Coram Deo: James 1:5–8 contains the incredible promise that the Lord will give wisdom to all who sincerely ask Him for it in faith. Ultimately, Christ is our wisdom, and He will never cast out anyone who comes to Him by faith alone (1 Cor. 1:30–31). God has given us Christ, the wisdom of His salvation; however, He also gives us wisdom to deal with our daily successes and failures. As we study the Wisdom Literature and seek the Lord’s face, He will make us wise.
Coram Deo: Since the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, the surest way to become wise is to pursue the knowledge of God. As we come to know more about Him, the foundation for wisdom becomes firmer in our lives, and we grow in our ability to discern things according to His revealed truth. We come to know the Lord primarily through the prayerful reading, preaching, and teaching of His Word. If you want to be wise, you must know the God of Scripture.
If we don’t know what the gospel is, we are of all people the most to be pitied—for we not only can’t proclaim the gospel in evangelism so that sinners might be saved, but we in fact may not be saved ourselves." —Burk Parsons from "What is the Gospel?" in this month's Tabletalk Magazine http://bit.ly/1AjwmY8
"If you know the world has an end—and that it could be soon—that rearranges your priorities. Yet so many of us are consumed by vacations, hobbies, and bucket lists that our actions tell the world, 'The end is not soon and the mission is not urgent.' When the Master returns, I want to have invested my talents to the fullest. Sadly, many in the church on that day will hear Jesus’ chilling words: 'Why didn’t you invest what I gave you for my kingdom? Away with you, you worthless servant.'" —J.D. Greear from the weekend devotional "Jesus' Imminent Return" in this month's Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: Understanding how the different biblical genres work will help us avoid misinterpretation, thereby improving our ability to find the wisdom that God is showing us in His Word. Our Creator commends the careful study of His Word (2 Tim. 2:15), and this careful study is essential for building the knowledge that is necessary for true wisdom. Getting a grasp of the basic, sound principles of biblical interpretation is a must for discipleship.
The "old man" dies hard. He doesn't die easily. And the struggle goes on throughout life. —R.C. Sproul
If we would see the Holy Spirit bring renewal to our churches and our lands, it will require preachers who are committed to the exposition of Scripture, and laypeople who will look for shepherds to feed them the Word of God and take full advantage of the opportunities for biblical instruction that are available." —R.C. Sproul from "Preaching and Teaching" in this month's Tabletalk Magazine http://bit.ly/1DatDDX
Coram Deo: The book of Proverbs emphasizes practical living before the face of God with its distinctive aphoristic sayings. To apply Proverbs rightly, we must carefully consider the situation in which wisdom is needed. We are not endorsing situational ethics or denying the objective truth of the Word of God. We are only recognizing that we apply proverbs differently than we do other literary forms such as commands.
Coram Deo: One of the first manifestations of ungodly wisdom occurred in the garden of Eden just after Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. Instead of turning to the Lord, our first parents hid from Him. That is not the model that Scripture gives us. Wise people know that they cannot truly run from God and that it is better to come to Him when they sin than to hide themselves. Only He can provide the forgiveness and the covering for our shame that we need when we have fallen.
"While our good works bear witness to the work of the Spirit in our lives, they are not sufficient in themselves for evangelistic purposes." —Kevin Gardner from "Preach It" in this month's Tabletalk Magazine http://bit.ly/1DxA3dC
Coram Deo: Wise people maintain the distinction between Creator and creature, recognizing that there are some matters where God has chosen to remain silent. They respect the Lord’s decision and do not try to speak where He has not spoken. They trust in His sovereignty and goodness, believing that He will be faithful to all of His promises. May that be true of us, that we might be wise and trustworthy servants of God.
Jesus kept the Law for you and for me, and received the reward for us. —R.C. Sproul
Coram Deo: Ultimately, all of the Wisdom Books make one point: that life without God is meaningless and that only He can understand the creation fully and finally. The only way for us to find true wisdom of eternal significance is to turn to Him and His Word. Otherwise, whatever meaning we find is fleeting, whatever joys we have will come to dissatisfy us, and every love we have will not meet the needs of our souls.
"The consumer-driven model adopted by many American churches makes it difficult to carry out biblical church discipline. People hop from church to church for superficial reasons such as music style and children’s programming. The New Testament model of a congregation that is committed to one another and takes care of one another is rare; thus, discipline often does not have its intended effect" —Jonathan Akin from "What Should We Say?" in this month's Tabletalk Magazine http://bit.ly/1xMY7Zj
"When we find ourselves in the midst of difficult circumstances, when God is silent and hidden from our view, and when we cannot see what He is doing, we need this same reminder that God really is on the move. He is at work. Even if we cannot see it, the invisible hand of God is moving and working behind the scenes, bringing His perfect purposes to pass in our lives." —Guy Richard from the weekend devotional "God is on the Move" in this month's Tabletalk Magazine
“Count your blessings, name them one by one.” So the old hymn exhorts us—with valid Biblical warrant. We are to be thankful people, expressing gratitude to our God for His blessings, however small they may be. Not mechanically, but devotionally, thank God for the rich blessings that we all tend to take for granted.
Coram Deo: God’s wisdom has the final say in all matters. No plan, no matter how well conceived or potent, can keep Him from accomplishing His purposes. His enemies can advance only as far as He allows, and what might look like victories on their part are ordained by the Lord as part of His plan to defeat them fully and finally. If we are in Christ, the undefeatable Lord is on our side. In that we can and must rejoice, for it means that our enemies cannot finally prevail.
If the faith that we profess is a naked faith with no evidence of works, it is not saving faith. —R.C. Sproul
"Worship rightly evokes feelings, but it is not chiefly about how we feel. Our feelings must be informed by God’s Word and subject to Christ’s lordship, not to the whims of personal preference." —Randall Van Meggelen from "When You Don't Feel Like Singing" in this month's Tabletalk Magazine http://bit.ly/17B0Vz8
Coram Deo: Wisdom comes to those who seek God and endeavor to follow His law of gratitude for His great salvation. Calvin comments, “We must not be influenced by our own designs, nor decide, according to carnal reason, what we are to do, but must at once come to the determination, that they who turn not aside, either to the right hand or the left, from the observance of God’s commandments, are indeed in the right path.”
God doesn't want us to just feel gratitude, but for us to show it by giving thanks to God with our lives. —R.C. Sproul
Coram Deo: When we have the Word of God hidden in our hearts, we are equipped to resist temptation because we are better able to discern what is truly good from that which is not good or edifying. We also acquire the wisdom for navigating the treacherous roads in our lives, enabling us to steer clear of problems that can entice us to sin. Are you making regular time for the study of God’s Word in your life both privately and as part of the corporate body of Christ?
Coram Deo: As Christians, we know that the life to which Ecclesiastes points, that which is beyond life “under the sun” in this present world, is life in the presence of God Himself. Ultimately, we can find meaning in life only in the Creator who has created all things and invests them with meaning. Many things in this world will escape our grasp, but we can rest in the fact that God understands them, that He is working out all things for the good of those who love Him (Rom. 8:28).
Q: What is the “10/40 Window"?
Tim Keesee: It is missions shorthand for the most populous and least-reached region of the world. The 10/40 Window spans from ten degrees north latitude to forty degrees north latitude—from Saharan Africa eastward to China and the Indonesian archipelago. It contains two-thirds of the world’s people along with the superlatives of despair—worst poverty, shortest lifespan, greatest persecution, least access to the gospel.
Coram Deo: A life of wisdom gained by heeding the godly instruction of parents and others is a far greater adornment than the best jewels money can buy. Matthew Henry comments, “Those are truly valuable, and shall be valued, who value themselves more by their virtue and piety than by their worldly wealth and dignity.” Such a life evidences the presence of saving faith and will receive the Lord’s commendation, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
There is no bridge from hell to heaven after death. —R.C. Sproul
"God is the Savior not only of the blood-streaked warrior, but the henpecked friend, the physically challenged sufferer, and the misunderstood wife. His grace is perfectly fitted for our daily struggle—indeed, it is more than sufficient for them. It makes heroes of even the most unsuspecting and normal of God’s people." —Owen Strachan from the weekend devotional "Hannah's Perseverance" in this month's Tabletalk Magazine
The hardest people to be courteous to are the people who know us the best. How often are we rude and irritable with our spouses and children even as we exercise a great deal of self-control with those who are only barely acquaintances? How have you treated your family and close friends today? Have you blown up in anger or been rude to them? If so, go and apologize to them and endeavor to love them selflessly at all times.
Coram Deo: A cheerful heart does not pretend that all is well, and it grieves at the appropriate time. A cheerful heart responds appropriately to a given situation, all the while possessing a deep and enduring peace that enables one to trust in the Lord and know that He is the source of true, eternal joy. A cheerful heart may not always show itself with a smile, but even when it is not in happy circumstances, it is confident that an eternal weight of glory is being prepared for us.
"Jesus, the final Adam, has come not only to undo what the first Adam did, but to do what the first Adam failed to do. He, the firstborn of the new creation, is overseeing the birth of the new heavens and the new earth, even as the old groans in the travail of labor." —R.C. Sproul Jr. from "May the Best Man Win" in this month's Tabletalk Magazine http://bit.ly/1BVH8G5
Coram Deo: Only when we have a high view of God’s sovereignty will we be able to understand that God uses the pain in our lives to discipline us, either to show us the consequences of our sin or to keep us drawing closer to Him. When we are disciplined for our sin, in fact, He brings us to Himself and helps us understand the ways our transgression affect ourselves and others. Because God is in control of all, all of our pain is meaningful and used by Him for a good end (Rom. 8:28).
To call somebody a “born-again Christian” is like saying that such a person is a Christian Christian. —R.C. Sproul
Coram Deo: Coming to understand the limitations of our knowledge and wisdom can be deeply sorrowing. At the same time, however, there are senses in which it can be liberating. First, knowing the limits of our own understanding forces us to flee for refuge to Christ and to recognize that we are ever-dependent on the grace of His wisdom. Furthermore, knowing that our wisdom is limited frees us from the burden of feeling like we must be an expert in all areas of life and knowledge.
Coram Deo: Matthew Henry comments that God has “an eye to discern all, not only from which nothing can be concealed, but by which every thing is actually inspected, and nothing overlooked or looked slightly upon. . . . An eye to distinguish both persons and actions. He beholds the evil and the good, is displeased with the evil and approves of the good, and will judge men according to the sight of his eyes.” God sees all that we do, and He will not forget those who obey Him.
Coram Deo: Numbers 32:23 says that our sin will find us out. We live in fear if we are in impenitent sin because we know the truth of this verse, namely, that we cannot hide our wickedness forever. The only solution to such fear is confession and repentance. Confessing our sins to one another puts fear and paranoia to flight because it brings our transgression out into the open, encouraging us to fight our sin and to take an honest stand for Christ as sinners saved by grace alone.
"Without the biblical understanding of human personhood and dignity as image-bearers of God, society is free to degenerate into violence, oppression, and exploitation of the weak by the strong." —Justin Holcomb from "Ethics of Personhood" in the April 2013 issue of Tabletalk Magazine bit.ly/154YrGg
"The relationship we enjoy with Christ in the gospel is entirely of grace. God initiates it. But once it is initiated, we do not then become passive in that relationship. There is a response on our part. ... This God-directed and-sustained synergistic cooperation on our part in our sanctification (Paul calls it “obedience” in v. 12) is something both the Holy Spirit and we do. We dare not lose sight of the emphasis on our involvement." —Derek Thomas from the weekend devotional "Abiding in Christ: More than Sentiment" in this month's Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: If you are a married man, thank the Lord for the wisdom that your wife provides in the affairs of your home. If you are a married woman, pray that God would cause you to grow in wisdom so that your husband will find it easy to thank the Lord for you. If you are single man and looking for a spouse, ask the Father to bring you a prudent wife. If you are a single woman who wants to be married, pray that God would prepare you now to be a wife who is known for her wisdom.
Q: What encouragement can you give to Christians who find evangelism difficult?
Tim Keesee: A brother once said to me, “The world is more willing to receive the gospel than Christians are willing to give the gospel.” Evangelism is not having the answers for every objection. Nor is it dependent on our debating skills. We are the willing messengers, but the winning, saving work is God’s part.
Coram Deo: In our day, the term servant often has negative connotations, at least in popular ways of thinking. We cannot import this negativity into what it means to be a servant of the Lord. To be the Lord’s servant is to serve the Master who always has the best interests of His people in mind. To serve God is to serve the One who never fails to recognize even the smallest gesture of service to His name. It is a great thing indeed to serve the Lord with gladness.
Coram Deo: Often we experience suffering when we have faithfully served the Lord, while other faithful servants experience prosperity. When this happens, it is easy to wallow in dissatisfaction. We are also tempted to try to find the reasons why our situation is different than another’s. The answer, however, is to seek the Lord’s face and ask Him to give us contentment and satisfaction with whatever blessings we do have, whether they are large or small.
At the moment I sin, I desire the sin more than I desire to please God. —R.C. Sproul
Coram Deo: The Westminster Shorter Catechism says that Christ executes the office of king by “subduing us to himself, in ruling and defending us, and in restraining and conquering all his and our enemies” (Q&A 26). All who oppose this work do so in vain. He will conquer the hearts of His elect, drawing them all to Himself. He will defeat His enemies and ours. He is the mighty King and Lord of all, and we need not fear anything if we are in Him.
"It is a great kindness that our Lord speaks so plainly to us in His Word. We are without excuse. He warns us of self-deception and instructs us in the way to avoid it. He speaks frightening truth in order to save." —Tom Ascol from "The Most Frightening Words" in the March 2008 issue of Tabletalk Magazine bit.ly/1uG7NQw
Coram Deo: It is not difficult to get people to say nice things about Jesus when the only Jesus they know is the gentle Jesus of popular culture who makes no demands on anyone. That is not the Jesus of Scripture. We live in an era of divine patience, when God is holding back His wrath so that many may be saved. But make no mistake, this patience is not eternal. Gentle Jesus, meek and mild, will execute His wrath at the appointed time. Today is the day of salvation, tomorrow the day of wrath.
"Christians and non-Christians alike face pressure to conform to the expectations of others. Some of these expectations are legitimate—parents should provide for their children, employees should do a good job in service to their employer, and so on. Many of these expectations, however, are illegitimate—women should be perfect mothers, cooks, housewives, and lovers, all the while looking like fashion models; men should be ideal fathers, lovers, handymen, and corporate go-getters, all the while maintaining the perfect upper-middle-class lifestyle, featuring a large home, immaculate lawn, and children destined for the Ivy League." —Robert Rothwell from the weekend devotional "Let It Go" in this month's Tabletalk Magazine
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