Wanted
Earlier this week, the verse of the day came from Joel chapter two. Joel was a prophet to Judah, sometime after the return from Babylonian captivity. His message is simple, “Return to God!” His message is delivered in the midst of drought and plague – a national disaster –...
Groaning Wisdom
Sometimes, a verse in my daily Bible reading grabs me and holds on for a while. Often, it is a verse I've skimmed over in previous readings....
Lessons in Psalm 34
This Psalm contains many repetitive themes, to the point I made a table to outline them. My prayer is that others may learn from and enjoy this Psalm of David as much as I do. 1 I will praise the Lord at all times.I will constantly speak his praises.2 I will boast only...
Lessons from Esther
Esther is the only book in the Bible that does not mention God by name, yet his providence is seen throughout these short ten chapters. The book takes place during the time of exile and the reign of Persia. The book opens with King Xerxes giving a feast. Everyone...
Walls in My Heart: Lessons from Nehemiah
Nehemiah and Ezra worked on the Temple and the city wall together. Their stories overlap yet present different information and points of view (like the four gospel accounts). In the past, I paid little attention to the return of the captives, skimming over the story in a rush to...
Lessons from the Book of Ezra
The book of Ezra opens with Cyrus releasing a portion of the remnant to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple of God. He returns the items taken by King Nebuchadnezzar and offers the Israelites everything needed for the task. Soon, his edict is forgotten. Lesson 1: People forget...
New Lenses, Better Vision
I wear contacts. Without them, my vision is blurry. I am nearsighted with astigmatism. Due to the move, Peter’s job change, and waiting on insurance, my last pair of lenses were getting a rather thick film on them. One or both may have had other imperfections as well, like...