September 2024 – PulpitPress

Paving the Way With Prayer!

Today, we open the Book of Nehemiah. Nehemiah has a genuine heart for God. He hears of the situation in Jerusalem and is stirred up to do something about it. The Jews have been back in their land for almost a century now, and the walls of the city are still not finished. The people of God need someone with a vision and servant-hearted ambition to lead. So what does Nehemiah do? He prays.

Nehemiah knows that he will need God’s favor to prepare the king’s heart to see the fulfillment of his vision. Notice Nehemiah’s prayer. O Lord, please hear my prayer! Listen to the prayers of those of us who delight in honoring you. Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me.” In those days I was the king’s cup-bearer. (Nehemiah 1:11, NLT) Notice the king’s response when Nehemiah shares his vision with the king. The king asked, “Well, how can I help you?” (Nehemiah 2:4, NLT) … the king agreed to my request (2:6) … And the king granted these requests, because the gracious hand of God was on me. (2:8) Wow, paving the way forward with prayer was powerful!

A heart for God and a vision for God’s glory were not enough; Nehemiah prayed. It is easy to forget or be impatient and surge ahead without prayer! Yet the work we need God to do is vital, and who but us will ask? I am reminded of a verse in the New Testament: do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6, ESV) If you have a heart and vision for something—then pave the way with prayer!

Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Nehemiah 1-5.

Feeling Encouraged!

Today, we are back in the Book of Ezra—finishing up with the life of this prophet. What is interesting about this book is that we aren’t formally introduced to Ezra until chapter 7. In the first ten verses, we see his lineage and heart. Notice what the Bible says about Ezra. For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel. (Ezra 7:10, ESV)

Ezra had a heart for God. He didn’t just study the law of God; he wanted to obey it. He didn’t just want to know what the Bible said; he wanted to do what the Bible said and encourage others to do likewise. Living exiled in Babylon would be a challenge to this. It wouldn’t be easy, and it wasn’t. In fact, he was getting discouraged. Yes, discouragement comes even to those who set their hearts on God.

How did Ezra overcome this discouragement? Praise the Lord … And praise him for demonstrating such unfailing love to me … I felt encouraged because the gracious hand of the Lord my God was on me. And I gathered some of the leaders of Israel to return with me to Jerusalem. (Ezra 7:27–28, NLT) The graciousness of God encouraged Ezra!

Even with hearts set on loving and obeying God, it is easy to become discouraged over time. But an attitude of gratitude changes everything! Gratitude brings God’s goodness into view, and it refreshes us. It encourages us! What has the gracious hand of God brought about in our lives? What can we be thankful for today?

Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Ezra 7-10.

Every Day—Every Step of the Way!

One of several fascinating chapters in the Word of God is Esther 6. While God’s name is not mentioned once in the Book of Esther, His presence is everywhere, and His sovereignty is seen in the details!

On the eve of Esther’s plan to ask the king to spare her and the Jewish people from genocide, King Xerxes finds he can’t sleep. So what’s a king to do when he can’t sleep? He orders a bedtime story to be read to him out of the history books! Of all the history that could have been read to him, he learns that Mordecai (a Jew) was not honored for having revealed an assassination plot against him some years earlier. While the king is discussing with his advisors how to honor Mordecai, Haman arrives to ask permission to execute Mordecai for not bowing to him. But before Haman can get his words out, the king asks Haman how an unnamed man should be honored by the king. Upon Haman’s suggestion (who thought he was the unnamed man), the king orders Haman to honor Mordecai. This mortified Haman!

As I thought about the Lord God ruling in men’s affairs, we know from the Bible that God does so at a high level. He sets up kings and takes those same kings down as He pleases. Yet, it is also clear that God is in the small details of life, too! The small moments of perfect timing. That unexplainable chain of events. This reminds me of a verse in Proverbs. The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. (Proverbs 16:9, ESV) While we like to plan the milestones of life, where is God? He is in the steps of life. We serve an everyday God; He is with us every day and every step of the way. Let’s take each step knowing God is there!

Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Esther 6-10.

For Such a Time as This!

In reading through the first half of Esther this morning, a man named Haman hatches a plot to kill all the Jews: men, women, and children. History shows that God’s chosen people have more than once been the subject of genocidal thoughts and plans. “From the river to the sea” is an example of a modern-era poetic genocidal death chant directed at God’s people. Genocide of the Jewish people has never been successful, yet why do the heathen rage and imagine such vanity?

In today’s reading, we see a Jewish man named Mordecai refusing to bow to this Haman. Though this angered Haman, it wasn’t until he learned of Mordecai’s nationality that genocidal thoughts exploded in his heart. When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or show him respect, he was filled with rage. He had learned of Mordecai’s nationality, so he decided it was not enough to lay hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he looked for a way to destroy all the Jews throughout the entire empire of Xerxes. (Esther 3:5–6, NLT) How typical of someone who hates God’s people—it is not enough to kill one; they want to kill all.

So why do the heathen rage and imagine such vanity? Notice how Haman explains it to the king: “There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom. Their laws are different from those of every other people, and they do not keep the king’s laws, so that it is not to the king’s profit to tolerate them. (Esther 3:8, ESV) For Mordecai, there was only one he would bow to, and that was God—Haman was no God.

At the end of the day, the God of this world (Satan) is at war with the Lord Jesus Christ. This makes God’s people targets of persecution and genocidal intent from those whom the devil has blinded (2 Corinthians 4:3–6). Yet, for all of the persecution and killing of God’s people at the hands of the heathen, God is sovereign, extermination will never happen, and light will triumph over darkness! Between now and the last battle foretold (Revelation 20:7-10), God’s people have been raised up for such a time as this to defy the works of darkness with the light of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. So, despite the threat from God’s enemy, let us be willing to let our light shine before men with Mordecai’s resolve.

Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Esther 1-5.

An Unusual Show of Force!

In finishing the Book of Zechariah, chapter nine and verse nine foretell what is known in the New Testament as the Triumphal Entry of Jesus. “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9, NKJV)

What an unusual way for a conquering king to enter a city! There was no army following Him, no great show of force, no swords, bloodshed, or terror. Rather than trotting into Jerusalem on a war horse, Jesus entered on a donkey, the mount of one who brings peace. This peace was yet to be accomplished when Jesus humbly entered.

Yet in about a week, the humility of this King would secure victory and peace, but again, in a most unusual way. He would be put to death on a cross—the only King who had to die to right the wrongs of men and who surrendered in order to win. Notice how this battle went down. …Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross. (Colossians 2:13–15, NLT)

Believers, we can rejoice greatly and shout for joy with the daughters of Zion and Jerusalem, for our King has come! He brought salvation just as Zechariah prophesied! Through His victory on the cross, we have peace with God. May this peace and victory in our lives continue to publicly shame the works of darkness, having been justified through His blood. Let us continue sharing this peace with others who are yet still held captive under the tyranny of the devil.

Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Zechariah 8-14.