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Psalm 80; Isaiah 32:9–20; James 3:17–18 "Tremble, all of you who are at ease; shudder, all of you who are secure!” —Isaiah 32:11 (CEB) Isaiah’s words were directed towards people who were confident that the military might and influence of Egypt would protect them from…

Psalm 95; 1 Chronicles 11:1–9; Revelation 7:13–17 Thrones are attractive. The concept of a throne involves power, wealth, and influence. Depending on “the throne”, it might also have religious and cultural ramifications as well. Thrones, or their facsimiles, often draw those who are weak, yet…

Psalm 118:1–2, 19–29; Jeremiah 33:10–16; Mark 10:32–34, 46–52 When we read the word “barren” in Jeremiah, we often think it is talking about the land, in particular the environment. The barrenness is in regard to people, in particular, God’s people (and their herds). They will…

Psalm 77; Proverbs 30:1–9; Matthew 4:1–11 In Through the Looking Glass, Alice comes to a mushroom. Eating from one part of the mushroom causes her to turn into a giant. Eating from a different part she turns smaller than normal. She finally ate from the…

Psalm 110:1–4; Exodus 19:7–25; Hebrews 2:1–4 God tells the “master” (king) to “sit”. It is quite common today for rulers to sit while the armies go forth to wage war or defend the nation. When the Psalm was written, it was normal that kings/rulers went…