Impacting the Lives of Others
Jotham seems to have been a good king. Based on the Bible’s brief account of his life, his accomplishments appear to be positive. He completed several important building projects and prevailed in battles with the Ammonites. Yet there is no sense that he made a major, lasting impact on his times. In fact, “the people continued acting corruptly” while he was king.
Perhaps Jotham tried to impact…
Quickly!
King Joash was not happy. Desiring to repair the house of the Lord, he told the priests and Levites to gather money and act “quickly.” The Hebrew word here means to be like liquid, to move without delay.
But they failed to obey. Perhaps they were afraid or lacked confidence. Perhaps they had other priorities or were busy. Perhaps they simply were lazy.
But to Joash there were no acceptable…
Love and Faithfulness
The book of Micah closes with a vivid portrait of God. This portrait reveals much about His heart and character. Yes, He is our Judge. He is holy and pure, and He cannot tolerate the presence of sin. He promises judgment for those who sin, rebel against Him, and disobey His Word.
But the Lord also is filled with mercy, desiring to forgive those who confess their sins and seek His forgiveness. He…
Three Relationships
Israel experienced a time of great difficulties, brought on by a deficiency in three vital relationships—relationships that are critical for a healthy, balanced life: (1) a personal relationship with God Himself, (2) relationships with people who genuinely know God, (3) a relationship with God’s timeless Word. These relationships are crucial for us as well.
First, we must realize that everything…
Does God Change His Mind?
Does God change His mind? Does He ever alter His plans? The Bible describes several occasions in which He did this very thing. One situation occurred when Rehoboam was king over Israel.
Judgment had come because Rehoboam “had been unfaithful to the LORD.” As a result, “Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem” with a mighty force “without number,” including thousands of chariots and…
Riches or Righteousness?
To the world, success is measured by “riches”—possessions and resources, the money we can amass, recognition, power, and pleasure. Yet life constantly demonstrates that none of these last. Even so, people still crave more of these, somehow feeling that “things” will answer their problems.
At the same time, many think it’s unrealistic to try to follow Jesus and foolish to focus on spiritual…
Focused, Not Distracted
God’s call on Nehemiah was specific and clear: He was to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. But powerful people opposed his assignment and tried to disrupt Nehemiah in any way they could.
They sent him many messages, asking for a meeting. But he knew their real motive and finally told them, “There is no truth in any part of your story” (v. 8 NLT). He knew that they were lying, and “just trying to…
Purity and Integrity
As a cupbearer to the king of Persia, Nehemiah had seen how powerful men could amass worldly wealth. But he developed different habits that remained part of his character throughout his life.
After being appointed governor of Judah, Nehemiah could have taken advantage of this position for personal gain. Instead, he remained untainted and was able to keep his witness strong. How did he do this?…
Four Keys to Victory
Nehemiah had returned to Jerusalem with a mandate and a call from God: Rebuild the walls. Though the opposition was strong, united, and relentless, in the end he and the Jews were victorious.
How did they succeed? We can point to four keys.
First, they learned the importance of being freed from fear.
Second, they realized they could not allow their opposition to intimidate them. Instead, they…
How We Communicate
“The face is the organ of expression,” concludes an expert in body language. In his advice to celebrities, politicians, and business leaders, he teaches that “there are many things we do with our faces that we aren’t even aware of.”
He explains how much can be learned by studying expressions. Emotions can be detected by just the movement of the forehead or eyebrows. Much can also be concluded…