The Gracious and Good Woman (Proverbs 11)

Proverbs 11:16 says, “A gracious and good woman attains honor, and ruthless men attain riches, but not respect.” What a glowing compliment from King Solomon and what a shining example for us to follow! A gracious and good woman is a woman of action. Far from the mousy, helpless caricature that some would like Christian […]

Living Without Fear (Psalm 3)

Proverbs 3:25-26 says, “Do not be afraid of sudden terror, nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes; for the Lord will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being caught.” We certainly live in a time where fear seems warranted, don’t we? Frequent terrorist attacks have altered many of our activities, […]

The Hellel (Psalm 113–Women)

Psalm 113 is the first in a group of Psalms (from 113-118) called the “Egyptian Hallel”. (“Hellel” means “praise” in Hebrew.) These songs were sung at all of the Jewish Biblical celebrations and as we read words like, “Who is like the Lord our God, who dwells on high, who humbles Himself to behold the […]

Ask Together (Esther 5-8 — Esther)

A lot happened between Esther chapter four, where the entire Jewish population had been given a death sentence, and chapter eight where their archrival, Haman, had been hung on his own gallows and Queen Esther had successfully found a way to save her people. The pivot in the story comes in Esther 4:15. “Then Esther […]

Don’t Miss Out (Esther 4–Esther)

The third chapter of the book of Esther closes with some chilling words. After the king had agreed with Haman to exterminate the entire Jewish population in the kingdom, “The couriers went out, hastened by the king’s command; and the decree was proclaimed in Shushan the citadel. So the king and Haman sat down to […]