Reading middle grade books this summer was such a joy! I was reminded of the forgotten treasures from my middle grade years. Books made richer by a classroom teacher's expressive reading. Or stories enlivened by being shared with peers.
Dear Reader, remembering the childhood stories I loved has caused me to remember some of the treasures in God's Word that I had forgotten.
I'm talking about the minor prophets, the last twelve books in the Old Testament. Have you been there? They're not the big guns like Isaiah or Jeremiah or Daniel. But they typically follow the same format, including warning and assurance.
If you haven't ventured into these treasures, let me encourage you for two reasons. They're "minor" prophets because they're short, only one to fourteen chapters. The big deal about these little guys, is the encouragement God tucked into them. Here's a few of my favorites.
I'm talking about the minor prophets, the last twelve books in the Old Testament. Have you been there? They're not the big guns like Isaiah or Jeremiah or Daniel. But they typically follow the same format, including warning and assurance.
If you haven't ventured into these treasures, let me encourage you for two reasons. They're "minor" prophets because they're short, only one to fourteen chapters. The big deal about these little guys, is the encouragement God tucked into them. Here's a few of my favorites.
- LIFE PRINCIPLES: Micah 6:8; Zechariah 8: 16-17
- RESTORATION: Joel 2: 25-29; Zephaniah 3: 17-20; Haggai 2:4-9
- HOPE: Nahum 1:7; Hosea 11: 1-9; Hosea 14: 1-9; Zechariah 9: 16
Dear Reader, for me, these are treasures indeed! More than once I have hit my knees, face to the floor as my spirit cried out and claimed them for my own.
Everything in the Scriptures is God’s Word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live.
2 Timothy 3: 16 CEV
I may not always understand a lot of God's Word, or why some writings have a place in it, Dear Reader. What I do believe to the deepest part of me is that it's all there for a reason. And that reason is that God loves each of us uniquely, and included exactly what will speak to our hearts.
Pardon the soapbox, Dear Reader. I was definitely preaching to myself. After spending months studying the book of Psalms, that's why I went back to the minor prophets. Judging by the dates in my Bible of the last time I studied them, I'm way overdue.
What part of God's Word speaks to your spirit, Dear Reader? Is there a special place where you know He will always meet you? Wherever it is, I praise God for sharing it with you, and pray His Word will continue to bless and enrich your life.
Pardon the soapbox, Dear Reader. I was definitely preaching to myself. After spending months studying the book of Psalms, that's why I went back to the minor prophets. Judging by the dates in my Bible of the last time I studied them, I'm way overdue.
What part of God's Word speaks to your spirit, Dear Reader? Is there a special place where you know He will always meet you? Wherever it is, I praise God for sharing it with you, and pray His Word will continue to bless and enrich your life.
Join me on Mondays for a look at
some of the minor prophets.
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