Posts by Cody Westbrook
The Beauty of Jesus – Cody Westbrook
“Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me!” A familiar refrain from the hymn written by Albert Orsborn. In what way can Jesus be described as “beautiful?” Interestingly, Scripture discusses the topic from two different points of view. On the one hand there are passages like Isaiah 4:2 which describe His beauty–“In that day the Branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious.” On the other hand, Isaiah 53:2 states, “He has no form or comeliness; and when…
Faithfulness and Thanksgiving
“Show me a person who is thankful and I’ll show you a person who is faithful.” I heard this sentiment offered by a speaker at a lectureship several years ago, and it really struck home. Americans on the whole are the most materially blessed people in the world. This can certainly be a good thing for God’s people if we use the things God has provided in a responsible, godly way (cf. Luke 16:1-13). However, far too often our material…
Busy Doing Good!
Today the average American lives 78.8 years. That averages out to approximately 945 months, 4,111 weeks, 28,781 days, or 690,746 hours. On the surface that certainly seems to be a long, long time. But, really it is not. Ask someone who has lived for 80 years how quickly their life has progressed and it is almost guaranteed they will say that is has absolutely flown by! The Bible says the same. “Man that is born of a woman is of…
How to Get Going Again
Have you ever found yourself feeling like you’re stuck in a rut that you just cannot dig out of? We all feel that way at some point in our lives. In those times it seems no matter how hard we fight and scratch and claw, getting back on our feet feels hopeless. But “let not your heart be troubled.” Our God is a compassionate God “who comforts us in all our tribulation” (2 Cor. 1:4). He has given us a…
The Book of Nahum – Cody Westbrook
The name “Nahum” means comfort, compassion, or consolation. No doubt, the ancient Ninevites would find that ironic. Nahum has been called “The Single Minded Prophet” because his one topic was the destruction of the Assyrian capital, Nineveh. No comfort or consolation for them could be found in that message. Nahum wrote just before the destruction of Nineveh at the hand of the Medes and Persians in 612 BC. He was a contemporary with Jeremiah, Zephaniah, and Habakkuk. Ironically, Nahum was…
We Should All Be Experts
Malcom Gladwell popularized “The 10,000 hour rule” in his book, Outliers. The idea is that anyone can become an expert in any given field provided they dedicate 10,000 hours of practice to it. Though science has shown the rule to be more like a guideline, it still points to an objectively true principle. That is, that a person who dedicates vast amounts of time and energy to pursuing proficiency in a given area, very likely will find it. He may…
Love Your Enemies
Jesus said, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:18-19). How should we deal with those who hate and fight against us? Two passages from the Sermon on the Mount are worthy of our consideration. First, consider Matthew…
Drink Like the Dogs!
Throughout history, the Lord has chosen to accomplish His will in some very unorthodox ways. The occasion of Judges 7:1-8 is a prime example. As Jehovah prepared Gideon to wage war against the Midianites, He commanded a strange way of mustering his troops. Israel’s army of 32,000 was scaled to a mere 300 men. Twenty-two thousand left for fear (Judges 7:3) and the rest were removed because of how they drank. As they arrived at the water the Lord commanded,…
Greater than Gold
The 19th Psalm is one of the most memorable in the Psalter. The first 6 verses magnificently describe the general revelation of God in nature. It calls us to behold and stand in awe of the creative genius of Jehovah as we see His fingerprints all around us. But the God who created has also commanded, and this theme is taken up in the next portion of the Psalm (vss. 7-11). Note how God’s Word is described (vss. 7-9). The…
True Love
A young man walked into the preacher’s study. “I’ve found her!” he said. “I’m in love and I’ve found the girl I’m going to marry!” “That’s wonderful!” the preacher replied. “Tell me about her.” For the next several minutes the wise old minister sat, carefully listening, as the smitten youngster explained how wonderful and beautiful his love was, and how he couldn’t imagine a love more potent that what he felt for her in that moment. Then it was his…
The Book of Daniel – Cody Westbrook
How does one remain faithful to God when surrounded by people and practices who could not possibly be more opposed to Him? What comfort is there to be found when wicked men hold positions of high authority? Such are good and relevant questions for Christians in the 21st century. Would it surprise you to learn that those questions are answered in the 12-chapter book of Daniel? About the Book The name “Daniel” means “God is my judge.” He was born…
The Value of a Human Life
That life is precious seems like a fairly obvious truth, and for many it is. Childbirth, the death of a loved one, frightening medical diagnosis’, and other things provoke reflection on the fragile and wonderful nature of human life, regularly. But for too many, the precious nature of life is of little or no concern. Typically, figures like serial killers and malevolent genocidal rulers come to mind when considering those who think little of life, and for good reason. Illustrations…