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...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Jan 13, 2021 | Uncategorized
In Psalm 103:2, David beckons his soul to refrain from forgetting God’s benefits. But what are the factors that might lead us to forget his benefits? Ironically, it’s in times of great prosperity and adversity. In prosperity, we have the tendency to become...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Jan 6, 2021 | Uncategorized
In Psalm 96:2, the Psalmist gives a call for all the earth to bless God’s name and then the remainder of v.2 and all of v.3 further describe this act of blessing his name. First, the people are to proclaim or announce his salvation—the deliverance that he brings...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Dec 23, 2020 | Uncategorized
There are 3 words in Ps. 95:6 that all have a similar connotation to them if, for instance, you were approaching a king in his court—prostrating oneself, bowing down, and kneeling. These terms demonstrate an utter respect and dependence on the One who is the recipient...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Dec 17, 2020 | Uncategorized
Moses’ response to contemplating the truths contained in Ps. 90:1-11 is expressed at the beginning of v.12—Teach us or make known to us how to count our days. He’s not asking for a divine math tutor, but instead, as the NET translates—to rightly consider our...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Nov 28, 2020 | Uncategorized
In Psalm 86:1, David pleads with the Lord: Incline your ear, or in other words, bend down your ear to me and respond to my prayer. Why?-“Because I am afflicted or lowly or weak and I’m also needy, requiring outside help.” All prayer should begin here. This...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Nov 20, 2020 | Uncategorized
Amidst all these expressions of the privilege and joy of worshipping God in Psalm 84, there arises an all too common, but honest question: What if I don’t view worship as a joyful privilege? You might attest to these thoughts: “Worship feels more like a chore than a...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Nov 12, 2020 | Uncategorized
In Ps.73:16, Asaph describes the spiritual battle he was entrenched in and then further expands upon it in vv.21-22. He knew he was drawing horrible conclusions and it was causing him to grow bitter and lose clarity. Thus, he had major conflict in his soul. So in...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Nov 6, 2020 | Uncategorized
If we carefully consider the end of the 1st line of Ps.63:1, we can easily discern that David’s disposition of earnestly seeking God is in direct opposition to the fatalism that sounds like this: “I’m stuck and I can’t do anything until I feel close to God.” That is...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Oct 30, 2020 | Uncategorized
Ps. 56:3 can be most literally translated—In a day that I may fear, I will put my trust in You. This verse serves as a commitment to fight fear with faith and is fulfilled in v.4. Notice the different verb tenses in v.4—”I have trusted in God [and so] I won’t...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Oct 23, 2020 | Uncategorized
The accuracy of our understanding of salvation and the redemption involved in that salvation is completely dependent on the accuracy of our understanding of man’s condition prior to being redeemed. To demonstrate that turn to John 8, where Jesus has an interesting...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Oct 16, 2020 | Uncategorized
Upon reaching the end of Titus 2:13, it is helpful to ask this question: How can grace teach us to live holy lives in the present by awaiting the Lord’s coming?One answer comes in 1 John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Oct 5, 2020 | Uncategorized
According to Titus 2:8, possessing the characteristics in vv.7-8 will lead Titus to be above reproach or beyond a legitimate accusation. Keep in mind that the entire package must be present in one’s teaching in order to receive this level of credibility. The motive,...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Oct 1, 2020 | Uncategorized
Not only does Titus 2 command all of us to pursue this quality of sober-mindedness, it commands us to help others develop it as well. This feature of the text makes it very unique in all of Scripture, for it clearly puts forth that to be sober-minded about Christian...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Sep 14, 2020 | Uncategorized
What does 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 teach about sober-mindedness? It teaches us to think about what compels us or controls us—Is it the love of Christ, demonstrated by his bondage-destroying death and resurrection of sinners’ behalf OR is it something else, like:...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Sep 11, 2020 | Uncategorized
So first, to be on guard against irrational thinking, one must have sound judgment. That implies there is a standard by which it can be determined if one’s judgment is sound or not. As Christians, we have the exclusive privilege of knowing the standard—God’s...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Sep 2, 2020 | Uncategorized
On what basis does David request the undeserved treatment, highlighted in Ps. 51:1? Is it based on his repentance, his pretty good track record overall, his position in the kingdom? It’s none of those things, rather it’s on the basis on God’s faithful, covenant...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Aug 25, 2020 | Uncategorized
Upon reading through passages like Psalm 50, the question is often raised: What are some indicators that one’s allegiance or worship or devotion to God is NOT merely lip service? First of all, we come to God always from a disposition of being a receiver. We must not...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Aug 17, 2020 | Uncategorized
In Psalm 46:1-7, the Psalmist puts forth that God is our refuge, strength and stronghold in order that we may not fear. However, one of the implications is that no one learns the heights of the greatness of God’s power and protection in those ways until it is...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Aug 14, 2020 | Uncategorized
In Psalm 43:4, the Psalmist refers to God as his exceeding joy. The question often arises: Does having God as our exceeding joy exclude having other desires or even finding a measure of joy in other things? No, but the way to tell what rules your heart is to assess...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Aug 5, 2020 | Uncategorized
Why does Paul put the spotlight on regeneration in Galatians 6:15? It’s because of how it sharply contrasts with circumcision: 1. Regeneration is an inward work of the heart that no one can see, although the results of it can be seen; 2. It’s a sovereign work...
by Matthew Borgstrom | Jul 27, 2020 | Uncategorized
What do we need to do when our thoughts attempt to sink us into despair? The first thing to do is to identify the proper object of hope. We saw it in the first exhortation the Psalmist gives to his soul in Ps.42:5—Hope in God. What we need to understand about this...
