Rebuilding What’s Broken

by Kevin Tillman | Nov 13, 2025 | Bible Study, Blog, Thoughts

If you’re quiet enough, you can almost hear it … a whisper rising from the dusty pages of Ezra.
Not the whisper of a defeated people, but the whisper of a rebuilding God.

A God who steps into ruins and begins again.

Ezra is more than a story about returning home after exile. It is the story of a God who refuses to leave His people in pieces. Stone by stone. Prayer by prayer. Heart by heart. He gathers what’s been scattered
and restores what’s been scarred.

And maybe that’s why this ancient book feels so modern. Because we know something about ruins too, don’t we?

Not the kind shaped like broken walls … the kind shaped like broken hearts.

The relationship that cracked under the weight. The mistake you still replay. The disappointment that sits heavy in the corners of your soul. The spiritual drift you didn’t plan… but somehow lived.

Ezra reminds us:

God does His best work in places that look beyond repair.

When the people returned to Jerusalem, they didn’t arrive to triumph. They arrived to rubble. The temple was more memory than building. The city looked like a warzone. And the people looked like they’d forgotten how to hope.

But God hadn’t forgotten how to rebuild.

He stirred a pagan king to fund the work. He stirred a priest to teach the Word. He stirred a weary people to lift the stones.

And out of all that lifting and learning and leaning on Him, something beautiful began to rise.

Because rebuilding is never just about construction. It is about restoration. It is about a people returning not only to their land but to their Lord.

This is the heartbeat of Ezra:

When God’s hand is on you and God’s Word is in you, God’s work will flow through you.

Not perfectly. Not instantly. But faithfully… in the quiet, consistent, grace-filled ways that only God can orchestrate.

And maybe that’s the part we need today.

Because some of us are trying to rebuild things only God can raise. Some of us are sweeping up pieces when God is calling us to put the broom down and lift our eyes up.

Some of us are standing in front of ruins and forgetting that God specializes in resurrection.

Ezra whispers the truth we forget:

What sin breaks, God restores. What life dismantles, God rebuilds. What seems too far gone, God can redeem.

So if you find yourself standing among the rubble … of choices, of seasons, of circumstances … take heart.

Your Father is a Master Builder. He does not panic at ruins. He does not flinch at fractures. He does not back away from broken things.

He rebuilds them.

And in the story of Ezra … as in the story of your life … grace gets the final word.

The Supernatural in the Natural

by Shannon Tillman | Oct 16, 2025 | Bible Study, Blog, Thoughts

A recently promoted sixth grader came to talk to me as I was cleaning up after teaching the children’s lesson.  His shocked, wide eyes mirrored his statement, “Mrs. Shannon, the Samson story is much different in youth than in children’s church.”  He did not realize there was more to Delilah than just “cutting Samson’s hair”.  There had been filters in the message geared to kids and he wanted to let me know that youth is a whole new world compared to children’s church.

While his summary made me laugh, I feel the same way when I read the story of Samson.  It is a shocking tale of the supernatural and the natural.

Judges 13:2-5

A certain man of Zorah, named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, had a wife who was childless, unable to give birth. The angel of the Lord appeared to her and said, “You are barren and childless, but you are going to become pregnant and give birth to a son. Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean.  You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”

Samson was a miracle baby.  A barren woman birthed a son who had been dedicated to God in the womb.  He would deliver Israel from its archenemy – the Philistines.  In Samson’s life, there were other supernatural moments.

Judges 14:5-6a

As they approached the vineyards of Timnah, suddenly a young lion came roaring toward him.  The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat. 

 

Judges 15:14

As he approached Lehi, the Philistines came toward him shouting. The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him. The ropes on his arms became like charred flax, and the bindings dropped from his hands. Finding a fresh jawbone of a donkey, he grabbed it and struck down a thousand men.

Samson encountered powerful times when the Spirit of the Lord came upon him which allowed him to conquer the enemy in miraculous ways.  In the midst of his twenty years of leadership, Samson experienced the supernatural, but he also experienced the natural.

Judges 16:1

One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute. He went in to spend the night with her.

 

Judges 16:4

Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah.

The story of Samson leaves me wide-eyed and shocked as well, but not for the same reason as the sixth grader who came to talk to me.  It shocks me because in the midst of the natural, in the midst of the sin, the Spirit of God STILL came upon Samson.

Judges 16:1-3

One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute. He went in to spend the night with her. The people of Gaza were told, “Samson is here!” So they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the city gate. They made no move during the night, saying, “At dawn we’ll kill him.” But Samson lay there only until the middle of the night. Then he got up and took hold of the doors of the city gate, together with the two posts, and tore them loose, bar and all. He lifted them to his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron.

Samson’s choices in women continued to lead him into trouble.

Judges 16:4-6

Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah. The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, “See if you can lure him into showing you the secret of his great strength and how we can overpower him so we may tie him up and subdue him. Each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels of silver.” So Delilah said to Samson, “Tell me the secret of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued.”

In response to Delilah’s request, Samson told a series of lies, relying on the natural to help him keep Delilah while still not giving away the secret of his strength.

Judges 16:7-14

Samson answered her, “If anyone ties me with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, I’ll become as weak as any other man.” Then the rulers of the Philistines brought her seven fresh bowstrings that had not been dried, and she tied him with them. With men hidden in the room, she called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” But he snapped the bowstrings as easily as a piece of string snaps when it comes close to a flame. So the secret of his strength was not discovered. Then Delilah said to Samson, “You have made a fool of me; you lied to me. Come now, tell me how you can be tied. He said, “If anyone ties me securely with new ropes that have never been used, I’ll become as weak as any other man.” So Delilah took new ropes and tied him with them. Then, with men hidden in the room, she called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” But he snapped the ropes off his arms as if they were threads. Delilah then said to Samson, “All this time you have been making a fool of me and lying to me. Tell me how you can be tied.” Delilah then said to Samson, “All this time you have been making a fool of me and lying to me. Tell me how you can be tied.” He replied, “If you weave the seven braids of my head into the fabric on the loom and tighten it with the pin, I’ll become as weak as any other man.” So while he was sleeping, Delilah took the seven braids of his head, wove them into the fabric and tightened it with the pin. Again she called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” He awoke from his sleep and pulled up the pin and the loom, with the fabric.

In the midst of the natural:  sexual immorality, lying, manipulating, deceiving; Samson still had the power of God in his life.  That is what scares me the most in this story.  This can be our story as well:  looking like a God follower in front of others, yet living in compromise behind closed doors.  We can experience the Lord’s power through the gifts of God while the weakness of sin still consumes us.  The power of God can manifest even through people that do not exhibit the character of God.  In other words, we can look like a saint even while we are sinners.

It seems lately that scandal after scandal has come forth about Christian ministers and musicians.  Some of the accusations took place over years, even decades.  That means week after week they stood in front of others and ministered “in the name of the Lord’ all the while heinous sins were taking place once the crowds left.  I have heard preachers preach against the very sins they were committing.  I have heard singers lead worship while they are desecrating the Lord by their words and actions.  I once knew a marriage counselor who had been married four times.  What we say is not what we live.

It is easy to look at the scandals of others and think we are off the hook, as if our sins are not “that bad”.  But how often have we taught a Bible class while still in the midst of an unresolved argument with our spouse?  Or maybe praying to the Lord with someone after gossiping about others?  Or changing our tone of voice depending on if it is a family member or a church leader?  The natural and the supernatural collide.  Sometimes, God in His mercy, works powerfully even while we are in the midst of sin.  But that should not become our point of justification.  We should not think because the Lord is moving in our midst, that our sin should be ignored, minimized, or excused.  That is the warning from Samson.  There finally comes a point when the cover-up no longer works, and the truth is revealed.

Judges 16:15-24

Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when you won’t confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and haven’t told me the secret of your great strength.” With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was sick to death of it. So he told her everything. “No razor has ever been used on my head,” he said, “because I have been a Nazirite dedicated to God from my mother’s womb. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man.” When Delilah saw that he had told her everything, she sent word to the rulers of the Philistines, “Come back once more; he has told me everything.” So the rulers of the Philistines returned with the silver in their hands. After putting him to sleep on her lap, she called for someone to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him. And his strength left him. Then she called, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” He awoke from his sleep and thought, “I’ll go out as before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him. Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding grain in the prison. 

Samson, now physically blind, had been blind long before.  He was blind to the compromises in his life.  He was blind to the warnings in the Word of God given to all Israelites, being a leader in the nation did not put him above the law.  He was blind to the truth that the gifts of God are not more valuable than the character of God.

The shocking message of Samson is not his dysfunctional relationship with Delilah; the shocking part is the supernatural can manifest in the midst of our sin.  Take the warning of Samson.  He did not cut out sin, so Delilah cut his hair.  Let God cut off our sin instead of sin cutting off our ministry God has given us.

Weak Sheep

by Shannon Tillman | Oct 9, 2025 | Bible Study, Blog, Thoughts

I love watching the series on YouTube called “Made with Love”.  The shows highlight different families that have children with Down Syndrome.  Each family celebrates the unique qualities of the child and treasures the gifts each one brings to the family.  The series wanted to raise awareness because often those with Down Syndrome are considered outcasts simply because of their difference.  Yet, those who are surrounded by people with Down Syndrome realize the joy, the love, the gift of who they are.

I was reminded of this show as I was thinking of God’s flock in Ezekiel 34.

Ezekiel 34:20-22

Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says to them: “See, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. Because you shove with flank and shoulder, butting all the weak sheep with your horns until you have driven them away, I will save my flock, and they will no longer be plundered. I will judge between one sheep and another.”

God’s flock is different from what the world thinks a flock should be.  The world would choose the strong sheep, the winner, the fat sheep showing health and vitality.  Not God.  He picks the fragile, the weak, the one who loses the battle.  The overlooked are the ones He seeks after.

Ezekiel 34:15-16

I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.

The sleek and the strong are destroyed.  In God’s flock, He removes what is valued by the world, what is considered popular, successful, healthy, and strong.  Instead, the Lord chooses the lost, the stray, the injured, and the weak.

What the world overlooks, God sees.  What the world values, God destroys.  What the world injures, God heals.  What the world rejects, God accepts.  What the world discards, God finds.

Find comfort, little sheep, in the Shepherd who made you, who loves you, who chose you.  You may feel inadequate, lost, confused, lonely, forsaken, ignored, ridiculed, weary, downcast, rejected, and misunderstood.  That is the world’s words over you.  But today, hear God’s words to you.

Ezekiel 34:31

You are my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Sovereign Lord.

Look at the Sanctuary, Not the Situations

by Shannon Tillman | Oct 2, 2025 | Bible Study, Blog, Thoughts

I found myself staring out the window.  I had things to do, but the pain in my heart lulled me into a downward spiral of questions.  “How long, Lord, until you answer my prayers?  Where are you, God, in all this?  Why did You allow this to take place?”  It had been a difficult season that had lasted for years, and the time had weighed heavily on me.

I softly heard “Psalm 63” from a deep place within me.  This psalm was written by David in a dark time of his life.  He was in the desert, far from home and far from seeing answers to his prayers.  Yet, he continued to cry out to God.

Psalm 63:1a

A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah. You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you…

I, too, was seeking God, wondering where He was in the midst of the pain, the loss, the questions.  That is why I sat again with my Bible on my lap, longing for some word, longing for hope.  David felt the same.  He knew that God was not far off or removed.  That is why he confidently called the Lord, “my God”.  David knew they were in a relationship together.  David realized that in his desert he needed to pursue God as never before.

Psalm 63:1b

I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.

David’s longing is not casual, but a desperate attempt to connect with the Lord.  In the desert, David sought the only One who could satisfy the cries of his heart.  Every other source had dried up.  No person, no situation, no comfort of this world could meet the need David had.  He longed for God and God alone.

Psalm 63:2

I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.

David was in the desert.  His location was far from the Tabernacle in Jerusalem, the place where the people of Israel came to worship the Lord.  Yet, David in the wilderness saw the sanctuary of God.  Although the physical sanctuary was miles away, the spiritual sanctuary was close in the wilderness.  It was as near as taking a moment to lift his eyes off of the difficult circumstances and placing them on heaven.  Not just heaven, but on the God who reigns with power and glory.

In our difficult times, we need to be reminded that God is over all of our circumstances.  In our situations, we feel helpless.  We need a fresh revelation of God’s power.  In our circumstances, we become consumed by our problems.  We must see God’s glory to receive an eternal perspective on life, compared to our finite, limited view.

The word “glory” can also be translated as “weight”.  It is the visible manifestation of the attributes of God.  That is heavy.  Too often, we are crushed by our difficulties, instead of focusing on the glory of God.  When we see His glory, our circumstances become light as the heaviness of the character of God weighs on us.  We are reminded of who He is, the One who reigns sovereignly over every aspect of our lives as well as everything in the universe.  His attributes last beyond time and will usher us into eternity with Him.  Focusing on the glory of God diminishes our view on the temporary problems in our lives.

Every problem, every difficulty, has an end date.  The Lord alone knows the end from the beginning.  But a thousand years from now, all of our problems are guaranteed to be over.  The pain of earth will be forgotten as we dwell in the glory of God.  Until that time comes, as we walk through the deserts of life, what should we do?

Psalm 63:3

Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.

David realized the love of God outweighed the pain of life.  David chose to lift his eyes up from the situations and onto the glory of God.  When he did, he responded with giving God glory, with giving the Lord praise.

Psalm 63:4

I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.

When we see the glory of God, when we focus on Him, our words change.  For our words no longer paint the picture of the desert surrounding us, but instead the sanctuary that is above us.  The hands once hanging limp in weary defeat, now are lifted to the One who is worthy of praise, no matter what we are going through.

Psalm 63:5

I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

The psalmist who had been thirsting after God in the wilderness, now experiences full satisfaction which can only be found in God’s presence.  The once parched lips of a desert wanderer, now sings songs of praise.

We all walk through deserts.  This world is not our home; it is a wilderness that seeks to destroy us.  But it is not the final answer.  If we stare only at our painful circumstances, the desert will creep into our hearts.  But if we look at God in His sanctuary, heaven will invade our lives and our situations.

Look up, weary desert wanderer.  God is seated on His throne displaying His power and His glory.  Let us give Him all the praise!