2 Kings 2:1-25, 4:1-44 The ministries of Elisha and Elijah were filled with miracles. In reading the Bible, we may feel like miracles are common occurrences, and wonder why we do not see them as often today. Yet, if we really study the miracles of the Bible, many of them are clustered around a few distinct periods of history. One such period is the current one we are reading; in many ways, this pe...  Read More

2 Kings 1:1-18, 3:1-27; 1 Kings 22:41-49; 2 Chronicles 20:31-37; 1 Kings 22:50; 2 Chronicles 21:1-4; 2 Kings 8:16-22; 2 Chronicles 21:5-7 There is a common adage that “the only constant in life is change.” For followers of Christ, this applies only to the external circumstances of life, as God is always constant and true. Israel's throne transitions from Ahab to Ahaziah and then quickly to Joram/J...  Read More

1 Kings 22:10-28; 2 Chronicles 18:9-27; 1 Kings 22:29-35; 2 Chronicles 18:28-34; 1 Kings 22:36-40, 22:51-53; 2 Chronicles 19:1-20:30 We hear lots of voices every day, but how well do we pay attention to them? We can hear, but not actually listen. In our reading today, we see two different communications from God through prophets─one that is heeded and one that is not. First, Micaiah tells Ahab and...  Read More

1 Kings 20:23-22:9; 2 Chronicles 18:1-8 There was a popular worship song with the line, "Break my heart for what breaks yours." These words express the desire that our hearts would align with God's in the things we love and hate. As we continue with the life of Ahab, we discover what breaks his heart is not what breaks God's heart. The primary thing over which Ahab’s heart breaks is his inability ...  Read More

1 Kings 17:8-20:22 After a focus on the kings of Israel and Judah, the spotlight moves to the prophets Elijah and Elisha. As we read about their lives, we will see that being a spokesperson for God does not mean comfort and ease. God uses Elijah to remind the people of God's power against the inability of Baal and idols. The climactic victory at Mt. Carmel with fire coming from Heaven led to the s...  Read More

1 Kings 15:16-22; 2 Chronicles 16:1-10; 1 Kings 16:1-34, 15:23-24; 2 Chronicles 16:11-17:19; 1 Kings 17:1-7 What do you rely upon in times of trouble? Where do you turn for help? Asa found himself with the army of Israel bearing down upon him and he turned not to God, but to the power of Aram. He thought that military might was needed to push back an army; instead of trusting God that he had power...  Read More

1 Kings 13:1-14:18, 14:21-14:24; 2 Chronicles 12:13-14, 11:18-23, 12:1-12; 1 Kings 14:25-28; 2 Chronicles 12:13-16; 1 Kings 14:29-15:5; 2 Chronicles 13:1-22; 1 Kings 15:6-8; 2 Chronicles 14:1-8; 1 Kings 15:9-15, 14:19-20, 15:25-34; 2 Chronicles 14:9-15 What is the foundation of your life? On what do you ultimately rely? At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus describes how the foundation of a...  Read More

Psalm 98, 99, 100, 102, 104 "Mom," "Dad" seem to be two continual refrains from the mouths of my kids. It might be absurdly early in the morning or after they have been put to bed, but these words constantly flow from their mouths. Many psalms want us to learn a similar continual call for God our Father. Psalms 98 and 100 are calls to God from a place of joy. It is easy to envision smiles on the f...  Read More

Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:14; 1 Kings 12:1-20; 2 Chronicles 10:1-19; 1 Kings 12:21-24; 2 Chronicles 11:1-4; 1 Kings 12:25-33; 2 Chronicles 11:5-17 Don't hit your sister! Don't say that! Don't run into the street! So much of my energy is spent telling my kids what not to do and, yet according to my wife, they aren't even wired to hear the don't or the no in a statement or command. Nearly all of Ecclesia...  Read More

Ecclesiastes 7:1-11:6 None of our lives have turned out exactly how we hoped. We have dreams that have been crushed, relationships destroyed, and the consequences of sin all around us. We have all experienced injustice and unfairness, which at times can make us want to give up. Solomon wrestles with these realities in his search for meaning and purpose in Ecclesiastes. He wonders why the wicked we...  Read More

Ecclesiastes 1:12-6:12 Meaningless. This is the key theme of the book of Ecclesiastes. It is a Hebrew word that is hard to define (just look at multiple Bible translations) but seems to focus on the temporary nature of the things of this world. Solomon tried a myriad of things in life to find satisfaction and purpose. He tried things which he thought would bring him pleasure. He tried sex, alcohol...  Read More

1 Kings 11:1-43; 2 Chronicles 9:29-31; Ecclesiastes 1:1-11 Hypocrite! This is a common critique of Christians─sometimes potentially true, sometimes overblown─but one of the tragic hypocrites in the Bible is Solomon. Yesterday, we read his beautiful poem about romantic love and the exclusivity of marriage; and then today we read he had 700 wives and 300 concubines. What!?!?!? How could someone who ...  Read More