Reading: Ezekiel 16 'God of Grace' "When I passed by you and saw you squirming in your blood, I said to you while you were in your blood, 'Live!' Yes, I said to you while you were in your blood, 'Live!' Ezekiel 6:6 God's grace and splendor is so easily forgotten when everything is going well. God's grace is the focus in this story about an unwanted child born out of har...

Reading: Ezekiel 14 'Idols in the Closet' Then some elders of Israel came to me and sat down before me. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, "Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts and have put right before their faces the stumbling block of their iniquity. Should I be consulted by them at all? Ezekiel 14:1-3 A continual examination of my ...

Reading: Ezekiel 3 'Preparation for Service' "Then He said to me, 'Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel." So I opened my mouth, and He fed me this scroll. He said to me, "Son of man, feed your stomach and fill your body with this scroll which I am giving you." Then I ate it, and it was sweet as honey in my mouth. Ezek 3:1-3...

Reading: Job 38 'Hey Mister Know-it-All!' "Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Job 38:2 The best way to acquire and maintain humility is residing in the presence of God. It is His doing and delight to keep us humble, not ours, because we are not very good at it. The Puritans knew how to practice the presence of God in prayer. Consider the follow...

Reading: Nehemiah 1 'Prayer that Gets God's Attention' "When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven". Neh 1:4 When all things are lost, and your freedom is taken away, without a doubt one can feel a sense of hopelessness. Psalm 137:1-4 gives us a little insight into the life of the children o...

Reading: Ruth 1 'The Mark of a Follower' "But Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go," Ruth 1:16 Loyalty is not a common value practiced in our culture anymore. We know of many instances where spouses are not loyal, politicians are not loyal, law enforcement officers are not loyal, church members are not loya...

Reading: 1 Samuel 8 'Let's be Like Everyone Else' "Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah; and they said to him, "Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations." But the thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge...

Reading: Judges 1 "Who Will Lead Us to War?" "Now it came about after the death of Joshua that the sons of Israel inquired of the LORD, saying, "Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them? The LORD said, "Judah shall go up; behold, I have given the land into his hand." Judges 1:1-2 When Moses died, he passed the baton to Joshua who valian...

Reading: Exodus 12 "It's All Mixed Up!" "A mixed multitude also went up with them," Exodus 12:38 Every church in America has a mixed multitude in its meeting places. And so it was with the multitudes in the exodus from Egypt to the Promised Land. The distinctions between them were not always clear. It was more than just being Hebrew or Egyptian.The book of Numbers tells...

Reading: Hebrews 11:24-27 'Choosing Ill-treatment' " By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. By faith h...