A Bible Study Blog
About 1400 B.C. to 474 B.C.
A Study of 2 Kings 19:1-19
How do you respond to trouble when it arrives on your doorstep?
Are you quick to crumble or stand firm?
Does it depend on the type of trouble?
Why do you think you are prone either way?
Today we will study King Hezekiah’s response to the psychological warfare he and the residents of Jerusalem experienced from the King of Assyria.
I believe King Hezekiah’s response is the best response to trouble.
Continue reading “The Best Response to Trouble”
Merriam-Webster.com defines psychological warfare as things that are done to make some (such as an enemy or opponent) become less confident or to feel hopeless, afraid, etc.
This type of behavior can be overt or subtle.
Have you ever experienced psychological warfare?
How did you respond to it?
Have you ever practiced psychological warfare on another person?
How did they respond to you?
Today we will study a passage that provides an example of psychological warfare as practiced by the military officers of the King of Assyria against King Hezekiah of Jerusalem, even though Hezekiah had already paid him a financial tribute.
Continue reading “Have You Experienced Psychological Warfare?”
At the beginning of the new year, many of us set new goals for ourselves.
Often those goals involve reforming previous habits or goals that we succumbed to over the previous year(s). Examples include changing our diet, starting or revising our exercise routine, and saving more finances.
Many start strong at the beginning of a new year but quickly fall away from their goals before the month is even over.
But one doesn’t have to set these goals only at the beginning of the year.
These types of goals are useful any time of year.
The key is to think less about the year and focus on each day’s habits.
I believe this is especially true with our spiritual reformation goals.
Are you ready for reformation in a spiritual sense?
Join me as we study 2 Kings 18:1-16, where Hezekiah takes sweeping reformative actions when he becomes king of Judah.
Continue reading “Are You Ready for Reformation?”
A Study of 2 Kings 17:6-23
The literal definition of the word exile is a state or period of forced or voluntary absence from one’s country or home.
I’ve never experienced this literal sense of exile from an earthly point of view.
But news headlines help me know this happens around the world, often because of wars.
The passage we’re studying today describes a literal exile that the northern tribes of Israel experienced in 722 B.C.
What can we learn from this that will help us today, even if we’re not experiencing a literal exile ourselves?
Are there other types of exile we can experience beyond the literal sense?
Continue reading “Are You Experiencing Exile?”
Integrity.
How do you define integrity?
Merriaum-Webster.com has three definitions for integrity.
Do any of these definitions align with your own?
Who has taught you the most about the definition of integrity?
If you were to measure yourself on a scale of one to ten, with one being least and ten being greatest, how strong is your personal integrity?
We’ll come back to these questions after considering a narrative about the reign of Jehu from 2 Kings.
Continue reading “Are You a Person of Integrity?”
I’ve shared in other posts that I’ve been reading the Bible through yearly for some time.
No one told me to do this.
It isn’t a rule or obligation.
Instead, it is a simple act of personal obedience to make sure I am staying connected to the Lord God I say I worship.
When I first began this habit, I struggled with understanding who God truly is.
Before I share more about this, join me in a study of a Syrian commander who also struggled to understand God.
Continue reading “The Power of Simple Obedience to Transform a Heart”
Who do you lean on when overwhelmed or uncertain about your future or a decision on a course of action?
Several years ago, my employer asked me to accept a role change I knew was wrong for me. I was so distraught when I saw the initial rough draft of the job description that I fell to my knees in tears.
Instead of getting ready for work, I kept following my now-late husband around the house.
Just as he was about to step out the front door, he realized he needed to pray for me regarding this challenge. As he embraced and prayed for me, I felt a sense of peace blossom. Afterwards, he also told me that, although it would be better if I had another job lined up, he would support me if I quit rather than accept the role change.
Before I share more about this, let’s continue our study Learning About God Through Ahaziah and Elijah | Part Two.
Continue reading “Learning about God through Ahaziah and Elijah | Part Two”
Having lived away from where I grew up for over twenty years now, I can easily forget how much I still have mannerisms and other things that were modeled for me by my parents.
When my father passed in 2024, a friend remarked about the picture of my dad used for his obituary that she could see him in me by the way I held my head. Previous pictures she’d seen of him had failed to reveal that to her. I never noticed this detail until she pointed it out.
What I notice the most when I’m with my mom is how much my sense of humor and laughter is like hers. And we both enjoy good Bible study discussions.
Besides my parents, there are others who have influenced me over the years. Various teachers, friends, and colleagues come to my mind.
What does this have to do with learning about God through Ahaziah and Elijah?
Keep reading.
Continue reading “Learning about God through Ahaziah and Elijah | Part One”
When you read the words “influential relationships,” what comes to mind first?
Some influential relationships I’ve had include parents, siblings, extended family, friends, coworkers, teachers, counselors and my late spouse.
The level of influence varies, as well as whether it was a positive or negative influence.
By pairing these words with “and their impact on worship,” I hope your thoughts move towards relationships that have helped shape your understanding of spiritual matters.
Today’s study considers the introduction of a king of Israel named Ahab.
As a king, Ahab was at the top of society with the authority to influence an entire nation on many levels.
Continue reading “Influential Relationships and Their Impact on Worship”
I faltered in doing my daily stretching this past week four days in a row.
Along with this, I spent those four days toting around a heavy backpack while at a conference for my work.
When I resumed my stretching routine on the fifth day, my body was extremely tight and less flexible.
I also suffer from DOMS: delayed onset muscle soreness. This is one of the primary reasons I practice a daily stretching routine.
Thus, the consequences of my faltering yielded a cranky low back and stiff joints throughout my body on the sixth day.
I know better, and yet, I still faltered.
But this is a Bible study blog, not a fitness blog.
Still, the example above reveals that there are consequences when we falter in our daily habits.
The study below reveals the consequences of when we falter in our worship.
Continue reading “Why Do We Falter in Our Worship?”