TELL DEM BONES TO PRAISE THE LORD! David declared his intent to praise the Lord “with every bone” in his body in anticipation of the Lord’s rescue. David would not offer the Lord half-hearted worship. He was a whole-hearted worshiper, and out of that came a commitment to whole-bodied praise. David would hold nothing back
WHEN OTHERS RAN OUT THEY RAN IN After the walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt, people were needed to repopulate the city, which had been destroyed some 70+ years earlier. It was a run-down and dangerous place where few wanted to live. So when certain men willingly volunteered to live in the city, the people blessed
CHRIST, OUR SPIRITUAL FOOD AND DRINK Paul reminded the Corinthian believers of the Exodus story. He recalled how all the Israelites ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual water, which in both cases, were typical of Christ. For as the manna was daily bread from heaven, so Christ is the “Bread of
THE CALL TO PREACH THE GOOD NEWS When I was young, my grandmother told me that she thought I was going to be a preacher when I grew up. I disagreed and insisted I was going to raise chickens with Papaw. Turns out, she was right. God called me to preach. But I do still
LEARNING TO SAY NO TO THINGS THAT DON’T MATTER Nehemiah knew when to say “Yes” and when to say “No.” He was focused on rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and he didn’t have time for distractions, especially for those that meant him harm. Learning when to say “No” may be one of the most important
DON’T BE ABSORBED BY TEMPORARY CONDITIONS Are you weeping over a loss today? Be mindful that the Lord will soon wipe away every tear (Rev. 21:4), turning your mourning into dancing (Psa. 30:11). Are you rejoicing in your blessings today? Wonderful. Yet, let the One who blesses be the focus of your joy, rather than
DOES GOD FORGET HIS PROMISES? When Nehemiah heard the report about the broken down condition of Jerusalem’s walls, he fasted and prayed with weeping. As he poured out his heart to God, he reminded God to “remember” His Word. This seems a little strange doesn’t it? Asking the omniscient God to “remember” His own Word?
REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE AND WHOSE YOU ARE When Paul wrote this to the Corinthians he was primarily addressing the problem of sexual sin that was so prevalent in their culture. Believers were to live differently than the culture around them. This was not a call to an outward asceticism, but a reminder of an
GOD’S SPIRITUAL EKG Our self-awareness is limited. And we rarely hold a mirror up to our own attitudes and actions. We tend to judge others harshly, but we always have an excuse for our own shortcomings and sins. In our hypocrisy, we often declare ourselves righteous in our own eyes. Yet the Lord knows us
THE NEW SPIRITUAL REALITY: WE ARE GOD’S FAMILY! Paul reminded the Corinthians of their spiritual relationship to him. He had become their spiritual father because he was the one who had first preached the Gospel to them. Yet, they were treating him disgracefully by comparing him to other preachers, such as Apollos, who had come