2 Kings 16:19-20; 2 Chronicles 28:26-27; Isaiah 13:1-16:14 What is the most powerful thing you have experienced? It may be a hurricane, a form of technology, a person, or a country. Isaiah confronts us with the transitory nature of all earthly power. We see various world empires, which despite seeming to be permanent and indestructible, are nothing compared to the power of God. Babylon, who is now...  Read More

Isaiah 1:21-5:30 From the outside, prior to the Israelites’ exile, it would have seemed like they had it all together. The wealthy lived in beautiful houses, indulged in frequent parties, and dressed in lavish clothing. They would have fit right in on a Friday night in the trendy part of town, and yet behind the scenes, they were morally bankrupt. Their lives were consumed by the pursuit of tempor...  Read More

Isaiah 28:1-29; 2 Kings 17:5, 18:9-12, 17:6-41; Isaiah 1:1-20 All humans are made in the image of God─this means we have value and dignity. Being made in the image of God has nothing to do with what we do, but rather about who we are. Yet we can choose to accurately live out and reflect more of God’s image in the way we live. As Christians, we are called to be conformed to the image of Christ rath...  Read More

Hosea 9:1-14:9 Nothing reveals the condition of your heart more than in what you delight and rejoice. Today's reading out of Hosea is like a cardiologist examining the heart of the Israelites. They delight in money, idols, politicians, and prosperity, but they do not rejoice in God. They look everywhere for fulfillment except to the One who created them and sustained them from generation to genera...  Read More

Hosea 2:14-8:14 Perhaps the strongest universal human desire is the intrinsic need to be loved. We want to know that we matter to someone and are loved by them. The book of Hosea is an extended message that we are loved, and not just by anyone, but by the God of the universe. Sadly, our instinct is often to run from God’s love rather than embrace it. We are not satisfied, or do not believe we are ...  Read More

Isaiah 12:1-6, 17:1-14; 2 Chronicles 28:16-21; 2 Kings 16:10-18; 2 Chronicles 28:22-25; 2 Kings 18:1-8; 2 Chronicles 29:1-2; 2 Kings 15:30-31, 17:1-4; Hosea 1:1-2:13 God’s sovereignty is on full display in today’s reading. Our tendency as fallen beings is to think we are in control or are able to manipulate our circumstances, but it is the Lord God alone who is sovereign over every person and situ...  Read More

Isaiah 8:1-11:16 Israel and Judah find themselves in what seems like a hopeless situation. The most powerful kingdom on Earth is approaching with a massive army, and death, exile, and destruction seem imminent. Yet scattered through these chapters of warning come messages of hope. Isaiah 9 speaks of the light to come and a joy that will overwhelm the darkness. This hope comes from the one who will...  Read More

2 Kings 15:32-38; 2 Chronicles 27:1-9; Micah 1:1-16; 2 Kings 16:1-9; 2 Chronicles 28:1-15; Isaiah 7:1-25 The end of Israel is drawing near, and the guarantee of their destruction is a prophecy. This prophecy is “the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. He will be eating curds and honey when...the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste” (Isaiah 7:14)...  Read More

Amos 7:1-9:15; 2 Kings 14:28-29, 15:8-29, 15:6-7; 2 Chronicles 26:22-23; Isaiah 6:1-13 Context is critical to understanding the Bible. We need to know when it was written, who wrote it, and who the audience was. In the Chronological One Year Bible, the books of the prophets are inserted directly into Israel and Judah’s timeline of events so we can understand more fully their meaning and context. F...  Read More

Amos 1:1-6:14 We live in a culture that is passionate about justice. Yet most want others to get what they deserve for their sin rather than receiving consequences for their own wrong actions. At the beginning of Amos, we see this same mentality when he pronounces judgment upon the enemies of Israel and Judah. It is not hard to imagine much delight that their enemies are finally going to receive t...  Read More

2 Kings 14:1-14; 2 Chronicles 25:1-24; 2 Kings 13:12-13, 14:15-16, 14:23-27; 2 Chronicles 25:25-28; 2 Kings 14:17- 22, 15:1-5; 2 Chronicles 26:1-21; Jonah 1:1-4:11 Jeroboam II had restored the boundaries of Israel according to God’s word as “spoken through his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher” (2 Kings 14:25). Jonah, a prophet in Israel? That sure slipped by me as a child...  Read More

2 Kings 13:1-11, 12:17-21; 2 Chronicles 24:23-27; 2 Kings 13:14-25 Elisha's ministry carried on beyond his death. We are told that a dead body touched Elisha’s bones, and it came back to life. This may seem like a strange story, but we are told again and again in Scripture that God has power over everything─including life and death. For instance, Abraham believed that God could raise Isaac from th...  Read More