Archive for July 2019

Job 2:9His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!” When we decide to dedicate our lives to the Lord, there are certain kinds of opposition that we expect. The world will be against us, and our spiritual enemies will be against us. Those are no surprise. What is…

Esther 4:16b “When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” Esther’s predicament may be foreign to us in the western world, having to break the law and risk death in order to obey God, but we have many brothers and…

Esther 4:12-14aWhen Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your…

Nehemiah 2:4-5The king said to me, “What is it you want?” Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that…

Ezra 7:10For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel. Ezra’s life was one of dedication. There are many things that can occupy that space in our lives. Some are dedicated to work, others to family and still others…

Ezra 3:3Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifices. The rebuilding of God’s temple started small. It began with a simple altar to sacrifice offerings according to the Law of Moses. This likely…

2 Kings 23:21-22The king gave this order to all the people: “Celebrate the Passover to the Lord your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.” Neither in the days of the judges who led Israel nor in the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah had any…

2 Kings 18:5-6Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. He held fast to the Lord and did not stop following him; he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses. Faith is a funny thing.…

2 Kings 2:15The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, “The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. Before Elijah was taken up to heaven, he asked Elisha what he could do for him. Elisha asked for a double…