Category Archives: Bible Stories

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February 23, 2026

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Attitudes & Behavior, Bible Stories, Faith & Hope, Prayer, Trusting God

FINDING COURAGE

So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and fasting. I also wore rough burlap and sprinkled myself with ashes. [Daniel 9:3 (NLT)]

So we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and he heard our prayer. [Ezra 8:23 (NLT)]

When writing about Esther last week, I thought how terrified she must have been when Mordecai asked her to step out of her comfort zone to save the Jews. Even though she was queen, her access to Xerxes was severely limited. Living secluded in a private chamber in the women’s quarters, she didn’t regularly dine with the king. Powerless, she was the one to be summoned rather than the one who did the summoning and she hadn’t been summoned by Xerxes for a month. She was just one of many beautiful women in the king’s harem and perhaps someone else had caught his eye. The previous queen was banished when she defied the king; Esther could expect nothing less if her presence wasn’t welcomed. The young queen had a simple choice: comfort or courage. She chose courage and saved a nation!

Where did Esther get the courage to defy the law and approach the king? She got it from God! That may seem a strange answer since God isn’t mentioned anywhere in her story. Nevertheless, after asking Mordecai to gather together all the Jews in Susa and fast for three days, Esther promised that she and her maids would do the same. The beautiful queen wasn’t fasting so that she’d fit into her sexiest gown! She was fasting in prayer.

For a Jew, fasting and prayer went hand in hand and, while prayer is not specifically mentioned, it certainly is implied. Fasting combined with prayer was a customary practice in times of grief, distress, or repentance. It was a way to seek God’s favor and demonstrate the sincerity of one’s prayers. Although fasting was only demanded on the Day of Atonement, Scripture tells us that the Israelites and people like Ezra, David, Nehemiah, Jehoshaphat, and Daniel all combined fasting with prayer. When Esther and the people of Susa fasted, I have no doubt their fast was accompanied by their heartfelt prayers. Only then did Esther have both a plan to save her people and courage enough to step out of her comfort zone to do it.

Unlike Esther, we may not be asked to save a nation. Nevertheless, God has a mission for each of us. Because He is far more interested in our growth and obedience than our comfort, God’s mission for us, like Esther’s, usually begins at the end of our comfort zone. How do we move from comfort to courage and from fear to faith?

Like Esther, we could choose to fast. The purpose of fasting is never to change God; its purpose is to change us. A fast helps us take our eyes off the world and focus them on God. While Esther probably fasted from food, a fast also can be from things like gaming, social media, alcohol, television, or anything else that takes our mind off God.

Although Scripture tells us that Jesus and the early church fasted, it does not demand that Christians fast. The spiritual practice of fasting is a personal choice for a Christian; prayer, however, is not. Prayer is an act of obedience to God and the way we demonstrate our faith. When faced with the choice of comfort or courage, whether or not we choose to fast, we must choose to pray. Prayer is what will enable us to step out of our comfort zone and courageously do God’s work.

Courage is faith that has said its prayers. [AA slogan]

I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; he saved me from all my troubles. [Psalm 34:4-6 (NLT)]

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February 19, 2026

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Attitudes & Behavior, Bible Stories, Challenges & Difficulty, Love & Works, Sharing Our Faith, Today: Make it Count

INDIFFERENCE

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. [Micah 6:8 (NLT)]

In 1986, holocaust survivor and Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel said, “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.” That thought, however, has a longer history. In 1897, in George Bernard Shaw’s The Devil’s Disciple, these words were spoken: “The worst sin towards our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them: that’s the essence of inhumanity.” The evil of indifference can be found as far back as 474 BC (during Judah’s exile) in the story of Esther and as recently as today’s news.

It’s in the Persian capital of Susa that we find King Xerxes’ “prime minister” Haman (a descendant of Agag from the race of Amalekites) facing off with the Jewish Mordecai (a descendant of King Saul’s tribe of Benjamin). The two families had a long history of hatred between them and Mordecai continually refused to bow down to the powerful Haman. Although Jewish law permitted him to bow to someone out of respect, Mordecai did not respect Haman. Moreover, no self-respecting descendant of Saul would ever bow before an ancient enemy like an Amalekite. The incensed Haman took their personal animosity to another level by convincing King Xerxes that a “certain race” in the empire posed a threat and should be killed. The king was so indifferent to these unidentified people that he never even asked who they were. Xerxes gave Haman free rein to do with them and their wealth as he wanted. Written in the king’s name and sealed with his ring, Mordecai sent out an order for the Jews’ extermination to take place eleven months later on March 7.

Although the Jews had their unique dietary laws and customs, they had integrated into the Persian culture. They lived throughout the kingdom and interacted with the Persians daily. Mordecai, for example, was born in Persia, had a Persian name, was a court official himself, and had saved the king’s life. The Jews reacted to their extermination date with mourning, but what of the Persians? Scripture tells us that the city of Susa was perplexed but nothing more. Although there was nearly a year between the edict and its execution date, we never read of people approaching the king on behalf of their Jewish friends and neighbors. The nation appeared indifferent to the slaughter of an entire people! Some Persians even may have looked forward to looting their Jewish neighbors.

Enlisting Queen Esther’s help, Mordecai asked her to beg the king for mercy. While not exactly indifferent to the Jews’ plight, Esther initially was more concerned with her safety than theirs. She balked at his request until Mordecai pointed out that the Jewish queen was not exempt from the king’s edict. To quickly summarize: Esther took action, Haman was executed, Mordecai became prime minister, and the Jews were saved.

Xerxes’ indifference to the fate of an entire race, the Persians’ indifference to the massacre of their neighbors, Esther’s initial indifference to her people’s plight, the indifference of Elie Wiesel’s countrymen as Jews were hauled off to Auschwitz, the world’s indifference as it looked the other way while millions were exterminated by Hitler, and our indifference as we witness injustice, genocide, inequality, human trafficking, discrimination, slave labor, and repression in our world today—indifference to wrongs that don’t personally affect us—is, indeed, “the essence of inhumanity.” Let us remember that, like the beautiful queen Esther, we are not exempt from being touched by the world’s evil. Perhaps, like her, we are here “for just such a time as this!” [Esther 4:14] It’s time to speak up!

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me. [Martin Niemöller]

Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. [James 4:17 (NLT)]

Those who shut their ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in their own time of need. [Proverbs 21:13 (NLT)]

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February 12, 2026

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Bible Stories, God's Word: The Bible, Knowing Him, Temptation & Sin

A HARDENED HEART

“But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, Pharaoh will not listen to you.”… But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart and would not listen to them, as the Lord had said. [Exodus 7:3-4,; 8:15 (ESV)]

ospreyThe whole matter of Pharaoh’s hardened heart and how it got so stubborn is confusing and an issue that has been debated at length by Biblical scholars. Based on the verses in Exodus where God says He will make Pharaoh’s heart hard (as He did in 7:3), some say that God deliberately hardened Pharaoh’s heart to demonstrate His power and glory. But, wouldn’t that mean Pharaoh had no free will? If Pharaoh couldn’t submit to Moses’ demands, the plagues hardly seem justified. How could a just God inflict such cruel punishment on all of Egypt when He was the one who made Pharaoh so inflexible?

On the opposite end of the spectrum, citing the verses saying that Pharaoh hardened his own heart (as does 8:15), other commentaries say that Pharaoh freely chose to stubbornly deny Moses and watch his people suffer. Saying that the hard heart was all Pharaoh’s doing, however, seems to contradict other verses and Scripture doesn’t contradict Scripture! The middle of the road explanation admits that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart but adds that Pharaoh already was so arrogant and headstrong that God didn’t change the outcome by further hardening it. The Oxford Jewish Study Bible notes that God “does not stiffen Pharaoh’s heart initially, but only after Pharaoh has done so himself many times.”

After reading several commentaries on Hebrew grammar, I found yet another explanation. Although God-breathed, Scripture was penned by men who used the words, idioms, and metaphors of the day. In ancient Hebrew, verbs could be both causative and permissive. Along with expressing direct action, active verbs also could express permission. This means that God saying He would harden Pharaoh’s heart could mean (1) that He caused the ruler’s heart to harden or (2) He permitted Pharaoh’s heart to harden. Another example of this verb use would be when Jeremiah tells God, “You have utterly deceived this people.” [Jeremiah 4:10] Jeremiah isn’t accusing God of being a liar; he’s saying that God allowed the people to be deceived (two very different things).

Instead of looking to commentaries, I finally looked to Scripture for my answer about Pharaoh’s hardened heart. In James, we find that, while God may test people, He does not tempt them. Temptation comes from Satan and we give into temptation when we’re seduced by our own desires. Pharaoh’s heart was hard because he was an evil, stubborn, and arrogant man—and that wasn’t God’s doing!

In a way, whether causative or permissive, both interpretations of the verb’s use are correct. We could say that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart because He provided the circumstances that backed Pharaoh into a corner. By sending Moses and Aaron to make their demands and providing the miracles confirming their divine origin, God set the stage for Pharaoh to reveal his hard heart. That God brought about the situation and events that caused Pharaoh to show his true colors, however, does not mean that God was the source of Pharaoh’s hardened heart—that was Pharaoh’s (and Satan’s) doing. Although God allowed it, He did not make Pharaoh that way and the responsibility for those plagues falls squarely on the arrogant man’s shoulders. Let us remember, the responsibility for our sins falls squarely on ours, as well.

It is not God that blinds the eyes of men or hardens their hearts. He sends them light to correct their errors, and to lead them in safe paths; it is by the rejection of this light that the eyes are blinded and the heart hardened. … Every rejection of light hardens the heart and darkens the understanding; and thus men find it more and more difficult to distinguish between right and wrong, and they become bolder in resisting the will of God. [Ellen G. White]

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. [James 1:13-15 (ESV)]

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February 9, 2026

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Attitudes & Behavior, Bible Stories, God's Plan, Miracles, Temptation & Sin

STUBBORN

“This is the finger of God!” the magicians exclaimed to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh’s heart remained hard. He wouldn’t listen to them, just as the Lord had predicted. [Exodus 8:19 (NLT)]

frogThe Book of Exodus tells of the many times Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh with the Lord’s message that he should let the Israelites leave Egypt. Unwilling to see his slave labor depart, Pharaoh demanded a miracle to prove that the Israelites’ God sent them. Aaron threw down his staff and it became a serpent but Egypt’s magicians managed to do the same thing. Even though Aaron’s staff swallowed up theirs, Pharaoh was unimpressed.

Over a period of time, Moses repeated his request, Pharaoh refused, and a series of plagues or judgments followed. First, Aaron fouled the waters of the Nile with blood but, when his magicians managed to turn clear water dark, Pharaoh remained unmoved. When Aaron brought frogs out of the Nile that covered the fields and invaded the houses, Pharaoh’s magicians also made frogs appear. Unlike Aaron, however, they couldn’t rid the land of the frogs. Nevertheless, Pharaoh remained steadfast in his refusal. When Aaron turned dust into an infestation of lice or gnats, Pharoah’s magicians couldn’t produce a gnat of their own. They admitted defeat saying, “This is the finger of God!” Nevertheless, the headstrong ruler refused to believe the marvels before him, even after witnessing the fourth plague—swarms of flies throughout Egypt but none in Goshen where the Hebrews lived!

The plagues intensified with each of Pharaoh’s refusals. The real damage and destruction began with the next plague when a deadly disease struck Egypt’s livestock. The plagues continued with boils on people and animals followed by a devastating hail storm. Ruining all the flax and barley, it killed anything or anyone not sheltered. Used mainly for clothing and drink, the loss of flax and barley made people’s lives difficult but not unbearable. Because the wheat hadn’t sprouted, it remained safe until swarms of locusts appeared and they ate any remaining vegetation. Famine was on the horizon in Egypt. Even though Goshen remained unaffected by these calamities and Moses could both start and stop every plague, Pharaoh remained intractable and unconvinced by the wonders he was witnessing.

The ninth plague, three days of darkness, should have been enough to convince anyone to let Israel go. Nevertheless, even though Egypt was facing famine, economic disaster, and social collapse, Pharaoh stood his ground. It was not until the final plague, the death of every first-born creature (including his son), that Pharaoh relented and allowed Israel to depart. Even then, he recklessly sent his soldiers after the fleeing Israelites only to have his entire army destroyed.

If the God of Moses could stop and start these plagues at will, why didn’t Pharaoh understand he was up against someone more powerful than he and a God more powerful than all of Egypt’s gods combined? The disasters rained upon Egypt clearly demonstrated that Jehovah, not Pharaoh, was in charge! Before lives were taken, Pharaoh had nine opportunities to change his mind, repent, and turn to Jehovah. The man should have been humiliated by the wonders that he’d seen at the hand of Israel’s God but he remained unwilling to submit to the Lord’s demands.

As horrible as those plagues were, they demonstrated God’s incredible patience. They began with temporary minor inconvenience and discomfort before escalating into destruction of livestock and crops, attacks on people, disaster, and death! Pharaoh was warned and he had opportunity after opportunity to recognize the God of Israel and let His people go. The court magicians ceded defeat after the third plague and, by the eighth, the people, facing famine and death, knew Egypt was ruined and begged Pharaoh to let Israel leave. Foiling the God of the Israelites, however, took precedence over the welfare of his own nation. Disregarding God’s warnings and the suffering of his land, Pharaoh remained unwilling to admit his helplessness against Israel’s God. Perhaps, believing his own press, he thought himself divine and able to win in his battle against the one true God! Pharaoh’s hardened heart resulted in Egypt enduring terrible affliction and loss. What distorted sense of pride kept Pharaoh from consenting to Israel’s request until no house in Egypt remained untouched by death?

Even though the fate of a nation does not rest on us, I can’t help but wonder if we’re a bit like Pharaoh sometimes. Do we ever insist on having things our way while ignoring the consequences? Are there times we are more concerned with winning than being right or with claiming victory rather than doing the right thing? Like Pharaoh, are we ever so arrogant and uncompromising that we’re unwilling to accept the possibility that we could be wrong? Are we ever so committed to a position that we’re unwilling to admit defeat? Do we ever harden our hearts to the truth? Do we ever harden our hearts to God?

A lowly person is a teachable person, easily entreated and open to explanation. Many of our spirits are too arrogant: they can teach others but can never themselves be taught. Many possess a stubborn spirit: they stick to their opinions even if they realize they are wrong.[Watchman Nee]

Your ancestors refused to listen to this message. They stubbornly turned away and put their fingers in their ears to keep from hearing. They made their hearts as hard as stone, so they could not hear the instructions or the messages that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies had sent them by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. [Zechariah 7:11-12 (NLT)]

For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes—so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them. [Matthew 13:15 (NLT)]

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February 5, 2026

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Bible Stories, Fear & Doubt, Knowing Him, Trusting God

THEY DIDN’T BELIEVE

He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. [John 1:10-11 (NLT)]

mallard familyScripture tells us that Jesus had at least six siblings: James, Joses, Simon, Jude, and two unnamed sisters. Can you imagine what it was like being a brother or sister to Jesus? Both his conception and birth were proclaimed by angels, a star announced His birth, and magi from the East presented Him with expensive gifts. It’s tough to top that sort of entrance into the world.

Having the Son of God as a half-brother couldn’t have been easy for any of them. Without sin, He probably never threw a temper tantrum or tossed a rock through a window. With no sassing, fighting, biting, or naughtiness, Jesus probably seemed the perfect child. While His brothers may have struggled with their religious studies, we know Jesus astounded the rabbis with his knowledge when He was twelve. Did His siblings think Jesus was Mary’s favorite? Such a blameless, intense, and devout elder brother was a tough act for anyone to follow and I suspect there may have been some resentment and jealousy on the part of his half-siblings.

Expecting a Messianic warrior king who would free the Jews from their bondage to Rome and restore Israel as an independent nation, Jews were expecting a very different Messiah from Jesus—one who would be a victorious political leader. No matter how pious and righteous Jesus was, His brothers had seen Him stub a toe, skin a knee, relieve himself, blow his nose, get a splinter, and break a sweat—hardly what one would expect of the promised Messiah. Jesus may have managed to turn water into wine but, to them, He was just a carpenter’s son from Nazareth.

When Jesus left home to become an itinerant rabbi, it appears that his family didn’t support His call. John tells us that, “even his brothers didn’t believe in him.” [7:5] Family honor was of utmost importance at the time. Considering His run-ins with the religious leaders, Jesus’ preaching may have been an embarrassment to the family, especially when he added tax collectors, prostitutes, and other sinners to His entourage.

Mark tells us Jesus’ family, thinking Him “out of his mind,” tried to take Him home. [3:21] Not understanding Jesus’ mission and divine authority, they probably saw His behavior as irrational. Their brother’s claims of divinity and messianic identity could be seen as blasphemous or delusional by the authorities and possibly dangerous to Him. Concerned both for their brother’s reputation and His well-being, Jesus’ family may have wanted a 1st century version of an intervention to protect Jesus from Himself and the Sanhedrin! It’s unlikely that Jesus’ brothers were even at the crucifixion. As He looked down from the cross, rather than entrusting Mary’s care to them, Jesus asked His beloved disciple John to care for her.

In spite of their absence from His ministry, in the first chapter of Acts, we find Jesus’ brothers meeting with the disciples and joining them in prayer after the crucifixion. [1:14] If they didn’t believe their brother before his death, why would they believe the words of His disciples after it? We can safely assume the reason for their change of heart from skeptics and doubters to believers was that they actually saw the resurrected Christ. The Apostle Paul specifically mentions that the risen Jesus appeared to James. [1 Cor 15:7] It was only after seeing their resurrected brother that His family finally believed in the truth of Jesus’ message. Accepting Jesus as the Messiah, they finally understood that He didn’t come to save the Jews from bondage to Rome but to save the world from bondage to sin—that He didn’t come to restore the old kingdom but to establish a new one. Instead of scoffers, His half-brothers became believers! James became a leader in the Jerusalem church and authored the book of James. History tells us that he died a martyr’s death in AD 62.

Jesus’ brothers had lived and worked with Him and yet they failed to see what was right in front of them. Like Thomas, they had to see the resurrected Christ before they could believe in Him. Seeing, however, is no guarantee of belief. Plenty of others saw Jesus and his miracles and never believed. As for us, unless we have a vision similar to Paul’s on the road to Damascus, we’re not likely to see the risen Christ in person. Nevertheless, if we believe in Him in this world, we will see Him in the next.

Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.” [John 20:29 (NLT)]

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February 2, 2026

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Bible Stories, God's Word: The Bible, Knowing Him, Miracles, Sharing Our Faith, Trusting God

EITHER YOU DO OR YOU DON’T

Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted. After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.” So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves. [John 6:11-12 (NLT)]

tropical water lilyThe only two miracles recorded in all four gospels are the resurrection of Jesus and His feeding of the 5,000. Since the gospel writers only told us the number of men at that al fresco meal, Biblical scholars estimate the actual number eating those loaves and fish to be more than double that figure. Perhaps it’s because of the magnitude of that miracle that people often want a logical (meaning earthly) explanation of how Jesus did it and skeptics love to offer their own version of the events.

In an effort to explain away this miracle, some disbelievers suggest that everyone just had a small bite of food. When I’ve had unexpected guests, I’ve made some pretty thin slices in the roast to fill everyone’s plates but there is no way even the most experienced butcher could slice those loaves and fish thin enough to feed fifty, let alone thousands. Some skeptics posit that there was a massive fish kill that day in the Sea of Galilee but that fails to explain the bread. Others claim that the whole things was just a psychological trick. Rather than God’s son, Jesus was a hypnotist who hypnotized the entire crowd (and the disciples) into thinking they were eating. Hypnosis, however, doesn’t work on everyone and hypnotizing thousands (including unbelievers) at one time would have been a miracle in itself! Some skeptics explain this event as an example of the amazing charisma of Jesus. They speculate that He managed to convince anyone who happened to have food to share with everyone else and that a massive impromptu potluck picnic took place. Indeed, getting a crowd that size to share their provisions with strangers would be a miracle. Nevertheless, if enough people had brought their own food, feeding the crowd wouldn’t have been a concern to Jesus or the disciples. Moreover, none of these scenarios explain those twelve baskets of leftovers!

In the television show Penn & Teller: Fool Us!, aspiring magicians perform their best illusions for the famed duo who then try to figure out how they are done. As experienced and skilled as Penn Jilette and Teller are, they often are fooled. If expert illusionists can’t figure out how a magic trick is done, as mere mortals, we shouldn’t expect to understand how God manages an actual miracle!

By its very  definition, a miracle can’t be explained. Unlike a scientific experiment, it can’t be duplicated and, unlike a magic trick, it’s not sleight of hand or illusion. Essentially, a miracle is an unusual manifestation of God’s power designed to accomplish a specific purpose. On that hillside nearly 2,000 years ago, not only were thousands fed, but there were twelve baskets full of leftovers. Why did so much food remain? That miracle demonstrated Jesus’ power and His divine provision. Our God is a more-than-enough God!

If we insist on figuring out how Jesus managed this miracle, do we also want a plausible explanation for His raising of Lazarus, the virgin birth, wine at Cana, walking on water, calming a storm, or the appearance of Moses and Elijah on the mountainside at the transfiguration? Jesus was God and our creator God is not bound by the laws of nature. When He created the world, He made something out of nothing; feeding thousands with a few loaves and fish probably was child’s play for Him. Try as we will, there are no plausible explanations for the supernatural. The logical explanation for the feeding of the multitude is the obvious one: it was a miracle!

About miracles, one of my pastors is fond of saying, “You either believe it or you don’t!” As for me, I choose to believe!

Miracles are not contrary to nature, but only contrary to what we know about nature. [Augustine]

I am the Lord, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything too hard for me? [Jeremiah 32:27 (NLT)]

Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” [Matthew 19:26 (NLT)]

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