Category Archives: Uncategorized

Character is a trait that is often praised by people, yet when you pin them down on issues related to character they hedge their definition. We appreciate people with strong character, but we don’t want to be bound by the strictures of good character themselves. One way around this is to define character as whateverContinue reading “August 26: Esther 4-6”

All Christians have times in their lives when they feel like God is nowhere to be found. Our theology reminds us that He is loving, caring, and omnipresent, but our emotions fail to register that reality. We may be going through a trial and watching for any sign that from the Lord as to whatContinue reading “August 25: Esther 1-3”

Many people feel as they get older that life has become a burden and that their lives are losing meaning as they age. Living in a society that has a substantial number of senior citizens, we see and hear from family members, friends, church members, and neighbors about the difficulties that come with getting older.Continue reading “August 24: Ecclesiastes 9-12”

As Solomon contemplates his life in Ecclesiastes, he finds all he has done and all he has accomplished to be nothing as he tries to find value in his achievements. No matter what area he examines, he sees that what he has gained has been essentially without meaning. If life is just the sum totalContinue reading “August 23: Ecclesiastes 5-8”

In our society today depression is a prevalent mental illness that strikes people in a variety of ways. For some it may only be situational depression, which will begin to lift when circumstances change. For others, it is caused by a disruption in the way the brain functions or in its physical balance. Depression doesn’tContinue reading “August 22: Ecclesiastes 1-4”

The long lamentation expressed by Jeremiah in the book of Lamentations is not without cause. He sees the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple and realizes a searing loss. The symbols of God’s presence with His people are gone, and with them the assurance that the Lord Himself is with them. As we saw inContinue reading “August 21: Lamentations 3:37-5:22”

Due to a family bout of illness, I have not been able to keep up with my blog this past week. I will do my best to add additional posts, dated with the date they should have been posted, until I am caught up. Thank you for your understanding.

Recently the news has been filled with stories of devastation from around the world. There have been natural disasters which have levelled communities and caused hundreds of deaths. Wars have wreaked havoc on towns, cities, and nations, causing property and economic damage as well as injuries and fatalities. People from around the world have mobilizedContinue reading “August 20: Lamentations 1:1-3:36”

Perhaps no book of the Bible has a more unusual literary structure than the book of Ruth. When scholars assess the reasons for the writing of the book, they often look at the end where the genealogy of King David is listed, showing that he is descended from a prominent Bethlehemite family. The historical settingContinue reading “August 19: Ruth 1-4”

Reading Song of Solomon causes many Christians to stop and question why this book was included in the canon of Scripture. It is a long dramatic poem, in the form of a play with dialogue between a man, a woman, and a chorus. Scholars have worked at trying to determine exactly which characters are speakingContinue reading “Day 230: Song of Solomon 1-8”