Small Things Are Great

A little TBT on one of the key goals of this year's Bible study journey. The goal is to help us shift from merely getting revelation to arriving at realization. In simple terms, see the story first for what it is, understand what is happening, and then draw lessons from it. Before asking what the story means to me, let me first understand what the story meant in its own setting. As I continue reviewing Jeremiah's writings, I am becoming even more convinced about why this approach is important. Jeremiah was introduced to me as the weeping prophet when I was still young. His other writing, Lamentations, seems to carry that reputation right into its title. He is lamenting. Now, lamenting is a little deeper than simply crying. It is grief expressed through words, cries, and deep sorrow. It is what happens when the pain is so overwhelming that ordinary tears are no longer enough to communicate what is going on inside you. In Jeremiah's case, the situation had reached a point whe...

The book of Zephaniah has proved to be one of those books I have struggled to understand. I would read it, finish it, and still feel like I had not quite grasped its flow or direction. The problem, I eventually discovered, was that I had not been reading it in its historical context. Wueh! Sometimes the problem is not the book itself; it is where we begin reading. The context that helped me understand Zephaniah is found in 2 Chronicles 33 and 34. These chapters tell us what was happening in Judah during the generations leading up to the ministry of Zephaniah. His own book tells us that he prophesied during the reign of King Josiah and traces his family line back four generations to Hezekiah (Zephaniah 1:1). If this is the King Hezekiah we know, then Zephaniah was connected to the royal family and was also a distant relative of Josiah. Once we understand what had been happening in Judah, the message of Zephaniah begins to make more sense. So, what is going on in these three chapters? I ...

A friend read the book of Jeremiah, and found themselves asking God some difficult questions. The book is full of warnings, calls to repentance, promises of mercy and, eventually, judgment. The more she read, the more questions arose. Let’s think through them together. 1. Is God's mercy forever? Will God keep having pity on these people forever? He keeps telling them to return, promising that if they do, He will receive them. We see this in Jeremiah 3:12–14, 3:22 and 4:1. God is merciful, and He repeatedly invites His people to come back to Him. However, mercy should not be mistaken for the absence of justice. At some point, judgment comes. In Jeremiah 25:29, God asks whether Jerusalem, the city called by His name, should go unpunished while He brings judgment upon other nations. By Jeremiah 15:1–2, the situation has reached a point where even Moses and Samuel could not avert the announced judgment. God's patience is real, but it is not permission to continue rebelling indefin...

There is a song by our sister Chevelle Franklin that goes, “Be lifted high, be lifted high, O Lord, be lifted high, for you are holy, awesome, and worthy Lord. O Lord, be lifted high.” I am not sure whether she is the original artist or was singing a song composed by someone else, but the words got me thinking. There are several other songs with similar lyrics. We sing about lifting Jesus higher through our praise, worship and adoration. Think of one praise song such as; “inua Bwana inua, inua inua, inua Bwana inua, sababu yu mwema.” Another one could be when a soloist calls on us to "inua Bwana inua, inua!” The impression one gets is that our praise and worship is what lifts him, exalts and gives him the honor due to Him. We might be wrong. I suspect much of this thinking comes from Jesus' words in John 12:32: “... and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself. ” The assumption seems to be that the more we lift Him through praise, the more He draws...

I am shocked, and honestly, surprised! A few days ago, a friend called me and asked whether I would mind reading Psalm 15 so that we could discuss it later. Somewhere along the way, my ears heard Psalm 50 instead. So I went ahead and interacted with Psalm 50 until I later came across their text message and realized that we had been talking about two different Psalms. 😂 However, something caught my attention in Psalm 50, and when I sat down again this morning to review it, I was shocked to discover something I had misunderstood for years. One famous line in this Psalm is found in verse 10: “ For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills ” (KJV). Many of us know this verse, especially in Pentecostal circles. It has often been used to remind us that God is not broke. He owns cattle on a thousand hills! He can sell one or two and sort out our financial problems. Wueh! 😂 But when I read the Psalm in its context, I realized that God was not making a promise to...

We are in the book of Nahum — or Nehem, as some pronounce it. This little book comes roughly a century after Jonah, and if you don't remember what happened in Jonah, wueh! You might miss why Nahum is saying what he is saying. Remember Nineveh? These are the people who repented when Jonah announced that God would destroy their city. God saw their change of heart and relented. Jonah wasn't particularly excited about God's decision, but that is a story for another day. Now, fast-forward a few generations. The same Assyrians are terrorising other nations and behaving as though the world belongs to them. They attacked Israel, conquered Samaria and carried many Israelites into captivity. Later, they even besieged Jerusalem, only for God to intervene and deliver the city (2 Kings 18–19; Isaiah 36–37). You would think people who had once experienced God's mercy would know better. Apparently, history can repeat itself, even after a very powerful repentance meeting! This is where...