Person

“Can I be content with singleness and yet desire marriage at the same time?” or “Does one exclude the other?” God’s Word never contradicts itself. Thus, if God calls His children to contentment and simultaneously encourages His children to pursue good things, then there is no contradiction. We can apply this truth to other areas of life and then draw a few conclusions about anticipation for marriage.

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). Although the subject of this first sentence is plural, Elohim, the verb created is given in the masculine singular form. This God of the Bible, the Creator of all things, is one; but the One is also three Persons—three, but also one. What would seem to be a grammatical mistake is actually a statement of profound Trinitarian truth.

Four hundred years ago, an aging couple in their fifties left behind all that they had known and loved to journey to the rocky, untamed wilderness of North America. William and Mary Brewster, in spite of their advancing ages, were among the brave Pilgrims that boarded the Mayflower to sail to the New World. Unlike most Pilgrims, William Brewster had a family heritage among the landed gentry of England. He had been educated at Cambridge University and held the public office of Postmaster while living in his manor house in Scrooby.

In laying aside the things of the past, we often think of our sins and failures. But it is not just our failures we must forget; we must also forget our successes! We dare not glory in our accomplishments or even our spiritual attainments. What are you seeking? Are you clinging to your past successes? Or, are you discouraged by your past failures? Do the distractions of “things on the earth” pull your affection away from Christ? If any of these situations are so, learn with Paul to forget those things which are behind!

The Bible shines a spotlight on a royal wedding in Psalm 45. It is thought that perhaps this psalm was written as a celebration of the wedding of King Solomon. But the psalm rises far above any earthly wedding. The Messianic implications of this psalm are not merely the suppositions of Bible scholars. The Word of God, in Hebrews 1:8, verifies that this royal wedding psalm was written concerning the Son of God.

The mother lovingly stroked the blond hair of her son. Slowly and carefully, she spoke to her son in a serious tone, “You must learn to be strong. From now on you are no longer my child—you are a man.” With this solemn parting, Ruth Weichert pulled her son, Henryk, to her heart. A quiver ran through her as she embraced her ten-year-old boy for what she knew might be the last time.

One of the central doctrines of orthodox Christianity is the Trinity. The Godhead is three in person. The Godhead is one in essence. It is important to recognize that in making the statement, “I and my Father are one,” Jesus was not denying the Trinity, nor giving credence at all to the twin heresies of unitarianism or modalism.

There are some clear Biblical indications that, although marriage as an institution is limited to life here on earth, even temporal marriages have an eternal impact. This precious truth can be a comfort to those who have lost their partner through death and are now awaiting the joyous day of reunion in a world of endless bliss and joy in the presence of our eternal Bridegroom.

The Icelandic waters look icy and lifeless, but those freezing waters teem with krill, which is the main food for the great whales that find their food in these polar oceans near the ice caps. Iceland is cold! But also the land is hot and desolate, harsh, yet fruitful. The country welcomes the seaman who takes refuge there. These contrasts are seen not only in the landscape of Iceland but also in its interesting history.

The world has tried in vain to establish a one-world government. The prophet Zechariah declared, “And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one” (Zechariah 14:9). Unity is an attribute of God. He is one, and His name is One. Thus, it follows that God brings unity to all that He governs.

Samuel Davies lived the life of a typical farm boy. He helped his father in the fields. He learned to hunt deer and squirrels in the woods. Samuel also enjoyed crabbing and fishing in the nearby Atlantic Ocean. His mother ensured that her son learned to read in his youth; she accomplished her goal as young Samuel sometimes was found reading his books or teaching other boys how to read!

The Hebrew word Elohim, generally translated “God” in the Bible, is plural in its grammatical number. This plurality reflects the divine Trinity—that one God exists in three Persons. In Genesis 1:26, the plural number is used when Elohim spoke: “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.”

Phillip Keller grew up among the Africans. The boy learned their language. He learned to stalk gazelles on the savanna. He knew the ways of the elephant, the rhinoceros, and the lion. He loved the sun-drenched plains of his native land. Young Keller was educated at a boarding school in the highlands of Kenya.

In many cultures, a shepherd drives his sheep in front of him. But in ancient Israel and still today among the Bedouin communities of the Middle East, a shepherd leads his sheep, going before them. He never asks them to go anywhere that he himself has not gone before them. What does this mean for you? Our Lord Jesus will never drive you into the unknown. Everywhere He leads you, He goes before you! The place where He is leading you may certainly be a place that is unknown to you, but it is not unknown to Him. He leads from the front. He knows what lies beyond the valley. You can follow His voice without question or hesitation.

As the massacre intensified, the youthful king of France thought of one man whom he must and could save—his private doctor, a good and faithful man. This skilled French physician was a committed Huguenot and a pious, humble Christian. Charles IX, young but of frail health, loved his doctor and could not bear the thought of his doctor being murdered simply because he was a Huguenot! Not wanting his dear physician to share Admiral de Coligny’s fate, Charles IX hurried to where his physician slept and ushered him into his own royal bedchamber for safekeeping.

What makes the difference between these seemingly contradictory texts? Why would Paul turn from saying that there is none that doeth good and then give such a high commendation of goodness in the lives of the Roman believers? The difference is the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. Goodness is included in the fruit of the Spirit mentioned in both Galatians 5:22 and Ephesians 5:9.

There was a day when Abraham laid his wife Sarah in the grave. In the touching account of Abraham’s purchase of a burial plot, he “came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her” (Genesis 23:2). No matter how expected the death, how long the life, or how bright the hope of the resurrection, it remains a sad, sorrowful blow to the heart of a man or a woman when the closest bond on earth is severed by our last enemy.

William Tyndale was an outcast, a fugitive and stranger from his native land; he was truly a man without a country. He could not return to England on pain of death. For many years now, he had wandered in foreign lands. Germany and the Low Countries (the Dutch Netherlands) had proved a haven for him, and he quickly had learned the foreign languages. In fact, Tyndale possessed a gift for learning languages. He could speak more than seven tongues fluently!

Of course, it is easy to rest in His goodness when Jesus is giving us exactly what we want! When the deaf man was made to hear and the dumb was made to speak, it was easy to proclaim with amazement that Jesus did all things well. But when Fanny Crosby was blinded as a very young child due to an improper application of a mustard poultice to her eyes, how much more difficult it must have been for her to write “Jesus doeth all things well”! Yet, seeing by faith beyond her circumstances, she was able to proclaim the truth of God’s goodness in doing all things well.

Have you ever noticed that the word complementary is related to the word complete? Eve was the perfect complement of Adam. She was many things that he was not and she helped him fulfill God’s purposes. She made him truly a “whole man” and he was no longer alone, having now a companion for life. He had found his complementary match, and he was now complete.