Psalm 143: Helpless

Say what you want about David and his errors.  The man had a right understanding of our proper posture before the Lord!

Daniel 1: Strangers In A Strange Land

Can you imagine being conquered by another country and then taken away from your homeland to live in exile?  For young Daniel and his three friends, this fate was their reality.  Their lives were completely upended when they were removed from all that was familiar and brought to the foreign nation of Babylon.

Joel 3: God's Address

In one sense, Christians believe that God does not dwell on the earth.  Even the highest heavens cannot contain Him, as Solomon observed at the dedication of the temple (II Chronicles 6:18).  However, from another point of view, God does indeed have an earthly "address" where He has chosen to make His dwelling place known: Zion!

Joel 2: Seeds

For a brief Old Testament book concerned primarily with a swarm of locusts, Joel contains some startling passages of prophecy that will bear fruit in the New Testament!

Joel 1: First World Problems

People today joke about the modern-day annoyances and aggravations we face in life.  These are called "first world problems": things like not having enough storage space for all our stuff or the time it takes for our web pages to load.  But if we go back to the experiences of people who lived thousands of years ago, we might get a whole new appreciation for how devastating real "first world" problems could be.

Ezekiel 48: The Lord Is There

The Book of Ezekiel ends with the prophet's fantastic vision of the city of God.  The Lord's sanctuary is in the middle of the tribes of Israel (vs. 10) and God's presence is there with His people.  In fact, the very name of the city shall be "The Lord Is There."  After years of struggle against the destruction that sin wreaks in our relationship with God, finally we have peace.  Just as Jesus, the One whose name Emmanuel means "God with us" signifies God's presence with His people, so, too, does this holy city reflect that truth.  Despite its many chapters of gloom and doom, the book ends on an incredibly positive note.  The final verse of Ezekiel reads: "The circumference of the city shall be eighteen thousand cubits. And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The Lord is There" (vs. 35).  Amen!  Hallelujah!

Ezekiel 47: Leaves For Healing

"On the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing" (vs. 12).  Now, doesn't this sound familiar?  Where else have we heard something like this?