“Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed” Romans 10:11 Esther! What a drama book. We have a young woman rising to a position from humble beginnings. There is faithfulness, hardship, treachery, intrigue, desperation, disaster, miraculous rescue, and the hand of God in the middle of it all. God’s name is never mentioned in the book of Esther, but He is there. Through Esther’s book, we, too, can have confidence that God’s hand is in our lives. That wherever He has placed us, He has made us for such a time as this. Read Esther, chapters 1 and 2. What is going on? Who are the key characters? What are…
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Hannah: Part Two
The Lord instructed Moses: “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When a man or woman makes a special vow, a Nazirite vow, to consecrate himself to the Lord, he is to abstain from wine and beer. He must not drink vinegar made from wine or beer. He must not drink any grape juice or eat fresh grapes or raisins. He is not to eat anything produced by the grapevine, from seeds to skin, during his vow. “You must not cut his hair throughout the time of his vow of consecration. He must be holy until the time is completed, during which he consecrates himself to the Lord; he is to let the hair of…
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Hannah: Part One
The Lord instructed Moses: “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When a man or woman makes a special vow, a Nazirite vow, to consecrate himself to the Lord, he is to abstain from wine and beer. He must not drink vinegar made from wine or beer. He must not drink any grape juice or eat fresh grapes or raisins. He is not to eat anything produced by the grapevine, from seeds to skin, during his vow. “You must not cut his hai throughout the time of his vow of consecration. He must be holy until the time is completed, during which he consecrates himself to the Lord; he is to let the…
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Prayer Time
Our Father in heaven, Your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.] Prayer! It’s a conversation with God. Do you struggle with praying? Is it intimidating to you to pray to God? Is there a right way to pray or maybe even a wrong way to pray? Let’s take some time and focus on…
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Reflection Day
Today is Reflection Day! I love reflection day. It’s a time for me to go back and reflect on what God has spoken to me about. It gives me time to pray and seek God about what he wants to change in my life. It gives me time to make a game plan of putting action to what God is telling me and asking of me. Reflection Day gives me a slower pace to grasp what God is telling me. It gives me more time to listen to His voice. Make the most of this time! Get your journals, pens, and bible and spend time with God. Listen to him…
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Ruth: Part Two
Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you/ For wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me. Ruth 1: 16-17 In Ruth 2:13-16, what do we learn about Boaz? He comforted Ruth. God does the same thing for us. God speaks kindly to us and comforts us. Ruth goes home and shares about her day with Naomi. While Ruth…
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Ruth: Part One
“In those days, there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Judges 21:25 The days of Ruth was still the time period when the Judges ruled. What do we know about this time period of the Judges? Read Judges 2:8-22. The cycle goes like this: disobedience, defeat, and distress, desperately crying out, deliverance, and peace back to disobedience. This is the sin cycle in the book of Judges. In Ruth 1:1, there is a famine in Bethlehem. According to Ruth 1:2-3, what does this family face in Moab? What do you fin in Ruth 1:4? Marriage to a Moabite was not allowed in…
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Deborah: Part Two
And he said, “Listen carefully, all Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat. This is what the Lord says: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast number, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 2 Chronicles 20:15 Our abilities do not limit God’s power. Our talents are also not what’s makes us usable to Him. Deborah was a woman who was faithful, available and trusted in God. If we would yield to God, let His power work through us, We could be just as usable for God’s kingdom. From Judges 4:6 -7, what do we learn from Deborah concerning the details of God’s plan…
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Deborah: Part One
And he said, “Listen carefully, all Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat. This is what the Lord says: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast number, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 2 Chronicles 20:15 Do you believe that God is faithful? He is! During the time of the Judges, Israel was walking away from God. God remained faithful. In Joshua’s time, they say victory after victory; in the time of Judges, it was defeat after defeat. God was using this defeat after defeat to bring the people back to Him. When the Israelites got comfortable, they would walk away from God. …
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Rahab: Part Two
Now Jericho was strongly fortified because of the Israelites—no one leaving or entering. The Lord said to Joshua, “Look, I have handed Jericho, its king, and its fighting men over to you. March around the city with all the men of war, circling the city one time. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry seven ram’s-horn trumpets in front of the ark. But on the seventh day, march around the city seven times while the priests blow the trumpets. When there is a prolonged blast of the horn, and you hear its sound, have all the people give a mighty shout. Then the city wall will collapse, and the people will…