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Warnings and Hope

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Warnings and Hope Malachi 1-4 “But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall.” (4:2).                   Malachi was the last book of the Old Testament before Israel entered a period known as the 400 silent years. After Israel became a nation under Saul's leadership, God continually sent prophets to call the people back to him and to remain faithful to their covenant relationship with God. From the rise of Samuel during Saul's reign in 1070 B.C. to the end of Malachi’s ministry, a consistent prophetic voice directed people back to God. However, when Malachi passed from the scene, the prophetic voice went silent for 400 years until the arrival of John the Baptist and Jesus. As the last prophet, Malachi both condemned the people and offered the hope of salvation to those who would seek God. He...
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The Coming Hope

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The Coming Hope Zechariah 11-14 “And the Lord will be king over all the earth; in that day of the Lord will be the only one, and His name the only one.”                   The age of information has ushered in the age of misinformation. We turn to the internet for answers to the questions we struggle to find answers for. We turn to the internet to discover answers to the most mundane questions, such as: “What is the weather today?” We also turn to the internet to find answers to the most complex and personal struggles we face. For every issue, every struggle, and every problem we encounter, we can find a myriad of answers from several different sources. AI has brought a whole new solution to the struggles and questions we have about life. Yet for all the information and answers to the questions we have about any problem confronting us, the age of information has also become the age of misinformation...
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Hope in the Face of Death

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The Source of Hope Zechariah 6-10 9:9:  Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with Salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”                   It has been almost two months since my last devotional.  In this time, my life has been turned upside down through the death of Becky.  Two and a half years ago we were told this day would come and that the cancer would eventually win and it would bring its destructive force.  From that day forward, we lived with this cloud over us.  Yet there was nothing that prepared us for the depth of pain it would bring when it finally gained the victory of its deadly grip.  Until that final day, death was still abstract and impersonal, something out there but something w...
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Fixing the Broken

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Fixing the Broken Zech 1-5 “Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying. ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.”                   For 70 years the nation of Israel had been exiled from the land and in bondage to Babylon.  Life seemed hopeless as Babylon maintained control.  However, there was a flicker of Hope when Darius had defeated Babylon, and the words of the Prophet Jeremiah had predicted that after 70 years the nation would return to the land.  As Zechariah comes on the scene, there was the hope of the return that had been prophesied by Jeremiah.  But how was Israel going to obtain their freedom?  They had no military, no political clout, nothing that would enable them to obtain permission to return to the land.            ...
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Setting Priorities in Life

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Setting Priorities in Life.  Haggai 1-2 “You have sown much, but harvested little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns, earns wages to put into a purse with holes” (1:6).                   The greatest tragedy is not failure but success in the things that do not matter. We are always pursuing elusive desires, thinking that if we get enough, we will be satisfied and content. However, the reality is that no matter how much we have, no matter how much we do or how great our achievements, we are always left with a feeling of failure. Contentment remains elusive. For the people of Israel, when they were able to return to the land of Israel after 70 years in captivity, they thought their greatest desires would be fulfilled. After longing to return to their homeland, they...
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When God Shouts for Joy

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When God Shouts for Joy Zephaniah 1-3 “The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior.  He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” (3:12).                   Reading through the prophets is often difficult because it seems the prophets continually beat the drum of God's judgment. One of the greatest mistakes people make is believing that God will not judge us or condemn our sin. However, through the prophets, God makes it clear that there will come a day of judgment when God condemns sin and those who practice it.                   However, as dark as the prophetic messages may seem, there is also interwoven throughout the prophets another message. It is a message of hope and affirmation for those who seek him. God never judge...
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Where is God in the Hardships of Life

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Where is God when We Cry in Sorrow? Habakkuk 1-3 “Yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.  The Lord God is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, and makes me walk on my high places.”                     Habakkuk begins with a cry of despair and ends with a song of praise.  What happened, what changed his perspective from hopelessness to praise? How do we likewise find the voice of praise when we cry out in despair?                   Habakkuk cries out with a plea we also offer when we are going through times of trial and when we see the injustice in the world, where sin seems to be winning the day. “How long, O Lord, will I cry for help and you will not hear?” The words seem shocking coming from the lips of a prophet, yet they are the v...
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