Text: Habakkuk 1:1-13; 2:2-5; 3:1-2, 17-19 – The name Habakkuk means to “embrace.” The prophet Habakkuk has a conversation with God about the sin of the people and how God will deal with it. While Habakkuk does not expect the response God gives him, he embraces who God is even amidst God’s answer. As we […]
Text: Jonah 3:1-4:11 – The story of Jonah is one that we might all be familiar with. We often picture him being swallowed by a whale. But the part of the story that is more important is what happens after he’s no longer in the belly of the fish. The people of Nineveh repent, and […]
Text: Jonah 1:1-2:10 – The story of Jonah is one that we might all be familiar with. The prophet called by God to go to Ninevah runs away from God’s calling. In the end, he’s swallowed by a whale. Is it a whale? And while he’s in the belly of the “whale” he repents. Does […]
Text: Hosea 1:1-11, 3:1-5 – In the Old Testament, sometimes God’s messages to His prophets are clear. And sometimes they make us scratch our heads. So, when God tells Hosea to go marry an adulterous woman, we might find that odd. This adulterous woman, who also indulges in prostitution, ends up leaving Hosea. Hosea is […]
Text: Daniel 6:6b-23, 25-27; John 20:1-10; Mark 16:1-8 – What does Daniel and the lions’ den have to do with the empty tomb on Easter Sunday? So much! As we walk this two-year journey of reading through the Bible, we can see many parallels to the story of Daniel and Jesus, lions, Satan, and the […]
Text: Matthew 27:11-14, 24-26, 28-31, 38-44; Luke 23:34-45a; John 19:23-37 – On Good Friday, Jesus is beaten, mocked, scourged, abused, and ultimately crucified. As He looked on at all those who were responsible for Him being on the cross, He loved them. As Jesus hung on the cross, He loved us until the end. He […]
Text: John 13:1-17, Matthew 26:17-29 – On Maundy Thursday, as we celebrate Jesus washing the disciples’ feet and instituting His Supper, we see that Jesus “loved them to the end.” Judas who would betray Jesus, Peter who would deny Jesus three times, and all the other disciples who would flee in the Garden of Gethsemane… […]
Daniel 3:8-30 – As Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego remained faithful to God, ready to face death, they were cast in the fiery furnace, only to go unharmed, while a mysterious fourth person (Jesus?) appeared with them. King Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges that their God is the only one who can rescue them like that. As Jesus heads into […]
Ezekiel 36:22-27, 34:1-14 – Ezekiel is brought before the Valley of Dry Bones. And the question is, “Can these bones live?” In other words, can life come from death? The answer: God can. And by His Word the dry bones came back to life. This is just like we, who are dead in our trespasses […]
Ezekiel 34:1, 11-24, 30-31 – As the Israelites are in exile, God promises that He will rescue the people, who are like sheep scattered. He will be their Shepherd and will seek out the lost and the strayed sheep. Fast forward many years, and we know that Jesus is the Good Shepherd who seeks out […]