The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning and the sword comes ... [Continue Reading]
Mourning into Dancing (2 Kings 24-25; 2 Chronicles 36)
As the Lord had declared, Nebuchadnezzar removed the treasures from the temple of the Lord and from the royal palace, and cut up the gold articles that Solomon king of Israel had made for the temple of the Lord. (2 Kings 24:13) There are sad moments in the lives of God's people. Perhaps one of the saddest moments for Israel was the destruction of the Temple that Solomon ... [Continue Reading]
It’s All About You (2 Kings 20-21)
“The word of the Lord you have spoken is good,” Hezekiah replied. For he thought, “Will there not be peace and security in my lifetime?” (2 Kings 20:19) We live in a "me" generation where everyone believes that the world revolves around him or her but not around anyone else. "Have it your way!" the Burger King slogan goes. "I'm loving' it" says McDonald's. "Indulge" ... [Continue Reading]
He Will Surely Come (Isaiah 35-36)
Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” (Isaiah 35:3-4) Are you weary and tired? Does it seem like you can't go on any longer? Are you discouraged or afraid? The words of Isaiah are an ... [Continue Reading]
Merry Christmas (Isaiah 11)
...for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:9b) Isn't it amazing that much of the earth pauses today to celebrate the birth of a Jewish carpenter? I don't know if you've given that idea much thought, but it's worth thinking about. Nearly 2000 years after his death, millions of people still take a reprieve from ... [Continue Reading]
Hellos and Goodbyes (2 Chronicles 21-23)
Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. He passed away, to no one’s regret, and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings. (2 Chronicles 21:20) Life is full of "hellos" and "goodbyes," isn't it? I'm so thankful for the many friends I've treasured over the years. Each time we move somewhere ... [Continue Reading]
All That He Asks He Provides (1 Kings 17-19)
The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. (1 Kings 17:6) God will never ask you to do something without equipping you with what you need to do it. In fact, whenever He asks something of you, He provides you with the strength, ability, and resources to follow through with it. There is no clearer ... [Continue Reading]
Persevering Against All Odds (2 Samuel 22-23)
Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty men, he was with David when they taunted the Philistines gathered at Pas Dammim for battle. Then the men of Israel retreated, but he stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day. The troops ... [Continue Reading]
A Tale of Two Stories (2 Samuel 11-12; 1 Chronicles 20)
Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan replied, “The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for the Lord, the son born to you will die.” (2 Samuel 12:13-14) Sin is serious, and it carries with it enormous consequences. A part of the human condition, however, is that ... [Continue Reading]
A New Normal (1 Samuel 21-23)
That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath. But the servants of Achish said to him, “Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Isn’t he the one they sing about in their dances: “‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’?” (1 Samuel 21:10-11) Sometimes the circumstances of life bring about a new normal in our daily living. These ... [Continue Reading]
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