Tag: REBECCA VAN NOORD

  • A LITTLE FOLLY

    Connect The TestamentsGenesis 42:29-43:34; Hebrews 5:11-7:28; Ecclesiastes 10:10-20 Like dead flies in perfumer’s oil, the writer of Ecclesiastes aptly proclaims that a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. Sometimes fools are elevated to positions of power, while those who are fit for the position are given no influence. The Preacher says, “I have seen slaves…

  • UNDUE FAVOR

    Connect The TestamentsGenesis 38-39; Matthew 27:32-28:20; Ecclesiastes 9:7-10 Genesis 38 interrupts the climax of the Joseph narrative with another tale: Judah and Tamar. Switching protagonists is surprising enough, but the tale itself shocks us. We’re hardly given time to process the strange cultural practices of the ancient Near East, prostitution, deception, and the sudden death…

  • BE VIGILANT

    Connect The TestamentsGenesis 35:16-36:43; Matthew 26:14-56; Ecclesiastes 8:10-17 Faith doesn’t always come to bear until we are faced with our own fallibility. When we “enter into temptation,” it often means we haven’t been vigilant—that we’ve stopped pursuing the God who has pursued us. In the aftermath of temptation, we recognize our spiritual laziness. We become…

  • AVOIDING THE UNAVOIDABLE

    Connect The TestamentsGenesis 24; Matthew 16-17; Ecclesiastes 5:8-11 It’s common to put people in our lives on hold, even if we love them, until something forces us to pay attention. Forgetting those who are closest to us is a frightening thought. Peter, Jesus’ disciple, likely realized that people were making a similar mistake in their…

  • FEAR GOD

    Connect the TestamentsGenesis 21:22-23:20; Matthew 15; Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 In Ecclesiastes 5, the author stops to consider God’s place in the heavens and our place on earth. He acknowledges that there is a great gulf of understanding between who God is and who we think He is. This realization should affect our entire posture before Him.…

  • WHAT KIND OF HEARER ARE YOU?

    CONNECT THE TESTAMENTSGenesis 18-19:29; Matthew 13:1-43; Ecclesiastes 4:1-7 While parables were often told to make truth tangible, in Matt 13, we find that this wasn’t always the case. When His disciples question why He speaks in parables, Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah: “For the heart of this people has become dull, and with their ears…

  • CONNECT THE TESTAMENTS

    A 365-Day Devotional with Bible Reading Plan Genesis 14-15; Matthew 11; Ecclesiastes 3:9-15 JUDGING THE TIMES AND SEASONS We often have difficulty judging the events in our lives and then responding appropriately. Although God has placed eternity “in our hearts,” we don’t know the reason or the outcome of our life’s events (Eccl 3:11). The…