Read Job 1:1 through 4:21 What do you think when you get really bad news? Job thought of God. Though his life had turned into a nightmare, He knew God was still in charge. At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: “ . . …
Read Luke 21:1 through 22:71 Do we ever look at our world and ask, “What happened?” The moral climate seems to have plunged. Sin is rampant. Nuclear war threatens. A bad economy has become the new way of life. And what’s with all these record-breaking natural disasters? It’s easy to wonder if the end of world is near and become …
Read 2 Chronicles 32:1 and 33:25 Most believers have never confronted an imposing army like King Hezekiah did. Still, Christians fight major battles every day. Some deal with harassing bosses or coworkers who accuse them falsely. Others face bills or debts that strike like a flurry of arrows, tearing holes in bank accounts and draining their funds. Secular teachings take …
Read Luke 14:1 through 16:31 Little Benjamin was visiting the nursing home with his father and was helping one of the residents put together a one-thousand-piece puzzle. They worked diligently for hours until they realized one piece was missing. Everyone in the place searched for the missing piece. With a loud cry someone exclaimed, “I found it!” Everyone rejoiced. “I …
Read 1 Chronicles 10:1 through 12:40 Carroll was fifty-three years old when she began her missions work in Guatemala in 1999. Now, at the age of seventy, she still serves the orphanage that she cofounded. Although her body has not always been healthy, her spirit is strong and her ministry has grown. While serving the orphans, she also writes a …
Read 1 Chronicles 4:1 through 6:81 Have you experienced hurt as a result of another person’s decision? Often people do not consider the impact their poor decisions have on others. These choices cause pain that could have been prevented. Being named a pain by his mother, Jabez experienced hurt himself. He determined that he wanted something else for his life, …
Read 2 Kings 6:1 through 8:29 For thirty years, Peter fasted and prayed for his father’s salvation. He took every opportunity to witness to his father. He felt like a failure. Why could he not persuade his father? Perhaps Peter was taking on too much responsibility for his father’s salvation. After all, it is the Holy Spirit who opens men’s …
Read 1 Kings 14:1 through 16:34 After the reign of David, the people wandered far from God. In the absence of godly leaders, they built pagan altars and gave themselves to the worship of the Canaanite gods. In time, Asa ascended to the throne of Israel. Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as his father …
Read 2 Samuel 22:1 through 24:25; Luke 16:1–18 Justin always enjoyed spending time at his grandparents’ home. Grandpa told exciting stories, taught him how to work with wood, and set a godly example. Grandpa called it “living for God in work clothes.” Now Grandpa’s life was drawing to a close. The extended family gathered in Grandpa’s room. They read his …
Read 2 Samuel 14:1 through 15:37 Absalom, King David’s son, did not have an easy life. He fled from home after killing his half brother for raping his sister. Eventually he was allowed to return home, but his relationship with his father was strained. Absalom undermined his father’s authority by promising that he would be a more compassionate ruler than …