Always The Same

Read Job 1:1 through 4:21 What do you think when you get really bad news?  Job thought of God. Though his life had turned into a nightmare, He knew God was still in charge. At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: “ . . . …

Peter’s Four Mistakes

Read Luke 21:1 through 22:71 Many people have done something or refused to do something and then later regretted their actions. Peter is one of them: And he went outside and wept bitterly (Luke 22:62). During the arrest and trial of Jesus, the apostle Peter made four crucial mistakes. He miscalculated the power of the devil. Christians are warned to be careful …

Facing Discouragement

Read 2 Chronicles 32:1 and 33:25 Most believers have never confronted an imposing army like King Hezekiah did. Still, Christians fight major battles every day. Some deal with harassing bosses or coworkers who accuse them falsely. Others face bills or debts that strike like a flurry of arrows, tearing holes in bank accounts and draining their funds. Secular teachings take their …

Heal Our Land

Read 2 Chronicles 7:1 through 9:31 We are in trouble. Not only does the Church feel it, but our world does too. Wickedness runs rampant. Terrorists push their own agendas. Heartbreaking reports have become the mainstay of every news channel. Stories of hate, violence, and greed seem commonplace. Theaters, shopping malls, even our schools are no longer exempt from violence. Killers …

Family Scrapbooks

Read 1 Chronicles 10:1 through 12:40 Christine began a family scrapbook when her children were little. She used fancy scissors to crop the pictures and decorative stickers to embellish the pages. Writing carefully with an acid-free pen, she told some of the funny stories that went along with her photos. After several years of scrapbooking, she had a lovely record of …

Persistence Pays

Read 2 Kings 1:1 through 3:27 Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; the Lord has sent me to Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel (2 Kings 2:2). Elijah was about to be taken away by the Lord, and both men knew it. …

Leadership

Read 1 Kings 12:1 through 16:34 David, Israel’s second king, “had done what was right in the eyes of the Lord and had not failed to keep any of the Lord’s commands all the days of his life—except in the case of Uriah the Hittite” (1 Kings 15:5). David was remorseful for his horrible crime against Uriah, and he confessed his …

God Delights in Us

Read 2 Samuel 21:1 through 22:51 In this world of performance-based acceptance, it is hard for people to believe they are valuable. Unless they are the best parent, student, employee, athlete, or musician, people feel they don’t make the cut. Christians can think this way, too: unless they are perfect, unless they work hard to be the best, they are not …

A Just Leader

Read 2 Samuel 8:1 through 11:27 “David reigned over all Israel, doing what was just and right for all his people.” (2 Samuel 8:15) As David began to reign, it became immediately clear what the Lord had seen in him when he was a young shepherd. Beyond his capability as a military commander, David led the nation with justice. As a …

Love God First

Read Mark 12:1 through 13:37 Some people get so busy doing God’s work that they neglect Him. They find themselves going through the motions of a church service without actually worshipping. Their daily Bible reading becomes a duty instead of a delight. And their Christian service becomes a chore rather than a joy. These people need to return to the basics. …