Psalm 174 from Beyond Psalm 150 Several nations come to wage war against the nation of Judah. King Jehoshaphat declares a fast, and the people come together to seek God. Jehoshaphat stands before the people and says this prayer. It sounds much like a psalm seeking deliverance (such as Psalm 86 and many others). Yahweh, […]
Amos was a shepherd, called by God to be a prophet. His story is found in the book of Amos in the Bible. Amos says what God tells him, but after a while, the people of Israel—the primary target of his God-given proclamations—get tired of Amos and what he says, telling him to be quiet […]
Today’s passage: 2 John 1:5–6 Focus verse: As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love. (2 John 1:6) In John’s second letter, he continues to repeat themes from his first one. He tells the lady chosen by God the same things he writes to his first audience. This is not […]
Embrace Paul’s Closing Remarks to the Corinthian Church As Paul wraps up his first letter to the church in Corinth, he shares a quintet of instructions for them to aspire to. It’s his final remarks to them, giving them five God-honoring outcomes to pursue. He says, “Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, […]
A Delayed Experience and Worth the Wait We visited this church as one of our original fifty-two, though I almost didn’t count it. On the Sunday we showed up, they cancelled their service because their minister had an emergency. With a start time of 11:30, it was too late to head anywhere else. Instead, we […]
Psalm 173: from Beyond Psalm 150 It’s hard for a large group of people to recite a long passage in unison, but they can do quite well with shorter phrases. Three times in the book of 2 Chronicles and once in the book of Ezra, the people collectively praise God. Each time their succinct response rises […]
A Lesson in Humility The Bible includes the story of Naaman, an Aramean army commander, who has leprosy (at the time, a contagious skin disease). His Jewish servant girl suggests that he go and see Elisha, in Israel, to be healed. Naaman eagerly goes, but feels slighted by Elisha, who doesn’t even bother to greet […]
Today’s passage: 2 John 1:4 Focus verse: It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth. (2 John 1:4) Truth is a recurring theme in John’s writing. He addresses it in twenty-three verses in his biography of Jesus, the gospel of John. The word appears more there than in any […]
Discover What the Bible Says A man once asked me if I was covered by the blood. His request seemed earnest. I didn’t know him well, but we had had some prior interactions about faith and following Jesus. It seemed imperative to him that I say “yes.” My answer shocked him. I said, “I’m not […]
A Holiday Weekend, Light Attendance, and a Great Time I volunteer twice a month at our local food pantry. Staffed with people from area churches and service organizations, we serve those in need in our community. One Saturday, between clients, I have an opportunity to talk with a man who attends Church #2. I ask […]