Author Archives: JoAnn Alo

I know that my Redeemer lives.Job 19:25 The voices around Job, in his darkest days, set themselves above him. “How long will you torment me and break me in pieces with words?” How easy it is to look on others in their trials, their hardships, their misery—and find reasons why they likely deserve it. Forty-twoContinueContinue reading “Speak Truth to Your Soul”

If it is not He, who then is it?Job 9:24 I love Job’s worship-filled convictions concerning God. He doesn’t reduce God in size to satisfy his need to be innocent. He believes he is innocent—but trusts God altogether to know better. Our friend Job has not been turned by the world to think God so smallContinueContinue reading “The Lion of Judah”

Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?Job 2:10 The rhetorical question Job poses hits below the skin of who we believe God is.  The tempter is unloading every possible weapon on this one man in the land of Uz.   I’m willing to wager this isn’t the first time Job metContinueContinue reading “Suffering Sanctifies”

In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.Job 1:22 What was Job’s secret to remaining humble, grateful after all his work, possessions, grown children, even his own skin was utterly destroyed, ruined, ripped from his arms? I don’t remember any preacher treading far on Job’s encounter with Satan and God. (ThoughContinueContinue reading “One Thing We Own”

Have you noticed My friend Job?Job 1:8 Oh boy, the book of Job. Why oh why does God point out His friend to His enemy? We’re tempted to question, Doesn’t God care about Job’s suffering? But how could that be given all we know about God? How He made us, gave us the garden ofContinueContinue reading “The Peace Satan Hates”

Esther also was taken.Esther 2:8 With all the liberties I enjoy in my circumstances, I quickly forget the realities of oppression. I once thought Esther a lucky woman. Her purity and beauty was such, she was noticed by the king’s men and escorted to the palace. Bathed in sweet scents and expensive oils for months,ContinueContinue reading “Holy Spirit Perspective”

The singers.Nehemiah 12:29 Church music passed over my ears like a long, boring recital when I was a kid. Can we move this along, I thought—I’ve got dolls to dress and frogs to catch.  We’ll never bridle the power of true praise grabbing hold the broken soul. I’m ashamed to admit it—I’ve thought the singers lessContinueContinue reading “Christ My Song”

We hear it all the time, “Follow your heart.” Well, I don’t know about you, but my heart has gotten me into a boatload of trouble. I shudder at the thought of returning to, and following through, every deep-seeded, passionate plan my heart compels me to do. So how do we know the difference betweenContinueContinue reading ““My God put it on my heart.” Nehemiah 7:5″

I sat down and wept and mourned for days.Nehemiah 1:4 When Jerusalem was taken into captivity because of their rebellion against God, their enemies broke and burned down their city walls. The people who survived the exile returned to a city with no walls, no gate. When Nehemiah hears of Jerusalem’s trouble and shame, heContinueContinue reading “Strong Tower”

Are you God’s vessel? Are you washed clean and used for service inside the house of God? From Moses to Jesus the holy vessels were designed to hold pure water—living water. Water able to turn what God cannot even look upon into His own precious possession. Jesus is the one way to the house ofContinueContinue reading ““The vessels are holy.” Ezra 8:28″

What is God asking you to rebuild? A broken marriage? A vacant community? Your own abandoned heart? Don’t let those troublemakers stop you. Those voices in your head threatening your progress. Those discouragers of hope in what God desires to accomplish in His people and for His glory. When God stirs our heart for HisContinueContinue reading ““They did not stop them.” Ezra 5:5″