Bible reading notes
Difficulties in God’s work and His purposes (Ezra 4:4-24)
Ezra 4:4-24 There are periods in our lives when everything goes swimmingly, the timings are perfect, the details fall into place and difficulties evaporate like the morning mist. There are other phases when everything goes wrong, and we wonder why…
What does it take to build God’s Church? (Ezra 4:1-3)
Ezra 4:1-3 From our modern context, the returnees’ categorical refusal of help from local people feels harsh. Some commentators condemn the exiles and blame them for the subsequent retaliation that comes on them. Is this a fair assessment though? Interpreting…
Waiting for the promises of God (Ezra 3:8-13)
Ezra 3:8-13 As a young Christian, I shared my struggles about singleness with a godly Christian woman who felt the Lord give her a verse for me, Ps 107:28-30. Like the psalmist, I felt storm-tossed at times and while I…
How to reconnect with God and strengthen the relationship? (Ezra 3:1-7)
Ezra 3:1-7 We have all known times when our connection to the Lord was lost or weakened. Weeks went by without praying to God or we read our Bible with one eye on the clock and thoughts buzzing with the…
The importance of understanding our identity (Ezra 2:1-70)
Ezra 2:1-70 Trawling through meaningless names and numbers is admittedly tedious, so if you skipped most of the reading above, I don’t blame you. Even Bible devotionals tend to miss out this chapter assuming that its details have no relevance…
The unexpected ways of God (Ezra 1:1-11)
Ezra 1:1-11 In my twenties I was working at an English language school in Budapest but found that language teaching was not a very good fit and decided to leave. Having no idea what else to do, I felt quite…
What can we learn from God’s retribution? (Judg 9:50-57)
Judg 9:50-59 A few weeks ago, I mentioned a man who encouraged relatives and friends to put their money into his bank and then made off with the funds to build a comfortable life in the US (read it here).…
The long view that gives perspective (Judg 9:30-49)
Judg 9:30-49 In the wake of jubilation over the Allied victory in the Second World War came fear in the West in the late 1940s as people faced the economic hardship of re-building and the potential new threat from Soviet…
Does God do evil for the greater good? (Judg 9:22-29)
Judg 9:22-29 We tend to think of God as by definition good, and many, in fact, abandon Him because He does not live up to their idea of goodness. They cry for help and there is no answer. Their loved…
What do we choose: blessing or curse? (Judg 9:16-21)
Judg 9:16-21 During a gap year that I spent in Israel, a Jewish woman at a café struck up a conversation with me. She came from Poland and her father was a well-known rabbi in Eastern Europe who translated the…