“Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their hearts, and set the stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces. Should I indeed let myself be consulted by them?” (Ezekiel 14:3 ESV). When certain elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord through Ezekiel, the Lord revealed their hypocrisy to him.

“And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 11:19 ESV). When Ezekiel delivered this prophecy, many of God’s people were already living in exile in Babylon after the second

“Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek ( Hebrews 5:8–10 ESV). Though Jesus is the eternal Son of God, He entered fully

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16 ESV). Hebrews 4:16 stands as the climactic invitation of the writer’s teaching on Jesus our great High Priest. Having just affirmed that Christ sympathizes with our weaknesses

“But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:13 ESV). The writer of Hebrews, echoing Psalm 95, warns believers not to harden their hearts when they hear God’s voice “Today.” In Psalm 95, Israel’s wilderness generation turned

“For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted (Hebrews 2:18 ESV). The writer of Hebrews wants us to see that Jesus’ humanity was no illusion. He truly suffered, and He was truly tempted. Yet unlike us, He never yielded to sin. His suffering was not

“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son (Hebrews 1:1–2 ESV). The writer of Hebrews opens his letter with a majestic declaration about God’s revelation. In the past, God spoke “at many times

I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ (Philemon 1:6 ESV). Paul’s brief letter to Philemon is deeply personal yet profoundly spiritual. In verse 6, he prays that Philemon’s “sharing of [his] faith” (koinōnia tēs

“Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture (Psalm 100:3 ESV). Psalm 100 is a psalm of joyful praise calling all people to worship the LORD with gladness. At its center is this command: “Know that

“Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will plead your cause and take vengeance for you. I will dry up her sea and make her fountain dry, and Babylon shall become a heap of ruins, the haunt of jackals, a horror and a hissing, without inhabitant.’” (Jeremiah 51:36–37 ESV). Jeremiah’s prophecy was written before Babylon’s

“Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD of hosts is his name. He will surely plead their cause, that he may give rest to the earth, but unrest to the inhabitants of Babylon (Jeremiah 50:34 ESV). In Jeremiah’s day, God’s people were exiled and oppressed by Babylon. Their situation seemed hopeless, yet the Lord sent them

“At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it (2 Timothy 4:16–17 ESV). These words come

“And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness” (2 Timothy 2:24–25 ESV). Paul reminded Timothy that as a servant of the Lord, he must reflect the character of his Master. The goal of ministry is not to win arguments but

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15 ESV). Paul wrote to his young protégé Timothy, urging him to be diligent in his study and handling of God’s Word. The phrase “do your best”

“Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days (Psalm 90:14 ESV). In Psalm 90, Moses contrasts the eternal nature of God with the frailty and brevity of human life. In verse 14, he pleads for what our souls most desperately need—God’s steadfast love (Hebrew:

“They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share (1 Timothy 6:18 ESV). Paul instructed Timothy to charge the wealthy believers in Ephesus not to set their hopes on riches but on God, “who richly provides us with everything to enjoy” (v.17). Instead of trusting in

“Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching (1 Timothy 5:17 ESV). Paul’s instruction to Timothy affirms that elders—those who serve as spiritual leaders and shepherds in the local church—are to be honored for their faithful labor. The phrase “rule well” refers to

“If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed (1 Timothy 4:6 ESV). Paul wrote to his young protégé Timothy, reminding him that his faithfulness as a pastor would be

“Jeremiah said, ‘The word of the LORD came to me: Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle will come to you and say, “Buy my field that is at Anathoth, for the right of redemption by purchase is yours.”’” (Jeremiah 32:6–7 ESV). Jeremiah received this word from the Lord while imprisoned in the court

“Thus says the Lord: ‘A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.’” (Jeremiah 31:15 ESV). Jeremiah’s words paint a scene of deep national sorrow. Ramah, a town north of Jerusalem, was the place where