Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” (Luke 1:18) Sometimes it feels like things just aren't going to work out for me. Yes, I've heard about what God has done in the past for other people, but it seems unlikely that He'll show up in my situation. And yet, there's something about reading the story of ... [Continue Reading]
Anything But the Best (Malachi)
“It is you priests who show contempt for my name. But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’ By offering defiled food on my altar.” (Malachi 1:6b-7a) The book of Malachi highlights something that we don't really talk about much, and that's the heart of worship. Particularly when it comes to a worship service, there is a temptation to use the time as an ... [Continue Reading]
Defending What’s Right (Nehemiah 10:28-39; 11:1-2; 12:27-47; 13)
But I warned them and said, “Why do you spend the night by the wall? If you do this again, I will arrest you.” From that time on they no longer came on the Sabbath. (Nehemiah 13:21) It is believed that Edmund Burke once said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men should do nothing.” Sadly, the great temptation of many good men and women is ... [Continue Reading]
Heart Surgery (Nehemiah 7:1-5, 66-73; 8-9)
They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the Lord their God. (Nehemiah 9:3) There's a sense in which spending time reading the Bible is like allowing God to perform open heart surgery on your life. Some read the Bible for the sake of simply ... [Continue Reading]
I’m Busy Right Now (Nehemiah 4-6)
"I am doing a great work and I cannot come down..." (Nehemiah 6:3b) Have you ever found in your life that the urgent has a tendency to push out the important? It never ceases to amaze me how, when I'm doing something important, someone or something tries to get in the way and stop me from accomplishing the task. Even in the last several weeks, I've had some very ... [Continue Reading]
Pray Like It Depends on God (Nehemiah 1-3)
When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. (Nehemiah 1:4) Being a person of prayer doesn't mean that you never take action. However, it does mean that you have an understanding that your actions will fall utterly flat unless they're the actions that God has directed you in doing. Such was the ... [Continue Reading]
The Value of Learning (Ezra 8:15-36; 9-10:17)
So I summoned Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah and Meshullam, who were leaders, and Joiarib and Elnathan, who were men of learning... (Ezra 8:16) Never stop learning. Once you stop learning, you stop growing. And once you stop growing, well the end is near. What's remarkable about the men Ezra chose is that they are designated as ... [Continue Reading]
Don’t Forget to Celebrate (Esther 6-10)
So the Jews agreed to continue the celebration they had begun, doing what Mordecai had written to them. (Esther 9:23) Celebrations are an important part of life. If it weren't for celebrating, we might get caught up in the negative things that keep us frustrated and disillusioned. By celebrating, we can remember that there are good things happening, even when life comes ... [Continue Reading]
The Opportunity is Now (Esther 1-5)
And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this? (Esther 4:14b) Does anything happen by accident? Does God put circumstances in our lives for no purpose? Does He give us our jobs, our neighbors, or other relationships for no reason at all? Or perhaps He uniquely places us where we are for the opportunities He has in store for us. The ... [Continue Reading]
Flashback: On That Day (Zechariah 11-14)
Zechariah tells us that on that day "the Lord will be king over all the earth," (14:9). There will be a battle, and it will be good versus evil. Darkness will be gone, and light will remain. God will win and Satan will lose. On that day it will not matter how good you were but the one in whom you put your trust. Not all roads lead to God, and Jesus was clear about ... [Continue Reading]
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