Darkened Glass Reflections

Category: Bible meditations

  • Wise Men and Wisdom

    Wise Men and Wisdom

    The flaw of worldly wisdom and common sense is that it focuses on everything that happens “under the sun” and does not recognize its source and focus in God Himself. The pleasures, passions, and purposes we often seek are temporary; a focus on God Himself is eternal.

  • The Blood and the Name of Jesus

    The Blood and the Name of Jesus

    On the eighth day since the birth of Jesus, we commemorate the circumcision of Christ, at which time He was formally given the name “Jesus.” On the eighth day, Jewish boys would be circumcised (Leviticus 12:3), and it is during this ceremony that the baby received his name. One can essentially say that Jesus shed…

  • Shepherds, Wise Men, and Ordinary People

    Shepherds, Wise Men, and Ordinary People

    A nativity scene depicts the main figures in the account of Jesus’ birth together in one location at once. It works as an effective story-telling device. However, the story of Jesus’ birth has become so familiar to most Christians that many of us miss a few key points.

  • Examining Our Ways in Times of Suffering

    Examining Our Ways in Times of Suffering

    Pain and suffering are a central part of our earthly existence. Sometimes, it seems unfair, as if God Himself is unjust. We try to make sense of suffering, but it does not always work. The answers are rarely obvious or simple, but suffering gives us an opportunity to examine our lives and see if there…

  • Understanding the Deep Waters of the Heart

    Understanding the Deep Waters of the Heart

    enewing our minds is simply one part of the Christian life, intertwined with other aspects. Our minds are renewed not only through Bible study and prayer, but also through corporate worship, ministry to others, and fellowship.

  • Guarding Your Heart

    “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23, ESV). John Wesley wrote that heart means “thy thoughts, will and affections.” It sums up our inner life. What do I choose to think about? What do I want or try to do? What spurs my emotions? Define these,…

  • Self-Sufficiency or Gratitude

    Perhaps the greatest lie of all is self-sufficiency, and God’s Word warns His people against it frequently in His Word. A false belief that “I accomplished something great and do not need God’s help” is the entry point onto the shortcut to idolatry.

  • Confession: Resisting the Lies of the Enemy

    1 John 1:8–10 hints at two closely related lies that many Christians fall for: “We have no sin” and “We have not sinned.” The first implies that one has achieved a state of moral perfection; the other claims that either we were always in that state of moral perfection or that some people really have…

  • Modern-Day Elijahs XI: A Nature Like Ours

    A modern-day Elijah will expect God to act in response to our prayers, or to accomplish whatever He said He would do. The faith of an Elijah recognizes God as a living, active, all-powerful Sovereign over all creation, not as an abstract concept confined within the covers of a book.

  • Modern-Day Elijahs X: Elijah, John the Baptist, and You and Me

    Modern-Day Elijahs X: Elijah, John the Baptist, and You and Me

    How did John the Baptist manifest the Elijah spirit? More specifically, how can we, like John, manifest that spirit?