Coram Deo: Many Christian authors have written about “the dark night of the soul” or “spiritual depression,” referring to those times when God seems far away and we feel spiritually dry and down. At such times, we are not to believe that the Lord has really left us; rather, He remains with us to guide us through the valley of darkness for His name’s sake. Even if all we can confess is our spiritual sorrow, it is worth bringing to the Lord in prayer.
We don’t need to be great scholars to understand God’s Word, we simply need to be born-again, humble children indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Yet, even as believers, we know that not everything in Scripture is easy to understand. —Burk Parsons in Tabletalk Magazine
Through the light of Scripture, we begin to understand God’s holy character and realize our sinfulness. We begin to understand all that was lost in Eden, and discover why we long to return from exile to the Father’s fellowship. That leads us to look with joy to the redemption found only in the Lord Jesus Christ. Peace with God is now possible. —Chris Larson in Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: We know that it is impossible for anyone who has truly put his trust in Jesus alone to fall away finally from Christ. How do we know that we have such faith, which is the only kind of faith that can save? One way is that we continue holding onto the promises of God and taking our needs to Him, trusting that He is walking with us always. As we walk with Him, our assurance will grow, and we will be confident that heaven is our reward.
It’s critical that teachers be lifelong learners. No great teacher gets everything right the first time. Excellent instructors keep on revising their material and adjusting their skills throughout their teaching careers. Simply put, they keep learning. —R.C. Sproul in Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: There are many books that present the historical evidence for the resurrection of Christ, and it can be helpful to be aware of the convincing case that Jesus rose from the dead. If we are confident of the resurrection, we will be assured that there is a day of judgment to come when our suffering will be vindicated. As we are able, let us study so as to grow in our conviction of the resurrection and to bear witness to the truth of Christ.
Coram Deo: Although we do not always feel as if God is near to us, we can be sure that He always draws close to His people when they study His Word and hear it preached. The Holy Spirit attends the reading and hearing of His Word, instructing us, convicting us, and conforming us to the image of Jesus. We do not need to look for special “mountaintop” experiences to know that God is near, for He is always near in His Word.
Coram Deo: We will not be saved by our own keeping of the law, for we are sinners and cannot keep the law perfectly. However, exposure to the law of God is necessary for salvation, for it is by the law that the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin and prepares us for the gospel. As many have said, you cannot know the good news of grace without first knowing the bad news of the condemnation under which we stand as lawbreakers. Let us encourage our churches in the preaching and teaching of God’s law.
Coram Deo: Our responses to others, especially those in authority, must always be governed by divine wisdom. We must pray that the Lord would help us discern the difference between abuse and rightly administered discipline, between the response of a ruler that is wholly unjustified and evil, and a response that is firm and appropriate. Let us trust Christ to help us respond appropriately to all people.
It is one thing to write a lyric—there is a lot of great lyrical content out there, especially in the older hymns—but it is another thing to make that lyrical content “singable” and memorable. You want to be able to hear it, walk away, and sing it later. —Jeff Lippencott in Tabletalk Magazine
The holiness of God is traumatic to unholy people. —R.C. Sproul
Coram Deo: When we see the great needs of other people, it is easy for us to feel a little guilty about enjoying the good gifts of God. However, we are not sinning if, as part of our God-honoring lifestyle, we go on a fun trip, eat a good meal, or do other such things. The Lord calls us to be generous with our wealth and to support the work of His kingdom, but there is a place for us to enjoy what He has given us as part of thanking Him for His goodness.
Coram Deo: Christians from the Reformed tradition believe that God has revealed Himself in Scripture and in creation. We cannot obtain saving knowledge of the Lord by observing the world around us; for that, we must have the special revelation given to us in Scripture. However, there is much we can learn from the natural world, including the value and virtue of hard work. Let us do what we can to impart this lesson in our churches, our families, and our communities.
Coram Deo: Wise people put up safeguards in their thoughts and actions to help keep them from being ensnared by a root of bitterness. Lest our minds lead us astray, it is wise to think on what is true, good, and beautiful so that our thoughts are not filled with curses and other unclean things (Phil. 4:8). At the same time, we should endeavor not to listen to or repeat uncertainties that we hear about others or otherwise gossip about our neighbors.
Christianity is not about safety. It is about risk. The men and women who are currently endangering themselves in closed countries to share Christ are not doing different work than non-missionaries are. We have the same mission, if a different position. In a secularizing age, let us go “at once” to God to give more glory, knowing that if we are tired or uncertain, that soon, we will hear the Master say to us what He said before: “Well done, good and faithful servant." —Owen Strachan in this month's Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: The wisdom of Proverbs is not meant to remain “out there” in theory but is to take root in the everyday lives of God’s people. The excellent wife embodies the Lord’s wisdom in fulfilling her divinely appointed role and in bringing great blessing to her family and community. By God’s grace, the women among us should strive to become Proverbs 31 women, and the men among us should do what is in their power to assist the women they know to become this embodiment of wisdom.
Coram Deo: It has been said that “behind every great man, there’s a great woman.” Indeed, the quality of a husband’s wife will inevitably have an impact on the husband’s reputation for good or for ill. Godly wives endeavor to act in such a way that their husbands are respected in the community. They do this through their industry, their wisdom, and their generosity. Let us seek to help develop these characteristics in the women and girls in our churches.
Jesus commands us to love our enemies and bless those who curse us. That being the case, it is hard to see how He can possibly command us to hate our family, especially when God gave us the commandment to honor our father and mother. —Thomas Brewer in Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: There are many fine qualities that we should seek in a spouse, but above all we should look for the fear of the Lord. When a husband and a wife both fear God, Christ is the center of their relationship and their marriage takes on a greater purpose—the glory of God. If you are seeking to be married, pray that the Lord would bring you a spouse who fears Him. If you are married, pray that your spouse would grow in the fear of the Lord.
The good news is that God justifies the ungodly freely, by giving to all who believe a righteousness that is not their own. —R.C. Sproul
Coram Deo: According to His deity, Christ has always been the sovereign Lord of all, but in His incarnation, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension, a new phase of His reign in which His humanity shares began. That marked the beginning of the full and final defeat of His enemies, and even now He is working to destroy them. He cannot fail, so no foe of His can finally defeat Him or those who are united to Him by faith alone. Therefore, let our foes do their worst. We are safe in Christ forever.
Coram Deo: Christ is gentle and kind to His people, but this gentleness and kindness is an expression of strength, not weakness. He is also the fierce protector of His children, and He will judge the earth in righteousness. Our only hope to endure that judgment is to come under the blood of His sacrifice by trusting in Him alone. When we do so, we enjoy not only His kingly rule but also His priestly mediation. Are you trusting in Christ alone this day for salvation?
We want to be rich, successful, and comfortable, but we do not long for wisdom. Thus, we do not read the Scriptures, the supreme textbook of wisdom. This is foolishness. Let us pursue the knowledge of God through the Word of God, for in that way we will find wisdom to live lives that please Him. —R.C. Sproul in Tabletalk Magazine
Our problem as evangelicals is not that we have failed to defend the Bible; our problem is that we have neglected to heed it. As Psalm 78 makes clear, our capacity to tell future generations of the “glorious deeds of the Lord” depends largely on how well we have attended to God’s Word in the present. When God bids us to listen to His instruction, He means more than for us simply to hear and regurgitate it. He intends for us to incline our ears, focus our minds, bend our hearts, and orient our lives to His Word (see Ps. 78:1–4). —John Tweeddale in this month's Tabletalk Magazine
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