And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and […]

“But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15) […]

Many sacrifices were offered on that joyous day, for God had given the people cause for great joy. The women and children also participated in the celebration, and the joy of the people of Jerusalem could be heard far away. (Nehemiah 12:43)  Nehemiah ordered everyone on the wall and up they came by the dozens. […]

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength. (Proverbs 17:22)  If happiness were a disease, none other would be more contagious. If you laugh often, if you’re making life fun, if you’re never very far from a smile, you’ll have no trouble encouraging people and making friends. People who […]

They solemnly promised to carefully follow all the commands, regulations, and decrees of the LORD our Lord . . . . “We promise together not to neglect the Temple of our God.” (Nehemiah 10:29, 39)  There are some very simple—but life-changing—principles that I glean from the verses in Nehemiah 10. The first is that serious thought precedes any significant change. […]

Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord. (Psalm 119:1)  When we get beneath surface facts and start to traffic in the realm of in-depth truth, two things usually happen: we walk in greater obedience, and we discover genuine happiness. The leaders in Nehemiah’s day experienced both. They found written in […]

Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment. (Proverbs 9:10)  Then on the second day the heads of fathers’ households of all the people, the priests, and the Levites were gathered to Ezra the scribe so that they might gain insight into the words of […]

“Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!” (Nehemiah 8:10)  After an oral reading from the book of the Law, those gifted in its truths exposited the text to make the meaning clear. But why did they need to translate the Scripture? These people were Jews by birth, but […]