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

2 Kings 11:1-3; 2 Chronicles 22:10-12; 2 Kings 11:4-12; 2 Chronicles 23:1-11; 2 Kings 11:13-16; 2 Chronicles 23:12-15; 2 Kings 11:17-21; 2 Chronicles 23:16-21; 2 Kings 12:1-16; 2 Chronicles 24:1-22; 2 Kings 10:32-36 Even before social media, people were influenced by others. In 1 and 2 Kings, nearly every king's reign begins by stating the mother’s name. This speaks to a primary influence in their...  Read More

2 Chronicles 21:8-20; 2 Kings 8:23-29; 2 Chronicles 22:1-7; 2 Kings 9:1-10:17; 2 Chronicles 22:8-9; 2 Kings 10:18-31 Have you ever felt like you were getting a fresh start? This may have occurred when you were a child and moved to a different city, or when you went off to college, got married, acquired a new job, or retired. In today's reading, we see this fresh start for the nations of Israel and...  Read More

2 Kings 5:1-8:15 What does it mean to love your enemy? We may think of this idea as something only spoken of by Jesus, when it is modeled for us even in the Old Testament. In 2 Kings 5, an unnamed, kidnapped Israelite girl tells her mistress healing is available to her master in Israel. She tells the man, who is responsible for separating her from her family, culture, and land, he can be healed fr...  Read More