Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years.2 Chronicles 29:1 NIV When Hezekiah began to reign, the country was a mess! His father, King Ahaz, had not been faithful to the Lord, instead, he led the nation into extreme idol worship, including …
But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the work was going ahead and that the gaps in the wall of Jerusalem were being repaired, they were furious. They all made plans to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw us into confusion. But we …
Joseph was a very handsome and well-built young man, and Potiphar’s wife soon began to look at him lustfully. “Come and sleep with me,” she demanded. But Joseph refused. “Look,” he told her, “my master trusts me with everything in his entire household. No one here has more authority than …
Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of …
If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and …
The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire. Nehemiah 1:3 The people of God had been taken into captivity because of their continual pattern of falling into …
Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil. Proverbs 4:25-27 NIV God has an amazing plan …
Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. Psalm 86:11 NIV I really appreciate David’s request for an undivided heart. I can’t help but wonder if he asked for this before his biggest mistakes or …
Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. John 15:13 NKJV There is no one who will ever love you more than Jesus! Take a minute to think about the physical and emotional pain he endured for you on the cross. Is …
Peace has been stripped away, and I have forgotten what prosperity is. I cry out, “My splendor is gone! Everything I had hoped for from the Lord is lost!” The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words. I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve …
Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall. With bitterness archers attacked him; they shot at him with hostility. But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of …
You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 2 Timothy 3:10-11 NIV We can learn …
As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17 NIV What is king Solomon saying here? What has the Lord laid on his heart? If we believe we are in a spiritual battle every single day we walk with our Lord, we must acknowledge that the weapons our …
Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God. Proverbs 30:8b-9 NIV There’s wisdom in realizing …
Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” Mark 4:9 NIV Mark records Jesus making this statement at the conclusion of the parable of the sower, in which Jesus gives us an analogy to the different ways the word of God can impact a life. The parable …