The Unexpected King: Jesus in the Book of Mark
THE SHAPING OF EXPECTATIONS
This past week has not gone according to plan. Every evening, I think about what’s on the schedule for the following day – what needs to be accomplished, the to-dos waiting to be checked off the list. Most of my days as a homeschool mom are pretty predictable. There may be a few sidetracks here and there, but our rhythm stays the same.
But this week? It seemed like every day veered off course, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t steer the ship back on track. All of it made me think about our expectations – the ones we place on our days and routines, our plans, our children, even the future. We hold onto these things, hoping that everything will turn out a certain way. But if we’re honest, how often do we ever get it right? Maybe occasionally, but for the most part, God’s plan for our lives far exceeds our expectations – whether in a single day or across the span of a lifetime.
Behold the King Who Steps Into Our Waiting: In the Book of Matthew
Advent has a way of slowing us down, whether we want it to or not. The lights come out, the days get shorter, and something inside us starts paying attention again. This year, for some reason, the Lord has significantly slowed everything down for me. Even though I’m still leading a discipleship ministry, knee-deep in a doctoral program at Asbury, and raising four kids (one who is a borderline adult!), my life feels slower. Perhaps it’s because God is reshaping my intentionality. Over the past few years, I’ve had to learn that I need to be particular about where God uses me. And honestly, working through the Behold Path has helped me do exactly that.
Back in 2022, the word the Lord kept whispering to me was “intentional.” And as I learned that our God is intentional—and His Son intentional in every step of His earthly ministry—I found myself seeking that same intentionality in my own life.
And maybe that’s why Matthew opens his Gospel the way he does—not with glitter, not with angels singing, but with a long list of names and stories woven together by one quiet thread:
Jesus in the Book of Malachi: God’s Final Words Before the Silence
Imagine you were leaving on a journey and knew you would be away from your loved ones for a long time, without communication. In your absence, wouldn’t you choose your final words with deep intention? I’m certain you would make sure they carried weight - full of meaning, care, and clarity. In the same way (and while He never truly left His people), God fell silent for 400 years after the message He delivered through the prophecy in Malachi. What is spoken in this book should be read in that light. These final prophetic words mattered. He wanted His people to hear them.
Behold! The Rebuilder: Finding Yeshua in Haggai
When God spoke through the prophet Haggai, His people had returned from exile, but their hearts remained distant. They had laid the temple’s foundation sixteen years earlier, but opposition and distractions had halted the work. Haggai’s message was simple yet powerful: “Consider your ways.” (Haggai 1:5)
Jesus in the Book of Habakkuk: A Sure Redemption
The book of Habakkuk is a conversation between the priest/prophet Habakkuk and God, based on a vision given to him. Unlike many of the other prophets, Habakkuk does not directly address the people. Instead, he records his raw dialogue with God during a time of national turmoil.
This powerful exchange between God and His prophet took place in the Old Testament between the fall of Israel and the fall of Judah, most likely just before the Babylonian invasions of Judah (beginning in 605 B.C.).
Habakkuk is one of the least-known prophets in Scripture. In fact, he is only mentioned in this book, in two verses:
● Habakkuk 1:1: “The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw.”
● Habakkuk 3:1: “A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to Shigionoth.”
Yeshua as King in Nahum: Refuge in the Midst of Wrath
Since I was a child, I’ve struggled with lying. It started as a way to protect myself from shame, but over the years, it became a pattern that was hard to shake. By God’s grace, I’ve learned to confess, repent, and walk toward truth. But even now, I see how easily I can slip back into old habits. (I mean, I am a flawed person and still make mistakes!)
That’s why when I read Nahum, I see myself mirrored in Nineveh. They had once repented in Jonah’s day, but by Nahum’s time, they had drifted back into corruption. The lesson? We can’t coast on yesterday’s repentance.