The Ordinary Person God Is Waiting On
“The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah: In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa.” Nehemiah 1:1 (NIV) God did not begin His greatest rebuilding project with a priest or a…
Carrying Somebody Else’s Rubble
“let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s…
Weeping as Worship
“When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.” Nehemiah 1:4 (NIV) Not every tear is a sign that your faith is failing. Some tears…
When the Ruins Feel Normal
“They said to me, ‘Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.’” Nehemiah 1:3 (NIV) Broken…
The Question Nobody Wants to Ask
“Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.” Nehemiah 1:2 (NIV): Some questions are too costly to ask. Not…
Is Your Love All Talk?
“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:18 (NIV) It is easy to love the idea of love. You can talk about agapē, study it, post about it, and…
This Love Will Cost You Everything
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13 (NIV) Nobody warns you how expensive agapē really is. You can admire it from a distance, sing about it on Sunday, and nod…
Love the One Who Wrecked You
“Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.” 1 Corinthians 14:1 (NIV) There is someone in your life you have written off. Maybe they betrayed your trust, walked away without explanation, or caused damage…
You Didn’t Start This Fire
“But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13b (NIV) You were never meant to generate this love on your own. Many believers carry a quiet exhaustion, trying harder to be more patient, more kind, more giving. But agapē…
What’s Left When Everything Fades
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV) Most people are building lives that won’t survive eternity. They pour their best years into careers, possessions, and reputations that…