GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT “Remember the whole journey on which the Lord your God led you these forty years in the wilderness, in order to humble you and to test you, in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commandments. So he humbled you and allowed you to be… Our Journey through the Wilderness Read More

GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT 2 Kings chapter 25 tells of how Nebuchadnezzar and his army laid siege to Jerusalem. The situation became so desperate that King Zedekiah fled from the city. “But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king, and they overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his army was scattered from… Your Word Has Given Me Life Read More

GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT King David did not have a carefree life. He often wrote of sorrow, tears, and loneliness in his psalms. Those same psalms, nevertheless, reveal deep faith. Whatever the circumstances of his troubled times, however intense and prolonged, David trusted God. David praised and thanked God in troubled times as well… Relief in Troubled Times— Worship the Lord! Read More

GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT (Read Psalm 27) In this psalm King David expresses an awareness of the reality that all believers face in this world: we have enemies who are determined to harm us. They’ll destroy us if they can. Ephesians 6 describes them as principalities, powers, and rulers of the darkness of this… It’s All About Having the One Thing Read More

GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT Perhaps more than any other Old Testament Scripture, the New Testament writers quote Psalm 110. Jesus Himself quotes it in Matthew 22:44, “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.’” He quotes it to oblige the Pharisees to reexamine their ideas regarding… Your Salvation Is The Lord’s Agenda Read More

GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT Many prayers in the Psalms are offered by people going through difficult times; but most of them express a measure of confidence and end on a note of hope. That is not the case in Psalm 88. The psalmist feels as if he’s adrift among the dead and in the… Praying in the Darkness Read More

GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT “Don’t just sit there—do something!” This familiar adage applies in many situations. The crops won’t plant themselves in the spring. The cereal spilled all over the floor isn’t going to clean up itself. “If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.” (2 Thessalonians 3:10) This axiom, however, does not… The Value of Rest and Quietness Read More

GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT In the history of the kings that followed King David, those kings are often compared to him. Sometimes it is by contrast: “. . . [Abijam] was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David.” (1 Kings 15:3) At other times it is favorable: “Asa did what… Following God with All Our Heart Begins with Repentance and Faith Read More

It has been correctly observed that genuine, God-centered worship is not limited to worship services. With their entire lives, God’s children worship the God of their creation and redemption. Our worship reveres God, and that includes expressions of exultation, such as “Praise the Lord!” This is much more than emotion. Genuine praise is based on… God-Centered Worship Read More

GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT (Please read Joshua chapter 22.) The Reubenites, Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh fought alongside the rest of Israel to take possession of the land west of the Jordan. When the time came for them to return to their lands east of the river, Joshua affirmed their faithfulness and… Sacrificing Love on the Altar of Misunderstanding Read More

GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT (Please read Ecclesiastes 2.) Many find Ecclesiastes rather gloomy. They think it says that life and everything in it are meaningless. What it actually says is that life is meaningless “under the sun.” (verse 11) That expression limits the view to that of a life on earth without regard to… The Gospel of Jesus Christ Gives Real Meaning to Our Lives Read More

GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT (Please read 1 Kings 19:1-18 for context.) Elijah was feeling tired and dejected. To him, all his devotion and hard work in serving the Lord seemed to make little difference. He felt as if he had reached the quitting point and just wanted to die. The Lord, however, had more… When God Comes with a Still Small Voice Read More

Read: 1 Kings 18:1-39 From its inception, the nation of Israel was intended to be a people through whom God’s Covenant Promise was to shine forth. After they immigrated into Canaan, however, we read what would become a common refrain, “Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord.” (Judges 2:11,… Who Alone Answers Prayers? The Lord, He is God! Read More

Read: 1 Kings 18:1-39 From its inception, the nation of Israel was intended to be a people through whom God’s Covenant Promise was to shine forth. After they immigrated into Canaan, however, we read what would become a common refrain, “Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord.” (Judges 2:11,… Who Alone Answers Prayers? The Lord, He is God! Read More

GEMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT (For context, please read 1 Kings 17:1-16) Scripture says that Ahab was more evil than the kings before him and that he thought it was a trivial thing to walk in those sins. He overtly promoted the worship of Baal. Ahab’s apostasy signaled dark times ahead for the people. Elijah… God Often Blesses Us in Unexpected Ways Read More

(For context, please read Judges 10:6-16) “Then the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord.” (Judges 10:6) Again? This cycle continues throughout the book of Judges, but it is not unique to that time and place, is it? In every generation, God’s people struggle against their sinful nature and the tendency to slip… “I Will Deliver You No More!” Read More

(Please read Judges 9 for the setting, people, and events to which this devotion refers.) Sunday school students are fascinated by the characters in the book of Judges—Deborah, Gideon, Abimelech, Samson. . . . You don’t remember a Sunday school lesson about Abimelech? That’s because Abimelech was not chosen by God to be the leader.… Your Enemy May Be Closer than You Think Read More

“Thus the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons; and they served their gods. So the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD. They… There’s No Time Like Now For a Good, Old-Fashioned Revival! Read More

“Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.  And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he… It Is of the Lord’s Mercies That We Are Not Consumed Read More

[So the Lord said to Abram] “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in two… When God Walked the Line Read More