Ocieanna
Emmanuel’s Story: Daniel and the Magi
We’ve come a long way in biblical history, and now because they broke the covenant, both Israel and Judah have been cast out of the Promised Land. Sad. It seemed like the end of Israel, the end of God’s blessing to his people, and the end of the promise. Ah, but even in exile, God…
Read MoreEmmanuel’s Story: We Approach the Throne
I’ve always loved the story of Cinderella. A poor, orphan girl wins the prince’s love and becomes a princess. It reminds me of my story as a bride of Christ. Before I discovered that the prince chose me, I floundered as an unwanted daughter. Without a father to love and care for me, I was…
Read MoreEmmanuel’s Story: A Gentle Whisper
Today we turn to the next person in our quick journey through the Old Testament. Remember his story? The Lord sent him to preach against the evil King Ahab and his uber-wicked wife Jezebel. During the ultimate stand-off, Elijah went against Baal’s prophets. Simple test: I’ll make an altar to my God. You make an…
Read MoreEmmanuel’s Story: Forever Shepherd King
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. Luke 1:8 Have you ever thought about why the angels appeared to shepherds? I mean, why shepherds? There must be a reason. (This is how my mind works.) Imagine those shepherds. Such a dirty job. Lonely. Nothing glorious…
Read MoreChanged by a Baby 2: A Reason to Smile!
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice. Phil. 4:4 As I stood in the bathroom, the dread of disappointment draped over me. More than a year earlier, I’d lost my second baby to miscarriage. Day after day, infertility ate away at me as I watched friends my age raising kids—their first, second,…
Read MoreChanged by a Baby: From Bitter to Pleasant
Did you realize there were so many babies in the Old Testament? I never really thought about it until I started doing this study! Now we come to another one—or another lack of one. The book of Ruth opens with the land of Israel languishing in a hot mess they’ve created for themselves. They have no…
Read MoreEmmanuel’s Story: Holding My Father’s Hand
Okay friends! We’re leaving the first five books and moving on to Joshua. I have to say, even though I rarely hear Joshua preached or taught on, I’ve discovered so many tasty nuggets in this book. Let’s take a look. I love how we first find Joshua. He’s terrified! Well, it doesn’t specifically say he…
Read MoreFinally…A Baby is Born!
Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! (Psalm 27:14, ESV) O come, thou Dayspring from on high And cheer us by thy drawing nigh; Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, And death’s dark shadows put to flight. Abraham. Sarah. Isaac. We encounter so much waiting in this life, don’t we? I…
Read MoreEmmanuel’s Story: A Reason to Rest
We’ve come to Abraham in our quick jaunt through the Old Testament. One of the most amazing events to happen to the father of God’s people happened while he was sleeping. Remember Genesis 15? Late at night God comes to Abram (he was still called Abram at this point) and says, “Okay, Abram, go get some animals,…
Read MoreChristmas and …Noah? Shelter from the Storm
Okay, we’ve seen that God loved us from before the beginning (how cool is that!). We’ve also discovered that right after we (represented by Adam) fell to sin, our gracious Friend promised to send a deliverer. He was already thinking about Christmas! But there’s still so long to wait. Who will the Messiah be? What…
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