God has "gone out" for the salvation of his people. He saved Israel so that he might bring forth his anointed from them, who will be their salvation and ours.

God is merciful, even in his discipline. When it comes to our lives, it is best to learn from it rather than fight against it. It is for our good, and it is contingent upon his lovingkindness.

Idolatry in all forms is useless. It makes the creature the creator and exchanges the truth of God for a lie. Hope is found in abandoning our idols for the living God.

Pride goes before destruction, and the proud are brought down to humility. When we build ourselves up by bringing others down, we can be sure that our sin will be revisited upon us. There is a better way to live.

Our righteousness and hope of eternal life (both now and forever) are by faith alone in Christ alone, are are displayed in lives of faithful patience in the face of chaos, destruction, and death itself.

As we wait on the Lord, we grow in Christian maturity and understanding. We are watchful and patient. Our waiting most often looks like searching the Scriptures and prayer. It is also at times accompanied by times of solitude and silence.

God see life differently than we do. He sees time differently than we do. We live in snippets of 100 years; God sees from eternity past to future. Even so, we may discern the foolishness of humankind, even in our short span of life.

God owes us nothing. His ways are at times inscrutable, but he sees the end from the beginning. Eternity is his home and he is working out a plan in all things.

It is hard to live in a fallen world. Both our fallenness and the world's waywardness can lead to despair. It can seem like a constant uphill battle, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.

We are called to submissiveness, obedience, and good works. To speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward people. We do so remembering with gratefulness who we once were and what God has done to save...