Untitled

Job 17: 9 “Nevertheless the righteous will hold to his way, And he who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger. Throughout Job’s lamentations, and the criticisms he hears from his friends, are interspersed these rays of hope, as Job’s focus time and time again comes back to the Lord. Though it may be difficult, when times find us in a low state,  we must turn to Him, and diligently seek…

Job 13: 15 “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him. 16 “This also will be my salvation, For a godless man may not come before His presence. Job has hope even to the point of death, for he knows in his heart who may approach the Lord. It’s interesting to see how Job is so sure of this area of his faith, without the benefit of the word in the book of…

Job 12: 20 “He deprives the trusted ones of speech And takes away the discernment of the elders……….. 24 “He deprives of intelligence the chiefs of the earth’s people This is something that has us scratching our heads from time to time, and seeking answers from the Lord. Quite simply, what are our trusted leaders, our elected officials, thinking when they make some of their decisions and pass some…

Job 8: 11 “Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh? Can the rushes grow without water? 12 “While it is still green and not cut down, Yet it withers before any other plant. 13 “So are the paths of all who forget God; And the hope of the godless will perish, We see here how our connection to the Lord is compared to water as a source of life for us; we won’t last long without it. Consequentially,…

Job 5: 8 “But as for me, I would seek God, And I would place my cause before God; 9 Who does great and unsearchable things, Wonders without number. Job is getting wisdom from some friends, who may not have their hearts right, but there is wisdom in their words. No matter what has befallen us, we should seek the Lord first. His good works are without measure. When things are at their worst, God…

Job 1: 20Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.” 22Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God. Even though Job had lost almost everything, he still praised the Lord. In fact,…

Esther 10:3For Mordecai the Jew was second only to King Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews and in favor with his many kinsmen, one who sought the good of his people and one who spoke for the welfare of his whole nation. Mordecai was greatly appreciated and blessed because he was devoted to his people. He thought of them before himself, and the Lord blessed him accordingly. Further on in the…

Esther 6: 10Then the king said to Haman, “Take quickly the robes and the horse as you have said, and do so for Mordecai the Jew, who is sitting at the king’s gate; do not fall short in anything of all that you have said.” Haman was expecting the reward but was instead tasked with providing all aspects of it to Mordecai. Mordecai did not expect the reward and was even more surprised that it would…

Esther 2: 15Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai who had taken her as his daughter, came to go in to the king, she did not request anything except what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the women, advised. And Esther found favor in the eyes of all who saw her. It appears that the other women were trying to overdo it,  impressing the king with…

Nehemiah 12: 24The heads of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers opposite them, to praise and give thanks, as prescribed by David the man of God, division corresponding to division. These men praised God and thanked Him for the leadership skills of the others. How often do we praise God and thank Him for the skills or talents He has given…

Nehemiah 8: 10Then he said to them, “Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” 11So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.” The feast of booths begins, and the Word is read to the people, who weep at…

Nehemiah 7: 2then I put Hanani my brother, and Hananiah the commander of the fortress, in charge of Jerusalem, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many. The primary consideration given for Nehemiah’s assignments here is for faithful and God-fearing men. If only we could apply that concept today, many societal concerns would be eliminated. Imagine being able to elect the most…

Nehemiah 4: 21So we carried on the work with half of them holding spears from dawn until the stars appeared. 22At that time I also said to the people, “Let each man with his servant spend the night within Jerusalem so that they may be a guard for us by night and a laborer by day.” 23So neither I, my brothers, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us removed our clothes,…

Nehemiah 1: 4When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. Nehemiah is a book most often taught regarding the examples of leadership it provides. Nehemiah, when first hearing of the condition of the city, walls, and gates, went into a time of extreme sorrow but bathed it in fasting and prayer. The first lesson, then,…

Ezra 10: 6Then Ezra rose from before the house of God and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib. Although he went there, he did not eat bread nor drink water, for he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles…..10Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful and have married foreign wives adding to the guilt of Israel. 11“Now therefore, make…

Ezra 7: 6This Ezra went up from Babylon, and he was a scribe skilled in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given; and the king granted him all he requested because the hand of the LORD his God was upon him………21“I, even I, King Artaxerxes, issue a decree to all the treasurers who are in the provinces beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God…

Ezra 3:10 Now when the builders had laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the LORD according to the directions of King David of Israel. 11They sang, praising and giving thanks to the LORD, saying, “For He is good, for His lovingkindness is upon Israel forever.” And all the people…