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[And] you were dead in the trespasses and sins ²in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— ³among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. —Ephesians 2:1-3 We see five truths about human beings in these verses.  First, Paul teaches that we were dead in our sins. We are not merely a little bit sick. As sons and daughters of Adam we are born into the world with no spiritual inclination, no desire to seek God.  Second, sin has a sociological dimension. The  world  refers here to the environment in which we live—human society. If you grow up in a family that parties and gets drunk on Friday nights, you will probably get drunk on Friday nights. If you grow up in a white culture that has hated black people for generations, you will likely grow up to be a racist. What Paul speaks of here can be identified as peer pressure. We all have a desire to be liked and admired by our peers. The world squeezes and shapes us so that we sin. We follow the fads and fashions of the day. Third, sin has a spiritual dimension. This is clearly a reference to Satan. Satan is the ruler of demons (Matthew 9:34). Jesus says he is the ruler of this world (John 14:30). Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:4 that he is the god of this age (CSB). 1 John 5:19 says that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.  Fourth, sin has a psychological dimension. The  flesh  isn’t limited to bodily sins like gluttony, drunkenness, or illicit sin. The flesh represents who we were in Adam. The flesh represents the old person that dominates our lives before we come to know Jesus as Savior. The natural desires of our hearts display that we are captives to sin. We are born into the world in bondage to sin.  That is why we need a new birth. That is why we need the supernatural grace of God. We need God to invade our hearts and to give us new desires. We will never turn to God on our own because the flesh never desires God or His will. Fifth, we are sinners from our birth. Paul refers to the way we were when we were born into the world. This fits with Romans 5, which describes human beings as the sons and daughters of Adam. We were born into the world as the descendants of Adam, born spiritually dead and condemned before God.  All human beings enter the world as children of wrath—as those deserving God’s wrath because they are sinners. No one enters the world neutrally suspended between good and evil, as if we could simply choose between them. By birth, by nature, we are children of wrath. We see, then, that we need God’s grace, God’s life, God’s power to rescue us from our terrible plight. For Reflection The notion that we are born good and corrupted by our circumstances is widely believed in our day. How does Paul contradict this trendy way of thinking? What evidence can you recall from your pre-conversion life that you were born dead in your sins? How should the horror of being under God's righteous wrath cause you to feel about His grace and power to rescue you? How should it motivate and shape your evangelism of lost friends and relatives? Thomas R. Schreiner  is the James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation and associate dean of the School of Theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. A Pauline scholar, Schreiner is the author or editor of several books including Romans, in the Baker Exegetical Commentary Series on the New Testament.

...I have learned, in whatever situation I am, to be content. ¹²I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. ¹³I can do all things through him who strengthens me. —Philippians 4:11-13 Every year Pastor John Piper encourages the people of Bethlehem Baptist Church to read, love, and memorize the Bible. A couple of years ago he gave seven motivations for why we should “hold fast to the word of life” (Philippians 2:14–16): Hold fast to it for the sake of faith. “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17) Hold fast to it for the sake of your joy. “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11) Hold fast to it for the sake of your freedom. “If you abide in my word . . . you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31–32) Hold fast to it for the sake of your holiness. “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:17) Hold fast to it for the sake of the Holy Spirit. “Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by  hearing  with faith?” (Galatians 3:5) Hold fast to it for the sake of life. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4) Hold fast to it for the sake of strength and stability and fruitfulness. Your delight will be “in the law of the Lord, and on his law you will meditate day and night. You will be like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that you do you will prosper.” (Psalms 1:2–3) Excerpted from the sermon, Holding Fast to the Word of Life in 2010 .

...I have learned, in whatever situation I am, to be content. ¹²I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. ¹³I can do all things through him who strengthens me. —Philippians 4:11-13 I remember the stories told in the faith tradition in which I grew up, of miraculous works of God’s power in the lives of desperate sinners. I heard tell of how a man, long addicted to alcohol and estranged from his family heard the gospel call, and in an instant, found deliverance from the insatiable yearnings that conquered his soul on a daily basis. I heard of hearts heavy with the burden of guilt and shame set free forever in the moment of faith never to falter along those lines again. I heard stories I am still inclined to believe today, for who am I to question the Master’s work in the lives of His servants? But I know of other stories. I know my own story. I know of those whose greatest desire was to be instantaneously set free from some besetting sin. I know those who prayed and prayed and prayed, and though there were seasons of light and joy and freedom, the struggle never completely disappeared. There were still sins. There was still sinning. There was guilt, yes, and shame, but there was also heartrending repentance. Then temptation would rise from another quarter and they would face the need to learn the lessons of trust and surrender all over again. For years I thought the only truly spiritual course of a genuine believer was immediate and total deliverance from even the desire to sin. You can imagine the frustration, perhaps, of finding that on the journey of faith, life happens. Repeatedly. One day, quite by accident (in the sovereignty of God, you realize) a word in Philippians 4:11 caught my attention. It was not a new word, an unfamiliar word, a foreign word, but I saw it as if seeing it on the first list of spelling words in the fifth grade. I saw it and it was no longer a fourth grade word but a fifth grade word. Paul wrote, “I have learned . . .” Paul learned. Learning is what you do in the face of something you don’t know. Learning is how you handle a fact or condition you’ve not encountered or mastered before. Learning is normal, and now, I saw for the first time, learning is a grace too. Paul learned how to be brought low. I’m pretty sure there isn’t a textbook for that. I think one learns how to be brought low by being knocked down and mastering the art of falling and rising. He learned how to abound. Sounds like making the very most of the resources at hand. He learned the secret of facing (not fleeing, or avoiding, or lamenting, but facing) plenty and hunger, abundance and need. Paul learned. Paul did not, apparently, experience immediate, instantaneous deliverance from the classroom of suffering in the school of hard knocks. Instead, by his own testimony, he learned the secret of facing personal, spiritual opposition and adversity, as well as dealing with the seasons of privilege and abundance that can bring their own spiritual risks. And what was the secret Paul learned? He learned that he could do everything he needed to do to remain content in every situation and under any condition by trusting in and relying on Jesus Christ, the One who gave Paul His strength as Paul’s own. Contentment did not come naturally, nor instantaneously. Situation after situation, condition after condition, Paul learned to appropriate the grace of God in Christ Jesus. Each test must have added another nuance to his insight, another brick in the foundation of faith. Paul learned patience. He learned petition. He learned surrender. He learned obedience. He learned faithfulness and determination and reliance on a strength not his own. Paul learned, and the process of his learning was a gift of grace. God allowed him to learn. God provided the lessons and the opportunities to learn. Learning is a grace too. For Reflection How does the revelation that learning is part of the sanctifying process in our lives provide a context for how we handle life's situations? How does the revelation that learning is part of the sanctifying process in our lives exclude some choices and behaviors from the palette of possibilities? Paul says that he learned to be content in everything. Does such contentment infer that we should settle with some level of spiritual maturity or another, or does it suggest that learning and contentment work together to urge us onward in the faith? If so, how might this work out in your life? Dale McIntire (D.Min, Bethel Theological Seminary) has pastored Cornerstone Community Church for 28 years and is the author of Catching the Wind: A Guide for Interpreting Ecclesiastes . He is married to the originator of the Fighter Verse concept, Linda Fregeau McIntire, who also authors and co-authors Truth78 curriculum. They share a like zeal for infusing the next generation with love for God’s word.

...I have learned, in whatever situation I am, to be content. ¹²I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. ¹³I can do all things through him who strengthens me. —Philippians 4:11-13 Paul’s epistle to the Philippians is a familiar one to many believers. This joy-filled letter has multiple passages we gladly memorize. Perhaps the most beloved is the beautiful doxology found in chapter 2, verses 9-11. Another favorite verse is found as part of our current focus, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” This verse is commonly found embroidered on pillows and etched on coffee mugs. In fact, it is one of the most popular verses in the entire Bible. But we must be responsible to interpret it in context so we don’t misunderstand what Paul’s intent was, as inspired by the Holy Spirit. Paul wrote this letter somewhat like our missionaries would write a letter of appreciation to their supporters. Paul was under house arrest in Rome at the time and fully aware that his earthly life could end at any moment. Yet he wanted to thank the Philippians for their contribution to his ministry and assure them of his well being. He was convincing as he described his contentment no matter what the circumstances. His secret to contentment was to trust the Lord at all times, even facing death. His settled tone here is truly an encouragement to us more than 2,000 years later. We are told the Greek word translated here as can connotes the ability to “prevail over.” Thus, Paul is not saying that we can win every race or hit every goal we set. He is saying that with Christ’s indwelling presence in our lives as we seek to be conformed to His likeness, we can indeed be truly content whether we find ourselves in abundance or in need. Paul is living proof of that! We will all face difficult circumstances, but contentment in Christ is possible in “any and every circumstance.” Paul faced untold suffering but his message is clear. The natural response to suffering is despair but it is a learned skill to be content. Our trials can be used by the Lord to draw us closer to Him in a way we would not have known without the undesired circumstance. The lesson here is rich! It is not about us and our supposed ability to do all things while Christ helps us along. No, it’s all about Christ’s work in us to draw us to Himself so that we rest in Him as we eagerly await His glorious appearing when everything will be understood. Until then, we live by faith. And we seek to do so joyfully and with contentment. For Reflection Have you seen how this verse is misused to inspire people to “go out there and win” in the name of Christ? How can you help redirect the meaning of this verse when you see it being used to promote personal accomplishments instead of contentment in Christ? Do you notice when you are lacking in gratitude to the Lord, that your level of contentment also wanes? How can you encourage someone who is currently undergoing intense suffering to embrace this passage for all its worth? Mary K. Mohler is the author of Growing in Gratitude and a forthcoming book about Susannah Spurgeon. She is the wife of Albert Mohler, president of Southern Seminary, and is the director of the Seminary Wives Institute. She says, “Scripture memory is one of the most vital and rewarding tasks I have ever undertaken. The Lord has used it to draw me near, to encourage me in hard times, to enhance my prayers for myself and others, and to teach its importance to those I mentor.”

The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. ¹⁰More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. ¹¹Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. —Psalm 19:9-11 Psalm 19 calls us to obey God’s law, but it doesn’t command us to earn His favor. Instead, God compels us with love to embrace His law that is desirable and sweet. How desirable? More than millions of dollars. How sweet? Better than your favorite dessert. Gold was highly valued in the ancient world. That's why the Psalmist says God's rules are more desirable than that precious metal. He is giving a tangible sense of the worth of God’s Word. But he doesn’t stop with gold, upping the value even more by saying it's better than fine  gold. And not just that, but much  fine gold. He also compares it to something we can taste. In the days before refined sugar, honey was precious. Imagine being able to buy the world's finest dessert with no concern about the cost or calories. The psalmist is using these metaphors to help us feel the Word's worth and desirability. He is helping us sense how much we should crave God's Word. It's not hard to feel strong longings for things we enjoy eating and for the access, security, and power money can buy. But all these things pale in comparison to God's law and testimony, His precepts and rules. They are perfect, sure, right, pure, clean, and true. And unlike vast riches and banquet tables groaning under the weight of so much food, the Word revives the soul, makes us wise, rejoices the heart, enlightens our eyes, never fails, and never leads us astray. Not only is God's Word better than money and honey, but also God rewards those who obey it. We see this in the way the Psalmist introduces warnings and rewards with the word moreover . It’s as if he’s saying that nothing is as desirable or as sweet as the Word of God. Full stop. But also, His Word is filled with warnings that, if heeded, will spare us from trouble and hardship. And faith-fueled obedience will lead to blessings in this life, and eternity in the presence of the Lord. I remember a banquet at the close of middle school when the teachers said they were going to give awards to outstanding students. I felt anxious and hopeful that I’d be chosen. I didn’t really have reason to feel either because we didn’t know till that moment that there were awards to earn, let alone what the qualifications were. I was delighted, and shocked, when my name was called. It was an unexpected surprise. But I could just as easily have been passed over. God is not so arbitrary with His children. He tells us repeatedly, clearly, that a day is coming when the wicked will face judgment and eternal punishment, and the righteous will receive rewards and eternal life (John 3:36, 5:29). Heaven will be full of surprises, but there are things we can know and even work toward while we live. This is not the work of a laborer trying to earn his pay. We are saved by grace through faith in Christ (Acts 16:31). Instead, we strive to obey like an athlete who, having already qualified for the Olympics, is preparing to win the gold medal. He pushes through pain and hardship, making costly sacrifices in the present for the love of his sport, as well as for the possibility of future glory (1 Corinthians 9:24, Hebrews 12:1). Thanks be to God for His revelation in creation (Psalm 19:1-6) and His Word (Psalm 19:7-11). We are without excuse because He has told us what we need in order to be saved (Romans 3:23-25). Each person must respond to God’s testimony. Deservedly, if we reject Him, we will live under His judgment forever. Amazingly, if we trust and obey Him, we will live in His presence with fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11). For Reflection Do you long for God's Word as much as for money and rich food? Ask God to intensify your desire for His truth, and focus your pursuit of knowing His Word. As you read, pray for understanding and insight. Ask God to satisfy you with Him more than anything else (Proverbs 2:3, Psalm 119:18, Psalm 63:5). Candice Watters   is the editor of Fighter Verses. She and her husband Steve direct Kids Camp (VBS) — most recently God Always Wins — for their church in Louisville, KY. Together they authored Start Your Family: Inspiration for Having Babies .  The Watterses are the parents of four young adults.

The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. ¹⁰More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. ¹¹Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. —Psalm 19:9-11 Psalm 19 begins by turning our eyes heavenward. Look , it says, God is revealing a glimpse of His glory through what is visible in the universe. When the first pictures of far-away galaxies were transmitted back to earth from the Hubble telescope, words failed us. We tried but could not capture in words the fearful, breathtaking depths of the beauty our eyes beheld. But even without words these images spoke volumes. God’s creation—the sun, moon, and stars—are telling, declaring, pouring forth speech without words and revealing knowledge without a voice. They speak about Yahweh, His glory, and His handiwork. How amazing and terrifying it will be on the last day to see Him in all His beauty and glory. Every sunrise reveals God’s glory and every time the stars come out at night, they declare that God is . He beckons us through this heavenly display and creates a yearning in our souls to understand more of Him. Our joy and expectation in knowing God through His Word is heightened by the tangible expressions of His glory in creation. In verses 7-11, David points us to Scripture as he extols the perfections of the Word of God. Charles Spurgeon’s Treasury of David commentary on Psalm 19 helps us here: The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; Not merely the law of Moses, but the doctrine of God, the whole run and rule of sacred Writ. There are no redundancies and no omissions in the Word of God, and in the plan of grace… The gospel is perfect in all its parts and perfect as a whole. The practical effect of the Word of God is to turn the man to himself, to his God, and to holiness— The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; God bears His testimony against sin, and on behalf of righteousness; he testifies of our fall and of our restoration; this testimony is plain, decided, infallible, and is to be accepted as sure. What a blessing that in a world of uncertainties we have something sure to rest upon! We hasten from the quick sands of human speculations to the terra firma of Divine Revelation. Humble, teachable minds receive the word and are made wise unto salvation. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; His precepts and decrees are founded in righteousness, and are such as are right or fitted to the right reason of man. As a physician gives the right medicine, and a counselor the right advice, so does the Book of God. Mark the progress: he who was converted was next made wise and is now made happy; that truth that makes the heart right then gives joy to the right heart. The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; No mixture of error defiles it, no stain of sin pollutes it; it is the unadulterated milk, the undiluted wine. It is purging away by its own purity the earthly grossness which mars the intellectual discernment: whether the eye be dim with sorrow or with sin, the Scriptures is a skillful oculist, and makes the eye clear and bright. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The doctrine of truth is here described by its spiritual effect—inward piety, or the fear of the LORD; this is clean itself, and cleanses out the love of sin, sanctifying the heart in which it reigns. “Enduring forever”—Filth brings decay, but cleanness is the great foe of corruption. The grace of God in the heart being a pure principle is also an abiding and incorruptible principle, which may be crushed for a time, but cannot be utterly destroyed. The rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. The “judgments of the LORD” —jointly and severally the words of the Lord are true; that which is good in detail is excellent in the mass; no exception may be taken to a single clause separately, or to the book as a whole. God’s judgments, all of them together, or each of them apart, are manifestly just and need no laborious excuses to justify them. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; Bible truth is enriching to the soul in the highest degree; the metaphor is one which gathers force as it is brought out; —gold—fine gold—much fine gold; it is good, better, best, and therefore it is not only to be desired with a miser’s avidity, but with more than that. As spiritual treasure is more noble than mere material wealth, so should it be desired and sought after with greater eagerness. Sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. The pleasures arising from a right understanding of the divine testimonies are of the most delightful order; earthly enjoyments are utterly contemptible, if compared with them. The sweetest joys, yea, the sweetest of the sweetest falls to his portion who has God’s truth to be his heritage. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; We are warned by the Word both of our duty, our danger, and our remedy. On the sea of life there would be many more wrecks, if it were not for the divine storm-signals which give to the watchful a timely warning. The Bible should be our Mentor, our Monitor, our Memento Mori [remember you must die], our Remembrancer, and the Keeper of our Conscience, Alas, that so few men will take the warning so graciously given, none but servants of God will do so, for they alone regard their Master’s will. In keeping them there is great reward. There is a wage, and a great one; though we earn no wages of debt, we win great wages of grace. Saints may be losers for a time, but they shall be glorious gainers in the long run, and even now a quiet conscience is in itself no slender reward for obedience. However, the main reward is yet to come, and the word here used hints as much, for it signifies the “heel”, as if the reward would come to us at the end of life when the work was done; —not while the labor was in the hand, but when it was gone and we could see the heel of it. Oh, the glory yet to be revealed! It is enough to make a man faint for joy at the prospect of it. Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Then shall we know the value of the Scriptures when we swim in that sea of unutterable delight to which their streams will bear us, if we commit ourselves to them. Excerpted from Charles Spurgeon's Treasury of David: Exposition of the Psalms (vol. I, section 1), pp. 273-275.

[But] far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. —Galatians 6:14 Boasting comes naturally for most people. This is why Paul is writing to the Galatians. They were proud that they had convinced some of the believers in Galatia to follow the Mosaic law, specifically, circumcision.  Lest we think these Galatians were strange, it’s helpful to stop and consider the range of things people boast about day-to-day: wealth, beauty, accomplishments, and possessions. Surprisingly, many also boast about failures, worst days ever, shortcomings, and insecurities. Social media takes boasting to a whole new level. The more creative the boast, the more likes and followers it gets. Calling something a humblebrag doesn’t make it any less boastful.  Paul corrects the Galatians (and us) with urgency, knowing that trusting anything other than Jesus’ work on the cross–no matter how religious or humble it looks, or how impressive–will lead people to hell. Paul doesn’t forbid boasting outright, but instead he directs it to a legitimate object: the cross that saves.  In telling us the singular focus of his boasting, Paul is calling us to follow his example. He makes much of Christ, recognizing that without Jesus’ saving blood, Paul himself is nothing. In 1 Corinthians Paul says that believers should not be “puffed up in favor of one against another” (4:6). He goes on to say, “ What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?” (4:7). No matter whether your talents and achievements are many or few, they are gifts from God and not a cause for boasting.  Still, given that boasting comes so naturally, how can we break free? John Piper says “ ...when Christ summons us to obey his law of love, he offers us himself to slay the dragon of our pride, change our hearts, empower us by his Spirit, and fulfill his law.” Contrary to our culture’s fixation on our self-conception, Piper says, “What we need to break out of the shackles of our assertive  pride and our timid  pride is not the bolstering of self-esteem, but a radical confidence in the incomparable Christ who came into the world to save utterly unworthy sinners!” ( The Law of Christ ) We are dependent on the Lord to save us. In Deuteronomy, God promised:  …And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. Deuteronomy 30:6 Apart from Christ, we cannot change our hearts. This is why He went to the cross. And this is why our boasting should only and always be about Him. Last fall we memorized another Fighter Verses passage about boasting. In it, Jeremiah wrote,  Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.” (Jeremiah 9:23-24 ) God’s words to Jeremiah about righteous boasting in Him were followed by the warning of coming judgment against those who were “uncircumcised in heart” (Jeremiah 9:25-26). In Galatia, Paul opposed those in the church who were boasting about physical circumcision. This is not what Jesus came to accomplish. From the beginning, God was forming a people who would serve him and love him and obey Him from the heart. Praise God that the very cross we’re commanded to boast in is what breaks our slavery to sin and puts an end to selfish boasting. Only the cross of Christ has the power to so transform a human heart. That’s worth boasting about! For Reflection What are you tempted to boast about? Have you considered that feeling bad about yourself can be a form of boasting? (“I’m the worst ever! ” ) Ask God to replace sinful boasting with the boasting He commands, and to fill you with joy in Him. Candice Watters is the editor of Fighter Verses. She and her husband Steve direct Kids Camp (VBS) — most recently God Always Wins — for their church in Louisville, KY. Together they authored Start Your Family: Inspiration for Having Babies .  The Watterses are the parents of four young adults.

The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; ⁸the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; — Psalm 19:7-8 Christians often talk about their “quiet time,” an idiom for the spiritual discipline of Bible reading and prayer. But whatever you call it, the practice is essential to living faithfully as a Christian. Psalm 19 won’t let us diminish reading the Bible to just another task on our to-do list. Like a drummer keeping time or the clicking of a metronome, these two verses describe God’s Word in steady rhythms of repetition that emphasize the worth and value of God’s Word.  Four nouns, four descriptions, four effects David begins Psalm 19 by telling us how what God has made testifies to His glory (vv. 1-6). We cannot miss the fact that He is Creator—His fingerprints are everywhere (Romans 1:20). Then, starting in verse 7, David focuses on what God has said. He uses four nouns: law, testimony, precepts, and commandment, to refer to one source of power, God’s verbal revelation.  This is no ordinary talk. God’s speech is “perfect, sure, right, and pure.” And this perfect speech is powerful. For those with ears to hear, it “revives, makes wise, rejoices, and enlightens.” Indeed, the Word of the Lord raises the dead to life. It moves the fool to practical and actionable insight. It turns sorrow to gladness. It floods darkness with light. In all four cases, the impact comes from what flows from God’s mouth. The single source of so much transformation is the Word of God. What does this Word transform? “the soul, the simple, the heart, and the eyes.” The Word goes to the essence of a man—his soul—the part of him that makes him who he is. The Word seeks out the simple—those who are lost and going their own way, the way that leads to death. God’s Word is concerned with the heart—the source of feeling, thinking, and being. And it shapes the port of entry—a person’s vision—what and how a person sees. The Word of God that David extolls in Psalm 19 is described in the New Testament as “holy and righteous and good” (Romans 7:12). Paul tells Timothy that “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). From Old Testament to New, God’s Word is our life.  “As if…the word of God” While he was king, David received the help of Ahithophel, a man revered for the wisdom of his counsel (1 Chronicles 27:33). So trustworthy was his advice that 2 Samuel says, “Now in those days the counsel that Ahithophel gave was as if one consulted the word of God;” (2 Samuel 16:23). There was something about Ahithophel’s   reasoning that made it rise above other men’s counsel. His words rose to the level of being compared to the Word of God. And yet, he was still just a man (see his tragic end in 2 Samuel 17:23).  When I read those words recently—“the counsel that Ahithophel gave was as if one consulted the word of God”—it struck me, I’m not limited to as if . Rather,  I am able to directly consult the word of God!   Psalm 19 reminds us of the infinite treasure we hold in our hands every time we open the Bible.  Rejoice that the One who spoke this perfect, sure, right, pure Word is God, our rock and our redeemer (v. 14). His Word is worthy of our trust. There is no error in it and there is no despair in trusting it. God’s Word is our very life (Deuteronomy 32:47). When we trust His Word, we are secure forever.  For Reflection When you wake up in the morning, do you ever think, “I have to read my Bible”? How does Psalm 19 help change your thinking to, “I get to read my Bible." Which description of God’s Word — perfect, sure, right, or pure — is most encouraging to you?  Ask God to deepen your understanding of His Word as you seek to know Him through it. Candice Watters   is the editor of Fighter Verses. She and her husband Steve direct Kids Camp (VBS) — most recently God Always Wins — for their church in Louisville, KY. Together they authored Start Your Family: Inspiration for Having Babies .  The Watterses are the parents of four young adults.

The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; ⁸the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; —Psalm 19:7-8 Growing up as a young man, I believed it was important to go to church, obey my parents, do what is right, and “live” for God. But all these good commitments were mere outward displays of a deep, selfish pride in my own moral righteousness. I looked good on the outside, but inside I was spiritually dead. I did “good” things because it was my duty, not because it was my delight. Then God opened my blind eyes to my sin, showed me the beauty of King Jesus, and filled me with His Holy Spirit—I had become a Christian. One of the biggest changes I noticed in my life was that I began to find life, wisdom, peace, joy, and delight in God and His Word. His Word revived my soul, made me wise, rejoiced my heart, and gave sight to my blind eyes! Before my conversion, God’s Word seemed boring, but now it was exciting to me. Finally I had tasted that the Lord is good and I began to long for the pure milk of the Word (1 Peter 2:2-3). This amazing transformation in anyone's life is only possible because God’s perfect law, sure testimony, right precepts, and pure commandment—His Word—became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus died on the cross, and rose again. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1, 14). Jesus is the only One who lived out God’s law passionately, personally, perpetually, profoundly, and perfectly. Jesus is the final, full, and unforgettable sure testimony of God! He’s the right precepts of God all in one Man! He’s the purest commandment of God who can make the dirtiest sinner clean! He’s the clean place Who makes all the ground around Him clean space no matter how base by His amazing grace! He’s clean like you’ve never seen, perfect in every gene, the purest, holiest scene, more majestic than any earthly king! He became unclean on that cross where everything He lost as He counted the cost— His love we can never exhaust though we’re tossed, bossed, and by all manner of trials criss-crossed! Through His death on the tree He makes dirt of every degree flee, just make your plea and come and see how you can be set free by the great One in Three! No matter what your sin whether you’re addicted to skin, gin, what has been, or all manner of darkness within—Jesus can win! For He didn’t just die when He let out the cry into the dark sky seen by every eye! But He rose up from the grave so that you He might save, make you brave, on your heart His law engrave, and cause you to Him alone forever crave! Do you crave God and His Word more than any other desire in your life? Because of Jesus Christ and Him crucified, cry out to God again today to revive your soul, make you wise, rejoice your heart, and enlighten your eyes through His Word. Brother and sister, take up and read!

The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; ⁸the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; —Psalm 19:7-8 The Bible is something and does something that natural revelation cannot do. The breathtaking wonders of the created order trumpet God’s glory to all people under the sun (vv. 1-6; cf. Romans 1:18-20). But the revelation of God’s will in Scripture singularly unveils His life-transforming, soul-satisfying counsel to his people. Nature speaks, revealing a glorious Creator (vv. 1-6). But in Scripture, God Himself speaks, revealing how we may flourish in our relationship with Him (vv. 7-11). Having celebrated natural revelation in verses 1-6, verse 7 transitions to a consideration of written revelation. Verses 7-8 revel in Scripture’s ontology—its nature or the attributes of its essential being. They also revel in Scripture’s economy—its functional use and power to effect transformational good in the lives of believers. God’s “law,” “testimony,” “precepts,” “commandment” (also “fear,” “rules," and “decrees” in v. 9) is “perfect.” Honoring the meaning of the Hebrew word, we should not think in strict terms of without error , although Scripture is inerrant. The Hebrew word for perfect speaks of that which is “complete, whole, or sound.” Scripture is a testament to God that is complete, marked by integrity, and never found lacking. Scripture is “sure” in the sense of “firm” and “lasting.” God’s word stands as a lasting witness to His wisdom. Nothing can topple its truth. The Bible is “right” in the sense that it is just and upright. It reveals nothing twisted or out of line, but only what is straightforwardly right. It is “pure.” The Hebrew word speaks of moral cleanness. Scriptures contain nothing corrupt or corrupting. King David does not intend for us to finely differentiate these words from one another. Rather, they work synergistically, providing a field of glorious attributes. God’s Word is utterly beautiful, entirely complete, unimpeachably accurate, and wholly trustworthy. Further, the Bible does something. It revives the soul. The Hebrew word speaks of restorative refreshment achieved by turning us around and drawing us back into fellowship with God. It makes the simple wise; that is, it provides moral skill to the morally naïve person whose life trajectory would otherwise end in disaster. It rejoices the heart. Scripture tells us a lot of things we do not want to hear. It rebukes and warns and corrects. But when we trust and obey it, we find it is a source of unending joy. Scripture also enlightens the eyes, fitting us with the capacity to see all of life from God’s perspective. Theologian John Frame’s reminder is particularly helpful here: “What the word does, God does, and vice versa. So the word not only has distinctively divine attributes, but also performs distinctively divine acts” ( The Doctrine of the Word of God , p. 67). On this side of the cross, may we rejoice in the Word who became flesh, displaying those very attributes and acts in glorious fullness. For Reflection Identify several ways our culture portrays the Bible that conflicts with its portrayal in Psalm 19:7-11. Where have you seen the effects of God's Word described in these in your life? What are some practical ways you can esteem Scripture in your ongoing relationships with other believers?

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD God is an everlasting rock. — Isaiah 26:3-4  As I sat on the white sandy Florida beach, the ebb and flow of waves reflected the emotional roller coaster my husband and I were riding on. After our financial crash, rejoining the military was our only responsible option. He had been a civilian when we married, and I’d never wanted to be a military wife. I wasn’t made for it. When he first told me of his idea, panicked prayers erupted from my heart and lips. What could possibly calm the fear in my heart amidst our life-altering circumstances? These verses in Isaiah give hope even in the most uncertain times. Originally written to the people of Judah in desperate need of Messiah, they also apply to God’s people today. They are part of a song the redeemed will sing when Jesus returns. In Hebrew, the phrase “perfect peace” is literally “peace peace.” Besides intensifying the poetic nature of the song, this technique of distributive repetition emphasizes the word peace . It’s a deep, unbroken, calm steadiness of mind that doesn’t depend on circumstances. Even in the midst of trouble, sorrow, or other distractions, we can have this peace not because God has promised to change our circumstances, but because God promises to be with us in them. God gives this gift to a particular person: the one whose mind is “stayed on him.” Worries, concerns, and fears threaten to steal our thoughts away from the Lord. When we give in and let our minds wander to the “what ifs,” we lose sight of what is . We must moment-by-moment choose to fix our minds on God, to lean on Him and rest in Him. Whenever we find our thoughts drifting, we can pull our minds away from those anxieties and bring them back to God’s truth. Mercifully, the drifting happens less as we deepen our trust in God.  To someone caught in the throes of uncertainty and fear, this sounds easier said than done. But we can learn how to trust God more. When my dad died suddenly, our young children struggled to trust God. Their limited experience and lack of personal knowledge of God presented a stumbling block. The same might be true for you. Our disappointments and fears can overshadow His goodness and make it difficult to see. But whether we’re young or old, we can cultivate trust in God by seeking Him more. God works through our Bible reading, prayer, and memorizing Scripture to deepen our understanding of Him and help us trust Him more. Isaiah invites us to trust in the Lord forever, because He is an everlasting rock. Many Scriptures refer to the Lord as a rock (Psalm 18:2, 31, 46; 92:15; 94:22; 95:1; 144:1).  When you imagine a rock, imagine a monolith like Uluru in Australia. God is not a rock you could climb up or wrap your arms around; He is a boulder towering over you and around you. His steady, unchangeable nature is in stark contrast to our ever-changing emotions, experiences, and expectations.  God is the rock I clung to when my husband said he had to return to the military. Those panicked prayers morphed into rehearsing God’s promises as I focused on Him and the truth of His Word. Sitting on the beach that day, I marveled at what God had done for me even in the midst of such an upheaval of our plans: He kept my mind in perfect, inexplicable peace.  It was so unlike me to have peace in the midst of a future full of unknowns — but not unlike God to give such a gift! When we keep our focus on the everlasting Rock, He gives us peace. He will do the same for you — God, the everlasting Rock is always faithful. For Reflection Is there an area where you long for perfect peace right now? How can you deepen your trust in the Lord and focus your mind on him?  How does knowing God is an ever-present, unchangeable rock encourage you today?  Thank God for His promised peace to those who fix their minds on Him and ask Him to help you trust Him.  Rachel Coyle  is a biblical counselor, Bible teacher, and author of Help! She's Struggling with Pornography   from Shepherd’s Press. She and her husband Philip have six children. Scripture memory plays a pivotal role in their parenting and homeschooling as they sing, write, and discuss the meaning and application of passages. The Coyles live in South Carolina where they're members of Boiling Springs First Baptist Church.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. —Colossians 3:16-17 In most neighborhoods, it’s not uncommon to see extra cars at neighbors’ houses when a guest stops by to visit them. Most of the time, we barely notice—if we notice at all.  But when a moving truck backs into a driveway, that gets the neighborhood’s attention! Why? Because they’re not just visiting; they’re here to stay. A new neighbor has arrived to actually dwell  among us. Instead of popping in every now and then, this resident will have an ongoing presence in our community and a shaping influence on their home.  In today’s verses, Paul encourages the Colossian church—and ours—to be a church where the gospel doesn’t just show up every now and then like an occasional guest, but one where the gospel moves in and dwells. Our churches should be places where the good news of Jesus puts down roots and makes itself at home. As it does, the gospel should fill our house and get into every nook and cranny of our life together. It should affect everything we are and everything we do.  These verses show us that when the gospel moves into local households of faith, it doesn’t come empty-handed. Instead, it unpacks its moving truck and furnishes the house with its own kind of belongings. The first piece it unloads is growth . This gospel growth happens as we teach one another. Those words, “one another,” are crucial. When we leave the teaching to just a few, the church suffers. Every follower of Jesus has something to teach, and we all have lots to learn.  Then, as we admonish one another, the gospel carries in a guard . When we see a brother or sister getting tangled in sin or drifting from the truth, the gospel guards us through each other’s loving admonitions. Our fellow church members are God’s dashboard warning lights, alerting us to a problem and guarding us from the danger of our spiritual life breaking down or blowing up. The next box is filled with glad   songs  as we respond to the good news of who God is and what He’s done for us. Singing is like the valve that lets out steam so it doesn’t burst the pipes. As we hear the Word of Christ, it should build up so much joy and wonder in us that we can’t contain it—we have  to sing or we’ll burst! As we live in this house where the gospel dwells, we do everything—every word and every deed—in the name and to the glory  of the Lord Jesus. That’s why Christians and why churches exist—to display the glory of Jesus. The last box the gospel brings into a church is gratitude . Our lives together are marked by a continual thankfulness in our hearts to God for the precious gift of the gospel and every other good and perfect gift he gives. Don’t let the gospel be just a visitor to your church. If you want to get your neighborhood talking, show them the gospel has moved in with all its furnishings and is here to stay! For Reflection Does thinking of admonishing as a guard help you to see it as a good gift? Do you regularly experience these benefits of membership in a gospel-oriented church? Pray for the Lord's help to practice the "one another" verses. Use a Bible concordance to search for all of the one another verses. Ask the Lord to help you grow in "one anothering" with members of your church body. Dan Weller     is Lead Pastor of Chapelwood Baptist Church in Indianapolis, IN. Prior to Chapelwood, Dan served as a pastoral resident at College Park Church and graduated from Bethlehem Seminary. He also serves on the Board of Indianapolis Theological Seminary. Dan is married to Emily and they have two beautiful daughters.