Acts 15 – The first question we want to know is, who was right and who was wrong between Paul and Barnabas? I feel that when we approach it from that angle we really miss Luke’s point. …
humility
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Acts 9 – Saul We are reminded here in chapter 9 that even the most rebellious and hard-hearted people can be powerfully used by God. In fact, I believe wholeheartedly in the saying, “whoever is forgiven much, …
Acts 4 – As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, 2 being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and …
Revelation 13 – The First Beast At the end of Revelation 12, we read of Satan’s rage. He sets out to destroy the people of God. Now, in Revelation 13, we are introduced to the two henchmen …
Revelation 9 – The 5th Trumpet The 5th trumpet releases a key to open the abyss. Many scholars believe this is the same abyss that the demons begged Jesus not to throw them in. It may be …
Jeremiah 48 – Moab can trace its ancestry all the way back to Lot. Historically, Israel and Moab experienced times of peace and hostility but there was little love lost between these two nations. Moab seemed to play both sides of the fence. Often, they were a thorn in the side of God’s people. …
Jeremiah 42 – Bias. We all have it. There is a lot to be said in this chapter about predetermined thoughts. Johanan wants to flee to Egypt, but he seeks counsel from Jeremiah first. They ask for …
Jeremiah 41 – The scene here in chapter 41 is reminiscent of a Hollywood blockbuster action movie. The nation is already mourning the total destruction of Jerusalem, and with a dramatic twist, the body count continues to …
Ruth 3 – The act of Naomi asking Ruth to go and seek out Boaz does not translate well to our current cultural norms. Boaz was not only a relative, but he was considered the goel, or, …
Isaiah 65 – God has made Himself available. He is standing with arms outstretched ready to help His people. God says one thing, but the people say another. God offers His help, but the people will not …
Isaiah 64 – What does it really look like to come before God in humility and express your deepest grief for the sins of you and your people? I’m not talking about grief for consequences or fear …
Isaiah 58 – Superficial people. We’ve all endured them. If we’re honest, we’ve probably been one at some point in our lives. Superficial people seem frivolous, self-absorbed, and shallow. Merriam-Webster defines superficial as lacking in depth or …
Isaiah 33 – The book of Isaiah is very clear. Trust in nations; destruction. Trust in God alone; deliverance. The irony is that God would use nations to humble His people, but He would command them not …
Isaiah 31 – God had willed captivity for His people. He also willed restoration. When we must go through a season of captivity in order to receive restoration, we tend to resist. We want to take the …
Isaiah 25 – Following a chapter on the destruction and judgment of God, we read a deeply personal appeal to His faithfulness. It almost reads like a prayer, and this is significant. When we face trials, struggles, …
Isaiah 19 – What do we use to replace God in our lives? It’s really a thought-provoking question. The temptation is to brush it aside, or minimize it. But when given proper thought, and approached with humility, …
Isaiah 3 – Strong Christian leadership is important. Most likely during the time that Isaiah was writing this, the readers were under the leadership of King Uzziah. He was a wise and godly king, however, a time …
Ephesians 4 – And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building …
Galatians 6 – The problem in the Galatian church was two-fold. As we’ve already outlined, the Jewish Christians were loading laws on top of grace. However, this was causing a huge divide in the church. Here in …
Exodus 22 – I am most struck by verses 22 and 25 in this chapter. God has, from the beginning, always had special feelings toward the orphaned, the widowed, and the poor. If anyone wanted to set …
Exodus 18 – The advice Jethro gave to Moses has been used in countless illustrations regarding delegation and leadership. The practicality of his advice is a step toward the ultimate goal – individual accountability. Teaching people the …
Exodus 3 – God shows His character to Moses by both coming down to him and promising to be present with him. We read the details in verses 8 and 12. “So I have come down to …
Judges 20 – The story we read from the Levite priest in Judges 20 is not the same story we read in the previous chapter. Here, the priest states that it was “the men of Gibeah” who …
Judges 12 – As Jephthah’s reign comes to an end, we can reflect back on how he led and judged Israel. As is the case with every other judge, he had his high points and low points. …
Job 42 – Without… Without knowing answers to all of his deepest questions, Job bowed his knee in humility to the Lord. Without understanding how everything works together, he repented. It’s no coincidence this happened. While so …
Job 41 – It is the mystery of the Leviathan… No beast, terrestrial or aquatic, deserves the high character here given, though that character only considers him as unconquerably strong, ferociously cruel, and wonderfully made. Perhaps leviathan …
Job 40 – Consider Job’s humility in this chapter. Consider that he takes up none of the words with God that he had planned. The entire book culminates to this point; Job is given permission to speak …
Job 35 – This is arguably Elihu’s harshest language against Job. It is a message of condemnation with truth mixed in. I am somewhat puzzled by commentaries who defend Job in being completely righteous and not deserving …
Job 33 – As I read Elihu speak, I feel the tension of two different angles. On one hand, Elihu is young and a little bit cocky. He says things like, “Keep silent, and I will teach …
Job 22 – When we do not pay attention to the needs before us, true care can turn to condemnation. This is what summarizes Eliphaz’s words to Job. He has a mold of what he understands to …
Job 20 – The cruel misjudgment of man stems from an ignorant and arrogant attitude. I’ve written this many times over in this series on Job, but it remains true – his friends understood truth, but misunderstood …
Ezra 10 – A powerful victory is found here in Chapter 10 with humility and repentance. In fact, the whole event takes place after Ezra’s intense act of grief. Notice that what spoke to the people in …
Ezra 9 – This chapter is a perfect example of why context is so important when reading Scripture. The Israelites have already been through the humiliation and anguish and being exiled. The reason for this exile, very …
Ezra 2 – Why was genealogy so important to the Jews? We see this many times in Scripture and often it’s hard to make it through the list because we don’t know or understand the history. To …
Joshua 22 – The one thing that sticks out as a positive note is how seriously the western tribes took the possibility of falling back into sin. This had been something that plagued Israel for years, and …
Joshua 20 – It’s one thing to say that we believe in God as our refuge and strength, but it’s an entirely different experience to go through circumstances where this is all we can cling to. If …
Joshua 19 – When the people of Israel finished dividing up the land, they gave Joshua son of Nun a part of the land as his own. 50 As the LORD had commanded, they gave him the …
Matthew 23 – Jesus uses a lot of phrases of that time period to describe what the Pharisees were like. In this scathing rebuke, it’s important to understand what He was talking about so we can relate …
Matthew 10 – Jesus’ selections were complete. Among his disciples were some strange picks by human standards. Among those chosen were a tax collector, several fishermen, and a religious zealot who opposed Rome. Many were unschooled men. …
Matthew 8 – Jesus marveled. It’s a strong phrase. What was it like for Jesus to marvel? What did it take? It was definitely a rare event. The only other time we read that Jesus marveled is …
Matthew 5 – I love the depth and practicality of Jesus’ message here. Many of his critics thought he was abolishing the law. In his teaching, Jesus was verifying that the law is both temporary and eternal. …
Proverbs 31 – Proverbs 31 is a famous chapter describing a virtuous woman of God. Many of us have heard the phrase “Proverbs 31 woman.” As this chapter has become more popular within Christian circles, I have …
Proverbs 29 – “Bloodthirsty men hate an honest person, but the upright care about him.” Proverbs 29:10 HCSB “When the wicked increase, rebellion increases, but the righteous will see their downfall.” Proverbs 29:16 HCSB “An unjust man …
Proverbs 28 – “The one who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.” Proverbs 28:13 HCSB This phrase is mirrored in the NT with James 5:16… “Therefore, confess your …
Proverbs 21 – A very intriguing verse in this chapter of Proverbs includes a reference back to the days of King Saul. “Doing what is righteous and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.” Proverbs …
Proverbs 16 – “A man’s heart plans his way, but the LORD determines his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 HCSB This passage hit me so hard. The heart of man is always up to something. We like things our …
Proverbs 12 – Discipline is hard. Accepting instruction is difficult. They both require us to delay our satisfaction. When we are in the middle of being corrected, it can feel threatening. Our flesh wants to resist becoming …
Proverbs 10 – Up until this point in Proverbs, we have studied the difference between the foolishness of men and the wisdom of God. Here in chapter 10, the reader is introduced to the Proverbs of Solomon. …
Proverbs 9 – Proverbs 9: Only a fool would deny God. How do you know if you are acting foolishly? First, we see that a wise person accepts correction. This goes back to the humility/teachability traits that …
2 Peter 1 – Peter was a bond-servant and apostle. This is a unique combination, being subject to all others in service and humility as well as being called by Jesus to follow and see firsthand the …
1 Peter 5 – Peter is following up on his previous chapter on suffering. It’s no surprise that in order to withstand suffering and encourage others through it, you need to have strong leadership. Peter is writing …
2 Samuel 23 – David was never ashamed of who he was and where he came from. In a culture that was all about notoriety and popularity, David was still the youngest son of Jesse, the peasant …
2 Samuel 20 – Concubines, intestines, and a severed head being thrown over a wall! This chapter is not for the faint of heart. Coming off the heels of a civil war, David is drawn back in. …
2 Samuel 9 – David had made a promise to Jonathan, and David was a man of his word. So as he was reflecting back on Saul’s family, David remembered his oath of friendship to Jonathan and …
1 Samuel 31 – Let’s do a quick recap. In desperation, Saul traveled to see a witch who brought back Samuel from the dead and predicted Saul’s death the next day. Today is the next day. Also …
1 Samuel 18 – “Saul has slain his thousands,And David his ten thousands.” The wording here says that “all cities in Israel” had women who danced and sang to this tune. It was literally a Billboard Top …
1 Samuel 11 – Nahash meant business. He threatened to humiliate and poke out the right eye of every man in Jabesh. The point of this strange act was intimidation, and eventually, to bring reproach to all …
1 Samuel 5 – There are times when God uses circumstances to demolish the false gods that we all cling to. Initially, we tend to make excuses and stick with the status quo. This is especially true …
Romans 2 – When you hold up God as the standard, as you should, that standard is one that not only condemns the person you are correcting but yourself as well. As the old saying goes, “You’re …
2 Kings 1 – Same story, different chapter. After reading about all of Ahab’s disastrous choices, we now move into the reign of Ahaziah. The gist of the story is that Ahaziah has experienced a severe fall …
1 Kings 22 – What’s the deal with Ramoth-Gilead and why did they want it back? Ramoth was a Levitical city so it was considered important to the Jews. During King Solomon’s reign, it was a key …
1 Kings 21 – When Elijah finished speaking, Ahab tore his clothes, took them off, and put on sackcloth. He refused food, slept in the sackcloth, and went about gloomy and depressed. 1 Kings 21:27 The tearing …
1 Kings 15 – If you are like me, you’ve read the last few chapters and been a little confused by all the names. We have two different Abijah’s and also the prophet Ahijah in chapter 14. …
Genesis 41 – Joseph began as a shepherd of animals and become a shepherd of men. He, like Jesus, was loved by his father but despised by his brothers. He, like Jesus, was prophesied to receive authority …
Genesis 11 – Josephus wrote of how the Tower of Babel originated from the heart and mind of Nimrod. “Now it was Nimrod who excited them to such an affront and contempt of God. …
Genesis 4 – I’ll be honest, this story has always confused me. Why was Abel’s offering acceptable to God but Cain’s was not? All we know from the story here in Genesis is that Abel offered the …
James 4 – Consider these questions… Does the indwelling Holy Spirit war against itself? Would a believer filled with the Holy Spirit continually war against another believer who is also filled with the Holy Spirit? Look, I’m …
James 3 – “Name-It Claim-It” Theology – believers have the power to speak anything into existence. You just have to have faith. Universalism – everyone is saved as long as they believe in some form of higher …
John 18 – “While human politics is based on the premise that society must be changed in order to change people, in the politics of the Kingdom it is people who must be changed in order to …
Nehemiah 10 – Cutting corners. To me, this is what the covenant was all about. The people vowed to obey God’s law and swore a penalty on themselves if they broke it. We don’t do this today, …
Nehemiah 9 – Nehemiah 9 describes a scene of revival. God was working collectively and personally to bring about reflection, ownership, repentance, and obedience. There is something to be said about reflecting on our history with God. …
Nehemiah 1 – Back in the minor prophets, we learned that very few Jewish people left Babylon to return to their own land when they were granted permission. Out of approximately 2.5 million Jews, only about 50,000 …
Hebrews 5 – First, let’s just point out that this chapter is deep! Here in Hebrews 5, we see two distinctive attributes of Christ’s character. It was by humility He was given (by God) the title of …
Zechariah 7 – What kind of motives do we have for the rituals and traditions we hold onto? by asking the priests who were at the house of the LORD of Hosts as well as the prophets, …
Zephaniah 2 – Urgency. Do you sense it? Are you living it? There are two massive truth bombs that come from this chapter. The first is that God will repay all evil done against Him outside of …
Nahum 3 – God has declared the condition of Nineveh unrepairable. They have gone too far. There is no chance for restoration. Is this how you feel currently in a relationship or situation? There is no remedy …
Haggai 2 – The main event of Haggai is the rebuilding of the temple, however, there are other several other storylines that run alongside this narrative. One such example is verse 13 where Haggai offers two opposing …
Micah 6 – Micah uses a sarcastic exaggeration to illustrate the hardness of the people’s hearts. What shall I bring to the LORD, the God of heaven, when I come to worship him? Shall I bring the …
Hosea 8 – Here we see the consequences and punishments of Israel. It was one compromise after another as they decided to bring idol worship and pagan rituals into their lives. They said they knew God with …
Hosea 5 – “I will return again to my place, until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face, and in their distress earnestly seek me.” Hosea 5:15 It is such a strong statement. You know, this phrase is …
Daniel 5 – “Though you knew all this…” It’s a frightening statement. Consider the fact that Belshazzar didn’t grow up in a “Christian home.” His father, King Nebuchadnezzar, had humbled himself to the Lord at one time …
Daniel 4 – What do we make of these 7 years when King Neb lost his mind? “There is, understandably, no preserved secular record of this; but Abydenus, a Greek historian, wrote in 268 BC that Nebuchadnezzar …
2 Corinthians 13 – When Paul first visited Corinth and established the church, he stayed a year and six months. Most scholars believe his second visit was between the two letters of 1 and 2 Corinthians and …
2 Corinthians 11 – “A story is told about a dinner party where the guests were expected to stand after the meal and recite something for the group. A famous actor was present, and he recited the …
2 Corinthians 10 – Most likely, Paul was dealing with a false teacher or many false teachers who had infiltrated the Corinthian church and discredited his ministry and teaching. He pivots here in chapter 10 to bring …
2 Corinthians 7 – “If one gives up easily, they can never walk in repentance, though they may perform acts of repentance.” David Guzik On the surface, this may sound like a works-based mentality. But consider that …
2 Corinthians 4 – Why jars of clay? “The Greek word means “baked clay,” and refers to clay pots. They were cheap, breakable, and replaceable, but they served necessary household functions. Sometimes they were used as a …
1 Corinthians 4 – Paul doesn’t mince words with the church at Corinth. They had a very obvious pride issue. Humble Servant. Paul reminds them he is a servant of Christ and a steward of the mystery. …
Psalm 131 – “Here we find the description of a humble, a broken and contrite spirit. It has well been said, ‘All virtues together are a body of which humility is the head.’ How many Scriptures teach …
Psalm 111 – The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His instructions have good insight. His praise endures forever. Psalms 111:10 HCSB Do you have good insight? The NASB translates it …
Psalm 108 – Moab is My washbasin; I throw My sandal on Edom. I shout in triumph over Philistia.” Psalms 108:9 HCSB “Picture Edom in rebellion against Yahweh and his people. Picture them mustering thousands and thousands …
Psalm 95 – All worship is not equal. There are many today who bring false worship before the Father. Coming before Him with selfish ambition or prideful arrogance, they are no different than the Pharisees of Jesus’ …
Psalm 83 – Psalm 83 is speaking directly to those of us who deal with arrogant and stubborn people. Some would be quick to point out that all people are arrogant and stubborn which is true to …
Psalm 79 – The Psalms continue to reveal the human struggle with control. When we have control (or think we do), everything is fine and dandy. When we feel control slipping away, we struggle. Immediately, we turn …
Psalm 53 – When God looks down from heaven at humanity, He’s not looking at innocent people. He’s looking at guilty people who love evil. People love their sin. This is why the sin problem had no …
Psalm 45 – Psalms 45:3-5 describes our Savior Jesus Christ returning as a Warrior Gird your sword on your thigh, O mighty one, in your splendor and majesty! 4 In your majesty ride out victoriously for the …
Psalm 44 – Following God wholeheartedly is a practical act of cooperation (our response) and faith (assurance of God’s love). When we teeter too far to one side or the other, we fall short and end up …
Psalm 39 – Let’s track this psalm from the beginning. The psalmist opens with tremendous grief. There seems to be physical, emotional and mental suffering going on in his life and he doesn’t know how to respond. …
Psalm 34 – Many people do not realize that the Psalms were written with a specific poetic order and structure. That evidence is lost in our modern translation. Going back to the Hebrew, we are able to …