A Daily Devotional

[Soldier4Christ]

That Goodly Mountain (#19940627)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“And I besought the LORD at that time, saying, O LORD God, thou hast begun to shew thy servant thy greatness, and thy mighty hand: for what God is there in heaven or in earth, that can do according to thy works, and according to thy might? I pray thee, let me go over, and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon” (Deuteronomy 3:23–25).

This was the heartfelt prayer of Moses, for he was longing to see the promised land that had been his goal for so many years. He knew that God, rebuking his disobedience at Meribah, had said: “Therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them” (Numbers 20:12). Yet he desired greatly to “go over” the Jordan, to see firsthand the “goodly mountain.”

The “goodly mountain” most likely was majestic Mount Hermon, the 9200-foot, snow-capped peak dominating the southern end of the mountain ranges of Lebanon. God would not allow Moses to enter the land, even though He “showed him all the land” from the top of Mount Pisgah before he died (Deuteronomy 34:1).

But then, in a marvelous and mysterious way, Moses finally did not only see but stand on Mount Hermon! “And after six days Jesus . . . bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: . . . And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with Him” (Matthew 17:1–3). There, on the Mount of Transfiguration—that goodly mountain—was Moses, along with Elijah, speaking with Jesus “of His decease which He should accomplish at Jerusalem” (Luke 9:31). God had answered his prayer! He had “begun to show” Moses the greatness of His might long ago in Egypt, but now he could see the greatness of His love as Christ prepared to die for his salvation, and ours. HMM

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Death In The Pot (#19940628)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof” (II Kings 4:40).

The “sons of the prophets” studying under Elisha became hungry, so Elisha told them to “seethe pottage,” evidently a soup primarily made of lentils. However, one of the young students proceeded to gather some wild gourds and grind them into the pottage, carelessly assuming that their attractive appearance and taste would spice up the otherwise dull meal. When the more mature students took the first sip, however, they realized the alien ingredient was poisonous, and cried out: “There is death in the pot!”

There is a parable in this experience. Modern Bible scholars often want to spice up the old truths of Scripture with some new and superficially attractive concoction from the outside world, but this always serves merely to adulterate “the sincere milk of the word” (I Peter 2:2) and insert “death in the pot.” Like the woman in the New Testament parable who took leaven and secretly “hid (it) in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened” (Matthew 13:33), Elisha’s enterprising young student slipped in his attractive ingredient, and it soon permeated the whole pot of soup with its poison. This is the way with false doctrine.

The remedy for the poison in the pottage was found when Elisha said, “Bring meal. And he cast it into the pot. . . . And there was no harm in the pot” (II Kings 4:41). The purifying “meal” was fine wheat flour, always in Scripture symbolizing the true word of God. It is the word which is the true bread by which man must live (Matthew 4:4), and the antidote for the poisonous doctrines of the world must always be the unadulterated word of God. HMM

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A Bondslave And A Freeman (#19940629)
by John Morris, Ph.D.

“Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God” (Romans 1:1).

Paul identified himself as a “servant [literally, ‘bondslave’] of Jesus Christ” as he began several of his epistles; and it is significant that he began the epistle to the Romans in the same fashion. The parallel phrase “bondslave of the emperor” was commonly used in governmental and commercial circles of the day, and the readers in Rome would fully understand the meaning of the new term.

The emperor of Rome not only was to be obeyed as a human slave owner and king, he also was to be worshiped as a god. Paul boldly proclaimed himself to be the bondslave of a different slave owner, the subject of a different king and the worshiper of a different God. He knew and expected to convince his readers that this new doctrine he was preaching would quickly replace the imperialism of Rome, and he fully realized that this challenge would quickly be recognized and fought by Rome. Paul himself, not many years hence, would stand before the emperor Nero, not as an imperial bondslave, but a bondslave of the King of kings.

Long before Nero’s executioner freed Paul from the limitations of his physical body, Paul was a “freeman of the Lord” (I Corinthians 7:22). The common title of the day, “freedmen of the emperor,” designated a bondslave of the emperor who had been elevated by the emperor to a higher position. Paul, and likewise all believers, been ransomed out of the slave market of sin by Christ’s blood, and have been set free from the guilt, power, and penalty of that sin. Our willing response should be to permanently place ourselves into enslavement to our redeemer, making us simultaneously both bondslaves and freedmen of the King. JDM

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The Pattern In The Mount (#19940630)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was showed thee in the mount” (Exodus 25:40).

Nothing that God does is capricious or accidental. A remarkable object lesson of His attention to every detail in the plan of salvation is the tabernacle in the wilderness. The divine blueprint for this structure and its attendants, followed by its construction and dedication, occupy no less than thirteen chapters of Exodus. Then the exposition of the symbolical meaning of “the pattern” shown to Moses “in the mount” occupies a major part of three chapters in the book of Hebrews. At least in terms of space allocated to the tabernacle, it seems to constitute the major “type” of the Bible, speaking in many, many ways of the Lord Jesus Christ. Numerous authors have devoted entire volumes to its exposition. The brazen altar, the laver, the mercy seat, the high priest—all “serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith He, that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount” (Hebrews 8:5).

The God of the infinite cosmos is also the careful designer of every detail of His tabernacle and every moment of our days. “In thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them” (Psalm 139:16). Just as it was vitally important for the builders of the tabernacle to follow God’s pattern precisely, so it is essential that we also follow His blueprint for our own lives, and that pattern is Christ Himself. “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps” (I Peter 2:21). If our lives are to speak of Christ, as did the tabernacle, we must “walk, even as He walked” (I John 2:6). HMM

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Hallelujah (#19940701)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“Sing unto God, sing praises to His name: extol Him that rideth upon the heavens by His name JAH, and rejoice before Him” (Psalm 68:4).

The name JAH, by which this verse exhorts us to praise the Lord, is a contracted form of Jehovah, or Yahweh, which is the commonly used name of the self-existing, self-revealing God, usually shown as LORD in English. When combined with the Hebrew verb for “praise” (hallal), it becomes “Hallelujah,” meaning “Praise ye the LORD!”

It is no coincidence that this word, “Hallelujah,” occurs exactly 22 times in the book of Psalms, also known as the book of the Praises of Israel, for there are exactly 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet, the language which God used to reveal His eternal word (Psalm 119:89) to man. This serves to remind us that the very purpose of human languages is to praise the Lord who created us and has died to redeem us.

The first occurrence in the psalms of “Hallelujah” is translated as “Praise ye the LORD” and occurs right at the very end of the great psalm extolling God’s creation, the flood, and providential care of the post-flood world (see Psalm 104:35).

It is noteworthy that the last ten occurrences of “Hallelujah” are at the introduction and closing of each of the last five psalms (Psalms 146–150). These last five psalms comprise a grand epilogue to the five books of the Psalms, each of which ends with a glorious and eternal doxology (note Psalm 41:13; 72:19; 89:52; 106:48; 145:21). The word “praise” occurs more in the book of Psalms than in all the rest of the Bible put together, so it is appropriate that its conclusion should be on such a high note of praise. Finally, the very last verse of the Psalms cries out: “Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD” (Psalm 150:6). Hallelujah! HMM

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The Generations To Come (#19940702)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children” (Psalm 78:6).

Each generation of people tends to regard its own times as the most significant of all, toward which all past history has been merely a preparation. The fact is, however, that God has “been our dwelling place in all generations” (Psalm 90:1), and He is equally concerned about any generations yet to come.

This is why He stresses repeatedly that the great truths concerning God’s creation, His character, His great work of salvation, and His long-range plans for the ages to come be transmitted faithfully from one generation to another. “One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts” (Psalm 145:4).

Our modern scientific generation almost idolizes new research, new gadgets, new discoveries. The God of eternity, however, is not so concerned that we develop new ideas as that we not lose what He already has given us. “For ever, O LORD. thy word is settled in heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: Thou hast established the earth, and it abideth” (Psalm 119:89,90). Christ said: “That which ye have already hold fast till I come.” “Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown” (Revelation 2:25; 3:11).

The great principle of true education is given by Paul in II Timothy 2:2: “The things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” The great account of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection, especially, is to be taught forever. “They shall come, and shall declare His righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that He hath done this” (Psalm 22:31. HMM

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Him That Cometh To Me (#19940703)
by John Morris, Ph.D.

“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37).

In this verse and the verses to follow, we find Christ using a marvelous teaching technique. Several times He makes a general, generic statement, but quickly advances from the general and impersonal to the particular and personal.

Note that at the first, Christ tells of an abstract gift to Him from the Father of an entire group, (“all”) of which should come to Him for salvation. This is in itself a wonderful truth, for Christ highly values this gift from His Father: “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father . . . gave them (to) me” (John 10:28,29). The entire group “shall come” to Him.

But Christ switches in mid-sentence from general to specific: “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out”—a concrete statement of the effect of this work on an individual. We are part of a group, without doubt, but also each one of us individually is His precious child.

The passage continues in the same vein. “And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which He hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day” (John 6:39). Again, the impersonal passes into the personal, for “This is the will of Him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day” (v.40).

From the mass of created mankind, many have come to Christ for salvation. But each one who has believed and been granted everlasting life has great individual worth in the eyes of the Savior. “The good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep . . . I am the good Shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine” (John 10:11,14). JDM

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Stand Fast In Liberty (#19940704)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25).

When a person accepts the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, believing on Him as Son of God and personal redeemer, the one who saves him from his sins, a wonderful event takes place. The Spirit of God enters his very body, there to reside and to guide his new life in Christ. Henceforth he is, whether he senses it or not, “in the Spirit.” “Ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His” (Romans 8:9).

The believer’s body even becomes a temple in which the Spirit can reign over his life. “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (I Corinthians 6:19,20).

In addition to leading us (through the Scriptures which He inspired and through the circumstances which He ordains), “The Spirit (Himself) beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” (Romans 8:16). “Hereby know we that we dwell in Him and He in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit” (I John 4:13).

The indwelling, comforting, leading, witnessing Spirit is not alone, for Jesus promised that, when the Comforter comes to “be in you,” then through the Spirit, “I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you” (John 14:17,20). Thus we can “be filled with all the fulness of God” (Ephesians 3:19).

Such a marvelous relationship will surely transform our lives. As our text exhorts us: “If we live in the Spirit” we should certainly “walk in the Spirit.” The practical result is then obvious. “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). HMM

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1).

This exhortation from the apostle Paul stresses our deliverance in Christ from legalistic bondage to dead works of religious ritualism. There once had been a divine purpose for all the dietary rules, animal sacrifices, and miscellaneous regulations under the Mosaic laws, but the Jews had lost sight of the spiritual meaning and value of these laws. Their leaders had even expanded them into a great host of special applications which had become a heavy burden to the people, with little spiritual benefit.

But “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law” (Galatians 3:13), having “put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (Hebrews 9:26), not that we may have license to live as selfishly and sinfully as we please, but that we might be free to “walk in the Spirit” and “live unto God” (Galatians 5:16; 2:19). This “liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free” is a priceless gift from God, to be defended—not compromised or abused.

Our Christian forefathers originally settled this country and later established our nation primarily to be able to exercise this liberty of serving God according to His word. But now, just as the Galatians had been in grave danger of losing their freedom in Christ to the Judaizers, so we today are in even greater danger of losing our religious liberties to the secularizers. Our humanist-dominated educational and judicial systems have been able to establish evolutionary humanism as our unofficial state religion, with many legalistic encumbrances to our exercise of true freedom in Christ. How urgently we need today, to “stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free.” HMM

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Bought With A Price (#19940705)
by John Morris, Ph.D.

“Ye are bought with a price; be not ye servants of men” (I Corinthians 7:23).

There are three Greek words which are translated as bought or redeemed in English. The first one means “bought with a price;” the second, “bought out of;” and the third, “liberated through ransom.” An understanding of all three is necessary in order to gain a full appreciation of the redeeming work of Christ. In the next three days, let us look at each one.

The word for “redeemed” used most often in the New Testament is the Greek agoradzo, a word of commerce, and it usually has to do with the purchase of something in the market place. “I have bought five yoke of oxen” (Luke 14:19), for example.

In just that way, we were purchased while in the slave market of sin, for we were once slaves to sin and Satan. But Christ purchased us with His precious blood, and now we are His bondslaves. “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (I Corinthians 6:19,20).

Denying or rejecting this redemption and its weighty price is costly. “False prophets . . . false teachers . . . privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction” (II Peter 2:1).

Let us sing with the 24 elders as they sing to their Lord: “Thou art worthy . . . for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth” (Revelation 5:9,10). JDM

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Bought Out Of Bondage (#19940706)
by John Morris, Ph.D.

“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: For it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” (Galatians 3:13).

Of the three Greek words translated “redeem,” two are closely related. Agoradzo means “bought while in the market place,” while exagoradzo, a stronger word, means “bought out of the market place.” This is, of course, a blessed truth, for although we have been purchased in the slave market, we were purchased in such a way that our new “slave owner” has seen to it that we never again will be offered for sale to another. He is the last owner we will ever have; we have been “taken off the market.” Our new owner promises to keep us forever.

As our text explains, the slave market that we were in (specifically addressed to the nation of Israel, but in principle to all mankind) was sin—the knowledge of which comes by the law. The law brings a curse, for no one is capable of obeying the law—not until the Redeemer became the “curse for us.” “When the fulness of time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law” (Galatians 4:4,5). We are redeemed out of the law, freed from the curse of having to conform to absolute perfection, and, more importantly, freed from being in bondage to sin. In His grace, Christ has done it all. “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

Interestingly, the word exagoradzo is also used in reference to our time. If we would “walk in wisdom” (Colossians 4:5), we would be “redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16). The days in which we find ourselves are evil, and we should be buying back for ourselves each opportunity to use them to the best advantage. JDM

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The Payment Of A Ransom (#19940707)
by John Morris, Ph.D.

“Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us” (Hebrews 9:12).

To purchase a slave on sale in the market place (I Corinthians 6:19,20), in order to take him or her forever out of that market place (Galatians 4:4,5), one must have the proper purchase price. In our case, the market place is the slave market of sin; and the purchase price, as we see in our text, was our Redeemer’s own precious blood. The word for “redemption” is the Greeklutrosis. It and similar words mean “liberated through ransom.”

“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (I Peter 1:18,19).

This ransom, of infinite value, is incorruptible, and designed to work its redeeming work for all eternity. The followers of Jesus used the word in the sense of setting Israel free (Luke 24:21), and that sort of deliverance is the proper sense. Christ removed us from bondage to sin and has now set us free—free from the penalty of sin, the guilt of sin, and the power of sin. Ultimately, we will be free from even the presence of sin. “Our Savior Jesus Christ; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:13,14).

Once liberated from our bondage, we can fulfill the purpose for which we were created—that of glorifying God in all we do (I Corinthians 6:19,20). The most reasonable response to our newly purchased freedom is to turn to God, and, out of genuine, heartfelt gratitude and love, offer ourselves to Him as bondslaves forever. JDM

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Shadows Of The Almighty (#19940708)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land” (Isaiah 32:2).

In the context of this beautiful verse, the “man” is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. To one who had been traveling in the heat of the desert, such as the Sinai wilderness, nothing was so welcome as the cool shadows behind a great rock in which one could rest for a while from the hardships of the wearying land. The symbol of the shadow is often used in the Old Testament to illustrate the refreshing presence of the Lord.

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1). Wherever His loved ones go, He is there, and our dwelling place is there in His shadow.

There is safety there, also. “Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice” (Psalm 63:7). “He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust” (Psalm 91:4). He is the great Eagle as well as the great Rock, and finally also the great Tree. “As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under His shadow with great delight, and His fruit was sweet to my taste” (Song of Solomon 2:3).

The shadow of a great rock in a weary land, the shadow of the wings of a great eagle, the shadow of a delightful fruit tree—all of these speak beautifully of the refreshing, protecting, satisfying shadow of His presence. These are the shadows of the Almighty God, who made heaven and earth, and now holds us in His hand. “I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people” (Isaiah 51:16). HMM

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One For Many (#19940709)
by Paul G. Humber, M.S.

“Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea . . . for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you” (Jonah 1:12).

Though Jonah was willing to give his life (“cast me forth”) to save sailors, it should be remembered that it was for his sake that the “great tempest” came in the first place. By way of contrast, the Lord Jesus gave His life to rescue the ungodly and, unlike Jonah, faithfully preached repentance. He also willingly submitted to a far more grievous baptism (Luke 12:50). Jonah was punished for disobeying; the Lord Jesus was condemned for the sins of others.

Amittai’s son (1:1) was described by sailors as “innocent” (1:14), but God’s Son really was! He was made “to be sin . . . who knew no sin” (II Corinthians5:21). There are similarities between the two, however. Jonah did foreshadow Jesus in the miracle of his deliverance (Matthew 12:39,40) and also eventually preached repentance.

The God of the Old Testament also showed Himself to be the God of love. He demonstrated love for Nineveh, Israel’s enemy, which feebly anticipated His great display of love in sending His Son. Centuries later, one would die for many on a cross, and the Father would open His arms to the world. When the fullness of time came, He gave His only Son, not only to warn about judgment, but also to bear it Himself!

The disobedient prophet was heard in a time of distress (Jonah 2) and was delivered. The obedient one’s prayers were also heard, and the Father raised Him from the dead. The one who granted deliverance to Nineveh eventually came to experience deliverance Himself.

People ask, “What’s this world coming to?” Judgment! Before it’s too late, children of disobedience should entrust themselves for deliverance to Jesus. He heard the repentance of Nineveh and forgave; He hears prayers today, and will forgive. The mission of saving sinners continues. PGH

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The Way Of Cain (#19940710)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain” (Proverbs 25:14).

Cain initially was a religious man, evidently proud of his achievements as a “tiller of the ground” which God had “cursed” (Genesis 4:2; 3:17). He assumed that God would be much impressed with the beautiful basket of his “fruit of the ground” which he presented as an “offering unto the LORD.” Cain became bitterly angry when God “had not respect” to Cain and his offering (Genesis 4:3–5).

“By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain,” shedding the blood of an innocent lamb in substitution for his own sin and guilt before God, “by which he obtained witness that he was righteous” (Hebrews 11:4). Since “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17), Abel was merely obeying God’s word, but Cain, proud and self-righteous in attitude, was presuming to offer up his own merits in payment for the privilege of coming to God.

This was a “false gift,” however, with no meritorious value at all before God, “like clouds and wind without rain.” The apostle Jude warns against any such presumption, especially now that we can freely come to God through His own perfect “Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). “Woe unto them!” says Jude, “for they have gone in the way of Cain . . . clouds are they without water, carried about of winds, trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots” (Jude 11,12). This severe indictment was lodged against all who, like Cain, are superficially religious, but who, by their self-righteous resentment against God, are “turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ” Jude 4). We must not boast of our gifts to God, but only of His gift to us. HMM

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Help In Time Of Need (#19940711)
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.

“Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 124:.

On the front page of the Gideon Bible, found in almost every hotel room, is a list of Scripture verses arranged to provide “Help in Time of Need,” listed under various sub-headings: “Comfort in Time of Sorrow”; “Relief in Time of Suffering”; “Guidance in Time of Decision”; and a number of others. Many a discouraged traveler has, indeed, found the help he needed by looking up the suggested verses (even the page numbers are given!) and meditating on them. It would be a good exercise for every believer, the next time he or she is in a hotel room, to study all these verses, selected as appropriate answers to many of our human needs.

God’s word is like that. “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4). Whatever the need in one’s life may be, the Bible provides an answer to meet that need. As the apostle Paul testified just before his martyrdom, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable: . . . That the man of God may be perfect . . .” (II Timothy 3:16,17). All we need until the Lord returns, He has provided through His written word.

His word, for example, assures us that He “who made heaven and earth,” as our text affirms, is well able to be “our help” in the little things that affect our lives. The word also assures us that, even though He is the mighty Creator of all things, He is “not far from every one of us” (Acts 17:27), so He can hear our prayers, wherever we are. “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). HMM