9 is one of the most profound verses in all the Bible. It is both a promise and a warning. You make your plans, but God determines which way […]

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions About The Christian Life – Chapter 5

Chapter 5 How can I discover God’s will for my life?   Have you ever wished you could sit down with Jesus and talk with him about your own life? Wouldn’t you like to ask him, “Lord, what do you want me to do?” All of us have moments when we want to hear God’s […]

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions About The Christian Life – Chapter 8

Chapter 8 If God is good, why do I hurt?   Of all the questions that trouble the people of God, none is greater than the question posed in the title of this chapter. Sometimes it is asked in other ways: Why is there so much suffering in the world? Or why do bad things […]

God’s Freedom

While studying Romans 9, I was struck by Paul’s question in verse 14: “Is God unjust?” In our hearts we already know the answer. God is not unjust. But oftentimes he seems inconsistent. The very examples Paul chooses seem to uphold that inconsistency. He chooses Isaac over Ishmael. He chooses Jacob over Esau. He loves […]

Unspeakable Evil and the Goodness of God

Unspeakable Evil and the Goodness of God by Ray Pritchard The story filled us with horror. How could a father murder his own daughter and her best friend? It happened in Zion, Illinois, a quiet community north of Chicago, not far from the Wisconsin border. It doesn’t really help to ask why because there is no answer that wo…

Knowing vs. Believing

Knowing vs. Believing by Ray Pritchard I received a prayer letter from a friend in the ministry who has known great sorrow in his life. Several years ago, one of his children died in an automobile accident. You sometimes hear it said that there is no pain like the pain of losing a child. I am sure my friend would agree. As …