The ending of this story of Esther serves as a reminder that God will accomplish what He is going to accomplish no matter how people try to get in the way. Haman obviously was trying to exterminate the Jews (an effort also made in the 20th century by Hitler), but the Jews were God's chosen people, and they were not to be destroyed. It's easy sometimes ... [Continue Reading]
For Such a Time (Esther 1-5)
Does anything happen by accident? Does God put circumstances in our lives for no purpose? Or perhaps we are where we are for such a time as this. Mordecai's challenge to Esther when she was faced with a tough decision was simple: maybe God has you in the place you're in for a reason. Esther was perfectly placed to rescue God's ... [Continue Reading]
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 ... [Continue Reading]
Be Careful, It’s Your Heart (Zechariah 6-10)
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 affects your heart. Whether it be ... [Continue Reading]
I’ll Leave the Light On (Zechariah 1-5)
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]
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