Elijah was having a really bad stretch of days. He had fled from Jezebel when she promised to kill him, he prayed that God would just let him die, and eventually he found himself alone in a cave. In his desperate plight, God spoke to him in a gentle whisper and reminded Elijah that God still had plans for his life. His experience teaches us how to move forward when we face dark days.

Fear is a reality of life for us as humans. There is a good kind of fear, but there is also a debilitating kind of fear that paralyzes us. How to we, as Christians, deal with that kind of fear?

John 3:16 is probably one of the most favorite Bible verses in Scripture. It speaks of God's immense love for humanity; however, sometimes that keeps us from seeing the fullness of God's character and nature. It is true that God is a God of love; however, it is also true that He is a God of wrath who will judge our sins. Our stubborn sinfulness can push Him to the point where He says, "Enough is enough!" That's the message of Nahum.

The eighth gate of the City of God is named after Issachar, whose name means "hire," or "price." This gate reminds us that we were redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. He purchased our salvation!

One of the surprises we find in the Christmas story comes when we discover who God invited to greet the newborn Savior. One would think that powerful people, foreign dignitaries, the rich, and the powerful would be invited to come and welcome this newborn King. Instead, it was a bunch of lowly shepherds to whom the Lord extended the one and only invitation.

In a throwaway society, many people end up feeling used up, unwanted, and unloved. The good news is that God offers His love to those who feel unloved.