Set Your Affairs in Order | 2 Kings 20:1

“About that time Hezekiah became deathly ill, and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to visit him. He gave the king this message: ‘This is what the Lord says: Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die. You will not recover from this illness.’” (2 Kings 20:1 NLT)   Over the years, I’ve …

Circumstantially Speaking | Judges 6:36–37

“Then Gideon said to God, ‘If you are truly going to use me to rescue Israel as you promised, prove it to me in this way. I will put a wool fleece on the threshing floor tonight. If the fleece is wet with dew in the morning but the ground is dry, then I will know that you are going to help me rescu…

Do Not Be Afraid or Discouraged | 2 Chronicles 20:2–4

“Messengers came and told Jehoshaphat, ‘A vast army from Edom is marching against you from beyond the Dead Sea. They are already at Hazazon-tamar.’ (This was another name for En-gedi.) Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news and begged the Lord for guidance. He also ordered everyone in Judah to begi…

For Just Such a Time | Esther 4:13–14

“Mordecai sent this reply to Esther: ‘Don’t think for a moment that because you’re in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed. If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who know…

Your Request Has Been Heard | Daniel 10:12–13

“Then he said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Th…

A Time to Prepare | 1 Kings 17:5–7

“So Elijah did as the Lord told him and camped beside Kerith Brook, east of the Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he drank from the brook. But after a while the brook dried up, for there was no rainfall anywhere in the land.” (1 Kings 17:5–7 NLT)   God sa…

An Appointment to Keep | Genesis 3:9

“Then the Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’” (Genesis 3:9 NLT)   Over the next two weeks, we’re going to look at the lives of several Old Testament characters. And we’re going to discover that their experiences are still relevant and applicable to us today. We’re going to start at the …

When One Door Closes | 1 Kings 17:5–7

“So Elijah did as the Lord told him and camped beside Kerith Brook, east of the Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he drank from the brook. But after a while the brook dried up, for there was no rainfall anywhere in the land.” (1 Kings 17:5–7 NLT)   Elijah…

Aligning with the Right Person | 1 Kings 3:1

“Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and married one of his daughters. He brought her to live in the City of David until he could finish building his palace and the Temple of the Lord and the wall around the city.” (1 Kings 3:1 NLT)   Solomon’s fall and disillusionment began…

Through Jesus Alone | Romans 5:6

“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.” (Romans 5:6 NLT)   In the 1800s in London, a little boy wanted to hear the great American evangelist D. L. Moody, who had come to town to preach. This little street urchin made his way across the entire c…