The Renovation Blog

1189 posts

2 Samuel 3

2 Samuel 3

2 Samuel 3 – Strong-willed by definition is being determined to do something regardless of what is advised against it. This mindset is really a double edged…

2 Samuel 2

2 Samuel 2

2 Samuel 2 – As reality settles in of Saul’s death, David is crowned King over Judah. The remaining 11 tribes do not acknowledge this crown and…

2 Samuel 1

2 Samuel 1

2 Samuel 1 – I love a good cup of coffee. In fact, putting a pot of Joe on in the morning is the first thing of…

1 Samuel 31

1 Samuel 31

1 Samuel 31 – In a grisly end, Saul’s death comes as predicted within 24 hours. In the heat of the battle, the Philistines overtake Saul, killing…

1 Samuel 30

1 Samuel 30

1 Samuel 30 – “But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.” David left King Achish and with his men all returned…

1 Samuel 29

1 Samuel 29

1 Samuel 29 – In a most fascinating history according to Wikipedia, the gesture of crossing your fingers traces all the way back to the early church….

1 Samuel 28

1 Samuel 28

1 Samuel 28 – Saul was at the end of himself. He would literally be at the end within 24 hours. This most bizarre and troubling story…

1 Samuel 27

1 Samuel 27

1 Samuel 27 – “David said to himself…” David was tired. He had been on the run for months stretching into years. Empty promises…

1 Samuel 26

1 Samuel 26

1 Samuel 26 – Same story, different day.  Let’s see, Saul makes a promise to not pursue David.  Saul breaks the promise and takes 3000 men to…

1 Samuel 25

1 Samuel 25

1 Samuel 25 – Sometimes it seems that if it’s not one thing, it’s another. This is the case for David. During a reprieve of Saul’s antics…

1 Samuel 24

1 Samuel 24

1 Samuel 24 – In the political age of which we live, we all have opinions about the current status of our country. We hold thoughts about…

1 Samuel 23

1 Samuel 23

1 Samuel 23 – Drunk on the fresh blood of priests murder, Saul is out to destroy David. Ruthless in his attempts he leads his army in…

1 Samuel 22

1 Samuel 22

1 Samuel 22 – The disgruntled and discontent join together; the ruthless ever-growing paranoid behavior acts out in murder; the innocent are slaughtered. Oh the intentions…

1 Samuel 21

1 Samuel 21

1 Samuel 21 – David the fugitive; David the man on the run; he resorts to lying to seek protection. It is the strangest story here as…

1 Samuel 20

1 Samuel 20

1 Samuel 20 – Deep, genuine friendships are hard to come by. These rare relationships that stir a kindred spirit between 2 individuals seemingly rarely happen. One…

1 Samuel 19

1 Samuel 19

1 Samuel 19 – “The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; whom shall I…

1 Samuel 18

1 Samuel 18

1 Samuel 18 – Relationships hold highs and lows for us. There are those that are such a gem and we treasure greatly. There are others which…

1 Samuel 17

1 Samuel 17

1 Samuel 17 – There are many things which have been written about David and Goliath’s encounter. This magnificent storyline is incredibly inspiring and applicable to so…

1 Samuel 16

1 Samuel 16

1 Samuel 16 – Sometimes the moving on from a saddened heavy burden is one of the toughest things to get beyond. The opening sentence states how…

1 Samuel 15

1 Samuel 15

1 Samuel 15 – I will tell you, this is one of the saddest chapters. It truly brought pain to my heart on so many different levels….

1 Samuel 14

1 Samuel 14

1 Samuel 14 – By all accounts, Saul had now been the king of Israel for several years. This chapter peels back the miserable leader he was….

1 Samuel 13

1 Samuel 13

1 Samuel 13 – I’ve always wondered if Samuel purposely showed up late. It set things in motion as to bad choices which were justifiable in Saul’s…

1 Samuel 12

1 Samuel 12

1 Samuel 12 – Take a moment to consider the goodness of God. Yes, even if at this point of whatever is going on, your heart has…

1 Samuel 11

1 Samuel 11

1 Samuel 11 – We see the making of Saul as a leader within this chapter as when taking the role of king, crisis hits.  Isn’t that…

1 Samuel 10

1 Samuel 10

1 Samuel 10 – Samuel boldly speaks to Saul of his calling and role he is about to play for Israel.  He anoints him king.  He tells…

1 Samuel 9

1 Samuel 9

1 Samuel 9 – Life is filled with so many common events.  What would our perspective be if we looked at even the common occurrences of life…

1 Samuel 8

1 Samuel 8

1 Samuel 8 – There’s a saying, “Be careful what you ask for.  You may just get it.”  There is such truth to this as often we’re…

1 Samuel 7

1 Samuel 7

1 Samuel 7 – Twenty years – it took twenty long years for the people of Israel to get to the point they were ready to follow…

1 Samuel 6

1 Samuel 6

1 Samuel 6 – The Philistines knew they had to send the ark back to Israel. When it was first captured, it was put on display as…

1 Samuel 5

1 Samuel 5

1 Samuel 5 – Dagon was the chief god of many in the ancient world of whom the Philistines worshiped. He was responsible for the rain and the harvest or so they believed…

1 Samuel 4

1 Samuel 4

1 Samuel 4 – One statement, that’s all there is. Chapter 4 opens, “Thus the word of Samuel came to all Israel.” We read nothing more of…

1 Samuel 3

1 Samuel 3

1 Samuel 3 – God has never done things the ‘normal’ way. Ever. It seems that every story within the Bible is chock full of examples where…

1 Samuel 2

1 Samuel 2

1 Samuel 2 – Hannah sings praise to God for hearing her heart cry. He’s seen her affliction, her struggle and now feels vindicated on every level…

1 Samuel 1

1 Samuel 1

1 Samuel 1 – The ache of sorrow finds its ways to the deepest parts of our hearts. When it comes, we feel it as we breathe…

2 Timothy 4

2 Timothy 4

2 Timothy 4 – Many times we don’t perceive we have a ministry. We think it is for clergy or people paid for such a job or task…

2 Timothy 3

2 Timothy 3

2 Timothy 3 – End Times thoughts are pretty much on people’s hearts a lot it seems.  It is a topic that even those who are not…

2 Timothy 2

2 Timothy 2

2 Timothy 2 – Paul sat in chains writing to Timothy whom he loved deeply as a son. From behind bars, he continued to encourage and call…

2 Timothy 1

2 Timothy 1

2 Timothy 1 – This second letter to Timothy was written 2 years after the first about 66 or 67 AD. Paul had been released from prison…

1 Timothy 6

1 Timothy 6

1 Timothy 6 – Sometimes we get it backward. We forget that everything we accumulate, everything we strive to have, we can’t take with us in the…

1 Timothy 5

1 Timothy 5

1 Timothy 5 – The domino effect is something we all have experienced from time to time. This is when a chain reaction is produced by one…

1 Timothy 4

1 Timothy 4

1 Timothy 4 – Since Eden Satan has been speaking his doctrines of lies. His creed consists of the idea we all can be gods and operate…

1 Timothy 3

1 Timothy 3

1 Timothy 3 – Paul becomes very specific for those who would be in leadership within the church. Leadership is a heavy responsibility because the church itself…

1 Timothy 2

1 Timothy 2

1 Timothy 2 – When we think of prayer – often it revolves around the things that affect us directly. I mean, this is how it often…

1 Timothy 1

1 Timothy 1

1 Timothy 1 – Timothy became as a son to Paul.  His mother and grandmother were Jewish believers who shaped his life as a young man…

Romans 16

Romans 16

Romans 16 – As the letter of Romans closes, Paul turns personal. From the beginning of this remarkable and outstanding work inspired by the Holy Spirit concerning solid truth,…

Romans 15

Romans 15

Romans 15 – Gosh, selfishness drives us. Choices we make are usually based on our wants. Decisions to follow through usually come with the question of ‘What will it…

Romans 14

Romans 14

Romans 14 – “Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don’t see things the way you do. And don’t jump all over them every time they do or say…

Romans 13

Romans 13

Romans 13 – Nothing is worse than a short night’s sleep.  It feels as though the moment your head hit the pillow, the alarm went off. Throughout…

Romans 12

Romans 12

Romans 12 – According to the Old Testament Law, a priest would sacrifice an animal for the sins of the people. It was cut into…

Romans 11

Romans 11

Romans 11 – “It’s you, the outsiders that I’m concerned with now. Because my personal assignment is focused on the so-called outsiders…

Romans 10

Romans 10

Romans 10 – “I permitted Myself to be sought by those who did not ask for Me; I permitted Myself to be found by those who did not seek…

Romans 9

Romans 9

Romans 9 – They missed the boat. The Israelites, those who knew the Scripture, awaited the promise of the coming Messiah had waited for generations…

Romans 8

Romans 8

Romans 8 – God kicked our sinful nature in the teeth when He sent Jesus. More importantly through the death of our Lord and consequent resurrection, He made available…

Romans 7

Romans 7

Romans 7 – The ways of God hold many paradoxes. If you want to be great, you must become a servant. Stories throughout show God called people to lead…

Romans 6

Romans 6

Romans 6 – Veto: A decision by a person in authority to not allow or approve something. Paul lays out the power of sin and death it brings in…

Romans 5

Romans 5

Romans 5 – We’re selfish. Decisions are made based on what benefits us, what we want to do. Seeing someone in need or crying out for help sometimes causes…

Romans 4

Romans 4

Romans 4 – Abraham was known and still today to the Jews as the Father of Israel. From the very beginning when God called him to leave his homeland…

Romans 3

Romans 3

Romans 3 – Paul paints a very hopeless and depressing picture through these chapters. As he hammers against those who use the Law to justify their behavior, lists specific…

Romans 2

Romans 2

Romans 2 – We could rattle off a list. It’s the things we find so offensive or off with people. We categorize these as sin. We place degrees on…

Romans 1

Romans 1

Romans 1 – Paul had never been to Rome; neither had the church leaders of Jerusalem. It’s widely believed the church was started from people who were in…

2 Kings 25

2 Kings 25

2 Kings 25 – The final chapter here in 2 Kings 25 records the last siege of Jerusalem, the Jews led into captivity and history of the remnant left…

2 Kings 24

2 Kings 24

2 Kings 24 – It finally happened. Judah was invaded and taken into captivity. Babylon was the new world leader. They’d overthrown the mighty Assyrians and taken…

2 Kings 23

2 Kings 23

2 Kings 23 – “There was no king like him who turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all…

2 Kings 22

2 Kings 22

2 Kings 22 – “Revival and spiritual awakening are marked by expressions of the conviction of sin.” -David Guzik As we’ve read the countless stories of the…

2 Kings 21

2 Kings 21

2 Kings 21 – It’s hard to imagine how an offspring of Hezekiah like Manasseh could be so polar opposite and evil. When Manasseh took to the…

2 Kings 20

2 Kings 20

2 Kings 20 – If you knew how long you had to live, would it make a difference in how you lived? Let’s set the stage here….

2 Kings 17

2 Kings 17

2 Kings 17 – It is a salacious list. Entitled, “Why Israel Fell” it records all that Israel participated in and why God removed His presence. Smack…

2 Kings 18

2 Kings 18

2 Kings 18 – Finally a king who was godly! With the northern kingdom overthrown, Judah was placed firmly between 2 world powers, Egypt and Assyria who…

2 Kings 16

2 Kings 16

2 Kings 16 – Ahaz was a weak and extremely compromising ruler. Under his leadership, their religious system was put to shambles. He reconstructed everything about it,…

2 Kings 19

2 Kings 19

2 Kings 19 – The king of Assyria, Sennacherib invades and takes several cities of Judah captive. King Hezekiah had paid a ransom of silver and gold…

2 Kings 15

2 Kings 15

2 Kings 15 – I know, I know, it may seem for some this lineage of the kings just never ends. It’s easy to gloss over and…

2 Kings 14

2 Kings 14

2 Kings 14 – Sometimes it’s easy to get lost in the lineage of king after king through this book. Yes, it’s tough to push through and…

2 Kings 13

2 Kings 13

2 Kings 13 – “Then the Lord gave Israel a deliverer…” 2 Kings 13:5 It’s an obscure statement of a nameless individual whom God rose up from…

2 Kings 12

2 Kings 12

2 Kings 12 – Throughout the reigns of the kings we read of something called the high places. In fact, these are mentioned 117 times…

2 Kings 11

2 Kings 11

2 Kings 11 – This is a great obscure story! For 6 years the mother of Ahaziah reigned. This self-proclaimed Queen Athaliah was the daughter…

2 Kings 10

2 Kings 10

2 Kings 10 – It’s a bloodbath. Jehu takes the mission of eradicating the false worship of Baal and the lineage of Ahab from the land…

2 Kings 9

2 Kings 9

2 Kings 9 – Elijah had prophesied years before that Ahab, his family and dynasty would be destroyed. This prophecy was about to be fulfilled…

2 Kings 8

2 Kings 8

2 Kings 8 – When it comes to things and ways of God, there are no coincidences. Ever. The opening story of chapter 8 is a throwback…

2 Kings 7

2 Kings 7

2 Kings 7 – “Hear the word of the Lord…” Elisha proclaimed boldly that within a 24 hour time frame God would bring a miracle. Even…

2 Kings 6

2 Kings 6

2 Kings 6 – Consider who in your life is deeply spiritual. Think about possibly even an encounter with someone who simply saw beyond the…

2 Kings 5

2 Kings 5

2 Kings 5 – Aram had been a neighbor to Israel for centuries but rarely was on friendly terms. Under David’s rule they payed tribute to Israel…

2 Kings 4

2 Kings 4

2 Kings 4 – 4 amazing miracles. Money provided for a widow. Raising a dead boy to life. Purifying poisonous food. Providing food for 100…

2 Kings 3

2 Kings 3

2 Kings 3 – Israel and Judah had some of the best land. The neighboring Moabites envied such ground and often would attack both nations…

2 Kings 2

2 Kings 2

2 Kings 2 – It is a story of amazing commitment and determination in a relationship. Elijah was about to be taken to heaven and his…

2 Kings 1

2 Kings 1

2 Kings 1 – As the retelling of the kings and their rule continue, we open to a strange story. Ahab was dead. Moab rebelled against the…

1 Kings 22

1 Kings 22

1 Kings 22 – Spiritual wisdom and discernment are needed on all decisions we make and carry through with. This story in 1 Kings 22 could…

1 Kings 21

1 Kings 21

1 Kings 21 – Her name is synonymous with the most evil woman in all of Scripture.  In fact, her name is mentioned in Revelation as an…

1 Kings 20

1 Kings 20

1 Kings 20 – So far there have been two evil kings and two good kings. The southern kingdom, Judah, still wavers between righteous and…

1 Kings 19

1 Kings 19

1 Kings 19 – “Elijah failed in the very point at which he was strongest, and that is where most men fail. In Scripture, it is the…

1 Kings 18

1 Kings 18

1 Kings 18 – “The troubler of Israel” or as he was called by Ahab came out of hiding after 3 years. The land had seen no…

1 Kings 17

1 Kings 17

1 Kings 17 – It would be 41 years of spiritual darkness coming from the Throne Room of Israel. With Ahab reigning, the only light that would…

1 Kings 16

1 Kings 16

1 Kings 16 – He would reign for 41 years. 41 years of sheer evil would be doled out to the people of Israel as they themselves…

1 Kings 15

1 Kings 15

1 Kings 15 – The next two chapters tell of the legacies of several kings who rose and led both Israel and Judah. For the most part…

1 Kings 14

1 Kings 14

1 Kings 14 – It’s the tale of 2 kings who flagrantly walked away from God and His commands. Consider how as the nation was already split…

1 Kings 13

1 Kings 13

1 Kings 13 – It is the strangest of stories. A nameless prophet is sent to speak against the false worship King Jeroboam has established…

1 Kings 12

1 Kings 12

1 Kings 12 – The split of the nation unfolds that would last for centuries. Solomon had died. Rehoboam his son succeeded him and it was…

1 Kings 11

1 Kings 11

1 Kings 11 – For all the wisdom Solomon had, his heart led him in foolishness. It’s really quite astounding when you consider what we’ve read so…

1 Kings 10

1 Kings 10

1 Kings 10 – It’s a written showcase of Solomon’s success. From the Queen of Sheba visiting and declaring for herself the grandeur of his…

1 Kings 9

1 Kings 9

1 Kings 9 – 24 years had passed since Solomon took the throne. He had finished the construction of the temple as well as his palace. On…

1 Kings 8

1 Kings 8

1 Kings 8 – It was the moment the Israelites had longed for – the completion of the Temple. For hundreds of years they had worshiped…