1 Chronicles 26:12-27:34; Romans 4:13-5:5; Psalm 14:1-7; Proverbs 19:17Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? You may have been asked a question like this, and found yourselves scratching your heads. We never really know the exact why behind a lot of what God allows, but Scripture does point us to several possible answers to that question.In Romans 5 Paul gives us one possible ans...  Read More

1 Chronicles 24:1-26:11; Romans 4:1-12; Psalm 13:1-6; Proverbs 19:15-16Your eyes may have started to glaze over as you read 1 Chronicles today. It is a series of priestly names connected to serving in the tabernacle/temple. Some priests served within the sacrificial system, some served with music, and some served as gatekeepers (we will read about other positions tomorrow).The main emphasis of the...  Read More

1 Chronicles 22:1-23:32; Romans 3:9-31; Psalm 12:1-8; Proverbs 19:13-14Romans 1-2 has been filled with mostly bad news. We have been told that God's wrath is coming upon those who neither glorify God nor give thanks to him. The all-inclusive nature of this reality is seen in that no one is righteous, no one understands, and no one seeks God (Psalm 12 echoes a similar idea). All people deserve to f...  Read More

1 Chronicles 19:1-21:30; Romans 2:25-3:8; Psalm 11:1-7; Proverbs 19:10-12 Today we see David -- the man after God’s own heart -- in another epic failure. He orders Joab and his commanders to take a census of the troops. This doesn’t necessarily sound bad; yet, Joab knows it's wrong, and that it will bring guilt upon Israel. Moreover, David is surely aware it's a request he has no right to make. Wh...  Read More

1 Chronicles 16:37-18:17; Romans 2:1-24; Psalm 10:16-18; Proverbs 19:8-9 Humility is an essential quality for a Christian. Our adoption into God’s family begins when we humble ourselves and acknowledge Christ as Savior and Lord. We not only become part of God’s family through humility, but this should be a standard characteristic of our lives. In 1 Chronicles 16-18 and Romans 2, we see two things ...  Read More

1 Chronicles 15:1-16:36; Romans 1:18-32; Psalm 10:1-15; Proverbs 19:6-7 Worship is meant to be our whole lives but is often a concept that is relegated to an hour on Sunday mornings. Worship is meant to be the posture of our lives because of the greatness of God. All of our lives should be directed to God and lived in response to him. David crafts a song in 1 Chronicles 16 that focuses on respondi...  Read More

1 Chronicles 12:19-14:17; Romans 1:1-17; Psalm 9:13-20; Proverbs 19:4-5 It is thought that Paul wrote Romans prior to the imprisonment described at the end of Acts. If this is so, we can see that God answered his prayer to see the church in Rome (1:11) in a surprising way. His prayer was answered through a forced trip to Caesar. Even before meeting the church, Paul is thankful to God for the news ...  Read More

1 Chronicles 11:1-12:18; Acts 28:1-31; Psalm 9:1-12; Proverbs 19:1-3 We wrap up the Book of Acts today with Paul's arrival in Rome. Before making it to Rome, a shipwreck led Paul to Malta where he is initially considered a murderer because a snake bit him but then considered a god when he doesn't die. This quick vacillation by the people of Malta from one extreme to the other is often true of us a...  Read More

1 Chronicles 9:1-10:14; Acts 27:21-44; Psalm 8:1-9; Proverbs 18:23-24 I Chronicles makes clear that the Babylonian captivity is a result of the Israelites “unfaithfulness.” Further into the passage, we read specifically about Saul’s unfaithfulness. “He did not keep the word of the LORD…[nor] inquire of the LORD.” This is the crux of it. When things become murky, what do we do?In our humanity, we a...  Read More

1 Chronicles 7:1-8:40; Acts 27:1-20; Psalm 7:1-17; Proverbs 18:22 Having a house full of kids, we are continually telling them things to do, and are often met with disobedience. This most often comes in the form of pretending not to hear, but disobedience is disobedience.While Paul travels to Rome to stand before Caesar, he is told by God that disaster awaits them if their journey continues. Paul ...  Read More

1 Chronicles 5:18-6:81; Acts 26:1-32; Psalm 6:1-10; Proverbs 18:20-21 What does a successful life look like? Is it found in applause and fame from the world, or in living to please God?1 Chronicles 5 introduces us to some very successful men. We are told that they “were brave warriors, famous men, and heads of their families.” These would be like modern day CEOs, Wall Street tycoons, and those fea...  Read More

1 Chronicles 4:5-5:17; Acts 25:1-27; Psalm 5:1-12; Proverbs 18:19 There are moments in life when we all feel lonely. We can feel lonely when we are surrounded by people or when we are all by ourselves. Loneliness may come from an emotional distance from people or a lack of physical proximity.Psalm 5 points us to an antidote for loneliness which is God’s presence. When we remember that God is alway...  Read More