As we’ve noted on previous days, Nehemiah became aware of the broken down state of Jerusalem and the despair of its inhabitants, and his heart was moved—he cared. His grief over the city and the Jewish people drove him to his knees. He pleaded with the great and terrible (awe-inspiring)…

HYMN DAY! “Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior” by Fanny J. Crosby is so tender and humble. Crosby wrote so many wonderful, deeply emotive and applicable hymns. “Whom have I on earth beside Thee?” He is our All in All. Pass me not, O gentle Savior, Hear my humble cry;…

This report distressed and concerned Nehemiah on various levels. A city without walls was open to attack. This put the inhabitants in a constant state of vulnerability. But this wasn’t just any city—this was Jerusalem, the city where the Lord had chosen to make His name known! The disrepair sent…

The Old Testament is peopled with interesting characters. Nehemiah is probably known as the man who led the citizens of Jerusalem to rebuild the city walls. What a model of leadership he was! Before he began organizing a building team, however, he first acknowledged that a need existed. The “remnant”…

I teasingly told my Sunday school ladies one morning that God didn’t look down at the world one day and think, “Wow, things have gotten way out of control. I better come up with a way to fix it.” Oh no, God had a plan to heal our brokenness even…

Openly living for Christ can be something of a minefield. You’ll be accused of being sanctimonious, intolerant, simpleminded, or a host of other unkind titles. But those titles cannot change the fact that Jesus makes a difference in a person’s life. For those of us who’ve been saved by grace,…

HYMN DAY! Another Fanny Crosby hymn! “Tell Me the Story of Jesus” is a wonderful reminder to us to share the story of His love with those we encounter—they all need to hear it! 1 Tell me the story of Jesus, write on my heart every word; tell me the…

“Keep ablaze…” Those simple words paint a vivid picture in my head of The Hubs strategically and mindfully layering logs in our fireplace so the fire holds a steady, crackling flame that warms the room. Keeping a fire ablaze takes attention and fuel; keeping faith ablaze takes attention and fuel.…

We recently celebrated Mother’s Day. I recall it being a painful day for my parents when I was growing up because both of them had lost their mothers at a young age (maybe some of you can relate). The custom in the church Mom attended was for girls to wear…

Did you notice that I shared verses from Psalm 86 in reverse? Yet they seemed to follow each other well, didn’t they? The Bible amazes me with its wisdom and application…even in reverse! There are lots of gods and lots of people who bow to false gods. But only One…