-
Staying Behind
Ezra 1:1–6, Hebrews 13:9–15 Imagine being one of the children or grandchildren who had only heard of the homeland. Imagine having only the legends to live on. Your family told you of a place where you actually belonged, instead of being an outsider among other outsiders. Even those who had come from the land had
-
Sheltering Wings
Exodus 37:1–9, Ruth 2:10–3:9, Psalm 61, Luke 13:34–35 The wings of God are an interesting image, and it is well worth considering. While God may not have literal wings, wings being part of the comprehension of God cannot and should not be ignored. The Ark of the Covenant was a physical reminder of God’s presence
-
Joy in Demise
Habakkuk 3:16–19, Zephaniah 2:1–3 Imagine how Habakkuk is feeling. He understands the impending doom. He knows that Israel can no longer avoid the consequences of generations of bad behavior. Habakkuk uses the imagery of rottenness in his bones. It’s a weird statement. Yet, most of us understand it if we’ve ever had the flu, broken
-
Consequent Restoration
Amos 9:1–4, Amos 9:7–10 The open verses of Amos 9 are anything but comforting. It would seem that God is actively and minutely seeking the destruction of Israel. And it’s true, from a certain point of view. However, prophecy is a fickle thing, and the visions that Amos saw were the best that he could
-
The Duty to Pass On
1 Timothy 4:13–16, Romans 12:3–8, Acts 20:22–32 Teaching is a core function of passing on the faith. There have been plenty of stories (and continue to be) of people coming to Jesus without being taught about Jesus. The Holy Spirit moves as God wills. By and large, though, people need to be taught about Jesus.
-
An Expert Problem
Ecclesiastes 1:12–18, Ecclesiastes 12:12–14, John 7:37–49 One of the biggest indicators of future success is a good education. Especially in this day and age, education is not a luxury, nor is it just the trappings of the well-to-do. Education is a necessity. The “Teacher” of Ecclesiastes is often assumed to be Solomon, however, based on
-
Everyday Morality
2 Peter 3:8–15, 2 Corinthians 5:16–21 Being human is not particularly easy. Our ability to think abstractly is a great gift. It is also a curse. With the ability to think abstractly, we also have gained a “higher” form of thinking…morality. From the Old Testament to Greek and Roman philosophers to the New Testament to
-
Too Direct?
John 17:9–19 Jesus prayed for the disciples, a lot. There is something quite interesting here. He didn’t pray for the world (that he died for). He prayed instead for his disciples. Why? Why his disciples? Jesus prayed for his disciples. Jesus prayed for his friends. Jesus prayed for their protection. He prayed for them…for us.
-
Guarding Wrong Things
Psalm 51:1–13, Luke 15:1–10, 1 Timothy 1:12–17 “Be gracious to me…Against…you alone…have I sinned…Purify me…Turn your face…from my sins…create a clean heart for me…Do not banish me…sustain me…sinners will return to you.” The (very) abbreviated Psalm 51:1–13 above probably resonates with you. The Psalms are often flowery poems, and when we strip much of that
-
Countercultural Love
2 Samuel 1:17–27, Romans 12:9–21, Romans 13:1-10 David had been pursued by the House of Saul for many years. Even after Saul acknowledged that David had been acting more righteous than he, there wasn’t restoration. David was cut off from his friends (like Saul’s son, Jonathan), his first wife, his nation. He was in exile.