by Matthew Borgstrom | Sep 7, 2021 | Uncategorized
Now Peter’s instruction in v.7 should not be compared to throwing your anxiety in the backyard so that you will look at it every day and eventually go pick it up again. No, this is throwing your anxiety off of a moving train as it’s going by the edge of a cliff....
by Matthew Borgstrom | Sep 2, 2021 | Uncategorized
In similar fashion to Christ’s instruction in Matt. 6 from last week, Paul begins Php. 4:6 by outlawing anxiety, but notice what kind of circumstances are included in the prohibition—everything! There is nothing that can happen that is outside the bounds of trusting...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Aug 25, 2021 | Uncategorized
In Matthew 6:34, which is the concluding verse of the section, Jesus shifts the object of worry from specific, tangible things to general, future concerns. In doing so, he acknowledges that typically our anxiety is focused on what is out ahead, so he declares—don’t...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Aug 20, 2021 | Uncategorized
What are some implications of the hostility from the world being used by God as a refiner’s fire—1) God has a sovereign purpose in the hostility incurred by Christians from the world. Notice what Peter doesn’t say—”Don’t be surprised at the trials because...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Aug 5, 2021 | Uncategorized
Part of Paul’s penetrating list of descriptions of love includes what appears at the beginning of 1 Cor. 13:6 (love) does not rejoice in unrighteousness…What are some ways this can occur? First of all, there can be a boasting in the minimizing or...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Jul 31, 2021 | Uncategorized
Part of Paul’s descriptions of love in 1 Corinthians 13 include prohibitions from arrogance and boasting. These are self-exalting and others-demeaning characteristics. However, if we’re seeing ourselves as slaves of Christ, acknowledging that anything we have...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Jul 13, 2021 | Uncategorized
Why is patience so difficult for us? Solomon sheds some light on it in Ecc. 7: 8b…the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. 9 Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools. There is an incredible pride resident in...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Jul 9, 2021 | Uncategorized
In this first part of 1 Cor. 13:3, Paul does not use the normal word for give as he does in the 2nd part of the verse, but here it infers a piece-by-piece distribution. What this means is that this isn’t a one-time decision to give a lump sum gift to someone—“Here’s...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Jun 25, 2021 | Uncategorized
The praise in Psalm 145 is fueled by recounting abundantly rich truths that are put forth about God’s greatness and goodness. If God’s greatness is most notably manifested in his power, God’s goodness is most clearly seen in his love. Both are essential to equally...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Jun 18, 2021 | Uncategorized
In Psalm 139:1, David affirms that Yahweh, the covenant making and covenant keeping Great I AM, has searched him. This is a term inferring an examination or testing. For instance, when the Lord says that he searches the heart in Jer. 17:10, there is a parallel line...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Jun 11, 2021 | Uncategorized
In the final 2 lines of Ps. 131:1, David transitions from what he does not have to what he does not do. Namely, he doesn’t walk in things too great or marvelous for him. At first read, this is shocking because things that are great and marvelous sound like pretty good...
by Matthew Borgstrom | May 29, 2021 | Uncategorized
Based on what is found in Psalms 127 & 128, here are some ways we would know the Lord is fortifying and securing our home and that as husbands and fathers, we fear the Lord: ...
by Matthew Borgstrom | May 21, 2021 | Uncategorized
The content and especially the final section of Deut. 9, begs the question: Why bring all this up in front of all Israel? It seems apparent that the reason is to remind them how and why they were delivered. Moses is implying, “You didn’t become God’s special...
by Matthew Borgstrom | May 11, 2021 | Uncategorized
As Moses recounts multiple examples of Israel’s complaining in Deut. 9:22-23, who is the object of Israel’s complaint or criticism or groaning? Oftentimes the text says it’s aimed at Moses, but the Lord takes it as a direct attack on himself. Likewise, who is...
by Matthew Borgstrom | May 6, 2021 | Uncategorized
In Deuteronomy 9:7, Moses states: Remember, do not forget how you provoked the Lord your God to wrath in the wilderness; from the day that you left the land of Egypt until you arrived at this place, you have been rebellious against the Lord. In giving...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Apr 28, 2021 | Uncategorized
For those who do acknowledge that all salvation is by grace alone and have trusted in Christ alone for a righteous standing before God, you must believe that God is for you in your sanctification. Just as God was committed to bring Israel into the promise land, as...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Apr 23, 2021 | Uncategorized
How exactly did he go before Israel to humble their enemies, according to what Moses writes in Deut. 9:3? One way is portrayed in Joshua 2:9 when Rahab explains to the spies why she protected them– the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Apr 16, 2021 | Uncategorized
When one is truly captivated by God’s word, there is a love that causes an abhorrence of all things contrary to it, as portrayed in Ps. 119:163. In other words, because biblical love infers a committed relationship, when we love the word, we are committed to what the...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Apr 6, 2021 | Uncategorized
Upon arriving at Psalm 49:15, we come to one of the greatest contrasts in Scripture, marked by the phrase—But God. Even though man cannot redeem another’s soul because the ransom price is too high (vv.7-9), God can certainly do it. Take note of the certainty and...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Mar 30, 2021 | Uncategorized
Notice a statement in the 2nd line of Ps. 119:153 that is repeated all over this Psalm. His refusal to forget God’s word serves as the ground of his request in the 1st line. Now we need to be careful in our interpretation of this verse. The Psalmist is not putting...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Mar 23, 2021 | Uncategorized
The Psalmist concludes the Nun stanza in Ps. 119:112 with this wonderful expression that is essential for sanctification. The Psalmist has inclined his heart to do God’s commandments forever and ever. He’s not interested in a few days of godly living or a few weeks or...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Mar 19, 2021 | Uncategorized
In Ps. 119:71, we arrive at another use of the word good in the stanza. The Psalmist has been able to testify that the Lord has done good to him and that he is good and does good and now he brings those truths into his circumstance—My affliction was good for me. In...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Mar 19, 2021 | Uncategorized
In light of the joy the Psalmist expresses over the word in Ps. 119:14, it’s no wonder that in v.15, the Psalmist directs his mind to and constantly mutters the truth and pays close attention to walk in God’s ways. This meditation is directed towards God’s precepts,...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Mar 3, 2021 | Uncategorized
Why does the Psalmist in Psalm 118 find the Lord’s discipline great evidence of the Lord’s lovingkindness? Because the alternative to not being disciplined in a season of sin is to be left in it and not brought back out of it. Accordingly, the author of...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Mar 3, 2021 | Uncategorized
Psalm 118:8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord Than to trust in man. 9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord Than to trust in princes. Upon facing the prospect of impending judgment, the people of Israel were tempted to trust in other nations and would make...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Feb 15, 2021 | Uncategorized
In Ps. 115:4, the Psalmist explains that the nations’ idols (their objects of worship) are manufactured by man’s hands through the fabrication of things the one, true God has created, like gold and silver. These idols need to be spruced up to look good to the eyes of...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Feb 10, 2021 | Uncategorized
So how are we to think about God’s reign as it relates to our present time and as it relates to the future reign of the final David, who is the Messiah? This is a question of utter importance right now for there are many Christians who deny the straightforward sense...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Feb 5, 2021 | Uncategorized
Love is the overarching principle in matters of conscience and all things in body life (Rom. 13:8-10), so if love is neglected, souls can be destroyed. More specifically, our goal can never be to get someone to push past their conscience, even if we seek to lovingly...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Jan 29, 2021 | Uncategorized
In the final verse of the first section in Romans 14 (v.12), Paul revisits the content of the end of v.10, which mentions standing before the judgment seat of God. He does this by referring to our individual accountability before the Lord. In light of that, here’s...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Jan 22, 2021 | Uncategorized
In the 2nd line of Ps. 103:8, David writes that Yahweh is slow to anger. It’s an interesting Hebrew phrase, which literally reads, long-nosed. It means it takes a long time to reach a flaring up of the nostrils. The opposite of this is similar to when we describe...
