Tag Archives: Actions

Seeking the Good of All PSALM 122 is another song of praise on the theme of Mount Zion, site of the temple in Jerusalem. Pilgrimages to the house of the Lord were not only a regular obligation for the Israelites … Continue reading →

To Show The Way IN Old Testament times people used small lamps to furnish artificial light. Ancient lamps were essentially small ceramic bowls that were customized during construction to have a “nose” on one edge. The purpose of this extension … Continue reading →

Looking Back PERHAPS your pastor gives an annual report of your church in which he points out some of the ways in which God has been faithful to the congregation over the previous year. In a similar way, Psalm 105 … Continue reading →

The Shadow of God’s Wings ONE of David’s favorite symbolic expressions was the word-picture of sitting in the shadow of God’s wings (Psalm 63:7; compare Psalms 17:8; 36:7; 57:1; 61:4; and 91:4). The wings of a bird were a symbol … Continue reading →

Reacting to Suffering DAVID saw his family torn apart by choices he had made (Psalm 38:11–12), even as his body was ravaged by sickness, possibly an acute skin disease (Psalm 38:3, 5, 7). Yet however serious his physical problems may … Continue reading →

God and the Poor THE God we worship is deeply concerned that the poor and needy receive justice, deliverance, and vindication (Psalm 35:10). These deserve to be high on the agenda for any nation or public servant seeking to honor … Continue reading →

How We Know About God OUR understanding of God comes from three levels of His self-disclosure: the general revelation of Himself through nature, which He created (Psalm 19:1–6), the special revelation of His Word (Psalm 19:7–11), and the particular work … Continue reading →

God the Judge HOWEVER nations might justify and judge their actions, the ultimate Judge of their conduct is God. His righteousness, which flows from His very character, is the final standard against which right and wrong is measured (Psalm 9:4). … Continue reading →

The Sin of Lust JOB’S sufferings caused him to make a sweeping inventory of his inner life. One of the areas he evaluated was his attitude toward women and how he handled his own sexual drives. Job openly acknowledged the … Continue reading →

The Fairness of God FIRES, Floods. Earthquakes. Famine. So many people seem to suffer from “acts of God” that strike without warning. Like Job, they appear to be relatively innocent of wrongdoing that might explain their pain. People wonder, “Is … Continue reading →

Life After Death THROUGHOUT history people have wondered whether this life is all there is. Is there a heaven or hell? Or does it all end here? Job asked that same question as he contemplated his sufferings (Job 14:14). He … Continue reading →

Leadership Principles From Nehemiah – 8 Leaders Celebrate Often (Nehemiah 8:1-12). EFFECTIVE leaders appreciate the value of celebrating the great things that God has done in and through their organizations. When the task is completed, when results have been achieved, … Continue reading →

Leadership Principles From Nehemiah – 7 Leaders Serve People (Nehemiah 7:1-5). SOME people regard leadership primarily as the art of getting results. Great leaders, they say, are those who get the job done. It matters very little how they operate, … Continue reading →

Leadership Principles From Nehemiah – 6 Leaders Resist Underhanded Politics (Nehemiah 6:5-9). HAVING failed to intimidate Nehemiah into stopping the work, Sanballat and his followers tried smear tactics to shut the project down (Nehemiah 6:5–7). Frustrated opponents often resort to … Continue reading →

Leadership Principles From Nehemiah – 5 Leaders Adapt to Adversity (Nehemiah 4:8-9). MANY people run from adversity; wise leaders expect it to happen occasionally. Wherever change and progress are underway, competing interests inevitably rise to challenge them. At that point, … Continue reading →

Leadership Principles From Nehemiah – 4 Leaders Build Community (Nehemiah 2:17-18). IN many Western countries of the twentieth century, the labor force often has been sharply divided between management and labor. One problem of this rigid distinction is that it … Continue reading →

Leadership Principles From Nehemiah – 3 Leaders Conduct Research (Nehemiah 2:12). A missile without a guidance system is a dangerous thing—all power and no direction. In the same way, leaders who don’t know where they are going can wreak havoc. … Continue reading →

Leadership Principles From Nehemiah – 2 Leaders Leverage Their Power (Nehemiah 2:5). MANAGEMENT has been defined as the ability to get things done through other people. However, that can happen only if the people involved are in a position to … Continue reading →

Leadership Principles From Nehemiah – 1 Leaders Have a Sense of Mission (Nehemiah 1:5). ALMOST by definition, leaders have an end to which they are headed. This sense of mission helps to guide their decisions and determine their strategy. Nehemiah’s … Continue reading →