What do you do when trouble comes? Joel writes of desperate times: grapes, figs, pomegranates, dates, and apples are dried up, “indeed, human joy has dried up” 1:12. Then a Ninja-style army invades: “They scale walls, each goes on his own path. They dodge arrows, never stopping. They storm the city, run on the wall,Continue reading “JOEL: HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO ADVERSITY? Joel 2:12-13.”
Author Archives: Steven Wales
Pass the Baton. Joel 1:3
Tell your children about the Lord, and let your children tell their children, and their children the next generation. Joel 1:3. This is your duty: to bring them up in the faith. Do you know how? Are you prepared? Are you studying? Do you know the Word? Can you defend the faith and answer theContinue reading “Pass the Baton. Joel 1:3”
REND YOUR HEARTS AND NOT YOUR GARMENTS. Joel 2:12-13.
I remember fighting with my brother as a small child. Mama stopped us from squabbling and insisted that we apologize to each other. We grumbled something. “Now say it again, and this time, say it like you mean it.” So we would apologize a second time, much more sweetly. We were learning a valuable lesson—oneContinue reading “REND YOUR HEARTS AND NOT YOUR GARMENTS. Joel 2:12-13.”
Do You Remember the Scarlet Thread? Habakkuk 2:4.
There is a scarlet thread running through the pages of scripture. The gospel, the story of the scarlet Blood of Christ, can be found in all sixty-six books of the Bible. I used to enjoy reading a book of my mother’s called WHAT THE BIBLE IS ALL ABOUT by Henrietta Mears. Today it remains theContinue reading “Do You Remember the Scarlet Thread? Habakkuk 2:4.”
YOUR ENEMY IS NOTHING. Habakkuk 1:8.
Throughout the Bible God uses the bad guys to correct the good guys. God uses Egypt to grow Israel. Babylonian captivity reproves Israel. The Philistines, Arameans, and Persians teach His people to obey. Habakkuk describes the terrifying Chaldeans: “Their horses are swifter than leopards and more fierce than wolves of the night. Their horsemen chargeContinue reading “YOUR ENEMY IS NOTHING. Habakkuk 1:8.”
Spirits and the Spirit. Habakkuk 2:4-5
I read an interesting pair of lines today: “The righteous one will live by his faith, Moreover, wine betrays.” Habakkuk 2:4-5. Will you walk by faith, or will you be powered by alcohol—which will betray you? I have read Habakkuk a dozen times, but never caught this. It reminds me of another interesting passage: “DoContinue reading “Spirits and the Spirit. Habakkuk 2:4-5”
MOUNTAINS. Psalm 121, 125.
“I lift my eyes to the mountains. Where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, The Maker of Heaven and Earth.” Psalm 121:1-2. These lines are well-known. You may recognize them from various songs. They convey the idea that when you are hurting and broken, you look to the horizon, toContinue reading “MOUNTAINS. Psalm 121, 125.”
You Worship Better When Things Are Hard. Habakkuk 3:17-19.
I love it when life is good, when I can sit back with family and friends and smile at how wonderful life is. Bills are paid, I have a little money in the bank, everyone is healthy and happy, work is done and we can relax and be thankful. And that’s real thankfulness. It’s genuine.Continue reading “You Worship Better When Things Are Hard. Habakkuk 3:17-19.”
Serve God Now, While You Are Young! 2 Kings 23:25
Before Josiah, there was no king like him who turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his strength according to all the law of Moses, and no one like him arose after him. 2 Kings 23:25. And he was crowned king at the tender age of 8! The time to serveContinue reading “Serve God Now, While You Are Young! 2 Kings 23:25”
The Death of King Josiah. 2 Kings 22:19-20.
Today I read about Josiah, the boy king. He was a hero, destroying idol worship and reviving the observance of Passover. When Josiah was 18, workers found the book of the law. It was read to the king, and he tore his clothes, realizing the nation had disobeyed God. But God was merciful: “Because yourContinue reading “The Death of King Josiah. 2 Kings 22:19-20.”
Household Words: 