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“Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!” ~ Psalm 100:4

As you read through the Book of Psalms this week, take note of the relationship between the writers and God. If we were to pinpoint the “main character” in the Book of Psalms, it would have to be God. As each writer comes to the page, they are seeking to walk obediently in a relationship with the Lord. Thus God takes center stage in a neat way. There are requests for His mercy and His grace. There are cries for deliverance that can only be accomplished by the might of God’s power. There is repentance, confession, and adoration all wrapped up in one book. It all points to the majesty and character of God.

The Book of Psalms is also about praise. As God takes center stage, the writers cannot help but pour out their hearts in adoration and love for the One who walks in their lives and transforms their hearts. As we read through the Psalms, we are inspired to join in this chorus of praise. Watch how God delivers, how He provides strength in time of need, and a refuge in a sea of trouble. Join your voice with the voices of those who have gone before us. Make notes about how God moves and where the Psalms most touch you. As you pour yourself into a study of God’s Word, God pours Himself into your heart and life.

“Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long.” ~ Psalm 35:28

This week, we turn our attention to the Book of Psalms. The word “psalm” means song or hymn. The Psalms are part of a collection of writing that we call Wisdom Literature. They help us to see the heart of Israel as they live out their relationship with God. The Psalms are full of praise for God’s character and work in the lives of His people. Some contain laments as a person or people pour out their hearts, their concerns, and their struggles before God. Some talk about a coming Messiah who will lead His people to victory over the world. Some talk about repentance as God’s people learn to turn away from the world and walk more closely with God. All the Psalms are a peek at the hearts and lives of God’s people.

The Psalms were written by many people over the long course of Israel’s history. Shepherds, kings, servants, and leaders have all contributed to the writing of the Book of Psalms. The Psalms were written in war time and in peaceful reflection. They were penned in palaces and in tents. They show us the range of emotions that man feels and copes with as he walks through life. They show us a common need to understand our relationship with God. The Psalms connect us with God’s people from the past. They show us that what we experience today is much like what people of old experienced. We all share in struggle and victory. We all experience pain and healing. We all seek God for answers and for comfort. The Psalms remind us that the God who intersected the lives of the ancients still works in the lives of His people today.

“And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”” ~ Job 1:21

He sits in ashes, covered in sores. Every movement hurts, his skin is cracked and brittle. His breath smells terrible. He has lost everything. His wealth is gone, his family has all been killed, and his health is failing. This is Job.

Job is a man who has lost it all, yet in his misery he will not forsake God. Job knows God, and knows that God is at work in his life. Even though times have become harder than Job could ever imagine, Job does not curse God. Instead, Job seeks an answer from God. Job wants to know what God is doing and how God is working. His wife and his friends do not understand. They believe that Job needs to give up or to repent of some great sin. Job knows that he lives in a broken world and that things are not always what they seem. What others see as punishment, Job simply sees as life. He still wants answers. Yet, Job knows that only God can give those answers. And so Job waits and asks.

Character is defined by the sum total of our actions and thoughts. To see a person’s character, you must watch a person for a while. As we read through the Book of Job this week, notice the way that Job clings to God. See how Job waits. Watch as Job contends with his friends and answers a young man’s questions. Job is constant. He knows that God is at work, so Job rests in the hands and will of God.

“For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”” ~ Esther 4:14

We all love stories about men and women who do courageous things. Courage on the battlefield. Bravery in a dangerous situation. People who run into burning buildings to save lives, or who dive into freezing water to rescue those in trouble. Courage is something we admire. Courage is something we want to live out in our lives.

This week we are reading the Book of Esther. Esther is a story all about courage. The courage of a young Jewish woman to stand in the courts of a foreign king and seek the deliverance of her people. The courage of Mordecai as he refuses to bow to a man who is an enemy of God’s people. The courage of a king to stop a massacre and change a bad decision.

As you read this week, remember that God wants His people to have courage. God does not want us to live in fear of the things of this world. The Bible reminds us often that God has not given us a spirit of fear, or that we never walk alone, God is with us, and God is greater than the world around us. The Bible encourages (inspires courage) us to stand in the world as the people of God. To look like Jesus. God wants us to show the world where true strength and power can be found. In a relationship with Him.

“Now these were the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of those exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried captive to Babylonia. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town.” ~ Ezra 2:1

Sin is a serious matter. Sin causes a rift between God and His people. Sin causes man to walk away from God, to rebel against the will of God, and to put self before God. The Babylonian captivity was a 70 year exile that the people of God experienced because of sin. Idolatry had so consumed the people of God that He had to act in a way that would clarify their vision and call them to repentance. When prophets, kings, and priests could not call the people of God to return to Him, God gave the people over to a foreign nation. Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, carried the people of God away from the Promised Land and into captivity.

Living outside of Judah was a devastating consequence for the sin of idolatry. The Babylonian captivity removed families from their homes. It destroyed businesses and communities. Access to the temple was gone. This meant that the people of God could not worship God in the temple. Sacrifice for sin could not be made. The effects of the Babylonian captivity were intended to show the people their continuing need for a relationship with God. It was a limited captivity that allowed Israel to develop a hunger for the covenant that God offered them.

The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah tell the story of the return of God’s people from Babylon to Jerusalem and the surrounding country. It is the story of a people who hunger for a relationship with God. It highlights the importance of worship, family, and obedience. It is the story of children who return to a Father who loves them.

“Behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with their battle trumpets to sound the call to battle against you. O sons of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers, for you cannot succeed.”” ~ 2 Chronicles 13:12

The presence of God is a powerful thing. Remember back over the course of your reading this year and you can remember how the presence of God has changed lives. As God walked in the garden with Adam and Eve, He offered relationship and a future. God walked with Noah to bring salvation and hope. Abraham followed God to a new beginning. In the burning bush, God called Moses to become a leader for Israel. God’s presence led the children of Israel in the wilderness and into battle. In 2 Chronicles 13:12, the nation of Israel has declared independence from Judah. Battle lines are drawn and a decision has to be made. Will we follow God or will we go our own way?

Each day we do battle with the same decision. Will I live in the presence of God while I am at work, school, play, and home? Will God’s presence define my time with the television, what I am reading, my internet usage, and the movies I go to see? Will the presence of God shape my interactions with family, friends, coworkers, and those I meet for the very first time? Will God’s presence infuse every moment, or will I make decision that are based in my own wants and desires? This is the battle.

Second Chronicles 13:12 calls us to fight with God, not against Him. God leads His people in victory. God’s presence shapes our hearts, minds, and actions. First and Second Chronicles are a powerful picture of what happens when we choose to live in God’s presence, or when we choose to go it alone. The lessons are vital for us today. Choose to live in the presence of God!

“Yet the LORD warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes, in accordance with all the Law that I commanded your fathers, and that I sent to you by my servants the prophets.””
~ 2 Kings 17:13

If you are a fan of the western, you know the characters at first sight. He rides in on the sunset with a white hat and a white horse. He is the hero. The good guy. A man of honesty and integrity who protects the weak, saves the innocent, and captures the heart of the leading lady. In the saloon, there is another character. He sits in the dark under a black hat. He is surrounded by thugs and thieves. His language is harsh and his actions are violent. He is greedy and wants control. He is the bad guy. The oppressor of the town. The good guy and the bad guy are destined to clash. This town ain’t big enough for the both of them. A meeting in the street and all will be decided. The white hat will be just a hair faster, just a little quicker on the draw. Black Hat lays in the dust of the street while White Hat collects his kiss and rides off into the sunset.

Second Kings is a classic story of good and evil. The story of people who either choose God or choose themselves. Elisha, Hezekiah, and Josiah choose to listen to the voice of God. They stand in their culture and in their context as men who point others to see God’s hand at work. They protect the weak and live with integrity. They shine in the pages of the Bible as men to learn from and to whom we should listen. But there are others, characters of bad reputation, who have chosen to live according to the standards of the world and their own desires. Men like Jehoram, Ahaziah, and Jehoahaz. They do evil in the sight of God, following the ways of the idolatry and sin.

Second Kings shows us the power and pull of both good and evil, and calls us to make a choice. Will we wear the white hat or the black?

“And he said to Jeroboam, “Take for yourself ten pieces, for thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon and will give you ten tribes (but he shall have one tribe, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city that I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel),” ~ 1 Kings 11:31–32

It was the “Golden Age” of Israel. King David, taking over after Saul, had fought the necessary battles to bring a sense of peace to Israel. Borders had been secured and enemies defeated. David’s military prowess paved the way for the reign of Solomon, his son. Solomon would build on the military victories by creating alliances and trade agreements with the nations around Israel. Building projects such as the temple and the palace were shining examples of what could happen in peace time. Political and economic strength brought security to the land where God’s people lived. This “Golden Age” is called the United Kingdom. But it would not live one generation beyond Solomon.

When Rehoboam took the throne, his foolish actions would forever change the landscape of the Promised Land. Denying the wise counsel of his father’s advisors, Rehoboam angered the people of Israel. The result was civil war and division. Ten tribes followed Jeroboam and became Israel, also called the Northern Kingdom. Two tribes remained with Rehoboam, the son of Solomon. These two tribes were called Judah or the Southern Kingdom.

One nation, two eras. One era marked by unity, peace, and prosperity. One era marked by division, mistrust, and sin. What does it all mean? Look closely at 1 Kings and you will see that unity or division are heart matters. When our hearts are united with God, we experience the blessings of nearness and kinship. When our hearts are divided between God and anything else, we experience the pain of sin and separation. The kingdom once again teaches us how to walk with God.

“And now, O Lord GOD, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant.” ~ 2 Samuel 7:28

We all want a friend who keeps their promise. We trust friends who can hold a confidence, be trusted with a sensitive secret, or who follow their words with their actions. In 2 Samuel, we see that God keeps His promises. The whole book tells of the way that God kept His promise to David. David is the shepherd boy who became a warrior in the army of Saul. David is the one that Samuel anointed to be the king of Israel after Saul. Now we see that God is keeping His promise.

Understanding that God keeps His promises tells us a lot about the character of God. God is faithful. What God says is always true. God will never lie to us or deceive us. God knows what is best and works for our best. God watches over us to help us experience all that He has promised. God is in control and can transform our present moments and our future lives.

God promises His people some amazing things. God promises to forgive our sin. God promises to walk through every moment with us and never leave us alone. God promises changed lives and changed hearts. God promises that we can live with Him today and through eternity. To understand that God keeps His promises is to experience hope, assurance, and stability. We serve a faithful God who watches over our lives. How blessed we are to experience His love and care.

“And Samuel said, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.” ~ 1 Samuel 15:22

Obey is a word that has fallen out of favor in today’s world. To obey somehow draws up pictures of oppression, restriction, and confinement. Obey has come to be a negative in relationships and lifestyle. But the Bible draws a very different picture of obey.

To obey God is to express our love for God. (John 14:23) Obedience calls our hearts to surrender to the grace of God and the expression of God’s character in our lives. Obedience allows us to experience the freedom that comes with living by a concrete standard. Obedience trains us to live by truth. Obedience declares our trust in God. Obedience bows to the authority of God. Obedience opens the door to a relationship with God. To obey means that we listen to the voice of God and move in the will of God.

One of the most powerful pictures in 1 Samuel is the picture of what it means to obey. Samuel was a man who followed the voice of God and led God’s people to see His mercy and grace. David was a man who showed the people of Israel the strength, character, and heart of God. Both men walked in obedience and shared a rich, fulfilling relationship with God. As God calls us to obey, He invites us into the same kind of relationship. One of trust, truth, authority, mercy, and grace.