June 10. Psalm 8 Psalm 1 was instructive. It taught us where to plant ourselves and what activities to pursue. Psalm 8 is worship. We are instructed as we read David’s rich words in how to worship a mighty, majestic God! David was a shepherd before he was a king. He knew all about wilderness places and skies filled with stars on a quiet night. His love of God was nurtured in the wild places and in the loneliness that was often part of a shepherd’s life. God knew what David needed to prepare to be a king! I am so thankful that God has a plan for your life and mine! Just like David’s life, ours have had many unexpected moments and reversals of […] Read more »

June 9. Psalm 1 The very first psalm in the 150-psalm collection known as Psalms. It’s a short little psalm. Only six verses. Oh, but it holds a lot of wisdom out to us, doesn’t it? It starts out warning us about the dangers of hanging out with wicked people. If we make those who disdain God our closest friends, we will end up not just walking with them, but sitting down and becoming like them. As believers in Christ, we love everyone and desire all to turn to Him. However, those with whom we enjoy closest friendships need to be worshippers of God as well, so they steer us always toward Him and His good guidance. I love that the wise person in this […] Read more »

June 8. Job 38 Let’s quickly recap poor Job’s life. He was a great guy. Pretty wealthy, with great kids who all seemed to get along and liked to even have their meals together. He did nothing wrong to deserve all that happened to him. In fact, the Bible lets us in on the reason why bad – very bad – things happened to Job: Satan asked permission to hurt Job, to prove Job only liked God for what God gave him. Job lost all his kids, his possessions and even his health. He had boils all over him and wished to die but couldn’t. And yet Job still honored God. I’m always challenged by this book of the Bible. Do I love God so […] Read more »

June 7. Nehemiah 1 Nehemiah is one of my very favorite Bible characters. He was an amazing prayer warrior. He was an excellent planner and leader. He kept going in the face of opposition and impossibilities. Our podcast this fall is going to include a study of the whole book of Nehemiah. It’s full of practical help for the ordering of our own lives. Today, though, we just barely get introduced to this man of God. Nehemiah is an exile living far from Israel. His job is cupbearer for the king. It was an intimate relationship. Every time the king took a drink – Nehemiah had a sip of it first. If Nehemiah did not die from the drink due to poisoning, then it was […] Read more »

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You DID it! You are through the first week of this sweet study. What a rich and hopeful time we've had in God's good Word. Here's a short little video to prepare you for Week Two. Enjoy!! Read more »

June 6. I Kings 8:22-53 We heard the prayers of a simple woman yesterday, and today we hear the prayers of a king. In fact, we hear the prayer of a very wise king, King Solomon, when he was still acting wisely ( … before he went and took all those wives and allowed himself to be corrupted. I think there is a life lesson here about having multiple wives. Men should stick with just one wife. That’s my takeaway!) In this passage of scripture, we hear a wise king petitioning God on behalf of a nation. Solomon, like Hannah, starts with praise. He honors the Mighty and Holy God of all creation, doesn’t he? And he does this in front of everyone. I think […] Read more »

June 5. I Samuel 1:1-2:11 What a fascinating portion of scripture we read today! First of all, doesn’t your heart just go out to Hannah? She is repeatedly bruised by the words of others. She has a rival, her husband’s other wife, who mocks her childlessness. I can’t even imagine the pain that caused. There would be no rest in a home where you lived with another wife who taunted you. Then, her husband clearly doesn’t understand her pain. He thinks she should be happy that she has him! This shows, speaking charitably here, a gross lack of understanding for a woman’s yearning for a child. Then, as Hannah prays and pours out her anguish to the Lord, the priest thinks she is drunk. Poor […] Read more »

June 4. Deuteronomy 33 We move in time from the triumph of the rescue from Egypt to forty years later and Moses’ last words to the Israelites. These same people who danced and sang for joy at their unlikely victory over the Egyptians have wandered in the desert for forty years, too afraid to trust that same God who rescued them, to bring them into the promised land. They are a bit more weathered at this point, and their leader, Moses, has got to be just a tad bit tired! I love this beautiful chapter of the Bible. It’s full of Moses' wisdom. Moses was schooled in the wilderness himself and did not start leading the people until he was 80 years old. It takes […] Read more »