Judges 9-10

"Go cry out to the gods you have chosen." What a frightening thought. We chase gods that are not really gods at all. And then we fall into the pit that we have dug with our own hands. We cry out to the one, true God. What if He replied like this? Thank You for Your patience, Yahweh! Thank You that You don't treat us as our sins deserve. Read it here ...

Judges 7-8

You might get whiplash. The roller coaster of loyalty toward God from His people is crazy. The stories of Gideon alone tell this story.

When Gideon died, the Israelites turned and prostituted themselves with the Baals and made Baal-berith their god. The Israelites did not remember the Lord their God who had delivered them from the power of the enemies around them.

Read it here ...

Judges5-6

Chpater 5 is a song of praise to God. All is well. God gave victory over enemies. Then you turn to chapter 6. Check out the two verses right next to each other... "And the land was peaceful for 40 years. The Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord." Huh? What happened? Our hearts are bent toward evil. The times of peace and prosperity worked to harden the ungrateful hearts of God's people. I hate that it does the same to mine. Read it here ...

Judges 3-4

It really doesn't have to be this way.  This cycle of rejecting God, falling into defeat, crying out for mercy, getting it, growing cold, rejecting God, ...  That's the story of Judges.  God is faithful and passionately committed to His people.  His people conveniently call on Him when their backs are against the wall.  Yet He remains faithful.

God, keep me from this sick pattern that is evident way beyond the pages of Judges.

Read it here.

Judges1-2

Man, do we have slippery hearts.  Just turn one page from the epic victories found in the book of Joshua and you're confronted with hearts that grow indifferent toward God, lives that spiral into moral decay, and the defeat of a nation.

God, help me not to forget You when the trial is over and I am at rest.

Read it here.

Psalm 23

Don't let the familiarity of this psalm dull you to its impact.  Muse on this one.  There's a reason it has become a timeless and global favorite.  Notice the change in imagery in :5?

Read it here.

Psalm 22

Now the king is in very dark times.  The worst of times.  The words he pens here find their way onto the lips of Jesus as He experienced the excruciating pain of the cross.

Ever cry out in pain and hopelessness to God?  You're not alone!

Read it here.

Psalm 21

The psalmist-king knew that God was his protection during days of trouble.  He also knew that God alone gave him times of glory and peace.  Whether in good times or frightening times, the king acknowledges the God who reigns over all.  Sounds like a plan.

Read it here.

Psalm 20

"May Yahweh answer you in a day of trouble;
may the name of Jacob's God protect you."

The psalmist knew trouble.  And he knew what it was to call on the the Lord.  His hope and confidence was in God.  Let this psalm draw you to the God he trusted in.

Read it here.

Psalm 19

"The heavens declare the glory of God" - The Psalmist sings of the magnificent way that God shouts to the world that He is here and not silent via the medium of His creation (:1-6).

"The instruction of the Lord is perfect, renewing one's life" - The Psalmist then tells the reader that we can only be transformed by God as we encounter Him in the Word (:7-14).

This is a fantastic psalm.  Read it here.

Ruth

Read all of Ruth in one sitting.  It isn't long.  And it is an epic tale.  This woman of God became the great, great, ... grandmother to Jesus (Matthew 1:5).  What a heritage!

Read it here.

Joshua 23-24

This is a fantastic finale!  You can't miss the way Joshua learned from God and Moses in ch. 1 and now exhorts the people with the very lessons that he had to learn the hard way.  Joshua really points the people to God - and away from his own fame.

Don't miss 24:29.  Finally Joshua receives that most enviable of all titles ... "servant of the Lord."  Moses was called that 18x in this book.  And after a lifetime of service, Joshua receives the title.

Is that your highest aspiration?  To be the "servant of the Lord?"

Read it here.

Joshua 22

Whew!  That's a close one.  Civil war would have been devastating!  What can we learn from this conflict and the way it was resolved?

Read it here.

Joshua 15-21

That's a lot of reading!  Feel free to fly through - speed read some of the details.  But don't miss 21:43-45.

Read it here.

Joshua 13-14

Seriously?  Land coordinates?  Yep... these were vital to the nation of Israel.  They had to know exactly what God was giving them - not one acre more or one acre less.  Read 14:6-15.  Caleb was a stud!

Read it here.

Joshua 11-12

The armies that fought against Israel were "a multitude as numerous as the sand on the seashore."  Would you be afraid if you faced those kinds of odds?  Would you turn back?  Joshua ran TOWARD the battle and attacked that massive military powerhouse.  Why?  Foolishness?  Nope... Yahweh was with them.  It was His battle.

Read it here.

Joshua 9-10

The Lord's reputation is going before Him.  Clearly Yahweh is not a lifeless and powerless idol.  This is the living God!

Read it here.

Joshua 7-8

Defeat.  Stealing from God.  Deception.  Outrage.  "Valley of Trouble."  It is all part of the raw honesty of the Bible.  This is a real story about real people and the way God shepherds and redeems us.  And sometimes it gets ugly.  But even then there is redemption.

Defeat is often the pathway to dependence.

Read it here.

Joshua 5-6

Don't miss chapter 5.  We remember Joshua because of the epic scene in ch. 6 - the conquest of Jericho.  But the scene that immediately precedes it is of utmost importance.  Why would God incapacitate His army by having them circumcised just before their first battle?  What was He doing?  Read all of 5 with great care... it will totally set up ch. 6!

Read it here.

Joshua 3-4

Joshua is given his own "parting of the waters" moment and is emboldened by God's miraculous and powerful hand!  And all the time he reminds the people that it is GOD (not Joshua) who is going before them.  Follow Yahweh and listen to His voice.  And (this is important) tell your children (4:6 and 21)!

Read it here.

Joshua 1-2

Moses was the man.  How would you like to follow that?  Joshua is called up.  Over and over (17x) Moses is called the "servant of the Lord" in the book of Joshua.  Finally at the very end (24:29) Joshua is given that most noble of titles.

Notice that it is not Moses the "warrior of the Lord" or "prophet of the Lord" or "executor of justice of the Lord" or "friend of the Lord" - though he was all that and far more.  The singular title given to him in the book of Joshua is SERVANT of the Lord.

Keep that posture, Joshua, and the Lord will take care of the rest!  And He does!

Read it here.