“You have kept your promise because you are righteous.” Nehemiah 9:8 God is faithful to His Word. When He makes a promise, He fulfills it. The righteousness of God guarantees that every word He speaks is true and will come to pass. In Nehemiah’s time, the Israelites recognized God’s faithfulness, […]
“They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.” Nehemiah 4:8-9 Life is full of challenges, and trouble often comes when we least expect it. The […]
“Don’t grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!”– James 5:9 Charles Darwin, known for his chronic complaining, was at his happiest when he had something to criticize. He wrote to Charles Lyell in October 1861: “But I am very poorly […]
“Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: ‘Hear the word of the LORD!” – Ezekiel 13:2 Pastor Edward F. Markquart wrote: “The Old Testament prophet was to be keenly aware of the evil powers […]
“But in your great mercy, you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.” Nehemiah 9:31 God’s mercy is one of His most beautiful attributes. Throughout history, the people of Israel repeatedly turned away from God, yet He never abandoned […]
‘We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News.’ 1 Corinthians 3:5 One day, when Charles Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship, was scheduled to preach to 300 inmates at San Quentin prison, a lockdown was called, and most of the prisoners were confined to their cells. To […]
“I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most people do.” Nehemiah 7:2 In appointing leaders for Jerusalem, Nehemiah chose individuals not solely based on their skills or accomplishments […]
‘As You sent Me into the world, I have sent them into the world.’ John 17:18 Jesus prayed: ‘I have given them Your Word … My prayer is not that You take them out of the world but that You protect them from the evil one. They are not of […]
“How you have helped the powerless! How you have saved the arm that is feeble!” – Job 26:2 Tracy Judkins ran away from the chaos of her dysfunctional family at the age of 17. To support herself, she ran into an even darker place. “The world of topless dancing is […]
“Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.” – James 5:7 One summer, the composer Edvard Grieg stayed at a small Norwegian hotel. A restless child […]
“Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money. Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while […]
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” – James 4:7 Pastor Casey Clark wrote: “Luther’s stand at the Diet of Worms is legendary. Having written blistering indictments of the abuses of the Catholic church and theological treatises which challenged its teachings, Luther was […]
“As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. ‘I tell you the truth,’ he said, ‘this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave […]
“But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.” – James 3:14 Pastor Douglas Twitchell wrote the following about envy: “Every morning my mom would toast up and butter a big old stack of toast and put it […]
‘In His grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well.’ Romans 12:6 A fascinating study was done on divergent thinking—which is thinking outside the box. The results? 98% of children between three and five years old scored in the genius category for divergent thinking. Between eight […]