READ: JEREMIAH 29:11-13, 33:2-3; ROMANS 8:26-27 I have always prayed before bed; it’s something my parents started doing with me when I was little, and it stuck. But there’s one problem with this: I’ve lost count of the number of times when, by the time I go to bed, my brain is so scrambled that [...]

What school subject do you like the least? Even though I love to write, I always loathed English class—especially grammar. Diagraming sentences, parts of speech, verb tenses it wasn't my thing. So imagine my surprise when I realized that what I had learned about grammar could help me study the Bible. . Take Ephesians 5:18 [...]

When you read Psalm 136, you might see why I've called it a psalm of thanksgiving. The first three verses say, “Give thanks.” This Psalm was written to be a group song of thanks, meaning that one person or part of the group would sing the first line, then the majority of the group would [...]

Psalm 23:1 says, “The Lord is my shepherd.” Did you know you can read this verse many times, and it can reflect something a bit different each time? This happens if you emphasize a different word each time you read the verse. When the word “The” is emphasized, it highlights how He is THE Lord. [...]

"I hope this isn't a prank," Jacob thought, waiting in the park by the daisies, just like the unusual parchment in his hand instructed. "It would be typical of me to fall for it." Glancing around, he expected someone to jump out and shout, “Gotcha!” But there wasn't anyone about. Wanting to turn back home, [...]

Have you heard the expression “have faith”? What does it mean to have faith? One biblical example is a woman whose name we never hear. She is simply called the widow of a prophet. When her husband died, he left behind some debt. In those times, someone in debt often hired out themself or their [...]

The Bible says to be “strong and courageous” many times. In the NIV translation, there are at least ten verses with this phrase. But what does it mean to be courageous? Shiphrah and Puah give us an example. Their names are mentioned only once in the Bible, and their actions are described in only seven [...]

Kindness. How many times have you heard that word? Growing up, I heard it all the time: “Be kind to people.” But what exactly is kindness? One of the best biblical examples I can think of involves David and a man named Mephibosheth. In the days of David, when a new family became king, all [...]