Jeremiah 30
At the beginning of this chapter, God relates a distressing scene to Jeremiah: “This is what the Lord says: ‘Cries of fear are heard—terror, not peace. Ask and see: Can a man bear children? Then why do I see every strong man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor, every face turned deathly pale? How awful that day will be! No other will be like it.’” (vs 5-7)
Jeremiah 10
I’m sitting here, trying to imagine what it would be like to carve a beautiful doll out of wood, paint and decorate it, nail it to a wooden base so it won’t fall over… and then bow down in front of it and say, “Help me. Save me. You’re my god.” I know we humans can be blind to a great many things—but that just seems so obvious.
Isaiah 59
This chapter touches on one of the greatest theological questions of our time: how can there be an all-loving, all-powerful God when there is so much suffering in the world? For, certainly, if we had the power to end the suffering of someone we loved, wouldn’t we do it? That’s how many people come to the conclusion that (a) God must not be all-powerful and, thus, cannot do anything about our suffering or (b) God must either not love us or not exist at all.
Isaiah 51
I’ve never been one to beat around the bush much. Unless I’m indulging in “girl talk,” I like to get down to business, straight to the point. I think that’s why I was so drawn to the plain talk in this chapter: “I’m the One comforting you. What are you afraid of—or who? Some man or woman who’ll soon be dead? Some poor wretch destined for dust? You’ve forgotten me, God, who made you, who unfurled the skies, who founded the earth. And here you are, quaking like an aspen before the tantrums of tyrants who think they can kick down the world. But what will come of the tantrums?” (vs 12-13)
Isaiah 41
There seemed to be quite a bit of “propping things up” in this chapter.
First, humans trying to hold something up: “They help each other and say to their companions, ‘Be strong!’ The metalworker encourages the goldsmith, and the one who smooths with the hammer spurs on the one who strikes the anvil. One says of the welding, ‘It is good.’ The other nails down the idol so it will not topple.” (vs 6-7)
Isaiah 37
Although the acting has sometimes left something to be desired, I must say that I have taken quite a fancy to the Mission: Impossible movies. I’m always fascinated at how the characters manage to find a way around the “impossible” situations they face. And if there was a Mission: Impossible story in the Bible, this could be it. Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, has gone around the region, conquering everyone and everything in sight (including Israel!), and now, he was sitting on Jerusalem’s doorstep with 185,000 soldiers, ready to capture Judah as well. Good guys, bad guys, lots of drama—this chapter has it all.
Proverbs 13
You can’t get very far into the Bible without realizing that words are to be taken seriously. In fact, imagine having the kind of word-power God has: the Bible begins by explaining that whatever God spoke suddenly appeared! “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” (Gen 1:3)
Psalm 129
Several years ago, the Christian band Casting Crowns put out a song titled Courageous. I’ll never forget the first time I heard it; I was immediately hooked. It’s been a favorite of mine ever since, so when I read today’s psalm, I thought of it: “‘They have greatly oppressed me from my youth,’ let Israel say; ‘they have greatly oppressed me from my youth, but they have not gained the victory over me. Plowmen have plowed my back and made their furrows long. But the LORD is righteous; he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.” (vs 1-4)
Psalm 113
Can I shout it from the rooftops today? Our God is limited by nothing! Are you poor? Are you needy? Are you depressed? Discouraged? Childless? Afraid? Sick? Unemployed? Suicidal? Spouseless? There is good news for YOU! No matter your circumstances, your situation is not so impossible that God can’t turn it all around. He specializes in turning what’s “bad” on its head!
Psalm 98
I read a lot of commentaries on this chapter. Most agree that the psalmist had Christ’s second coming in mind when writing this psalm. Commentator William D. Barrick wrote, “In 1719 Isaac Watts published ‘Joy to the World’ from the text of Psalm 98. His carol speaks far more about Christ’s return as King than it does about His coming as a baby in Bethlehem.” And to that, I say, as if He wasn’t a King in Bethlehem?
Psalm 74
When my first daughter was just four months old, some missionaries from our church who were living and working abroad lost their six-month-old child in a terrible accident. Though I had never met their son, the story touched me deeply. Perhaps it was because I had a four-month-old, and it was too easy to think about losing her. Maybe when the ages are similar, things hit a little closer to home. I still think about their story to this day; I can’t even imagine what it would be like to have to bury a child. I honestly hope I never have to find out.
Psalm 68
I understand the people who believe that there is a God and that He created the universe. And I understand the people who believe that there is no God and that the universe was created through the process of evolution. But I don’t understand the people who believe that there is a God and that He created the universe through the process of evolution. Why? Because of this psalm.
Psalm 33
“By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.” (vs 6-9)
Psalm 29
It seems like I’ve been writing a lot about “the end of the world” on this blog lately. Maybe it’s because everything that’s happening in the news right now seems so crazy. Earthquakes, wildfires, plagues of locusts, a burgeoning pandemic. A lot of things seem to be in upheaval. Where’s it all headed?
Psalm 21
You have often heard this phrase, haven’t you? King of kings. Lord of lords. If nothing else, Handel made it famous with his Hallelujah Chorus. But, have you ever stopped to think about what it means? Does it just mean that God is a better king than any we’ve had in Earth’s history? Like saying that an F5 tornado is the “mother of all storms,” is God just the “King of all kings”?
Job 26
In 1988, when I was 11 years old, my parents bought us an Apple IIGS computer for Christmas. My brother—who was then, and has always been, more technologically savvy than I—was especially excited. For months, he had been reading about the Apple IIGS, and he wanted one in the worst way. Let’s face it, in 1988, just the idea of having a personal computer in your home was rare, let alone one that had a state-of-the-art sound system and a color graphical user interface. Oooooh, aaaaaah.
Esther 10
In the New International Version of the Bible, the tenth chapter of Esther bears this heading: The Greatness of Mordecai. With such a title, it’s surprising that the chapter is so short. Just three verses! But the third verse is of particular interest: "Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews, and held in high esteem by his many fellow Jews, because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews." (vs 3)
