God had a plan and a message for Nineveh. He wanted Jonah to be the one who delivered the message to the wicked nation. Jonah, however, did not want to be involved in God’s plan, so he ran away. He thought he could escape from his calling by going in the opposite direction from Nineveh. God desired Nineveh to repent from their evil ways and nothing Jonah did could waver His plan.
Have you had one of those days when the moment your feet hit the floor in the morning it is go...go...go?
One particular morning I was awakened to the cries of my children and husband, “Mom, I am hungry!”, “Mom, can I take a shower”, and “Honey, what is your agenda for today?”
“Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” asked Isaac.
Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb..., my son” (Genesis 22:14).
My husband and I lead a newlywed class at church. The couples progress through stages. They usually begin the class dating or engaged. Next comes the commitment of marriage. Eventually the class size increases as babies are born. Five babies have been born this year in our class. They are obeying God’s command to be fruitful and multiply! “I am [El Shaddai]. Be fruitful and increase in number ”(Genesis 35:11).
She ran. She wouldn’t stop until she was far away. Maybe the wilderness would offer some relief from the harsh treatment she had endured at the hands of her mistress, Sarai. Hagar could go no longer. She stopped by a rare spring in this parched land.
Yesterday, we looked at God as Elohim, or Creator. Our Creator is involved in every aspect of his creation. The painting, The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo, depicts God reaching down from heaven touching Adam, fingertip to fingertip--the perfect, divine Creator initiating a personal relationship with his creation.
“What’s in a name?” young Juliet asks in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Juliet argues that a name is an arbitrary label with little meaning. However, in the Bible names carry much significance. As God’s relationship with His people unfolds, He reveals His nature through various names.
I sat in Bible study one evening, during a time in my life I was struggling with obedience to the Lord in a particular area. Experiencing the cycle of sin, regret, asking forgiveness, and then continuing to regret over and over made me weary.
The tight crowd made it impossible to get even to the doorway of where Jesus was teaching. The men had to think of another way to get their friend before Jesus. According to the stories heard all over the region, He would be able to heal him. The roof! They made an opening in it and lowered their paralyzed friend in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
Picture this: Take a dry sponge and pour water over it. All its holes fill up, and it doubles in size. When it gets to the point it can hold no more, the water flows over the edges. It is “satiated;” the Hebrew meaning of satisfies, in our verse today. It is the filling and even overfilling of appetites or desires.
“Jesus loves me, this I know.” Many of us grew up singing this familiar song. What does it mean to be loved? I honestly didn’t know because I grew up in a home that lacked nurture and love. It was an environment full of anger, favoritism (not toward me), physical abuse (toward me), and abandonment (toward my brother and me).
As I write, our entire world is experiencing the Coronavirus. It is a time of lost jobs, financial uncertainty, sickness, and death. As a result, many are unnerved with unrest. Even those of us who love Jesus may find our circumstances causing disheartening thoughts to race.
I listen to Christian music throughout the day, so it’s no surprise that’s how I hear God speak many times.
Sometimes a song introduces me to a scripture.
That’s exactly what happened when I heard the song, I Am Free, by the Newsboys.
Have you ever let dirty dishes sit for a day or so? Really, it doesn’t have to be that long. Maybe just a few hours.
Some of the worst culprits include oatmeal, tomato sauce, cheese, and even coffee.
The food can become so glued on the dishes that even an automatic dishwasher won’t remove all the particles.
’ve been reading the Bible through chronologically this year, which means I’ve been camped out in the Old Testament since January.
One of the biggest takeaways? The Israelites were bad. Even the best of them.
Kimberly and I met when we were both about 23 years old. We both worked in corporate communication for a large bank.
She produced company videos while I managed print communication.
We didn’t start out as friends. In fact, I didn’t like her.
Recently one word out of this verse hit home: advisers. Plural.
Notice it does not say adviser.
In fact, the verse says many.
I never really thought too much about this until the last six months when I’ve needed some good advice on some complicated issues.
Several years ago, “What Would Jesus Do?” was a popular phrase among Christians. This was the measure to use in decision-making. Pattern your behavior after Him. Not a bad idea, right? It’s a little harder to put into practice.
When I was growing up, I imagined how cool it would be to have a videophone. This was a futuristic idea only seen on TV at the time. Well, it’s not futuristic anymore. It is common practice, especially now.
I have to admit, I don’t really like a quiet house. If I am alone, I’ll turn on the TV for some background noise. When fixing dinner or cleaning up, I like to watch or listen to something. I immediately sense the urge to turn on a little HGTV, etc. Even in the car, I am listening to something. Not that this is wrong, but I have allowed this to become a habit for me.
