Nahum 2 Devotional by Pastor Lawrence            Even though Nahum’s prophecy is against the city of Nineveh, it is actually written for the comfort of God’s people in Judah who have been harassed by the Assyrians for quite some time.  The Assyrians have plundered them on a number of occasions and have begun to see them as their next prey, adding them to a long list of captured nations.  But the Lord is the defender…

Nahum 1 by Pastor David Groendyk The first thing that should surprise you as you read Nahum is that it is written about the city of Nineveh (v. 1). Almost every prophetic book is written for or about Judah or Israel, but Nahum is an oracle of judgment against Nineveh, the capital city of the wicked nation of Assyria. You’ve probably heard of Nineveh before. It’s the city that Jonah went to and evangelized. The…

Philemon Devotional by Pastor Mark Hudson             Philemon is one of two very personal letters in the NT (3 John is the other).  This brief letter is relatively easy to understand.  Philemon, a believer, lived in Colossae and welcomed the church in Colossae to meet in his home.  His slave Onesimus ran away, possibly stole from Philemon, and somehow met the Apostle Paul in Rome.  Onesimus not only met Paul, but he also became a…

Song of Songs 8 Devotional by Pastor Lawrence Most lovers today would probably not compare their romantic relationship to that of a brother and a sister, for that would seem out of place.  But in ancient times, “PDA,” or a public display of affection between a husband and wife was certainly out of place.  However, a brother and sister could hug and even kiss one another in public, not with any prolonged display of course,…

Song of Songs 7 by Pastor David Groendyk This chapter begins with another one of the man’s extended speeches about the beauty of the woman (vv. 1–9a). Many of these descriptions are repeated from his two previous speeches, but one unique element to this speech is actually what the man says at the very end of 6:13. Like much of the book, this verse is very difficult to understand, but the point seems to be…

Song of Songs 6 by Pastor Mark Hudson As you know, taking this as song about love between a husband and a wife is a minority position in the history of the church.  If you view this allegorically, you are in the majority in terms of the Jewish and Christian interpreters.  You may conclude that this song could not be about two lovers.  How scandalous!  Plus, you may have heard passages from this song that were used to celebrate…

Song of Songs Ch.5 Devotional by Pastor Lawrence             We are not told just how long Adam and Eve dwelt together in the joy of the Lord in the Garden of Eden, but we certainly know how their relationship changed when sin entered into the world and they were cast out of paradise.  If chapter four of Song of Solomon describes the paradisiacal honeymoon, surely, by chapter five the honeymoon is over, for the husband…

Song of Songs 4 by Pastor David Groendyk This is actually the first time in the book where the man has an extended speech. He spoke in brief snippets early on, but now he has the chance to wax eloquent about the woman. Here in chapter 4 is actually the very first reference to the woman being a bride (v. 8), so we might consider this section the actual marriage and perhaps the marriage consummation…

Song of Songs Devotions by Pastor Mark Hudson                Since there are many approaches to the Song of Songs, permit me to provide a brief introduction to how I understand how the book should be approached.  While there are more than two ways of interpreting this book, essentially, we come down to a literal approach or allegorical.  I will take a literal approach.  Literal does not mean how my granddaughter answered my son when he…

Song of Songs 2 Devotional by Pastor Lawrence            At the end of the previous chapter, the young man had declared his love for his betrothed and praised her twice, telling her how beautiful she was in his eyes.  She, then, returned the compliment by telling him how beautiful and delightful he was to her and how she looked forward to making her home with him.  But in the opening verses of chapter two she…

Song of Songs 1 by Pastor David Groendyk Warning: you might blush when you read this book. The Song of Songs has caused interpreters, commentators, and pastors a lot of difficulty throughout the history of the church both because of its content and its style of writing. I still have the notes from my seminary class where we discussed ten different ways to interpret Song of Songs! By far, the most common understanding of this…

Colossians 4 Devotions by Pastor Mark Hudson             I would like us to look at vs. 7-18 for this devotion.  I find it so interesting what God has included in Holy Scripture.  I doubt we would have included the many things God did if we were given the task to inspire a book that would change the world.  I doubt we would include sections like we are focusing on.  But there…

Colossians 3 Devotional by Pastor Lawrence  It is often thought that when one becomes a Christian the battle is over and the war has been won, but it has only just begun.  As much as we may not like it, or choose to ignore it, we are still living in a battle zone and there are casualties of war all around us every day; there are men and women who did not take this war…

Colossians 2 by Pastor David Groendyk The central verses to focus on in this chapter (and perhaps in the whole book) are the commands and exhortations from verses 6–7: “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” Believers must be rooted and built up in Christ. Growing in spiritual maturity is what…

Colossians 1 Devotions by Pastor Mark Hudson                The letter to the church at Colossae is a rich, deep theological letter with warmth, true guidance steering God’s people away from heresy.  This city is a bit unusual for Paul to be writing to since He preferred bigger thoroughfares or coastal cities where the pollination of the gospel could be wafted to other cultures, peoples, and languages.  Plus he had never been to this city. …

Isaiah 65 by Pastor David Groendyk Isaiah continues to look forward to that great day when the Messiah and Suffering Servant will bring about salvation for his people. The point of today’s chapter is to make a distinction between the destiny of the wicked who do not worship God and the destiny of the servants who do. The former face punishment from God and will be repaid for their iniquities while the latter will inherit…

Isaiah 64 by Pastor Mark Hudson                 Is 64 can be divided into verses 1-7 and 8-12.  In this section we are in the last part of the book. The outline I am using has Divine Ability from 63:1-66:24.  Split the heavens and come down is vs. 1-7 and will you keep silent is 8-12.  One of the ways commentators understand this meaning is, ”Oh if you had just broken in on us, shaking…

Isaiah 63 Devotional by Pastor Lawrence              This particular passage doesn’t seem to be connected to what comes before or after, and it reads more like one of the laments in the psalms than a vision or prophecy, but, surely, the prophets were well versed in laments as well.  In the first six verses, Isaiah speaks of the wrath of the Lord going out against his enemies, and his garments being stained with their blood…

Isaiah 62 by Pastor David Groendyk This is a chapter filled with beautiful truths and beautiful exhortations to God’s people. Keep in mind the context of the past two chapters and all of the salvation that God has accomplished. Isaiah 62 describes a benefit of salvation that maybe we don’t talk about enough. In verses 1–5, we see that since God has done so much for his people, he delights in them. Meditate on some…

Isaiah 61 by Pastor Mark Hudson                 Is 61 quite easily divides into two sections.  1-4 and 5-11.  You may notice your Bible will provide extra space where the editors see natural or textual divisions.  The first verse should be familiar since our Lord Jesus Christ read this in Luke 4 in a synagogue in Nazareth, his hometown.  He is handed the scroll of Isaiah and whether or not He choose the passage or…

Isaiah 60 Devotional by Pastor Lawrence            For the despised and forsaken city languishing in deep humiliation the Lord now brings great news.  Through his prophet, Isaiah, the Lord foretells a time in which the earthly city of Jerusalem will finally reflect the heavenly city of Zion.  In fact, the two will become one, although we don’t learn that explicitly until it is revealed to the apostle John in the book of Revelation, but much…