Reflections and meditations about the Bible by Peter DeHaan, PhD.
Fast for the Right Reasons In the Bible, Jesus tells his followers to fast. It is not optional. He doesn’t say, “If you do it…,” 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 […]
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 […]
Training for the Best In Paul’s letter to Timothy, he contrasts physical training (which is good) to spiritual training (which is better). I wonder, how often do we pursue things that are good, while pushing aside God’s things that are better? That’s something to think about next time we’re working out or pursuing some leisure […]
The Allure of Mystery There are things about God, Jesus, and salvation that the Bible simply describes as “mystery,” that is, hidden truth or a mystic secret. This drives some people crazy. They want to understand all and be able to fully explain everything. Anything less causes frustration and angst. For me, I relish the realization […]
Living in the Prophetic In Paul’s letter to Timothy he talks about a prophecy that he made regarding Timothy. (A prophecy is a God-inspired foretelling of the future.) Often we think of a prophecy as being about some grand, distantly future event—like the end of the world or major catastrophe—but that is not always the […]