Joel 2
Joel 2 - The plague of locusts would be devastating and overpowering. Their appearance would be like horses as they scaled walls like men and dodged arrows with speed and agility. The scene is poetic and reads ...
Joel 1
Joel 1 - The book of Joel centers around The Day of the Lord. Here is a brief synopsis of what that entails... The Day of the Lord Though it probably refers to future events, it ...
Hosea 5
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 ...
Hosea 3
Hosea 3 - What impacts me the most about this short chapter in Hosea 3 is the fact that God makes the first move. Scripture tells us in Romans 5... "But God demonstrates his own love for ...
Hosea 1
Hosea 1 - Hosea and Jonah were most likely the only writing prophets who lived in the Northern Kingdom. We know this because Hosea addresses the king of Israel as "our king" in Hosea 7. Historically, Hosea ...
Daniel 9
Daniel 9 - All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 ...
Daniel 1
Daniel 1 - There is some speculation (as there is with many books of the Bible) as to who actually wrote the book of Daniel. So, let's first dispel this myth that Daniel might not have written ...
2 Corinthians 13
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 9
2 Corinthians 9 - Paul sarcastically (playfully) urges the Corinthians toward giving in verses 1-5. He mentions that they will be put to shame if he sends someone to collect their offering and they are unprepared. Paul ...
2 Corinthians 2
2 Corinthians 2 - The man Paul is referring to in this chapter was most likely the same man who was having an incestuous affair when Paul wrote his first letter to the ...
1 Corinthians 12
1 Corinthians 12 - Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are different activities, but the same God activates each gift in each ...
1 Corinthians 9
1 Corinthians 9 - Paul was a man with his priorities straight. He was a man who had given up all his rights for the sake of Jesus. His life's mission was to preach the Gospel and ...
1 Corinthians 8
1 Corinthians 8 - Knowledge can be like a puffer fish. It puffs us up into a state where our thorny exterior rips the flesh of others. Using food as an example, Paul illustrates that Christians who ...
1 Corinthians 6
1 Corinthians 6 - Paul's had some specific issues with the Corinthians in regard to legal matters. First and foremost, the disputes in question were between two believers. Paul is working under the assumption that Jesus has ...
Psalm 148
Psalm 148 - It is a word that has become obsolete in many Christian circles. Sin. The rebellion of man that separates us from God is our primary issue in life. The Bible opens in Genesis with ...
Psalm 147
Psalm 147 - Many scholars believe this psalm was prepared for use when the new city walls were completed by Nehemiah. What I find most fascinating is that the psalmist never grows weary of praising God. The ...
Psalm 135
Psalm 135 - Our God is praise worthy in every age and season. No matter the circumstances, God is with us and for us. Often, it is hard to understand and believe this when we look around ...
Psalm 133
Psalm 133 - Through Jesus, the Holy Spirit has been poured out over us. Like a priest who would be anointed by a fine oil, we as believers have been abundantly blessed by the Holy Spirit. This ...
Psalm 131
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 129
Psalm 129 - The enemies of God will not prevail. Even though it seems like they are winning, God promises to make right what is wrong. In our country, we don't really know what it is like ...
Psalm 128
Psalm 128 - "I'm so blessed." We hear this phrase often in our culture. It's not that I don't believe that it's a genuine feeling. I do. However, sometimes I wonder what exactly it means to be ...
Psalm 125
Psalm 125 - It is a bold declaration, especially within the turmoil of our world today. Those who trust in the Lord will never be moved. Never. Think about that for a moment. Those who trust can ...
Psalm 124
Psalm 124 - The storms that God allows only further serves to reveal His power and glory within. When we are faced with opposition, we clench tightly to the anchor that we know and trust. In those ...
Psalm 122
Psalm 122 - In the Christian Jewish Bible, verse 4 speaks to two reasons for going to the house of the Lord. The tribes have gone up there, the tribes of Adonai, as a witness to Isra'el, ...
Psalm 121
Psalm 121 - The Lord is our protector. He is our strength and our refuge. He fights our battles. He does not sleep or slumber. He sees and knows all. He will protect His children now and ...
Psalm 120
Psalm 120 - "The Meshechites were presumably descended from Meshech, a grandson of Noah through Japheth (Gen 10:2; 1Ch 1:5). They were said to trade in slaves and copper (Eze 27:13), and may have invaded the Near ...
Psalm 116
Psalm 116 - "How can I repay the LORD for all the good He has done for me? 13 I will take the cup of salvation and call on the name of Yahweh." Psalms 116:12-13 HCSB What ...
Psalm 115
Psalm 115 - Israel, trust in the LORD! He is their help and shield. 10 House of Aaron, trust in the LORD! He is their help and shield. 11 You who fear the LORD, trust in the ...
Psalm 111
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 110
Psalm 110 - Psalm 110 might be quoted more frequently in the NT than any other Psalm. The Lord declared to my Lord, 'Sit at My right hand until I put Your enemies under Your feet'? Matthew ...
Psalm 109
Psalm 109 - What do we make of this prayer? On the surface, it appears to be vindictive, hateful, and even potentially sinful! Look at the Good News Translation of the psalmist's emotions. Psa 109:7 May he ...
Psalm 106
Psalm 106 - What is risk? It is a decision to act in a way that opens us to danger, hurt, or uncertainty. Every day we take risks. Today, you have a 1 in 70 chance of ...
Psalm 105
Psalm 105 - "The term translated as promise throughout the psalm is the Hebrew dāḇār—which is also the term used for the “Ten Words” (Ten Commandments) in Hebrew. Hebrew does not have different words for “law” and ...
Psalm 99
Psalm 99 - God is holy. Let them praise Your great and awe-inspiring name. He is holy. Psalms 99:3 HCSB Exalt the LORD our God; bow in worship at His footstool. He is holy. Psalms 99:5 HCSB ...
Psalm 96
Psalm 96 - "Sing to the LORD a new song; Sing to the LORD, all the earth. 2 Sing to the LORD, bless His name; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. 3 Tell ...
Psalm 94
Psalm 94 - O LORD, God of vengeance, God of vengeance, shine forth! 2 Rise up, O Judge of the earth, Render recompense to the proud. Psalms 94:1-2 NASB The appeal to God to exercise His vengeance ...
Psalm 89
Psalm 89 - In similar fashion to Psalm 88, the writer here boldly introduces some deep theological questions. He records some of our deepest fears and most troubling mysteries about God. But you are angry with your ...
Psalm 86
Psalm 86 - We are all familiar with the tumultuous relationship between joy and sorrow. In Psalm 86, David moves back and forth between the two with little warning. He begins with the fear of uncertainty. A ...
Psalm 83
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 80
Psalm 80 - There are some aspects to growth that can only happen in community. This is the central theme of this chapter. Three times the psalmist pleads for victory through restoration. However, it is not a ...
Psalm 79
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 76
Psalm 76 - God is faithful. His track record is perfect. He never fails and never shows up late. His power is unmatched and His grace is providential. God is known in Judah; His name is great ...
Psalm 75
Psalm 75 - Psalm 75 is a plea for justice. The dilemma with justice is that many of us want it to reign down on those around us but fail to take a look in the mirror. ...
Psalm 69
Psalm 69 - Unto You be all the glory, Lord. Have we ever stopped to consider what this really means? Creation itself is a testimony that points to the flawless and undeniable glory of God. The last ...
Psalm 68
Psalm 68 - There is something to be said about the joy of the Lord being our daily strength. Our God is an untamed, impassioned husband whose love is fierce, boundless with delight over his bride. Our ...
Psalm 67
Psalm 67 - Many forget God's original intent when He chose Israel as His people. "I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will place them ...
Psalm 66
Psalm 66 - The end of Psalm 66 highlights various ways in which we are to walk out the mercy of God in our lives. All of us who have believed have received grace from the Father ...
Psalm 61
Psalm 61 - When we struggle through hard times, we lose confidence. Our demeanor changes and we just can't move ourselves to accomplish the basic tasks before us. Everything seems to snowball and we find ourselves trudging ...
Psalm 54
Psalm 54 - Though the opening verses do not indicate the specifics of the trouble at hand, the plea is for action. The desire of the psalmist is for God to do something. Verses one and two ...
Psalm 50
Psalm 50 - What does our praise look like when we face trouble and adversity? Or, do we praise at all? Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, 15 ...
Psalm 49
Psalm 49 - Death. No one can escape it. It is a certainty that all of humanity agrees upon regardless of what they believe about God or the afterlife. You and I will die one day, and ...
Psalm 48
Psalm 48 - Several years ago I witnessed one of the most miraculous events I've ever seen God perform in my life. At the time, I was working for a computer software company. I was making pretty ...
Psalm 47
Psalm 47 - In Psalm 47, I am drawn to God's sovereign choosing... He chose our heritage for us, the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah. Psalms 47:4 ESV Jesus chose us before Creation. His choice ...
Psalm 45
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
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 42
Psalm 42 - “(Thirst) is more than hungering; hunger you can palliate, but thirst is awful, insatiable, clamorous, deadly.” Charles Spurgeon Consider the concept of being thirsty. First, there are all kinds of factors that contribute to ...
Psalm 41
Psalm 41 - The timeless and inspired Word of God never ceases to amaze us. It has the ability to speak to the situation in context while also providing truth for generations to come. We see this ...
Psalm 40
Psalm 40 - Gratefulness. Some days it seems to escape us. Our day starts off on the wrong foot and we struggle to regroup. Problems pile up and we find every reason to gripe and complain about ...
Psalm 34
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 ...
Psalm 33
Psalm 33 - Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. 21 For our heart rejoices in Him, Because we trust in His holy name. 22 Let Your lovingkindness, O LORD, be ...
Psalm 32
Psalm 32 - 8 years ago, I was headed back from work driving north. My windshield wipers were frantically trying to keep pace with the torrential downpour of a typical Midwestern summer thunderstorm. As I turned to ...
Psalm 31
Psalm 31 - How do we move from anguish and sorrow to trust and assurance? People have smeared your name. They have campaigned among others and built their case with lies and deceit. Others reject you. They ...
Psalm 30
Psalm 30 - One of the most difficult theological principles to reconcile in our hearts and minds is the idea that the same God who delivers us is also the God who allows for our destruction. Many ...
Psalm 27
Psalm 27 - Rolf Jacobson writes in the New International Commentary about a personal story relating to this Psalm. "When I was fifteen years old, I was diagnosed with bone cancer. The cancer led to the amputation ...
Psalm 26
Psalm 26 - The key to Psalm 26, as Hank has written, is the second verse. If you read through the Psalm again and remove verse 2, it sounds completely vain and self-centered. This is an important ...
Psalm 24
Psalm 24 - Psalm 24 was written to be chanted/recited and comes with two choruses. It would have been sung during Jewish worship on the first day of the week (Sunday). It was followed by Psalm 48 ...
Psalm 22
Psalm 22 - "I know not whether any Psalm throughout the whole book contains matter more weighty, or from which the hearts of the godly can so truly perceive those sighs and groans, inexpressible by man, which ...
Psalm 21
Psalm 21 - There is a theme of kingship within this psalm. It's likely it was originally composed for recital during the ceremony of enthronement for a king. In his commentary titled "Psalms," James Luther Mays writes, ...
Psalm 20
Psalm 20 - Already, but not yet. What a difficult attitude to have. How do you move from crying out in prayer to trusting in God? Does that even happen in your life? It's an interesting question. ...
Psalm 15
Psalm 15 - The term "Christian" can mean many different things. Some people immediately think of a moral person who obeys rules. Others may picture someone who is filled with love. Still, others may associate the word ...
Psalm 14
Psalm 14 - When the psalmist refers to the unbeliever as a fool, he isn't insulting his intelligence. It's a moral charge. Sye Ten Bruggengate, a Christian apologist, relates this thought to a personal story. “My father ...
Psalm 9
Psalm 9 - According to Spurgeon, the title of this Psalm is, “A Psalm on the death of the son,” or “on the death of the champion.” Many have speculated that this could have been written following ...
Psalm 7
Psalm 7 - As I read Psalm 7, I found myself asking if God was not righteous, would I pray to Him? In other words, what logical reason do we have for pleading our case before the ...
Psalm 2
Psalm 2 - This royal psalm was a familiar one, as it was recited often by God's followers. We read of two instances in the book of Acts where this Psalm is quoted. The one I want ...
Mark 16
Mark 16 - The Great Commission is important. So important, in fact, that we find it 5 times in the NT. It's found here in Mark 16, as well as Matthew 28, Luke 24, John 20 and ...
Mark 15
Mark 15 - More than 1/3 of Mark's narrative is focused on passion week. He includes many details that other Gospel accounts do not. For instance, Matthew's Gospel reveals that Barabbas is a "notorious" criminal but Mark ...
Mark 14
Mark 14 - In Mark 14, Jesus sat down with his disciples during the Last Supper and broke the bread saying "This is my body." He poured the wine saying "This is my blood." Essentially, He was ...
Mark 9
Mark 9 - We all know the greatest commandment according to Jesus. Here's a refresher... "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. ...
Mark 7
Mark 7 - Judaism during Jesus' time not only put an emphasis on the written law (the Old Testament) but also the oral law. The oral law would have been man's interpretation of the written law passed ...
Mark 5
Mark 5 - I want to make a few quick points about the demon-possessed man and then move to the woman who touched Jesus. We read several striking characteristics about this demon-possessed man. This man had been ...
Mark 1
Mark 1 - It's fascinating to identify the different writing styles of the Gospel authors. Matthew began with genealogy. His mission was to write to the Jews and prove that Jesus was the heir to David's throne. ...
Deuteronomy 32
Deuteronomy 32 - Look at all the names Moses ascribed to God in one song! the Rock: Deu 31:4; Deu 31:15; Deu 31:18; Deu 31:30Jehovah: Deu 31:6Father: Deu 31:6the Most High: Deu 31:8God: Deu 31:3Lord: Deu 31:3 ...
Deuteronomy 18
Deuteronomy 18 - "God said..." It's a phrase that has permeated our Christian culture. It's a statement that flies out of people's mouths easily and routinely. Reading it in Christian books and magazines and hearing it in ...
Deuteronomy 16
Deuteronomy 16 - Favoritism. Bribes. Bias. Corruption. Does this not describe our current political climate? God gave specific laws regarding the judges that He Himself would appoint for Israel. First, there would be impartiality. Everyone would be ...
Deuteronomy 13
Deuteronomy 13 - When did self-appointed titles become a "thing" in the church? When did "a word" become more important than action? When did the thoughts inside people's heads become full-blown prophecies directly from the mouth of ...
Deuteronomy 11
Deuteronomy 11 - Remember. Teach. Obey. This is the instruction given to those who were responsible for raising the next generation. Remember today what you have learned about the LORD through your experiences with him. It was ...
Deuteronomy 10
Deuteronomy 10 - "Now, people of Israel, listen to what the LORD your God demands of you: Worship the LORD and do all that he commands. Love him, serve him with all your heart, 13 and obey ...
Ecclesiastes 2
Ecclesiastes 2 - Wow. As I studied this chapter, I began to picture how relevant these statements are for our world today. Many people today try and navigate through life by focusing on themselves. We are told ...
Numbers 36
Numbers 36 - Unfortunately, the evangelical church today has become a place where people feel they cannot seek truth through difficult questions. Many churches discourage seekers from "questioning God," and while questioning Him without faith can be ...
Numbers 35
Numbers 35 - When we take a deeper look into the cities which were selected as places of refuge and we utilize the Hebrew text, we see obvious parallels to the refuge Jesus provides for His church. ...
Numbers 32
Numbers 32 - The LORD became angry with the people and made them wander in the wilderness forty years until that whole generation that had displeased him was dead. Numbers 32:13 GNB I found myself wondering why ...
Numbers 30
Numbers 30 - Keep in mind that ancient vows could be both positive and negative. They may be to motivate us to perform in some way (positively) or to abstain from certain things (negatively). A great example ...
Numbers 29
Numbers 29 - The feasts we read here are the fall feasts. Many people believe that these speak toward prophecies yet to be fulfilled by Jesus. Feast of the Trumpets - This is the first of the ...
Numbers 28
Numbers 28 - God was teaching the Israelites what it meant to have a heart full of love for Him. This fact has not changed today. Following and loving God means we bring a sacrificial heart of ...
Numbers 23
Numbers 23 - This chapter reminds me of an encounter Elijah had with the prophets of Baal when they were seeking help from their "god." They took the bull that was brought to them, prepared it, and ...
Numbers 22
Numbers 22 - In 1967, archeaologists uncovered an inscription dating back to the eighth-century B.C. in the city of Jordan (modern-day Moab). The inscription was a story which revealed visions of seer who channeled information from dead ...
Numbers 18
Numbers 18 - As mentioned in previous chapters, the Levites were given special authority and privileges among the spiritual duties assigned by God. However, they were not given the same authority as priests. This is the main ...
Numbers 16
Numbers 16 - Numbers 16 is part of a much bigger picture of Moses' leadership of Israel. This rollercoaster of leading the Israelites toward the Promised Land had many twists and turns. If we go all the ...
Numbers 10
Numbers 10 - Then Moses said to Hobab the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, "We are setting out to the place of which the LORD said, 'I will give it to you'; come with us ...
Numbers 7
Numbers 7 - This chapter is a bit repetitive and long. OK, let's just be honest - it's boring. Each of the leaders from the 12 tribes brought a gift to the altar to present to the Lord. ...