One of the messages that God spoke to Israel in Zechariah was "Return to me... and I will return to you" (1:3). God was not forcing Himself upon the Israelites anymore than He forces Himself upon us. Rather, He was patiently waiting for their return. He was waiting for them to hit rock bottom and to come to the realization that the life they ... [Continue Reading]
Me Before You (Haggai)
I'll never forget one of the first years when I was a homeowner. Halloween came, and I was really excited to have trick-or-treaters come to the house. I was not, however, prepared for the woman pushing a baby carriage who requested candy for the infant. I almost paused and said, "CPS will be all over you if I let you feed candy to your ... [Continue Reading]
Ezra’s Wisdom (Ezra 5-7)
What made Ezra so special? Why was he unique? Why was he sent to teach the people? There are two important things: Ezra set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, AND he put the Law of the Lord into practice. Both are required for wisdom. When I worked with teenagers, I often heard them lament about how they just wished they knew what ... [Continue Reading]
Today (Ezra 1, 3-4)
As the temple was being rebuilt, the builders reached a milestone of completing the foundation. Some were filled with joy, but others were filled with sorrow. Those filled with sorrow realized how insignificant this new temple was compared with the old one. But those filled with joy understood the significance of rebuilding Israel. One group of ... [Continue Reading]
Daniel’s Secret (Daniel 10-12)
Why is it that Daniel's prayers were heard? Why was he such an effective leader for the people of Israel? How did he have so much power to influence the kings of Babylon? The secret is revealed to us in Daniel 10:12 when an angel spoke to Daniel and told him why: Daniel set his heart to understand the things of God, and he humbled himself. ... [Continue Reading]
Because of God’s Mercy (Daniel 7-9)
Once Daniel realized that the seventy years of Israel's captivity was nearing its end, he spent a good amount of time confessing his own sins as well as his nation's sins, and pleaded with God for forgiveness. His words were very poignant in 9:18b, "For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great ... [Continue Reading]
Writing’s on the Wall (Daniel 4-6)
The story of King Belshazzar in Daniel 5 is, in my mind, one of the funniest stories of the Old Testament. Belshazzar (King Nebuchadnezzar's son) hosted a party with his lords, his wives, and his concubines. Someone at the party had the great idea of drinking from the "golden vessels" from the temple in Jerusalem, so Belshazzar sent for them and ... [Continue Reading]
The One Who Appoints Kings (Daniel 1-3)
Daniel was a man full of wisdom, and there are so many lessons to take from these chapters that it's hard to narrow it down to one. However, there is one characteristic about Daniel's life that is worth noting here: he recognized God's sovereignty. It's just a simple comment in Daniel 2:21, but it is indicative of how Daniel lived his life. ... [Continue Reading]
God Uses All Things (Joel)
Among other things, Joel talks about God using locusts to get the attention of His people. The truth is, God will use anything to get our attention sometimes - jobs, wars, locusts, etc. The question we each have to deal with is whether or not we will be willing to listen to what God is trying to teach us and whether or not we will be willing to obey Him. ... [Continue Reading]
Healing River (Ezekiel 45-46, 47:1-12)
The final part of Ezekiel's prophecy describes a river that will flow from the altar in the Temple, and the waters of this river will heal the land. The results will be that the Dead Sea will become fresh water, and the trees along the river will bring forth fruit all of the months of the year. God will once again care for His people. The ... [Continue Reading]
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