Malachi 1
Malachi 1 - Malachi's ministry would have overlapped with Nehemiah. The temple had been rebuilt (v. 13), and there was a presiding governor over the nation (v. 8), but the people were struggling with the same sins ...
Zechariah 14
Zechariah 14 - In Philippians, Paul urges the church to "hold onto the truth we have attained." This means as truth is revealed to us, we must continue to move forward and not lose ground with regard ...
Zechariah 13
Zechariah 13 - In order to understand this chapter, we must rewind to the end of Zechariah 12. In the end times, after Jesus has returned, Zechariah predicts a time of mourning where Israel will finally realize ...
Zechariah 12
Zechariah 12 - Zechariah's name means "The Lord Remembers" and in this chapter, we get a striking image of God remembering His Jewish people. Theology is not the most important thing here, but it does determine what ...
Zechariah 5
Zechariah 5 - Even though the Jewish people were brought back to their land, were forgiven of their sins, and were inspired by the Holy Spirit to complete the temple, God still had standards for them. What ...
Zechariah 1
Zechariah 1 - According to many scholars, Zechariah is the most messianic, apocalyptic, and end times descriptive book of the Old Testament. That's a big statement considering many have probably never read it. Haggai led the charge ...
Zephaniah 3
Zephaniah 3 - Destruction. Conversion. Restoration. This chapter reads as a Gospel presentation as all glory goes to God. He is the One to correct, convert, and restore. Though these prophecies address an immediate time period, they ...
Zephaniah 2
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 1
Nahum 1 - The book of Jonah was God's grace to Ninevah, and Nahum is His truth. God would judge Nineveh. For some, the thought of His judgment invokes imagery of an all-powerful Being looking down on ...
Micah 7
Micah 7 - Consider the similarities of Micah's world and our world today... There is undesirable fruit all around Everyone is scheming, waiting for a chance to do evil People in authority take bribes as money trumps ...
Micah 1
Micah 1 - Dates Approximate Micah was a prophet during a very critical time for both Israel and Judah. He mostly served the nation of Judah and his ministry spanned over the kings of Jotham, Ahaz, and ...
Jonah 4
Jonah 4 - Jonah 4 exposes a horrendous sin that all of us have been guilty of at one time or another. Judgment. Jonah loathed Nineveh. Actually, he hated the people of this city. He had decided ...
Jonah 3
Jonah 3 - God's mercy is on full display here. God showed mercy to Jonah and called him to deliver the message a second time. God was under no obligation to use Jonah a second time. However, ...
Jonah 1
Jonah 1 - Nineveh was both a great and wicked city. It was the capital of the Assyrian Empire and the Assyrians had a reputation for being extremely cruel. It was quite possibly the largest city in ...
Amos 6
Amos 6 - You never know a good thing until it's goneYou never see a crash until it's head onWhy we think we're right when we're dead wrong,You never know a good thing 'til it's gone As ...
Amos 5
Amos 5 - The oppression of the poor. Check. The establishment of structures built on immoral actions. Check. The acceptance of bribes in order to betray the less fortunate. Check. We should be wary of reading these ...
Joel 3
Joel 3 - Judgment is the theme here - specifically with those who are against God and against his people. A lot of times, we seem to think that God casually watches as his people are ravaged ...
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 9
Hosea 9 - Hosea 9 continues to pound away at our human flesh. God's people had "taken to sin like a pig to filth." But, this did not happen overnight. It started with small compromises that that ...
Hosea 8
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 7
Hosea 7 - "Two-faced and double-tongued,they steal you blind, pick you clean.It never crosses their mindthat I keep account of their every crime" Hosea 7:2 God exposes Israel's two-sided nature in this chapter. He compares them to ...
Hosea 6
Hosea 6 - A pattern we see over the past two chapters is God allowing for us to hit a place where we are driven to repentance. Living a life of repentance is not easy, but 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 2
Hosea 2 - Grace and truth. They are the inescapable character traits of God. God is a fair and just God. He doesn't compromise like we do. I think that sometimes we take for granted the holiness ...
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 7
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 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 4
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 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 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 118
Psalm 118 - Many scholars believe that Psalm 118 was written during Moses' day in the Exodus. If you compare this psalm to Exodus 15, there are remarkable similarities. Psalms 118:14 NASB The LORD is my strength ...
Psalm 95
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 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 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 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 74
Psalm 74 - He purchased. He redeemed. He dwelt. The invasion by their enemies has devastated the people of Israel and Judah. They know that these enemies are a manifestation of His punishment for their waywardness. However, ...
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 51
Psalm 51 - It is known as "The Sinner's Guide" and contains some of the most quoted verses in all of Psalms. It is not surprising that this Psalm features some of the most beautifully articulated phrases ...
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 38
Psalm 38 - Once again, the psalmist is upset with his enemies and those who do evil. However, picking up from yesterday's blog, the writer is primarily concerned with his own relationship with God. In fact, the ...
Psalm 37
Psalm 37 - It is sometimes difficult to understand why the evil continues to prosper. We struggle to reconcile how they are getting away with corruption, deceit, and manipulation right in front of God's eyes. In fact, ...
Psalm 28
Psalm 28 - What does it mean to trust in the Rock of our Salvation? David uses the phrase "My Rock" in verse 1. The term can also mean 'strong tower' or 'refuge.' So, what does it ...
Psalm 17
Psalm 17 - We face critical situations all the time. These trials batter our hearts and our minds. They trample our senses and destroy our hope. The psalmist describes such trials by repeatedly referencing the physical attributes ...
Psalm 6
Psalm 6 - This is the first of the Penitential Psalms. Most believe this piece would have begun with a wail and finished as a song. Speaking of... have you ever wailed before God? Can you relate ...
Psalm 5
Psalm 5 - In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch. Psalms 5:3 NASB It's easy to tell God what we want, ...
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 30
Deuteronomy 30 - I was drawn specifically to verse 6 of this chapter because it relates closely to the process a believer undergoes within the New Covenant. "Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and ...
Deuteronomy 29
Deuteronomy 29 - When I was younger, I used to think it was enough to "keep my oath" with God. If I tried to live as a good person, prayed once in a while, and asked for ...
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 ...
Deuteronomy 5
Deuteronomy 5 - False teachers love to cherry-pick verses and twist the context to their liking. A perfect example of this is found in Deuteronomy 5:9. 'You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness ...
Deuteronomy 3
Deuteronomy 3 - They told Moses, "We explored the land and found it to be rich and fertile; and here is some of its fruit. 28 But the people who live there are powerful, and their cities ...
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 21
Numbers 21 - Take a moment and think about the times in your life that you've been sorry about something. What was it that ultimately brought you to that moment of humility? Was it just because you ...
Luke 11
Luke 11 - Packed into three verses here in the middle of the chapter is an unbelievable amount of depth and theology. Many of us have heard or read these verses. "When the unclean spirit goes out ...
Ezekiel 43
Ezekiel 43 - In chapters 8-11 of Ezekiel, we find the presence of the Lord leaving the temple. This was symbolic of what was about to happen to the people as their protection was removed and they ...
Ezekiel 26
Ezekiel 26 - Tyre was attacked at least five different times until 332 BC. The reason none of these were fully successful is because of the unique design of the city. It consisted of the main city ...