Obadiah

New Year's Eve!  The days described in this little book are dark and foreboding.  But there is hope for a new day that is about to dawn ... "the kingdom will be the Lord's."

Read it here.

Amos 7-9

"The days are coming... when I will send a famine through the land;
not  famine of bread or a thirst for water,
but of hearing the words of the Lord"
(Amos 8:11)

We are living in the famine!  We need the hope of restoration that Amos leaves us with!

Read it here.

Amos 4-6

"Cows of Bashan" oppressing the poor and crushing the needy.

Woe to those who are at ease inZion and to those who feel secure...

Lest we fall into the same trap of oppression and spiritual lethargy...read it here.

Amos 1-3

A lion has roared;
who will not fear?
The Lord has spoken;
who will not prophecy?
(Amos 3:8)

God has not made it unclear to the world that He sees the injustice and the wickedness and that He is coming to judge.  Will we hear Him?  Will we fear?  Or will we continue on?

Read it here.

Isaiah 9:6-7 - "And He will reign!"

Merry Christmas!  He has come!  King of kings and Lord of lords!

A couple of years old, but worth watching again.  Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus" in a food court.  The most unlikely place for the worship of Jesus to break out!  But that's the kind of unlikely place that Jesus comes to!  Welcome Him!

Watch it here.

Read it here.

Joel 1-3

Why the book of Joel on Christmas Eve?  It is a powerful book that encompasses both the coming wrath and the coming deliverance of the Lord.  Jesus' birth set into motion the final days of God's plan. Jesus comes as Deliverer for the humble one who cries out to Him ... for He is...

gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger, rich in faithful love,
and He relents from sending disaster.
(Joel 2:13).

But Jesus also comes as a conquering King, drawing all people to the Valley of Decision.  Will He be your Judge or your Deliverer?

"Then everyone who calls on the name of Yahweh will be saved" (Joel 2:32)

We need this Christmas message!

Read it here.

Psalms 73-74

Psalm 73 is a corrective to a heart filled with envy toward the prosperous.  We need this recalibration!

Read them here.

Psalms 71-72

I turn 50 in a few days.  This is going to become my prayer!

Even when I am old and gray,
God, do not abandon me.
Then I will proclaim Your power
to another generation,
Your strength to all who are to come.

Read them here.

Psalms 69-70

This is the cry of a hurting man.  He is afflicted and needy.  He's crying out to God.  He's desperate.  And God hears his humble prayer for help.   

Read them here.

Psalms 67-68

Why should we ask for God's blessing?  So that we can make His name known on the earth.

Question: Is that what typically motivates us to ask for God's blessing?  Hmmm...

Read them here.

1 Chronicles 28-29

Wrapping up the book 1 Chronicles today.  Here is a "timeless text" from today's reading...

“As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands the intention of every thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.

Read it here.

1 Chronicles 23-27

Another "chronicle" of the people of that generation.  Feel free to fly through some of these lists.  Slow down as you come to any narrative along the way.

Read it here.

1 Chronicles 21-22

As David nears the end of his life, he weakens yet again and sins.  A great reminder that age is no sanctifier of the soul.

So as he prepared his son to take the throne, he urges him to stay close to God and obey His commands fully.  Great advice.

Read it here.

1 Chronicles 18-20

War was inevitable.  But as long as David walked in the shadow of the Almighty, there was victory and protection.

Read it here.

1 Chronicles 16-17

The relationship between God and David is really cool to see.  David wants to build a house of worship for God.  But God replies by saying, "No, let me build your house first, then I'll let your boy build mine."  This inspires an incredible heart of gratitude and humility from David that is captured in his songs to God.  Awesome stuff!

Read it here.

1 Chronicles 13-15

Though God is richly blessing David and the nation of Israel, He is not to be trifled with.  We shouldn't be at all put out when God strikes those who become careless in their approach to Him.  We should be shocked that ANY of us can approach Him at all!

BTW ... not everyone is thrilled that David loves God so passionately (as you'll see).

Read it here.

1 Chronicles 11-12

"Indeed, there was joy in Israel" (12:40).  David is king and the nation rallies to his side.

For those of you who already know what is coming, take note of one familiar name in the list of David's most heroic and loyal mighty men (11:41).

Read it here.

1 Chronicles 1-10

What?!?  TEN chapters?  Yep.  Its okay, you can fly through the lists of names and slow down when there is storyline.  It won't take you long.  We sweep through a big chunk of history and get all the way to the time of David in these first ten chapters.

Then chapters 11-29 will "chronicle" the reign of David.

Read it here.

Psalms 64, 65, 66

Let these psalms take you on a journey from fear and despair to triumph and praise.  Pray the words back to God as you read.  You will love the climactic ending!

Read them here.

Psalms 61, 62, 63

Do you want to train your soul to live in desperation for God?  Meditate on these psalms!

Read them here.