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]
Be Careful, It’s Your Heart (Zechariah 6-10)
In your hearts do not think evil of each other. (Zechariah 7:10b, NIV84) One of my favorite movies at Christmastime is Holiday Inn with Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. In the movie, Bing sings a song called "Be Careful, It's My Heart." Aside from being a love song, there's an important lesson to learn about the fragility of our hearts. When someone hurts you, it ... [Continue Reading]
Big Decisions (Zechariah 1-5)
Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the earlier prophets proclaimed: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Turn from your evil ways and your evil practices.’ But they would not listen or pay attention to me, declares the Lord. (Zechariah 1:4) Life is full of decisions. What time should I wake up? What should I wear today? Do I work out or be lazy? The list goes on ... [Continue Reading]
Me Before You (Haggai)
Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?” (Haggai 1:3-4) 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 ... [Continue Reading]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- …
- 129
- Next Page »
Connect with Me