GOD’S DESIRE FOR THE NATIONS After Elijah warned King Ahab about the coming drought in Israel, he fled to the wilderness. Eventually, the Lord sent Elijah out of Israel to the land of Sidon, where God had commanded a widow to provide for his needs. In this way, God both protected Elijah from Ahab and
THE BLESSING AND BEAUTY OF UNITY Psalm 133 was written by David and is one of the fifteen psalms with the inscription, “Songs of Ascent.” These psalms (120-134) were to be sung while ascending up to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem to worship. In this way, worshipers brought their praise with them to the Temple.
BE A BARNABAS After Saul became a follower of Jesus at Damascus, he returned to Jerusalem. There he sought to meet with the apostles, but they were afraid and didn’t believe he had changed. But one of the disciples named Barnabas, whose name means “Son of Encouragement,” vouched for Saul and presented him to the
RESPONDING TO CHRIST’S CALL While heading to the city of Damascus to persecute Christians, Saul encountered the living Lord Jesus on the way. When Saul understood that it was Jesus speaking to him, he asked one of the most important questions a believer can ask. He asked what Jesus wanted him to do. He knew
THE CONDITIONAL PROMISE FORESHADOWS THE UNCONDITIONAL ONE After Solomon had completed the building of the Temple, the Lord appeared to him a second time. In this appearance, the Lord repeated the conditional promise that He had made to his father, David. Notice the “if” and the “then” words that mark such a conditional statement. The
SILVER HAIR IS NO CROWN WITHOUT RIGHTEOUSNESS Solomon wrote during an age when elders were honored and silver hair was considered a crown. But Solomon made clear that age alone was not sufficient for such glory. For without righteousness, the elderly are perhaps even more “laden with iniquity” (Gill) than the young. For they have
WHO IS BUILDING YOUR HOUSE? This psalm of Solomon is apt for today’s One Year Bible reading as the Old Testament reading is about the building of the Temple. Yet although God had given Solomon such amazing wisdom, he failed to apply it to his own house. Isn’t this often the case? We know more
HUNGER CAN BE A BLESSING A wise observation by King Solomon: Hunger motivates work. In other words, hunger can act as an incentive for one to labor for himself. Self-employment is hard, but often the most rewarding, for both the stomach and for one’s self-respect. Of course, the opposite must also be true: Full stomachs
THE FELLOWSHIP OF SUFFERING FOR CHRIST’S NAME Peter and some of the apostles were put in the common prison by the high priest for continuing to preach in the name of Jesus. That night, an angel set them free from the prison and instructed them to go and preach in the Temple courts. When the
WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE NAME OF JESUS? Peter and John healed a crippled man in the name of Jesus and began to preach in the Temple. A great crowd gathered to see the cripple now walking and to hear the preaching of Peter and John. The captain of the Temple arrested them for preaching