Love is a beautiful thing. When you are single, you may dream, “One day my prince will come,” like in the story Snow White. Then he comes into your life, and suddenly hearts seem to appear everywhere. You are in love — and he is too. Then something wonderful happens. He asks those four little words:“Will you marry me?” You say yes, and a new life begins. You enter marital bliss… and then come baby one, two, and three. That once romantic life becomes filled with bottles, diapers, and sleepless nights. Date night takes a back seat to raising your precious children. Candlelight dinners are replaced with frozen pizza or fast food. The romantic life you imagined looks very different from the reality of marriage and parenting. But just because children come does not mean romance must end. Sometimes it just needs a biblical tune-up — and this is where God steps in. God cares about every part of our lives, even the small, everyday moments. The Bible says: “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh” (Ephesians 5:31). Marriage means you are one…

“How often they provoked Him in the wilderness, and grieved Him in the desert! Yes, again and again they tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.” (Psalm 78:40-41, NKJV) Psalm 78 records the faithfulness of God to His people. But this same psalm also records the actions of a nation that continually rebelled against that same loving God. Although He performed daily miracles on their behalf, they forgot His goodness. ISRAEL’S UNBELIEF After the Israelites departed Egypt, they witnessed God doing so many amazing things. Miracles surrounded them throughout their journey. God parted the sea for them to walk across. He destroyed their enemies. He provided food in the wilderness. He made rivers in a desert. Their clothes and shoes never wore out. Despite everything they experienced, the Israelites still questioned God’s ability to provide for them. “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?” (Verse 19) “Can He give bread also? Can He provide meat for His people?” (Verse 20) “Because they did not believe in God, and did not trust in His salvation.” (Verse 22) “Nevertheless they flattered Him with their mouth, and they lied to Him with their tongue” (Verse 36) The children of Israel would…

“For exaltation comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the Judge: He puts down one, and exalts another.” (Psalm 75:6-7, NKJV) Two men. Two very different motivations. They lived in the same city and crossed paths often. We find their stories in the Book of Esther. The time is around 480 BC, and the place is Shushan, a royal city in Persia. Haman’s Story Haman was an Agagite who held a position of prominence under King Ahasuerus, the Persian king. Haman had wealth, status, and power. People bowed as he walked by. But none of that was enough. One man, Mordecai the Jew, refused to bow to anyone other than Almighty God. This infuriated Haman. Haman devised an evil scheme that would destroy not just Mordecai but every Jew throughout the provinces. But power and influence are of little help if God is not on your side. Haman was defeated because of his pride, hatred, and bitterness. (Read I Samuel 15 for historical background on Haman’s possible ancestor, Agag, king of the Amalekites. Agag also held a bitter hatred toward the Jews.) Mordecai’s Story Mordecai was a devout Jew, observant of the Law. He was…

For you equipped me with strength for the battle; you made those who rise against me sink under me. (Psalm 18:39, ESV) What do we do when the enemy comes at us full force? What kind of battle plan do we make when things look bleak and we are outnumbered? In II Chronicles 20, the enemies of Judah aligned themselves against King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah. The Israelites were greatly outnumbered, and the outlook was grim. What Jehoshaphat did next cannot be found in any military manual. What he did required bold faith. He did not call for the generals and top military strategists. Instead, he called a prayer meeting. That was the best way to resist the enemy. HOW TO RESPOND TO ADVERSITY Jehoshaphat chose to pray, not panic. Yes, there was momentary fear, but he replaced his fear with faith. Verse 3 tells us that he “set his face to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.”  Jehoshaphat’s plan of action was to seek God and to call the nation to fasting and prayer. The people admitted that they did not have the answer to their problem. They needed direction from God. “’For…