Small Things Are Great

One of you recently noted that the Book of Ruth is not included in the reading guide we are following. That was intentional. Not because Ruth is unimportant—far from it—but because it is a short book. Most believers, even those who have never sat down to read it carefully, already know the general story. Ruth is one of those books you can comfortably read within a day. So, in trying to make the guide fit within a year without dragging us deep into December and January while still pretending we are “almost done,” I removed a few books from the schedule. Among them were: the Book of Job, the book of Ruth and some sections from books like Psalms and Proverbs. But the fact that Ruth was omitted from the guide should never make us think it is insignificant. In fact, Ruth is strategically placed in the Bible timeline. Very strategically. Both the Book of Judges and the book of Ruth are traditionally connected to Samuel. And one thing we need to understand about prophets is this: Their work w...

One thing I have come to appreciate while reading the Bible is that introductions do matter. The first lines and paragraphs in every book matter. Most of the time, we are so focused on chapters and verses that we forget those pointers were added much later. The original writers were not there saying, “Now let me begin chapter two, verse sixteen.” No. These were flowing narratives, carefully structured to guide the reader into understanding what was happening. I'm currently reviewing the book of Judges and the introduction is fascinating. Personally, I consider Judges chapter 1 up to around chapter 3 verse 6 to be the introduction section of the book. It sets the tone, explains the environment, and quietly warns you about the cycle you are about to witness over and over again. But there is one statement that stood out to me more than anything else. A statement so small you can easily skip over it: “ As long as… ” This is in line with the Good News version Bible. The statement appear...

There’s a quiet mistake many people make in the journey of faith. It doesn’t happen loudly and doesn’t come with warning signs. In fact, it often feels like growth—until one day you realize you’ve been holding onto something tightly… but isn’t actually God. At the center of any genuine spiritual journey is this: your focus must remain on the persona of God —not just ideas about Him, not just systems around Him, but God Himself. Who is God? Here it gets a bit uncomfortable, especially for those of us who identify strongly with a particular tradition: God does not belong to any one label. “God” is not a personal name in the way we name people. It’s more like saying king or lord —a title that points to a reality beyond human ownership. So whether someone stands in a church, a mosque, a temple, or under a tree in quiet reflection, the longing underneath is often the same: to find and connect with the One behind it all - God. But along the way, something subtle happens. The things meant to...

 https://open.substack.com/pub/angiewanjiku/p/i-used-to-believe-a-lot-of-things?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

We’ve been on a journey through the Bible, and by God’s help we’ve walked through the first five books—Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. That’s what we call the Pentateuch. Now we are stepping into a new section. If you follow the Hebrew way of arranging Scripture, we are now entering what they call the Prophets . What many of us today call historical books, they saw as prophetic writings, and this section begins with Joshua. These books are divided into two: the former prophets and the latter prophets. Joshua falls under the former prophets. Alongside it you have Judges (with Ruth connected to it), then Samuel and Kings. So Joshua becomes the first book in this new movement and the transition is beautiful. We are coming from laws, commands, regulations—very structured instruction—and suddenly we enter narrative, movement, action and life! The people are no longer just being told what to do; now they are stepping into what God had promised. There is energy here. Th...

A friend texted in and said...  I have questions about God based on my readings of the Old Testament so far: 1. Why did God okay having multiple wives and concubines? Nowhere in the many laws talks about adultery 2. Why was it okay for the Israelites to put their enemies under forced labour? Why was slavery a thing? 3. It was said that if someone killed someone by mistake, they would seek refuge in the city of refuge until the offended party died, lest he avenged his murdered relative. Why was avenging even a thing? Why was it allowed? 4. I have forgotten the 4th one. In response I wrote; 1. Did God approve of multiple wives and concubines? Short answer: No—God did not design or command it. From the beginning, God’s design for marriage was clear: “ Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. ” — Genesis 2:24 One man. One woman. One union. So where did polygamy come from? - Human beings. As societies developed, people...