Month: June 2023

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Reconciliation or Steadfast unforgiveness?

Obadiah 1, Ps 82-83 “An Unforgiving Heart” Edom is the land of Esau, the twin of Jacob. Jacob stole Esau’s birthright as well as his father’s blessing. Esau fostered this hatred throughout his nation, and they carried a bitter grudge for centuries. Outwardly, Esau acted like he forgave Jacob when he returned home, but years later assisted the Babylonians as Judah was fleeing. They were traitors to the core, all because of an unforgiving spirit.  So Obadiah writes that they will be made small, be slaughtered, face shame, be swallowed up, and be extinguished from the earth. What strong words!  

Obadiah reminds Edom that they “should not” have done what they chose to do and provides a lesson for us about cultural and racial hatred. Instead, we are to pray for those who curse and mistreat us, hoping they will turn and be saved. [Luke 6:28]  The reason is to hope “that they may seek you, O Lord…and know that you alone are the Lord, the Most High over all the earth.” [Psalm 83:16-18]

Where are we praying for cultural and racial reconciliation? Are we a part of it or a hindrance?  

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Finishing Well

2Chron 19-23 King Jehoshaphat started out well but did not finish well. That should be a warning to us. Just because we are saved and walking with the Lord now does not guarantee our walk later. So how do we keep on the straight and narrow path and not get diverted into the way of sin? Paul’s advice: “be ye steadfast immovable always abounding in the work of the Lord” [1Cor 15:58]. The key is being steadfast and immovable, like a ton of bricks. How are you doing in that department today?

We all make mistakes occasionally, and King Jehoshaphat did that, not just once but twice, by aligning with wicked kings. We don’t read of him seeking forgiveness for his errors like King David, but he was careful to do what the Lord approved otherwise. That little word “otherwise” stands out at the end of his life. Is that what we want on our tombstones?  

What is the lesson for us? Keep our eyes and hearts attuned to God so that when our death date arrives, we can hear, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant instead of “otherwise.” How gracious was God to this king, and how gracious He is to us? 

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Advice Scorned

2Chron 18; 1 Kings 22 One can almost hear the voice of James as he might have recalled this OT story.

“you ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, so you can spend it on your passions.” [James 4:3] So, let’s backtrack to see why.

King Ahab is a wicked king of Israel, yet the righteous king of Judah, Jehoshaphat, has divided allegiances when he chooses to marry Ahab’s daughter. But family is family, and so Jehoshaphat goes to visit his father-in-law. While there, Ahab tests him by asking him to go with him into battle against his enemy. Instantly he answers, of course—but quickly says first, let’s ask a prophet his advice. Ahab scornfully says there is only one prophet of God there, yet interestingly he knows that the godly prophet Micaiah is a truth-teller. Therefore when Micaiah tells him that he will lose in this battle and die, he should have listened. But fools do not listen! But Ahab desires victory over obedience, so he ignores his words. End of story: the words of the godly prophet come true; Ahab is killed in battle.

The moral of the story is don’t ask God for something if you are unwilling to listen and obey.

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The Tenth Commandment & Repentance

1 Kings 20-21 King Ahab of Israel flaunted and disregarded the Ten Commandments of God. His disregard of the tenth “thou shalt not covet” was like sticking a finger in the eye of God. He had seen the power of God at the Mt. Carmel contest, yet he needed a “trinket” to salve his loss. Visiting the beautiful vineyard of Naboth, he offered to buy it but was rebuffed because Naboth treasured his inheritance. No matter how much money Ahab offered Naboth, he refused to sell to the king. What do you treasure more than your very life? What about your eternal inheritance? Is it worth more or would you be willing to sell your soul to the highest bidder?

Ahab is like a spoiled child and retreats to his room to pout. Not to be outdone, Ahab’s wife plots to get the vineyard through the satanic tool of “seek, kill, and destroy.”

Perhaps Peter was thinking of this story when he wrote those words in 1Pet 5:8 and warned the Christians to be sober and alert!

Ahab broke the tenth commandment, but God’s grace and mercy outweigh our sins. Humility goes a long way in God’s eyes. Where are you pouting? Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God. [1Pet 5:6]

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The Prayer of the Righteous

1 Kings 17-19 Elijah is a mighty prophet of God. His prayers reach heaven and are answered with a mighty response. He prays over a child, and his life is restored; he prays over a sacrifice, and it is consumed. How about mine/yours? Do our prayers reach heaven? The psalmist reminds his reader that if one has sin in their heart, God will not listen. [Ps 66:18] This is the case of the wicked and false prophets of Baal.

Listen in to the dialog between Elijah and the prophets of Baal, whose demonstration and futility are viewed by his followers. There is no response from heaven to those, even with all their bloodletting, and Elijah uses that to mock them. Perhaps Baal is on a long journey, or he is indisposed. But, after many an hour, Elijah steps up to the platform and calls upon the true God, Yahweh. Then, all of heaven listens and responds and demonstrates the power of prayer. Truly, the prayer of the righteous has great effectiveness. [James 5:16]

The result was that the people fell down and said, “The Lord is the true God!” [1 Kings 18:39] Is this your response when you see the power of God in answer to prayer?

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Like Father, Like Son

Fathers take heed

1 Kings 15 As the father Jeroboam lived and reigned, so his son Nadab did. Thus the prophecy came true regarding Jeroboam given by Ahijah the Shilonite. Jeroboam had been given a promise from God that his reign would prosper and his sons and the nation of Israel would be honored IF he obeyed God and worshiped God.  But, again, as before, the fear of man was his downfall. [Prov 29:25] Jeroboam feared the people would return to Rehoboam and Judah, so he compromised with two golden calves he erected. Secondly, he chose many to be priests that were not Levites.

Compromise is the downfall of righteousness. This is not new. It began in the Garden, and today, we see this fruit in our own country’s leadership. God allows the downfall to happen as a lesson for those who are alive to learn from their mistakes. But we are slow learners and one generation away from purity and holiness. “For everything that was written in former times was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and through encouragement of the scriptures we may have hope.” [Rom 15:4] 

Remember, God allowed all of this “because they did not have faith in God and did not trust his ability to deliver them.” [Ps 78:22] Where is your faith today?

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Fear: Our Biggest Enemy

2 Chron 14- 16; 1 Kings 15 Fear’s stronghold

There are stories about those who start strong yet finish last. In today’s reading, we see Asa start as a faithful king, yet he becomes unfaithful at the end of his life. We struggle with these stories because, in some ways, it is a reflection of ourselves, and we fool ourselves by saying I won’t be like Asa. But, unfortunately, we are more like Asa than we care to admit.

So what went wrong with Asa? What goes wrong with us? Asa is a classic example of how we handle a crisis. It was then that Asa feared men more than God. The Proverbs author reminds us that “the fear of man is a snare, BUT he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted.” [Prov 29:25] Like Asa, we allow fear to control our decision-making.

Learn from Asa; remember this truth: men will fail you every time, but God will always be faithful. [Ps 118:8]

We could make a top ten list of why we fail, but at the number one spot is the fear of men. How do you handle the enemy of fear? Share your thoughts.

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The Cost of Pride and Arrogance

1 Kings 12 to14: Listen up! Wisdom is found in the aged who have been tested and proven true, just as we test a garment or a tool. The recent destruction of the submersible seems like our story today in 1 Kings 12. A wise king raises a fool; others pay the price for our pride and arrogance. 

Solomon’s son Rehoboam sought wise counsel about how to lead the nation after his father’s passing but rejected the wisdom of the elders and listened to his young advisors.  Job remarks: “Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?” [Job 12:12] Rehoboam, much like King Saul, did not follow Job’s advice and rejected older, more mature, and wiser people. How often do we think we know better when our older mature gray heads tell us nay or yea?

Rehoboam failed because God had prophesied to Solomon of the nation’s division because he had not wholly followed the Lord. The result was a divided kingdom, wars, and rumors of wars. All because of men’s pride and arrogance.

Paul wisely offers us this counsel: Everything was written in former times for our instruction. [Rom 15:4] May we learn from Rehoboam what “not to do and what to do?”

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Prescription for the “blah days”

Psalm 86

Ps 86-88 We all have them; the blah days.  You may feel disheartened because of x,y, or z. You can’t seem to find your way out of this feeling. It just wraps its arms around you, and you just feel blah and wonder what is causing it.  Precious one, God knows and cares about your ups and downs. He knows you from the tips of your fingers to the tips of your toes. Who better to go to in times like this? 

The psalmist gives us his thoughts and advice. First and foremost, center your focus on God through prayer. Tell God how you feel and why. Be honest with God. Listen to the psalmist as he sorted his feelings out. God, You are patient, lovingly kind, and faithful. 

GOD, YOU ALONE ARE GOD! Make me wholeheartedly committed to you! [Ps 86:11]

This is how you get through those times we all experience from time to time. So when you feel like you are in the pits and facing the “one-two-three punch” day, follow these steps and find peace, reconciliation, and a renewed view of your circumstance.

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Striving is like hitting potholes…

Prov 30 There is never just one pothole; they seem to go on over and over, making our ride bumpy and uncomfortable. Striving rather than being satisfied is much like that. Listen to the words of Agur in Proverbs 30. It is noted that his words are an oracle which is a burden that one is carrying or a divine utterance delivered to man, usually in answer to a request for guidance. Surely that latter definition fits here because Agur repeatedly asks God to help him because “he has not learned wisdom.” [Prov 30:3] That is a picture of one who humbly submits to God for guidance.

As the chapter progresses, we see his requests. He doesn’t want to strive for wealth because wealth can disappear in an instant. Instead, it is only through the words of God he will be purified. Agur advises others who are also facing similar situations that only God’s word is purified, tested, and proven genuine, just as Paul noted in  2Tim 3:16. The psalmist also recognized that. “Your instructions are totally reliable;” [Ps 119:160]. Finally, Agur also warns of adding to God’s divine inspiration. The Apostle John echoed those exact words in Rev 22:18.

This brings us to our question:  How is your ride today? Are you striving or satisfied with what God has given you? Do you seek God above all else?  

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