the12journey

Sometimes when working for the good of His creation, His righteousness requires His standing against evil in the world and actively working against it.  That answers the question of whether or not God cares about the evil we see going on in the world today and if He is at work in our human experience to effect His good will in spite of that evil.  Nahum shows us how.

Cancel Culture is nothing new.  Micah shows us the ways to remain faithful when the world around us makes following Jesus not just difficult but dangerous.  

Malachi had some strong things to say to the religious leadership of his day that is still a good word to our own day.  Giving our best to the world around us because we seek political influence, popularity, and preference while giving our worst to God leads us down the wrong road every time as Believers.  Having the right priorities, even in a difficult and uncertain time, is paramount.

The word "beautiful" might not be the first adjective you'd choose to describe an ancient traveler's feet.  What would prompt that kind of description?  Nahum the Minor Prophet lets us know.  The answer lies not in the feet themselves but in what they carry to others.  

Sometimes after God calls us to do something or say something in a given situation, It might actually be uncomfortable or even rough going at first.  There are times when God calls us to do the difficult.  So how do we respond?  What are our expectations on what it means to follow Christ today?  The Minor Prophet Haggai brings much needed clarity and encouragement for those called to difficult work by God. 

Being stubborn about good things can be a real positive trait, but stubborn against what is good doesn't produce anything good.  For all of we stubborn people out there, Jonah is a good reminder to not be so stubborn that we refuse the good that God can bring to others through us if we will just follow His leading and the truth of His word.  

In the Minor Prophets, God is not as much angry as He is broken hearted over the things we can do to each other and in how we can treat Him.  Hosea presents three pictures of what it was like for God to be God to His people in that day.  The relationship was badly broken and in need of redemption and reconciliation.  It makes us ask ourselves today, what might it be like for God to be God to us?

In the days of the Minor Prophet Micah and Major Prophet Isaiah, the good king Hezekiah had a choice to make.  With the full might of the Assyrian army at his front door in Jerusalem, there were voices on all sides telling him what he should do in response to this terrifying threat to the city's survival.  This amazing moment in Biblical history makes one thing very clear: it matters who you listen to.

Our very first podcast!  A quick look at why the Minor Prophets are so valuable and relevant today.  A powerful prayer found in Habakkuk that carried me through the uncertain days of the recent pandemic.  An illuminated page from a medieval prayer book has this same prayer inscribed.  Powerful words for countless people in history who have relied on the Lord in challenging times.