sethbartal.com

  • Bible Reading Plan
  • Free Fall Book
  • Recommended Reads
You are here: Home / Archives for Old Testament

The One in Control (Isaiah 10)

December 24, 2011 By Seth Leave a Comment

It's tempting sometimes to believe that we have a lot of say in what goes on in our lives and in the world.  While there is a level of truth to that belief, Isaiah 10 teaches us that God is ultimately the One in control.  Yes, we have daily choices that give us the illusion of being in charge, but God seems to have a way of using His sovereignty to make ... [Continue Reading]

December 24, 2011 7:00 am Seth Leave a Comment

The Coming Christ (2 Chronicles 27; Isaiah 9)

December 23, 2011 By Seth Leave a Comment

It's pretty amazing to think about the prophecies made by Isaiah regarding the birth and life of Christ long before He came to earth.  Especially as we draw nearer to Christmas, it's incredible to read some of these words: For to us a child is born,   to us a son is given;and the government shall be upon his shoulder,   and his name ... [Continue Reading]

December 23, 2011 7:00 am Seth Leave a Comment

The Sky Isn’t Falling (Amos 7-9)

December 22, 2011 By Seth Leave a Comment

Most of us are familiar with the story of Chicken Little and his concern that the sky was falling.  In some ways, reading through Amos feels similar to listening to the cries of Chicken Little.  The news for the Israelites was somewhat disheartening: some would be destroyed, others would be led away into exile, and God's voice would be silent.  That ... [Continue Reading]

December 22, 2011 7:00 am Seth Leave a Comment

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God? (Amos 4-6)

December 21, 2011 By Seth Leave a Comment

Yes and no.  When you read Amos you get a glimpse of a God who is angry with the Israelites and who is on the verge of punishing them for their apostasy (falling away from faith).  However, to fully understand why God wanted to punish them is important to understanding God.  He wasn't seeking to smite them because of their falling away from Him; ... [Continue Reading]

December 21, 2011 7:00 am Seth Leave a Comment

Just Like Everybody Else (Amos 1-3)

December 20, 2011 By Seth Leave a Comment

There's a tension in faith.  It's complicated, really.  The tension is that we receive everlasting life by placing our faith in Christ's atoning death on the cross (John 3:16), but the way we live reflects whether or not we've placed our faith in Christ.  The way we live doesn't change whether or not we receive the everlasting life - ... [Continue Reading]

December 20, 2011 7:00 am Seth Leave a Comment

What Do You Fear? (Isaiah 7-8)

December 19, 2011 By Seth Leave a Comment

A lot of people fear a lot of things, but Isaiah makes it clear in today's reading that there's really only one thing we should fear: the Lord.  See, when we recognize that God is holy and that He is sovereign over all, there's nothing we have to be afraid of... as long as we fear Him.  To fear God means to view Him with a proper perspective - ... [Continue Reading]

December 19, 2011 7:00 am Seth Leave a Comment

If Not You… (Isaiah 5-6)

December 18, 2011 By Seth Leave a Comment

When God presented Isaiah with an opportunity to be His messenger, Isaiah jumped at the opportunity.  He didn't give a list of reasons why God should pick someone else (as did Gideon), nor did he share his long list of short-comings.  Several years ago I knew that God was asking me to do something, but because of fear, I wasn't sure I wanted to do it. ... [Continue Reading]

December 18, 2011 7:00 am Seth Leave a Comment

The Game of Faith (Isaiah 1-4)

December 17, 2011 By Seth Leave a Comment

There's a lot of truth to Solomon's wise phrase, "there's nothing new under the sun."  The temptation to make religion a game is just as present now as it was thousands of years ago.  In fact, the Israelites were great at playing it.  Here's how it worked: they would sin all they wanted, and then they would go and confess their ... [Continue Reading]

December 17, 2011 7:00 am Seth Leave a Comment

The End is More Important (2 Kings 15; 2 Chronicles 26)

December 16, 2011 By Seth Leave a Comment

Beginnings are important because they often serve as a direction for the future.  But endings are even more important.  If you have a bad beginning, there is still hope that it can be changed.  If you have a bad ending... well... that's really the end.  The story of Uzziah is one that's sad because he had such a strong start.  He ... [Continue Reading]

December 16, 2011 7:00 am Seth Leave a Comment

Being Faithful to the Call (Jonah)

December 15, 2011 By Seth Leave a Comment

Every time I read the story of Jonah, I think about how a person could be upset over people repenting.  Jonah's call was to go to the people of Nineveh to share about God's impending wrath.  He was concerned about their response, which is why he didn't want to go.  In the end, they turned to God and received an outpouring of His mercy. ... [Continue Reading]

December 15, 2011 7:00 am Seth Leave a Comment

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 29
  • 30
  • 31
  • 32
  • 33
  • …
  • 65
  • Next Page »

Seth is a pastor, author, and speaker who lives in Batesville, Indiana. He is married to Kari, and they have a daughter, Madelyn.

Read More…

Connect with Me

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

Looking for something?

Latest Tweets

  • Just now
  • Follow Me on Twitter

Quick Find

adversity attributes of god bible blessing character choices courage direction encouragement eternity evangelism forgiveness glory gospel grace gratitude healing heart honesty hope humility jesus journey joy leadership legacy love mistakes narcissism obedience parenting patience peace perseverance power prayer responsibility sin surrender temptation trust truth understanding wisdom worship

Archives

Categories

Links

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

© 2007–2025 Seth Bartal · Log in