Responsive Reading Join me in a thanksgiving response to God today: Creation sings of your grandeur, might, and creativity! Thank you, Lord, for the beauty of the earth. Our harvest is plentiful, the pantry stocked, and the table is overflowing with good foods to eat. Thank you, Lord, for the abundance of daily bread. Laughter…
In yesterday’s post about the mercies of God, I called attention to how God was merciful to a lawless and violent city. Typically when we read about Nineveh, we focus on Jonah’s journey of disobedience, obedience, and then anger. But I want to remind us that while there is much to learn from this story,…
Nineveh was a godless city. It was known for its brutality, infanticide, and temple prostitution. It’s not surprising that Jonah did not want to follow God’s direction to go to Nineveh. [Jonah] complained to the Lord about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to…
It was common in Israel for a new king to annihilate the previous king’s family. But David was different. David made a promise to Saul that he would not kill his descendants. He also promised Jonathan, Saul’s son, that he would be loyal to his family forever. So when David returned from war and was…
Naaman was an unlikely recipient of God’s mercy. He was the commander of the king of Aram’s army. Aram was Israel’s enemy and eventually assisted in the fall of Jerusalem. Naaman was highly regarded and a brave soldier, but he had leprosy. Marauders from Aram had gone into Israel. They took a young Israelite girl…
When Moses dies, Joshua becomes the leader of the Israelites. He is the one that leads the people into the promised land, the land of their inheritance. Before entering the land, he sends two spies. The king of Jericho knows spies are in the land and wants to find them. The spies had entered Rahab’s…