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Ruth 2:22 Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, "It will be good for you, my daughter, to go with his girls, because in someone else's field you might be harmed." Naomi gave her good advice because she cared for her. She knew the men could be bad if she gleaned elsewhere. Just like when we glean from what people say, it could harm/distract us rather than bring us directly to Jesus. Remember the Book of Ruth started with a famine and how it is similar to the famine of God's

Verse 1   In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. Ruth begins with a famine. Today we have a famine of the Word of God. We have gone into idolatry and followed after things that aren't of God. We say things that are not Biblical. We need to repent and get back to our first Love, Jesus. Jesus is the Word. The Word is the Bible. He s

Verse 1 While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a large crowd of Israelites—men, women and children—gathered around him. They too wept bitterly. Ezra was in deep prayer and heart broken and everyone then understood how bad they were.

Verse 6 and prayed: “I am too ashamed and disgraced, my God, to lift up my face to you, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens. He prayed as if he were part of the problem.

Verse 31 On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he protected us from enemies and bandits along the way. So we arrived in Jerusalem, where we rested three days. God gives me rest.

Verse 9 He had begun his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was on him. When we are obedient to God His hand is on us. When we walk away disobediently and do things our own way continually, God will not force His hand upon us. We would need to cry out to Him. There is a divine order. Learn it by being in the Word.

Verse 7   Do not interfere with the work on this temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site. Now that there is proof, the wicked men need to leave them alone. The authorities of the law told them to let them do it.

Verse 2 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jozadak set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, supporting them. When authorities of the law bring something to a stop and the time comes, God says to keep building and go back to work. When opposition causes division and chaos, God will speak in His way through His Word and encourage to keep going. There will always be someone jealous and miserable because they ca

Verses 3-5 But Zerubbabel, Joshua and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel answered, “You have no part with us in building a temple to our God. We alone will build it for the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us.”   Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building. They bribed officials to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king

Verse 11 With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord: “He is good;    his love toward Israel endures forever.” And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. People start praising when they have the right foundations laid. We praise when we are obedient to God. On the contrary, when we aren't then we don't.

Verse 69 According to their ability they gave to the treasury for this work 61,000 darics of gold, 5,000 minas of silver and 100 priestly garments. We give what we can. We can't all give the same. We all are unique. We are responsible for tithing correctly or redeeming the tithe, if you choose to. There are blessings for those who do things in God's order. We have freedom, but it is not to do things evil and sinful.

Verse 5:   Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites—everyone whose heart God had moved—prepared to go up and build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. When they heard the news that they can go home and rebuild the temple, some of the people's hearts were obedient. They heard the call and some went because they knew it was more important than anything else.

Verse 25 David built an altar to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Lord answered his prayer in behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped. When David had a contrite heart, He apologized to God. The prophet told Him what God said to do which was to build an altar. That means today to get cleansed by Jesus through blood and water. Accept Jesus as you Savior and LORD and thereafter continue having a soft child-like hea

Verse 3-4 The God of Israel spoke,     the Rock of Israel said to me: ‘When one rules over people in righteousness,     when he rules in the fear of God, he is like the light of morning at sunrise     on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain     that brings grass from the earth.’ There is good fruit when someone obeys God in his tasks.

Verse 31 As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him. God is right and I am not. I need to align with Him. That is the only right thing to do.

Verse 10 Rizpah daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on a rock. From the beginning of the harvest till the rain poured down from the heavens on the bodies, she did not let the birds touch them by day or the wild animals by night. Here is another verse on a woman. She did a good deed for the dead. They were her family. No one told her to do this. The king found out, and it helped him to take action. We are to help people when we see we can. She did no

Verse 16 Then cried a wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear; I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, that I may speak with thee. Before they were going to cause havok to the city, this woman negotiated with them. It reminds me of another woman earlier in this Book. It's good to keep the peace and keep others safe.

Verse 6   You love those who hate you and hate those who love you. You have made it clear today that the commanders and their men mean nothing to you. I see that you would be pleased if Absalom were alive today and all of us were dead. This is not how to talk to someone when they are hurting, always accusing. This is not a fruit of the Spirit. We will know them by their speech. Give them some time and some more time. They will reveal themselves. In order to know what is right

Verse 33 The king was shaken. He went up to the room over the gateway and wept. As he went, he said: "O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you- O Absalom my son, my son!" How sad to not have a good relationship with your own child. David loved him, but he was a rebellious son. He didn't walk with God, so there was enmity between them. When problems don't get fixed by leaders, then things get worse with the person. It gets real weird and ung

Verse 29 honey and curds, sheep, and cheese from cows’ milk for David and his people to eat. For they said, “The people have become exhausted and hungry and thirsty in the wilderness.” After all that nonsense drama, David and his people were cared for with bedding and food. We can see when others have been in the wilderness and the best thing to do is to give them the Word.