Daily Readings: Daniel 3 and Psalm 144 One can only imagine the pressure Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were under. The external social pressure was on, as everyone around them obeyed the king’s order to worship the great idolatrous statue; yet they refused. The internal pressure of fear was on, as defying the order was punishable…

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Daily Readings: Daniel 2 and Psalm 143 By God’s grace, Daniel and his companions had been found to be “ten times better” than all the magicians and enchanters of Babylon in every matter of wisdom and understanding (1:20). They were now classed among the “wise men” of Babylon. Later, however, when a group of royal…

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Daily Readings: Daniel 1 and Psalm 142 Today, having just completed 1 & 2 Kings, rather than starting 1 & 2 Chronicles (which repeats the historical events of 1 & 2 Kings from a different perspective) we’re jumping in to the prophetic book of Daniel, which gives us insight into life in exile for the…

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Daily Readings: 2 Kings 24-25 and Psalm 141 In the original Hebrew of 2 Kings 25, the first twelve verses of the chapter are one long sentence. Each verse begins with the word, ‘and.’ Each successive moment in the eventual fall of Jerusalem is added to the list by the word “and”, as if each…

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Daily Readings: 2 Kings 23 and Psalm 140 The reformation of Judah under King Josiah was truly a work of the Lord’s sovereign power. Imagine a nation where God and His Word have been so thoroughly ignored and rejected that they have become unheard of. It’s not that very few are following Him – no…

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Daily Readings: 2 Kings 22 and Psalm 139 As if to prove yesterday’s point, the young King Josiah bucked the trend of his father Amon and grandfather Manasseh and turned his heart towards the Lord again. He made his own choice- as we all must – and pursued God. Shockingly, it was not until Josiah…

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Daily Readings: 2 Kings 21 and Psalm 138 Repentance, revival, and reformation among God’s people are not permanent conditions. Each generation, each leader and each individual has the responsibility to choose which God we will worship and which King we will serve. This is seen with great clarity in the way the new king, Manasseh,…

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Daily Readings: 2 Kings 20 and Psalm 137 In 2 Kings 20, the Lord speaks to Hezekiah repeatedly through the prophet Isaiah. First, God warns the ailing Hezekiah to get his house in order before he dies (v.1). Then God responds to Hezekiah’s desperate prayer for mercy by promising him that his death will be…

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Daily Readings: 2 Kings 19 and Psalm 136 The events of 2 Kings 19 put the war between fear and faith on display. The Assyrian field commander aimed to instil fear and hopelessness in the Jewish people, leaders and king. He wanted them to surrender meekly. His vocal threats in 2 Kings 18, and his…

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Daily Readings: 2 Kings 18 and Psalm 135 King Hezekiah of Judah is a wonderful exception to the old idiom: “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” His father was King Ahaz, whose evil idolatry and rebellion against the LORD was on full display in 2 Kings 16. How on earth did this wicked…

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