Ecclesiastes 7 continues Solomon's profound look at the purpose of life. Solomon ponders the difference between birth and death, emotions such as sadness, anger, and happiness, how to prolong our lives, and more.

as No one is perfect, but Proverbs 31 gives women a glimpse down the road of perfection. We find her several virtues we should strive for to make us better women. These help us to strengthen our relationship with God, which subsequently, strengthens our relationships with those around us.

Solomon tells us that it is better to be hated than to be without bread. He didn't say this because he was obsessed with the rolls at his favorite restaurant, either. In the Bible, bread always represents substance. Jesus tells us the bread it His body and what is the Body of Christ? His believers, who sustain His Kingdom on earth. Solomon is telling us that substance (both literally and spiritually) is more important than being liked an accepted by the world.

People are always writing think pieces about what women are doing wrong. Whether you're Black, educated, Christian, or whatever, there's a think piece dedicated to telling you what you're doing wrong in dating. I've always been of the mind that being single isn't a bad thing. Paul confirms that some people are meant to spend their lives focused on God rather than on another human being. But for those who are meant to marry, and are following God it's important to remember that He's going to steer you away from the unnecessary.

The first 9 chapters of proverbs are basically an address to the audience by King Solomon. He warns us about the traits of the wise versus the unwise and gives us advice on how to find wisdom. Did you know Solomon personifies wisdom as a woman? That's pretty important when interpreting passages about women in these chapters.

What does it mean to be closed-minded and are Christian deserving of the label? When people label us as closed-minded, it's definitely not meant as a compliment. I've heard the label be applied to Christians often and I've seen people attempt to refute the claim, but what if it's true? And what if being closed-minded isn't always bad?

We can look at the book from the perspective of uplifting womankind; in the end only a woman could save the people. If we look deeper, we can see an allegory for the war in heaven. It's a short book, but it's worth slowing down and taking an extra look over.

The holiday of Purim was established after the victory of the Jews over Haman. It is joyous because God protected them, but it is sad because many people still died.

Introduction Esther 6-8 details the change of tides to the Jews favor. Before these chapters, the Jews are at the mercy of Haman's revenge plot, but once Esther requests an audience with the king, everything begins to change. Top Reflecting on Past Deeds A lot of people will tell you that if you do the right thing, it pays off in the end. We don't often talk about what happens between that moment and the pay off, but we know that if we persevere, our actions will justify us. This is exactly what happens to Mordecai. In the beginning of the story, we're told that Mordecai over heard a plot against the king and was able to get word to the king through Esther. Mordecai wasn't obligated to save the king; in fact, as a captive Jew, Mordecai probably had reason to hope the plot succeeded. Yet, Mordecai chose to ally himself with the king and make the situation known to him. How often do we go out of our way to help someone who may even be our enemy (Matthew 5...

The next few chapters of Esther discuss a plot against the Jews by Haman, a leader in the Persian empire.

Everyone loves a cinderella story, and that's exactly what Esther is.

Esther 1 introduces us to Ahasuerus, king of Persia and his wife Vashti, queen of Persia.

Esther is a unique book in the Bible. It is one of two books that is named after and centers on a woman. It is also the only book of the Bible in which God is never mentioned.

Nehemiah 3 says a lot more than we give it credit for!

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Matthew 6:24 KJV Solomon's wealth and visit with the Queen of Sheba is covered.

The opposite of what a Godly woman is to be, Athaliah is ruthless and conniving.

Jehu may have been selected as king because God knew he would rid the land of Ahab's disastrous lineage, but Jehu isn't a Godly king by any stretch of the imagination.

A few tidbits and a summary of what I thought after completing 2 Samuel.

1 Kings 17-20 takes a break from a series of brief records which introduces many kings to focus on God's prophet, Elijah who lived during King Ahab's reign in the northern kingdom.

Trigger warning: these chapters discuss sexual assault/rape. From a protective brother to a vain rebel, Absalom his one of the more interesting people in the Bible and the narrative springboards a wide range of topics.