Reflections and meditations about the Bible by Peter DeHaan, PhD.
Do You Want Justice or Mercy? I have a friend who pursues justice; she wants everything to be fair. The bad thing about absolute justice is that it leaves no room for mercy. In many ways, justice and mercy are opposites: In a paradox of Godly proportions, God is both fully just yet full of […]
Money: How Much is Enough? How much money is enough when you give to charity? When considering gifts to God, that is a difficult question to answer. This is because God’s economy functions differently than ours. This is aptly illustrated in the following story: Jesus notices the rich people giving gifts to the temple treasury. […]
As followers of Jesus, we are encouraged to be generous and giving. Hospitality is part of that. Sometimes when we show kindness to others, we will never know the affect of our actions. As an encouragement in being generous and giving, Paul writes, “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people […]
Fast for the Right Reasons In the Bible, Jesus tells his followers to fast. It is not optional.He doesn’t say, “If you fast…,” but rather, “When you fast…” Jesus’ teaching applies to us too. Fasting is intentionally going without something in order to better connect with God, such as to focus on prayer or seek […]
In the book of Genesis, chapter 5, Adam’s family tree is listed, including the ages of him and his descendants, with many recorded life spans hovering around 900 years, plus or minus a few decades. While some doubt the veracity of these records, I’m willing to accept these ages as presented. (In Genesis 6:3, after […]
The news has been bad lately—and there is seemingly little hope in sight. The global economy is bad, there is a credit crisis, the US automotive industry is in trouble, unemployment is increasing, many of those with jobs are concerned, and a turnaround seems a long ways off. But in the big picture, this has […]
When We Die, What’s Next? Paul, who diligently and ardently followed Jesus, was quite sure of the answer. He wrote, “The time of my spirit’s release from the body is at hand and I will soon go free” (2 Timothy 2:4, The Amplified version). We need to realize that we are more than a body—and […]
A friend asked for prayer, that she would allow God to be her copilot. This is a good step for her, but it misses the point of what God truly desires. You see, a copilot is there to help the pilot should unforeseen circumstances occur or the pilot become incapacitated. The pilot is still in […]
The phrase “trustworthy sayings” occurs five times in the Bible. It likely refers to phrases that were commonly used and accepted by the early church. Paul’s inclusion of these phrases in his letters affirms them as reliable truth. Here are the five trustworthy sayings that Paul recorded: 1. Christ Jesus came into the world to […]
In these times of economic concern and faltering financial markets, it is easy to worry about the future. Interestingly, the Bible has much to say on this topic: “Tell those rich in this world’s wealth to quit being so full of themselves and so obsessed with money, which is here today and gone tomorrow. Tell […]