God's Promise Withdrawn

Prepare: How can we honour the Lord?
Read: 1 Samuel 2:27-36


God's provision: God spoke through the unnamed prophet. God asked, "Did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel...?" This is a rhetorical question for which the answer is yes. The duties of the priest were clearly given. The ephod is the jeweled breastplate described in Exodus 28 that symbolized the people of Israel. God also said that He gave to the house of the priest all His offerings. Except for the burnt offerings, other offerings like grain offering, sin offering, guilt offering and peace offering were given to the priests (Lev 6:14-18;7:1-38).


God's curse: The Lord accused Eli of scorning the Lord and honouring his sons. But the Lord honours those who honour Him and lightly esteems those who despise Him. Though the Lord promised, He can revoke His promise for deliberate of the terms of the promise. God also pronounces words of curses similar to the curses in the Covenant. This is an eschatological statement i.e., prophecy against Eli. Eli will not live to experience the punishment, but the death of his two sons on the same day will be a sign that the prophecy is true. The priestly office of his family would tragically end. 


God's promise: The faithful priest with a sure house is probably Zadok, the priest under David. Here the anointed means the king. David is promised a sure house (2 Samuel 7:16). God will keep His promises, if we keep faithfully our part.


Respond: Lord, help us to honour You all through our life. 

Contrast Between Eli's Sons and Samuel

Prepare: We have the stewardship of all things including our children. 
Read: 1 Samuel 2:12-26

Weak father and wicked sons: Eli's sons, Hophni and Phineas, had no reverence for God and no respect for the people who came to offer sacrifices to the Lord. When the people offered sacrifices they would take their portion of the sacrificed animal, even before the fat was burnt. These young men treated the offering of the Lord with contempt. In God's sight, that was a great sin. Instead of being mediators, they were a hindrance to the worshipper.

Eli heard all the reports about his sons, including how they spoiled the women who were serving in the house of the Lord. His rebuke and warning to his sons did not bring about a change in their behaviour. Probably, Eli should have brought up his sons in the fear of the Lord from early childhood. Now, it was too late.

Godly mother and saintly son: In contrast, a beautiful picture of Hannah and Samuel is shown here. She continued to offer the yearly sacrifice, besides giving a garment to Samuel. God blessed her with three sons and two daughters. God indeed showered his blessings on Hannah, beyond her imagination!

The boy Samuel grew up to be a young man, pleasing to the Lord and finding favour with the people (Luke 2:52). This certainly was due to Hannah's godly upbringing of Samuel. We should remember, "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6).

Respond: Lord, help up to fulfill the stewardship of our children entrusted to us. 

Hannah's Praise and Worship

Prepare: I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
Read: 1 Samuel 2:1-11

Hannah's song: Rejoicing in what God has done in her life, Hannah offers her son for God's service, and now she offers a prayer. It is a prayer of praise, worship and thanksgiving. The prayer is a psalm, which has parallelism and symbolism. Many of the themes of this song are found in the Magnificat of Mary (Luke 1:46-56).

The song both starts and ends with the declaration that the Lord exalts. The verb translated as "exalt" appears also in verse 7, 8 and 10 and expresses the theme of the song. The song puts the birth and the life of Samuel in the context of the all powerful saving acts of God. It starts with Hannah's emotions, but it is not about gloating over Peninnah. Hannah glorifies the Lord for His guidance in human affairs. Hannah alternates between the themes of the Lord's holy sovereignty and the reversal of human fortunes.

Hannah's prophetic word of faith that 'she who was barren has borne seven children' is remarkable. Hannah herself bore only six children including Samuel, but 'seven' is a poetic number for perfection. Hannah affirms that the Lord is sovereign over life, for He created and owns the world. The song concludes with a plea to the Lord to raise the King of Israel to a position of power and prominence worthy of the great God, who appointed him.

Respond: Let us offer the praise and worship to our God, Who is worthy to receive it. 

Pouring Out the Heart Before the Lord

Prepare: Let us come to God in faith, whatever may be our situation.
Read: 1 Samuel 1:1-18

Hannah's pain and prayer: Elkanah of the tribe of Ephraim had two wives. While Peninnah had children, Hannah was barren. The family made trips to Shiloh every year to worship the Lord by offering sacrifice. Because of Peninnah's provocative words year after year about her barrenness, Hannah would weep and would not eat. Despite Elkanah's love for her, Hannah experienced a lot of pain. When on a trip to Shiloh one year, she went to the house of the Lord in a deeply distressed state. While praying she made a vow to the Lord, ""...if you.. will give a son, I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life...". She would dedicate her son as a Nazirite, for God's sevice (Numbers 6:1-8) .

Hannah's assurance in God: The priest in the house of the Lord mistook her for a drunken woman and rebuked her. Hannah humbly explained to him that she was not a wicked woman filled with wine, but out of her great grief, she had been pouring her heart before the Lord. Realizing his mistake, the priest Eli spoke softly, assuring her of God granting her petition. No longer was Hannah sad for she had assurance and faith in God.

Let us remember that our tears are not forgotten by God (Psalm 56:8). Whatever difficulties or pain we experience, let us boldly pour our hearts before Him in faith.

Respond: Lord, we pour our hearts to You. Let the peace that passes all understanding fill our hearts.

Believers Today are the Citizens of Zion

Prepare: Believers are the agents to pass on the goodness of God to the next generation.
Read: Psalm 48

God's city: David took Mount Zion from the Jebusites and made Jerusalem the capital of his kingdom. He brought the ark of the covenant of God to Jerusalem and thus made Zion, a 'holy mountain'. Jerusalem thus became the city of God and the city of a great King. The greatness belongs to the Lord and not to the city. The safety of Jerusalem was not in her location or her walls, but in her God. Thus our security is in God and not in anything else.

God's people: God protects the city in which His children live, from their enemies. When the Assyrians came against Israel and surrounded Jerusalem, Israel along with king Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah turned to the Lord and He came to their rescue. They could see with their eyes, how the Lord protected Jerusalem. So, they began to worship Him.

God's people's responsibility: After the worship, as they walked around the city, they were once again reminded that God alone was Jerusalem's protection and not its towers and walls. Hence, they are reminded that they need to tell their future generation about the Lord and what He has done to them. Each generation must pass along to the next generation who their God is and what He has done. Are you doing this to your children and grandchildren?

Respond: Dear God, let me be faithful to let my children and my next generation know how faithful You have been to me and to my family.

Christians are Established by the Truth

Prepare: Christians must be aware of false teachings and teachers. 
Read: Romans 16:17-27

Be wise about what is good: Not everyone was helping Pail in his ministry. There were some who were trying to divide the church and causing believers to go astray by teaching false doctrines. Paul clearly mentions that such teachings come from Satan. The instruction of Paul is 'watch out for them' and 'keep away from them'. Paul also exhorts his readers to be 'wise about what is good' and 'innocent about what is evil'. The same exhirtation comes to us as we strive to obey God and maintain our testimony.

Be established in the truth: Paul in this section mentions eight of his close associates who laboured with him. Timothy was Paul's 'son-in-faith' and co-laboured with him in many different places and circumstances (Phil 2:19-24). Lucius was a fellow Jew as were Jason and Sosipater.Tertius wrote this letter as Paul dictated it. Gaius, Erastus and Quartus, were all fellow labourers with Paul.

The closing benediction which is the longest one Paul ever wrote, reflects his ministry which is concerned with God's plan of salvation, uniting Jews and Gentiles in one body, the church (Eph.3). The whole purpose of this epistle is to explain God's plan of salvation to Christians, so that they would be established in the truth  and share this truth with the lost. Are you doing that?

Respond: Lord Jesus, thank You for making me a minister of the Gospel to others. Keep me faithful in this calling always.

We are like Sheep and Sheep Flock Together

Prepare: No Christian can afford to live in isolation.
Read: Romans 16:1-16

Fellow labourers in Christ: In this section Paul greets twenty-six people by name as well as two unnamed saints. He also mentions several churches that were meeting in homes. This list shows that Paul was a friend as well as a soul winner. He developed friendships wherever he went and appreciated them and their service to him and to God.

Phoebe might have been a deaconess in the church at Cenchrea. In the early churches there were women who served in different capacities. Priscilla and Aquila are mentioned in the book of Acts (18:1-3;18, 19, 26) but there is no record where and when they risked their lives for Paul. At the time of this writing they were in Rome and they still opened their home for the believers to meet and have fellowship.

Paul calls four persons 'beloved in the Lord'. Epenetus, Ampliatus, Stachys and Persis. Paul remembers Epenetus in particular for he was the first convert in Asia (1 Cor.16:15).  Andronicus and Junias were the blood relatives of Paul and they were outstanding apostles. It is very interesting to discover that all those who are mentioned in this section have been in one way or the other involved in God's service and were helpful to Paul in his ministry. They fulfilled their ministries for the glory of God. May we follow their example?

Respond: Dear Father, enable me to discover my gift and use it effectively for the benefit of saints around me. Amen.

Christian Giving is an Expression of Love

Prepare: Giving should be a natural result of a Christian's walk with the Lord.
Read: Romans 15:22-33

The Gentiles' ministry to the Jews: The Gentile Christians in Greece made a special offering to the poor Jews in Jerusalem and Paul had to take it to Jerusalem (2 Cor.8:9). Paul looked on this offering as the repaying of a debt. The gentiles had received spiritual wealth from the Jews and the Gentiles now share their material wealth with the Jews. This gift was an expression of their love and gratitude. It also helped to unite the Jews and Gentiles in the church. A few days ago, we saw that disunity and disagreement do not glorify God, while mutual care and concern unite believers together. The Christians in Greece have set a good example to all believers in the present day church. Are you concerned about the need of believers around you and in your church?

It was considered to be fruit: Not only was this offering a repayment of debt, but also a 'fruit'. This act of giving was a natural result of their walk with the Lord (John 15:1-8). When the life of the Spirit flows through a church or a group  of beleivers, giving becomes natural. Paul describes giving as  a miracle of grace that occured in the churches in MACEDONIA (2 Cor.8:1-5). If you do not have this grace, ask God for it. Paul closes this chapter, urging the church at Rome to 'wrestle together' in prayer for him.

Respond: Father God, give me the grace of giving to You and Your ministries, without counting the cost.

Share the Love of God by Word and Deed

Prepare: Soul winning is a priestly ministry and a sacred obligation.
Read: Romans 15:14-21

Paul's ministry to Gentiles: When Paul met Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus, he experienced the grace of God. It was also God's grace that called him to be an apostle (1 Cor. 15:8-11). He was called to be a minister to the Gentiles. So, now he looks on himself as a priest at the altar, offering up to God, the Gentiles he had won to Christ to the glory of God. Every believer is called to be a priest unto God. Hence preaching the Gospel or sharing God's love with others is a priestly duty. It was important in the Old Testament that a priest offers to God only that which was the best (Mal.1:6-14). Therefore, the priestly ministry should be done with dignity and responsibility.

Paul's ministry was by word and deed: The Holy Spirit empowered Paul to minister with mightly signs and wonders. The Holy Spirit also enabled Paul to share the good news by word and deed. Our sharing also should be done by example by word and deed. Paul was so faithful in his ministry  that he could say that he was able to proclaim the Gospel in all places from Jerusalem to Illyricum. Paul completely covered one area before he started another. This is a good example for our evangelist ministry today. We should not only be faithful in God's service, but also thorough.

Respond: Lord Jesus, thank You for counting me worthy of Your ministry. Let me be faithful and diligent in Your service.

The Church is Weakened when Christians do not Allow Christ to be the Lord

Prepare: Christian fellowship is not to be based on food or religious calendars.
Read: Romans 14:1-12

God has received us: Because the Lord has received all of us into His fold, it is He who decides the requirements for fellowship in the church. To set up man-made restrictions based on personal prejudices or convictions is to go beyond the Word of God. Since God has received us into His fellowship, we must learn to receive one another is love. In every church, there are weak and strong believers. The strong must not despise the weak and call them immature and the weak must not condemn the strong and call them proud.

We belong to the Lord: No Christian has the right to 'play God' in another Christian's life. Each believer must  see to it that he is really doing what is based on the Word of God. Paul's emphasis here is the believer's union with Christ. Our first responsibility is to the Lord.

Jesus Christ is Judge: Both strong and weal Christians must stand at the judgement  seat of Christ. Judgement has nothing to do with our sins, since Jesus has paid for them. We will be judged for our work and be rewarded accordingly. Instead of judging other Christians, let us examine our own lives and make sure we are ready to meet Him at the judgement seat.

Respond: Dear God, help me not to be judgemental of others, but to judge my own life in the light of Your Word.

Love is Fulfillment of Law

Prepare: When we practice love, there is no need for any other law.
Read: Romans 13:9-14

Love is the fulfillment of law: In this section, Paul has dealt with the very heart of the problem: the human heart. Because the heart of man is sinful, God established government. But laws cannot change the heart. Man's heart can only be changed by God's grace. 'Love one another' is the basic principle of Christian life. When we truly practice love, there is no need for any other laws, as love covers everything. When we love others, we will not harm them. When we have the love of Christ in our hearts, we would obey God and help others in need.

Put on the armour of light: The emphasis in this passage is on the imminent return of Jesus Christ. As His children, we need to be found faithful when He returns. Paul here gives several admonitions in the light of the Lord's return: wake up, put aside the deeds of darkness, put on the armour of light, behave decently, clothe yourselves with Lord Jesus Christ and do not gratify the sinful nature.We physically grow on the basis of what food we eat. Likewise, if we feed the flesh, we will only fulfill the sinful desires, but if we feed the inner man with the nourishing things of the Spirit, we will become more like Jesus Christ. In other words, a Christian citizen ought to be the best citizen in every way. Are you one such Christian?

Respond: Gracious and loving heavenly Father, enable me to be a good Christian and a good citizen of my country. 

The Authority to Rule Originally Comes from God

Prepare: To resist the law is to resist God who established them.
Read: Romans 13:1-8

Believers are citizens of heaven, but we must not minimize our responsibilities on earth. We must be exemplary citizens so that the Lord will be glorified.

Do what is right: God has established three institutions on this earth. The home (Gen 2:18-25), government (Gen 9:1-17) and the church (Acts 2). Paul wrote this epistle when Christians were being persecuted. Paul explains four reasons why a Christian must submit to the law of the State. To resist the law is to resist God who established the government. Though God has established the governments of the world, He is not responsible for their sins. Even though we cannot always respect the person who is in authority, we must respect his office, for government was ordained by God. Even though government officials may not be believers, they are still the servants of God because it is God who has established the authority of the State.

Maintain a good conscience: The motivation to obey the law goes higher in this section. A Christian has to obey the law, not because of fear of punishment, but because of conscience and a desire to obey the Lord. If the government interferes with the consciences of a Christian, the Christian must obey God rather than man (Acts 5:29). But when the law is right, the Christian must obey the law, if he is to maintain a good conscience (1 Tim. 1:5, 19; 3:9;4:2;Acts 24:16). Verse 7 commands us to pay what we owe-taxes, revenue, respect and honour.

Respond: O God, renew my Christian conscience regarding my attitude towards government laws and rules.

Sincerity in Love

Prepare: It is possible to use a spiritual gift in an unspiritual way.
Read: Romans 12:9-21

Love must be sincere: Paul admonishes his readers to maintain a spiritual zeal, because they are serving the Lord and not men. When life becomes difficult, the Christian cannot afford to let his zeal grow cold. Serving the Lord demands that we oppose Satan's attacks. Paul also reminds his readers here, that they must respect the feelings of other Christians. Christian fellowship means that we share the burdens and blessings of others, so that we all grow together and glorify God. A humble attitude and a willingness to share are the marks of a Christian who truly ministers to the body of Christ. When you are proud and are not willing to associate with people of low position, you depart from the Christian ideal for ministry.

Overcome evil with good: A Christian who seeks to obey God would have enemies. Though the Christian is exhorted to share in the 'offence of the cross' (Gal.5:11;6:12-15), he/she cannot afford to be an offensive Christian. Returning evil for evil or good for good is the way most people live. But the Christian must learn to live on a higher level by repaying good for evil. This requires love and faith. God's love alone can conquer evil. Faith in God alone can accomplish His purpose in our lives and the lives of others who do evil to us.

Respond: Lord, help me not to be an offensive Christian and give me grace that I may be sincere in my love for You and others. 

Translate Your Learning into Living

Prepare: 'In the Christian life, doctrine and duty always go together'
Read: Romans 12:1-8

What is true dedication? Christian dedication involves three steps. (A) Offering our bodies as living sacrifice. The Christians; body is God's temple (1 Cor.6:19, 20; Rom.8:9). We should learn to count it a privilege to glorify God and magnify God in our bodies (Phil.1:20,21). (B) Offering our mind to God. While the world wants to control your mind, God wants to transform your mind (Eph.4:17; Col.3:1-11). To make you spiritually-minded through His Word (2 Cor.3:18). (C) Offer our will to God. We must learn to surrender our will to God through disciplined prayer, to know His pleasing and perfect will for our lives.

What are the essentials for Spiritual ministry? : Each believer has a spiritual function to perform within the body of Christ. Each believer has a gift (gifts) to be used for the building up of the body and the perfecting of the saints (Ephe4:11-13). Hence, each believer needs to know what gift (gifts) God has given him so that he can glorify God with his gifts.

What is your gift? Your gift is given, not to boast about it or to belittle others, but must be dedicated to God and used faithfully for the good of the body of Christ. For a Christian to minimize the gifts of others and emphasize his own gift is to deny the very purpose for which gifts are given. Spiritual gifts are tools to build up and not to tear down one another.

Respond: Lord Jesus, enable me to be a person who would always build others up and not tear down anyone. 

The Mystery of Life

Prepare: What do you do when it looks like God is on the side of the enemy?
Read: Psalm 44:1-26

The nation was facing a crisis, and it seemed that God had forsaken his people and was helping the enemy. Israel was a scattered people, shamed and scorned.

You remember what God did: This does not mean living in the past but learning from the past. Your situation maybe painful, but God has not changed. He is still the God of miracles.

You trust in Him: If you trust your own resources, you will fail. Sometimes God allows defeat just to remind you that you must trust Him and Him alone.

You remain faithful to Him, come what may: Like the average person who is cast down and finds it hard to get his prayers answered, the psalmist accuses God wrongfully and maintains innocence for himself. Here the psalmist brags about his own faithfulness to God and his clean living, Remember Satan's lie about Job?Is ours a "commercial faith"? Are you faithful to God only because He does good things for you? God tests your faith to see if it is sincere.

The psalmist had the boldness and rashness to ask God to awake and arise to help him, after he had accused God of dealing with him unjustly. Oswald Chambers said, that "when a man gets to despair he knows that all his thinking will never get him out. Consequently he is in the right attitude to receive from God that which he cannot gain for himself. "

Respond: Trust Him even though you may not fully understand what He is doing. 

Amazing Grace

Prepare: Grace is God reaching across sin's chasm to everyone.
Read: Romans 11:1-12

Every part of the ceremonial meal of the Passover symbolizes the wonderful provision of God for the Jewish people. The Lord's Table should fill us with a profound emotion, which carried an even more passionate meaning for me as a Christian. God truly is the one who makes provision for His people. The history of the Jewish people is the history of God at work, to bring the Saviour into the world.

The theology of Romans 9-11 magnifies God's grace and extols His sovereignty. Never lose the wonder of your salvation or of the greatness of God. No matter how deep the valley or difficult the battle, a vision of God's greatness puts joy in your heart and strength in your soul. God knows what He is doing even if you do not understand it fully.

There is a future for Israel; Paul is proof of that and so is Israel's past history. God has always had a believing remnant in Israel, no matter how dark the day. When you become discouraged about the future of the church, read I Kings 19 and focus on God's greatness.

We live in a world where we can see the effects of rejection all around us. That is why the good news of God's grace renews our hope and restores our joy. Grace accepts, forgives, and continues to offer love and hope in spite of hardened hearts-and yes, even in spite of rejection.

Respond: Lord, we pray for the nation of Israel that those who reject You, may find the grace that You so freely offer. 

Selective Hearing

Prepare: Creation itself speaks to us of God's love, provision and majesty.
Read: Romans 10:14-21

Have you ever experienced what I like to call "selective hearing"? For example, you are having a conversation with someone and suddenly realize that you haven't heard a word the other person is saying. Unfortunately, it would seem that often we hear only what we choose to hear. Over the centuries, God sent many prophets to tell His chosen people of His love for them. God sent His Son, Jesus. Israel chose not to hear the One who came to offer them salvation.

The missionary heart of Paul comes out in verse 14-17. Salvation is by faith and faith comes "by hearing.. the Word of God". But unbelieving sinners (including Israel) cannot hear unless we tell them. God needs people with beautiful feet (Isa.52:7) to carry the gospel to the lost. Despite Paul's broken heart and God's outstretched hands, Israel did not believe; but the Gentiles did believe and God saved them! When you feel discouraged in your witnessing, remember Paul, continue caring, praying, and sharing the good news. Keep those feet beautiful!

God is still speaking to the world today. Charles Spurgeon said "fate is blind, but the destiny of Scripture is full of eyes. Fate is stern and adamant, and has no tears for human sorrow. But the arrangements of Providence are kind and good."

Respond: Open our ears that we might hear You. Open our eyes that we might see You. Open our hearts that we might follow You. 

Keeping the Law

Prepare: How are our words and actions to be righteous today?
Read: Romans 10:1-13

What makes an item authentic? Is it the package it is wrapped in or the name on the cover? Genuine leather is leather on the inside as well as the outside. Authenticity has more to do with the internal than the external.

The Israelites never lacked in zeal, but too often their zeal was on the outside. Why did Israel stumble over Christ and reject Him? Because they did not understand the kind of righteousness God wanted. Like the Pharisees (and many people today), they thought only of righteous works and could not comprehend a righteousness that comes by faith.

Once Jesus came, He became the end of the Law and became the Way to attain righteousness. Righteousness is not something that we do on the outside, it is something that we are on the inside by God's grace.

Walls have a purpose when we are building a home, but God does not intend for us to have walls that stand in the way of our relationships with others. We are talking about walls that prevent us from sharing the love of Jesus, who is Lord of all. There are no walls in Him. He reached out to the Jew, the Roman, the Samaritan, the woman caught in adultery, and the rich young ruler. Let us tear down any walls that separate us from others, so that His love can flow through us and draw others to Him.

Respond: Open my heart today to hear You and guard my lips, that my words may bring glory to You.

God's Plan and Man's Free Will

Prepare: Who are you to blame God for your sinfulness?
Read: Romans 9:19-33

God can deal with us in any way He likes. He is the Potter (Jer.18:1-17)! If God still wants to save men who will obey Him, Jews or Gentiles, is that not His right? If He has to damn those who harden themselves, may He not do so without our criticism? Verses 25-27 speak about the prophecies concerning His people and the Gentiles.

Why has Israel not attained the righteousness she sought so long? Because she sought it not by faith, but by works of the Law and because she stumbled over the way her Messiah came. The Jews were ignorant of God's way of righteousness by faith in Christ (Rom.3:25-31;Gal 2:16). They went about to establish their own righteousness by works. They attained not to the Abrahamic covenant, which stands alone on the principle of grace through faith. They set all their efforts upon the Law of works and imagined they were justified by outward observance of rituals. When the gospel came along offering free salvation to Gentiles as well as Jews on the basis of grace and faith without Law, they were offended and rejected it.

Messiah came not as a mighty prince and a conqueror whom everyone will be willing to trust in, but as a man of sorrows, humility and death. Many will think it disgraceful to trust in such a person for salvation. In spite of this, whoever trusts in Him will not be ashamed of Him or be confused but be saved.

Respond: Israel's rejection of Christ did not ruin God's plan. His mercy endures forever.

Sovereignty of God

Prepare: God's mercy  and His purpose in election.
Read: Romans 9:1-18

St.Paul is supposed to be the apostle to the Gentiles. But when he thought of his own people, the Jews, he was filled with anguish that they have rejected the gospel of Christ. The Jews are under a delusion that the Messiah is yet to come. In spite of being a chosen race above all the nations, they have failed to come into the grace of God through faith in Christ.

We sometimes are dismayed about the many to whom we have witnessed about Christ, some of them beloved members of our families, who do not accept the message of the gospel. We cannot attribute it always to our fault.

The Bible emphasizes the sovereignty of God. We see Paul sorrowing, praying, and worshipping. He did not feel that God's sovereignty in any way destroyed man's responsibility. The God who ordains the end (saving the lost) also ordains the means to the end, the prayers and witness of His people. They go together. God is not obligated to save anybody, for all deserve to be condemned. Even Israel was chosen only because of His grace and love (Deut.7:6-8). Therefore, nobody can criticize God or say He is unfair. That He is merciful to sinners should make us rejoice!

Charles Spurgeon was asked how he reconciled divine sovereignty and human responsibility, and he replied, "I never try to reconcile friends."

Respond: We must pray as though it all depended on God and work as though it all depended on us - Augustine.