Read Esther 4:13-16 Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. 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?” Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in S

Read Daniel 3:16-18 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” Reflect Cultural norms and government edicts can sometimes be in dir

Read Psalm 23 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness

Read Revelation 21:1-4, 7-8 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will

Read Psalm 119:1-2, 59, 101-102,105 Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!...When I think on my ways, I turn my feet to your testimonies…I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word. I do not turn aside from your rules, for you have taught me…Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path

Read Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” Reflect What do you think it means that the “gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction”? Right now, as this article is being posted, it is the first week of May. For many people, that means graduation season is fast

Read Proverbs 3:1-7 My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; writing them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he

Read Hebrews 11:8-10 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to a city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. Reflect How is the Christian life similar to the journey that Abr

Read Matthew 6:25-34 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious a

Read James 2:1-6 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves

Read John 10:9-10 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. Reflect How has God been generous towards us? How then should we live? The Lilies of the Field by William E. Barrett and written in 1962 is considered by many to be an American classic, as is the 1963 movie by the same name. The main character is Homer Smit

Read Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Reflect What is the best gift you have ever received? What would you consider to be the best gift you ever received? For many, the best gifts are the most thoughtful gifts; the gifts that tell you that the giver really knows you well. They’re the gifts that stay with us even when we no longer possess the

Read Romans 1:14-17 I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” Reflect According to today’s passage

Read 1 Peter 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Reflect As children of God, what is our inheritance? What are the riches

Read Matthew 6:1-4 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing

Read Proverbs 3:9 Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce… Reflect What does giving God our very best communicate? J. Warner Wallace is a cold-case detective and former atheist. He became a believer when he investigated Christianity the way he investigates his cold-cases and he discovered that Christianity is true. He’s gone on to write several excellent apologetics books making a case for the truth of the Christian world-view. In his la

Read 1 Chronicles 29:12-16 “Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name. But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given to you. For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our

Read Ephesians 5:15-16 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Reflect Prayerfully consider how you currently manage your time. Are there any small changes you can make to your schedule that could make a big kingdom impact? Time. There never seems to be enough of it. I often feel like I am way too busy. I ask my friends how they are doing and the answer tends to be something like they are fine

Read Exodus 35:30-35, 36:1 Then Moses said to the people of Israel, “See, the LORD has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in every skilled craft. And he inspired him to teach, both him and Oho

Read Exodus 25:1-8 The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the people of Israel, that they take from a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me. And this is the contribution that you shall receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze, blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, goats’ hair, tanned rams’ skins, goatskins, acacia wood, oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, onyx sto

Read 2 Corinthians 9:8-11 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written, ‘He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.’ He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in ever

Read 2 Corinthians 9:7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Reflect What reason do Christians have to give joyfully? If I took a poll and asked everyone to name the first crabby, old miser that came to mind, I am curious how many people would name Ebenezer Scrooge from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. The saddest thing to me is that Scrooge wasn’t just stingy with his money. He was stingy wi

Read 2 Corinthians 9:6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully… Reflect How many different applications of the sowing and reaping principle can you think of? I planted a garden this year for the first time. Before I planted, I had to decide how much to plant based on how much I thought I would need. But I didn’t really know what we’d need or how much each plant would actually give us. Just tod

Read 2 Corinthians 8:11-15 For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness your abundance at the present time should supply their need, that there may be fairness. As it is written, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.” Reflect Think back on your life. Have y

Read 2 Corinthians 8:6, 10-11 Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace…And in this matter I give my judgment: this benefits you, who a year ago started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it. So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. Reflect Do you always finish what you start? Why or why not? Recently, I’ve been fru

Read 2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. Reflect What did Jesus give up when He came as a man to save us? When we read literature and study history, we see common desires that have driven mankind from the very beginning. Things like power, wealth, glory, and immortality…People have always gone to great lengths in an attempt to acquire those

Read 2 Corinthians 8:8 I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. Reflect Throughout Scripture, it is clear that God wants us to freely give to His church and to those in need. Why is giving a right and good thing to do? Several years ago, I taught 4th grade at a local elementary school. Almost every day, our curriculum required that we send a sheet of math work home. This homework was not intended to go in the grad

Read 2 Corinthians 8:7 But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also. Reflect Do you value excellence? In what areas of your life are you trying to excel? As I write this, the 33rd Olympic games are in full-swing in Paris. As a result, so are the ads and commercials promoting the games, the athletes, and Olympic values. A major value that has historically been promote

Read 2 Corinthians 8:1-5 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints—and this, not as we expec

Read Luke 16:10-13 “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and desp