After the death of Moses’ successor, Joshua, Israel developed a bad case of spiritual amnesia. God’s people had forgotten who He is, what He had done for them, and what He required of them.
So God appointed judges, valiant military leaders who also acted as spiritual and moral authorities pointing people to their need for repentance.
Deborah, of the tribe of Naphtali, became (more…)
The thought of some people brings a smile to our lips. Maybe it’s their kindness, thoughtfulness or reliability—the way they consistently show up and make everything better just by their presence.
Rhoda is like that for me. I can’t read about her in Acts 12 without smiling as I imagine her youthful exuberance and determination. Older, seemingly wiser people dismissed her account, (more…)
If you were to ask someone to name five biblical women, Mary Magdalene would almost certainly make it to the list. Her name appears 12 times in the gospels, and her story has taken on mythical proportions.
Mary Magdalene deserves top billing—not in fictionalized accounts of her life but among the ranks of women who sincerely followed Jesus. It’s time to separate (more…)
The king’s soldiers battered the city’s wall with ramparts. It wouldn’t be long before the town of Abel Beth Maacah fell and its citizens were slaughtered.
At the helm of the assault was Joab, King David’s commander-in-chief. The warrior’s hands likely were still red with the blood of his cousin, whom he had just executed to avoid being supplanted.
But one fierce woman (more…)
Grief demands time, space and acknowledgment. Some people push it aside. Some internalize it and allow it to consume them. And some allow it to boil over into rage.
Michal’s grief expressed itself in rage. She had known hard loss—not once, not twice, but three times. Her first husband was forced to flee for his life. Then she lost her father and (more…)