In 1 Samuel 1, a man named Elkanah from the hill country of Ephraim had two wives: Hannah (who was…
In Ruth 2, Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side who was a noble man named Boaz (Ruth 2:1).…
Judges 5 is the Song of Deborah, a victory hymn sung by Deborah and Barak after Israel’s triumph over King…
Joshua 18 - Spiritually, Shiloh is an important landmark for worship during this time period. In both Judges and Samuel,…
Joshua 8 - Joshua 7 left a bad taste in our mouths. After discovering the sin that had caused Israel…
Joshua 4 - In Joshua 4, after the entire nation finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord instructed Joshua to choose…
Joshua 1 - The Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years due to a lack of faith and a…
Deuteronomy 33 - Moses gives his final blessings to the tribes of Israel. I was drawn to the guidance given…
Ezekiel 20 - For a good part of my adult life, I chased after the hopes and dreams of man.…
Ezekiel 12 - "Son of man, what is this proverb you people have concerning the land of Israel, saying, 'The…
Acts 25 - The reason Paul was able to appeal to Caesar and the higher court was because he was…
Acts 24 - Paul now finds himself in limbo and at the mercy of the political system. He continues to…
Acts 20 - In a bittersweet scene, Paul lays it all on the line for the leaders of Ephesus as…
Acts 6 - We really have two storylines going on here. We have a great leadership move and a great…
Acts 1 - At the end of Chapter 1, the apostles have just witnessed the ascension of Jesus and are…
Revelation 17 - We have already reiterated it over many chapters, but Rome stood proudly as a pagan symbol against…
Revelation 14 - First question I asked myself... who is Babylon? John, again, is writing symbolically here. Literal Babylon was…
Jeremiah 38 - The brutality against Jeremiah is taken a step further. Led by officials, they inquired with the king…
Jeremiah 34 - Every 7 years slaves were to be released. This had been an ordinance God had established hundreds…
Jeremiah 21 - It has finally happened. Babylon is bearing down on Judah and God is allowing it to happen.…
Jeremiah 8 - I love the Good News Bible translation of this chapter. The LORD told me to say to…
Jeremiah 5 - The people of Israel and Judah have betrayed me completely. I, the LORD, have spoken." 12 The…
2 Chronicles 28 - Wow. What a chapter. Where do we begin? There are times in Scripture where we read…
2 Chronicles 20 - Did God command his people to go into battle singing? I read this over and over…
2 Chronicles 14 - The attack that comes upon Israel is from the Ethiopians but that is deceiving. During this…
2 Chronicles 13 - After reading this chapter, I am reminded of a common situation we have all encountered. It's…
2 Chronicles 4 - Then he made the ten golden lampstands in the way prescribed for them and he set…
2 Chronicles 3 - The effort and detail Solomon and his people put into the newly constructed temple was simply…
1 Chronicles 23 - David appoints Solomon king, then numbers the Levites for their special work. He made arrangements to…
1 Chronicles 22 - Though David served Israel in many ways, his primary role was as a military leader. He…
1 Chronicles 20 - "In the spring of the year..." Great military conquests were routinely conducted in the springtime. Most…
1 Chronicles 17 - I am drawn to David's actions over the second half of this chapter. As I read,…
1 Chronicles 15 - Chapter 16 ends with an interesting and dramatic detail. And as the ark of the covenant…
Isaiah 58 - Superficial people. We've all endured them. If we're honest, we've probably been one at some point in…
Isaiah 56 - Here at the end of the chapter, we read that Israel's irresponsible leaders are the source of…
Isaiah 48 - We who know Christ understand that the Gospel message is not a one of mystery and mysticism.…
Isaiah 34 - The idea of this chapter is that the Lord will conquer all who oppose Him. There is…
Isaiah 27 - This chapter, as a whole, is about the destruction of Israel's enemies. The smaller story line, however,…
Isaiah 20 - Let's first set the stage. Coming on the heels of Isaiah 19 and the oracle concerning Egypt,…
Isaiah 17 - Mount Hermon was a massive ridge north of Damascus After focusing on the nations to the south,…
Exodus 35 - Think upon the skills that were required of a master craftsman. Obviously, the person would be gifted…
Exodus 33 - Perseverance. Can you imagine being Moses? On one hand, he is a spiritual leader for these obstinate…
Exodus 14 - Like the Canaanites, ancient Israel thought of the sea as an uncontrollable beast. At creation the Lord…
1 John 2 - and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also…
Job 39 - Many times it's true that our expectations of God are outmatched by His unfolding plan. I can't…
Job 37 - We experience and come to know God through Scripture. Another place we come to know Him is…
Job 31 - The tenderness of Job's heart comes through in this chapter. He is certain that even if he…
Job 25 - Well, there is not much here that we haven't already heard. Bildad sums up with "God is…
Job 21 - Job thoroughly rejects the doctrine of retribution and he draws from common knowledge to do so. Throughout…
Job 11 - I think Zophar is right on one thing; he understands the wisdom of God. It actually feels…
Job 10 - Job's attitude takes a turn in this chapter. When I read these passages I picture a courtroom…
Matthew 15 - It's the worst feeling that any human can experience in this life. It's the realization that I…
Proverbs 22 - "The rich and the poor have this in common: the LORD made them both." Proverbs 22:2 HCSB …
Proverbs 18 - Communication is essential for life, and it's a big part of how we reach the world as…
Proverbs 16 - "A man's heart plans his way, but the LORD determines his steps." Proverbs 16:9 HCSB This passage…
Proverbs 8 - When I was in college, I reluctantly took a poetry class. It was difficult for me, but…
1 Peter 5 - Peter is following up on his previous chapter on suffering. It's no surprise that in order…
1 Peter 4 - Arm yourself! This is a powerful opening in 1 Peter 4. Our thought process regarding suffering…
1 Peter 2 - Peter opens with the process of transformation. The true progression of spiritual growth is measured by…
1 Samuel 12 - When our vision is blinded to reality, sometimes the most effective reminder comes from God flexing…
Romans 10 - A lot of times we talk about people having knowledge about God, but no zeal for him.…
Romans 7 - What is the purpose of the law? In Romans 6 we saw the law cannot make us…
Romans 2 - When you hold up God as the standard, as you should, that standard is one that not…
2 Kings 24 - This is such a tough time for Judah. Jeremiah had been prophesying about Babylonian captivity for…
2 Kings 8 - The pattern of Elisha's service to the Lord consistently reflects the act of leading others to…
2 Kings 2 - Discipleship 101 Elijah respectfully asked Elisha to stay and leave him alone, but Elisha refused to…
1 Kings 7 - Most commentators agree that it took longer than expected to complete Solomon's house simply because there…
Genesis 20 - Once again Abraham lied. Once again he told a foreign king his wife was his sister. And…
James 3 - "Name-It Claim-It" Theology - believers have the power to speak anything into existence. You just have to…
James 1 - There are so many believers I talk with who tell me that their favorite book is James.…
John 8 - It would not be a stretch to call this the "chapter of traps." After trying to get…
Hebrews 11 - The Hall of Faith. It is by far the most popular and most quoted chapter of Hebrews.…
Hebrews 2 - For in bringing many sons to glory, it was entirely appropriate that God—all things exist for Him…
Zechariah 14 - In Philippians, Paul urges the church to "hold onto the truth we have attained." This means as…
Zechariah 12 - Zechariah's name means "The Lord Remembers" and in this chapter, we get a striking image of God…
Habakkuk 1 - Many years ago, in 2010, I was driving home from work heading north toward Fort Wayne. My…
Micah 7 - Consider the similarities of Micah's world and our world today... There is undesirable fruit all around Everyone…
Amos 8 - What can be more susceptible to rot and disease than ripened fruit? There is a short window…
Amos 2 - Amos 1 and 2 are really meant to be read and analyzed together as they are a…
2 Corinthians 11 - "A story is told about a dinner party where the guests were expected to stand after…
2 Corinthians 6 - "Such persons cannot say this petition of the Lord’s prayer, 'Lead us not into temptation.' They…
1 Corinthians 9 - Paul was a man with his priorities straight. He was a man who had given up…
Psalm 138 - The LORD will accomplish what concerns me; Your lovingkindness, O LORD, is everlasting; Do not forsake the…
Psalm 135 - Our God is praise worthy in every age and season. No matter the circumstances, God is with…
Psalm 132 - This psalm is a prayer that pleads with God to remember His covenant. Some ascribe it to…
Psalm 131 - “Here we find the description of a humble, a broken and contrite spirit. It has well been…
Psalm 104 - Let the glory of the LORD endure forever; Let the LORD be glad in His works; 32 …
Psalm 91 - Whoever goes to the LORD for safety, whoever remains under the protection of the Almighty, 2 can…
Psalm 85 - He has shown favor. He has restored. He has forgiven. He has covered. He withdrew his fury.…
Psalm 77 - We've all experienced sleepless nights wondering if God can hear us. The primary issue at hand is…
Psalm 46 - The statements made in Psalm 46 are common knowledge to those who've walked with God. We sing…
Psalm 42 - “(Thirst) is more than hungering; hunger you can palliate, but thirst is awful, insatiable, clamorous, deadly.” Charles…
Psalm 39 - Let's track this psalm from the beginning. The psalmist opens with tremendous grief. There seems to be…
Psalm 37 - It is sometimes difficult to understand why the evil continues to prosper. We struggle to reconcile how…
Psalm 32 - 8 years ago, I was headed back from work driving north. My windshield wipers were frantically trying…
Psalm 16 - Inheritance is something that's found extensively in Scripture. David writes of this inheritance in verse 5. The…
Psalm 7 - As I read Psalm 7, I found myself asking if God was not righteous, would I pray…
Mark 12 - Total sacrifice. Do we understand it? Do we live it? Jesus pulls his disciples aside to highlight…
Deuteronomy 30 - I was drawn specifically to verse 6 of this chapter because it relates closely to the process…
Deuteronomy 25 - "Do not muzzle an ox when you are using it to thresh grain." Deuteronomy 25:4 GNB On…