fire ⁽⁴⁷⁾

Daniel 3:8–30; Matthew 7:15–20; Revelation 20:11–15 Thinking about fire is often not comfortable. Homes burn. Forests burn. On the other hand, metal is purified through fire. Through that fire, many beautiful and amazing things are made. Just like in our own lives, fire serves different…

Isaiah 7:1–9; Philippians 4:4–9 Ahaz received encouraging words from God through Jeremiah. Jeremiah, often called the weeping prophet, was not exactly known for positive words. Ahaz, not altogether faithful, received a positive message. In many respects, Christians in the United States are like Ahaz. Far…

Genesis 19:15–29; Isaiah 1:7–17; Matthew 11:16–24 Sodom and Gomorrah had long been on the example list. “Don’t do this, or you will be like Sodom and Gomorrah.” Regardless of which sins you are convinced those two cities are guilty of (though Gomorrah can only be…

Jeremiah 18:1–13 The story of Jeremiah visiting the potter’s house is probably quite familiar to you. In many respects, it is an odd sort of comfort story. That is the way it is often used. We are in the hands of God. It sounds good,…

Numbers 14:28–35; Numbers 21:1–4; Numbers 21:21–26; Numbers 21:31–35 (read online ⧉) We often think of the Israelites wandering in the desert for 40 years in kind of a nebulous way. There was indeed follow the cloud of smoke by day, and fire by night. They…