Glorify the Lord with Me!

I'm Still Here!

2010-05-24T07:16:00.003-05:00

Last week of school for 2009-2010....looking forward to summer. I have high hopes that this brief blog this morning will be the first of many this summer.

Post a comment and spur me on toward love and good deeds!

Hebrews 10:24 (New International Version)

²⁴And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

Goodbye 2009

2009-12-31T11:32:00.006-06:00

Wow, 2009 was quite a year, don't ya think? It was certainly a roller coaster ride for me and my family. We enjoyed some real high points: Zach promoted to high school and received his driving permit; we purchased 40 acres, built a house, and moved in before Thanksgiving; I started teaching at the high school; I had the thrilling experience of praying with several children who received Christ at Vacation Bible School.

We have also faced several obstacles, and as you can imagine, the high points I listed above bring a fair amount of stress with them. My personal area of sin is fear and worry. Lately, I have been waking up before my alarm clock with my mind swirling with worries. Panic usually sets in before I think to pray.

This morning, a word picture came to mind. I was 10 years old again and learning how to snow ski. I came around an icy corner and fell down because I felt out of control. As I tried to scramble to my feet, my skis slid toward the edge of what seemed a steep cliff to a beginner. I whimpered and begged my daddy to help me. He stood about 10 feet away on flat ground, telling me I could stand. Yet, every time I tried to get my skis under me, I would slide closer to the drop off. My tears brought my daddy to my side, and his strong arms steadied me as I righted myself.

That is the situation I find myself in currently. I can feel myself sliding toward the precipice of fear and despair. I am calling out to my Father to bring me peace. I know he is standing only a few feet away, but I long to have him scoop me up in his arms and carry me to safety. I don't want to wade through the tough circumstances anymore. I just want life to be easy.

For now, I am grateful for the glimpses of heaven and God's goodness to me.
Thank you for your friendship and love in 2009. You are what keeps me moving forward!

Jesus' Death and Resurrection

2009-09-07T13:16:00.007-05:00

Without a doubt, the chapters we will discuss here are the climax of God's love story with mankind. It makes me nervous because I know my writing will not do it justice. I have spent the past two weeks reading of the death and resurrection of Jesus in all four gospels: Matthew 26-28, Mark 15-16, Luke 22-24, and John 19-21. It is tough to put into words all the emotions involved as I read through the torture my Lord endured on my behalf. The amount of material we need to cover is very overwhelming to me as well. So, I just want to point out some things that stood out to me.

Matthew
26:31--Jesus exposed one of the greatest tactics of the enemy: he strikes the shepherd in order to scatter the sheep. This should cause us to be on our knees for anyone in authority over us. Without strong, godly leaders, we are doomed to self-destruct.

26:50--Jesus called Judas "Friend." Could I do that, knowing that Judas was there to stab me in the back?

27:41-44--The Pharisees mocked Jesus for being able to save others, but not himself. They were totally oblivious to the ultimate truth that Jesus' purpose was solely to save others. He had no intention of saving himself from death. By His death, we are saved! Hallelujah and Amen!!!

27:51-53--When Jesus gave up his spirit, the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom, and the graves were opened. That is the supreme climax to God's love story. There is no more separation between God and man. Jesus tore away the veil and granted us entrance into the throne room of heaven. If you don't read another thing I write, please understand this! Jesus Christ has made a way for you to speak directly to your heavenly Father. Don't miss it!

27:54--The centurion recognized the deity of Christ. "Surely he was the son of God!" Do you recognize it?

28:1-7--Jesus was already gone when the angel rolled the stone away. Cool!

28:18-20--These verses are the Great Commission. They are our marching orders. Go. Make disciples. Baptize. Teach. Are you obeying the command of God?

Mark
15:5, 10, 15--Pilate was amazed at the silence of Jesus during the trial, and he knew that the whole situation centered around the envy the Jews had toward Jesus. Yet, Pilate chose to satisfy the bloodthirsty crowd. Sad, sad. Girls, let's choose to be people of integrity who do the right thing, not the people-pleasing thing.

15:32--Do you think the Jewish leaders really wanted Jesus to prove himself to them and "come down that we may see and believe"? I doubt it.

16:11, 13, 14--The unbelief of the disciples astounds me! I have to think it frustrated the Lord as well. God, help me believe you!!!

16:16--"Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." I believe in Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord. I have been baptized as a believer. Have you? What's your story?

Luke
22:42--"Not my will, but yours be done." This, my friend, is true obedience, to give up our own desires to fulfill the desires of God.

22:33, 34, 54-62--Peter swore he would NEVER deny Christ, yet he did it 3 times before the day was over. Never say never. . . . I believe Jesus allowed Peter this humbling experience to teach him not to judge others who grow weak in their faith. I, like Peter, often grow over-confident in my self-righteousness. I've been in Peter's shoes more times than I want to admit. How about you?

24:13-35--I love the Walk to Emmaus story. Do you? Have you ever been on a Walk to Emmaus retreat? Email me your story!!

John
19:35, 20:31, 21:24--John wrote his story with one purpose--so we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that we may have life in his name. Sounds like a wonderful life-purpose to me! My purpose is to glorify the Lord and to invite others to join me. What's yours?

19:38--Joseph was a secret disciple. Is there such a thing? Can you follow God and not have anyone find out? What do you think?

20:16--Mary recognized Jesus when he called her by name! Do you recognize his voice calling you?

21:7--I love that Peter was never afraid to jump out of the boat. Let's join him!

21:19--Peter would glorify God in death. I pray that I will too.

21:25--John admitted that he could have written bucket loads more stories of the life of Jesus, but the world would not be able to contain all the books. I bet you are thinking the same thing about my lengthy blog post!

I asked a bunch of questions this time, ladies. I hope you will choose one or two to answer. Click on the comment link on my blog site, and let's discuss what you think!

John 15-17

2009-08-22T07:18:00.010-05:00

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5) Jesus is the faithful one in our relationship. He remains in me no matter the circumstance. I am the one who finds myself in and out of Christ. Remaining in relationship with Jesus takes effort on my part. It requires that I read my Bible, memorize it, talk about it with others, live by it. Staying connected to God is directly related to my consistency in prayer and quiet time with Him. And my fruit bearing is directly related to my consistency in remaining in direct contact with Jesus, the living vine. Have you born any fruit lately?

Jesus chose us for the purpose of bringing glory to the Father. We do that by loving Him, obeying Him, and bearing fruit in Him. We bear fruit for Christ when we produce things in our lives that are like Christ. A pear tree bears pears. A pecan tree bears pecans. A Christian bears Christians. I know the joy of holding someone's hand as they receive Christ into their lives. Do you? It is a thrill I cannot describe to you unless you have been there! If you are unsure about your own salvation, will you please ask me about how to know for certain you will spend eternity with Jesus? If it has been awhile since you shared your faith with someone to receive Christ, will you let me know so I can help and encourage and pray with you?

"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other." (John 15:16-17) [I just had a wonderful flashback to when my children were ages 3 and 1. They would wrap one another in a bear hug, and Zach would say, "Cuz we love you-ch other!"] Obey Christ's command to love your fellow Christians. Then you will be able to walk together in unity as you bear the fruit of bringing others into relationship with God. My friends, it doesn't get any better than that!!!

My daughter was really moved this week by Jesus' words in John 15:18 through 16:4. In this life, we should expect persecution, even anticipate it. Enduring persecution for the Name of Jesus is another identifying mark of a true disciple. Are you following in the footsteps of Jesus? Are you doing exactly what He whispers in your ear? Then do not be shocked when the enemy attacks. Stand firm. Stand proud to be a spokesman for your Lord.

John 16:5-16 should bring warmth and comfort to your soul. Jesus has not left us without a Counselor. He has given us His Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth to convict us yes, but also to guide us, to speak God's Word to us, to reveal the very presence of God to us, and to give us the spiritual eyes to see God's activity. Do you see God at work daily? Are you looking for Him in anticipation? Then He will show up to you!

Remain in the vine. Stay connected to God. Be filled with the Spirit. We are gonna see my Jesus face to face, soon and very soon!

Will you complete today's reading with John 17:20-26? This is Jesus' prayer for you and for me, dear sister. He wants us to be in Him. He wants you and me to walk together in unity. I wanna see His GLORY!!! Will you join me?

John 14

2009-08-18T12:08:00.002-05:00

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me." (v. 1) These words of Jesus are certainly appropriate for our lives today. Whenever I ask people how they are doing, more often than not, their answers are filled with the worries crowding their minds. Does stress have you buried? Trust in God. Trust in Jesus.

In the remainder of John 14, Jesus gives us a list of things of which we can be assured.

(v. 2) Jesus is preparing a place in heaven for his followers.

(v. 6) Jesus is the only way to heaven. He is the only truth. He is the only life. There is no other way to the Father except through his son Jesus.

(v. 10) Jesus and the Father are one.

(v. 13) Jesus will do what we ask in his name and for his glory.

(v. 16) Jesus will send the Comforter in the form of the Holy Spirit, who will live within us.

(v. 28) Jesus is coming again!

Our responsibility in God's grand scheme: Trust. Love. Obey.

When all around you is a sea of trouble, rest in these promises, my friend. Pass them along to someone else who is plagued by worry today.

John 13:34-35

2009-08-17T07:23:00.003-05:00

First we will finish the last few verses of John 13, and then we will move forward into chapter 14 in our next blog post.

John 13:34-35—“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” A new command? Was it not already a Jewish cultural mandate to love God first and your neighbor second? (Matthew 22:37-39; Mark 12:30-31; Luke 10:27). What was new about Jesus’ words, “Love one another?”

Remember that Jesus was giving his last instructions before leaving earth. He knew for a fact that the enemy’s first attack on this band of believers would cause them to turn on one another and to scatter them and break their bond of love for one another. Imagine if you were a wife to one of the disciples, and a Roman soldier came to your door the week after the crucifixion. Say the soldier asked you if your husband Thomas had been with Jesus. Wouldn’t you be tempted to say, “No, he wasn’t with Jesus, but I’m pretty sure Simon Peter was.” Jesus strongly warned his disciples to cement their bond of love for one another because he knew they were going to need the support. United we stand. Divided we fall.

The enemy’s first line of attack on the church in our day is division. As I look back over my 30 year history as a member of six different Baptist churches, I can recall divisive attitudes in almost every one of them. Lord Jesus, if it is me, please remove my lamp stand!

Take a look at the following verses from Leviticus 19. Ask God to bring you to your knees in prayer and confession as you recognize any of these divisive actions in your own life and in the life of your church family. May God heal our broken bonds of unity.

¹¹" 'Do not steal.
" 'Do not lie.
" 'Do not deceive one another.

¹² " 'Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.

¹³ " 'Do not defraud your neighbor or rob him.
" 'Do not hold back the wages of a hired man overnight.

¹⁴ " 'Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the LORD.

¹⁵ " 'Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.

¹⁶ " 'Do not go about spreading slander among your people.
" 'Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor's life. I am the LORD.

¹⁷ " 'Do not hate your brother in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in his guilt.

¹⁸ " 'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

John 13

2009-08-14T07:02:00.000-05:00

You know the feeling you have when you are helping your children prepare for a major milestone such as their first day of Kindergarten, their driver's test, or their first time to go away to college? You are worried and stressed and proud of them all at the same time. Most of all you wonder if you have done a thorough job as a parent to teach them all the necessities. As you drive them to their destination, you give them a crash course in what you may have left out of their training, and you quiz them over all the things you pray they will remember. That is what is happening at the last supper Jesus shared with His disciples.

John 13:1--"Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father." It was time to remind the disciples of all the critical information Jesus had poured into them over the previous three years. So these last few hours Jesus spent with his brood should grab our attention. This is the important stuff. The stuff that will help us pass the test of this Christian life. The stuff that will transport us from earth to heaven when we pass on. Pay attention, girls. Don't miss it!

John 13:2--"Jesus showed them the full extent of his love." Now, you and I would think that Jesus' death on the cross would be the full extent of his love; so why did John use those words concerning a footwashing? Some churches today have footwashing ceremonies, and they are very moving indeed. A very humbling experience. But in Jesus' day footwashing was a very common daily practice. The lowest servant of the household took care of this nasty task for weary travelers.

Why did Jesus choose this action to demonstrate his passion for his closest friends? May it have been because his friends fully expected Jesus to challenge the Roman army at any moment? They had all placed their bets that Jesus the Messiah was ready to stake his claim and be King of all the earth. Jesus' act of humility as he bowed low to wash their feet was in stark contrast to the picture they had painted of him in their dreams. In fact, Jesus' actions that evening would bring their dreams crashing down around them. As Jesus bent over Peter's feet, Peter lashed out in anger. In taking on the form of a lowly servant, Jesus risked becoming a huge disappointment to the men in the room. Ever the master teacher, Jesus used this event as an illustration of servant leadership. This was a major lesson that would be critical for the success of his followers. You and I included. John 13:17--"Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."

John 13:19--"I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He." Jesus wanted his disciples to be absolutely certain of their faith in Him. The enemy wants us to be disillusioned when Christ doesn't do things the way we envision.

John 13:31--"When he [Judas] was gone...." Jesus wanted Judas to hear the lesson on being a servant and on being sure of who Christ was. However, before Jesus discussed more intimate details about the Father, he dismissed Judas to carry out Satan's plan. That is interesting to me. The application I hear the Spirit making in my life is, "Don't be absent and miss the good stuff!" I want to be so close to Jesus that I cannot possibly miss what he wants me to hear. That's one of the reasons I never want to miss church. (Okay, being married to the preacher is the other reason. ha.) I also like to tell people that I sit on the front row so that I can soak up more of the Holy Spirit! Application: be very present in your relationship with Jesus. Do not miss a single word.

One of my favorite words is "glory." So, let's take a look at what Jesus meant in vs. 31-32 when he said the Son of Man and God are glorified. First of all, he was referring to himself when he used the term Son of Man. (Daniel 7:13). But what did he mean when he said he was now glorified? Many people think of glory as honor and praise, but in John 13, Jesus is hours away from a brutal death. My favorite definition is that glory represents the very presence of God. I believe that in these verses Jesus is saying that, in his suffering, the world will now fully see the presence of God. Through Jesus' sacrificial death, his deity would be made fully known. So, when you and I glorify God, we are not simply giving him praise and honor; we are making him fully known to the world. What are your thoughts on this idea?

Next time I will write about some of Jesus' directions to his disciples. I will start with John 13:34 and continue through chapter 14. God's Word is so good to the very last drop!

Matthew 17-18

2009-08-03T07:05:00.002-05:00

It’s been said “A Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t.” I read this quote on Greg Laurie's blog. What do you think about it?

Matthew 17:1-13--Describe your most recent mountain top experience for us. Mine was seeing 12 children pray to choose Jesus as their Savior at Bible school!

Matthew 17:14-23--Two things I never want to hear Jesus say to me, "How long shall I put up with you?" and "You have so little faith." Jesus, I want to please you! Help me not to frustrate you!

Matthew 17:24-27--What a fun reminder that God is able to supply my every need!!! (You are reading the Scriptures and not just my lame commentary, right??)

Matthew 18:1-14--"Who is the greatest among us?" Who cares!!!!!!!!! That's not what it is all about! Forgive me just a moment while I rant. Why do we wear our feelings on our sleeves at church? Why do we get our feathers ruffled when someone snubs us? Why in the world do we even care if someone does or doesn't notice us at worship service? Who are we there to worship anyway? Church is NOT about us!!!! I am preaching at myself as much as anybody else. I too feel sorry for myself if so-and-so didn't welcome me with open arms at Sunday school. How frustrating we must be to our heavenly Father! (Sorry for all the exclamation points. AT LEAST I DIDN'T TYPE IN ALL CAPS!!!!)

Matthew 18:15-35--Wow! Jesus is getting nosy here, don't ya think? Have you ever been offended by someone at church? [giggle] Who hasn't been, right? How did you handle it? Did you follow the steps Jesus gives?
1. Go privately to the person.
2. Take one or two other believers with you.
3. Take it before the church.
My guess is that it is much easier to follow the steps that Satan gives.
1. Get mad.
2. Gossip.
3. Brag about how much better I am than the other person who obviously isn't even a Christian because how could she dare say anything negative about me because I am so holier than thou? Ouch.

Again, I am just as guilty as the next person in this area. I think that is why I am so frustrated when I see people at odds with one another. Satan is so sneaky, and it doesn't take much prodding from him to get us stirred up against one another. Will you covenant with me to pray that God will cultivate forgiveness in the hearts of His people? Let's promise to be forgiving toward one another. Be like a duck and let hurtful words roll off your back. When your feelings are hurt, in love, speak directly to the one who hurt you. Do not make it a church-wide issue. Nip it in the bud!!!

I love you girls! Please forgive me when I am selfish and unkind. And talk directly to me about it rather than stab me in the back.

Luke 10-12

2009-07-28T06:34:00.002-05:00

My church recently finished studying Your Church Experiencing God Together by Henry and Mel Blackaby. It was terrific! As I reviewed what God had taught me over the last ten weeks, I noticed that I view myself somewhat as a “spiritual recruiter.” My philosophy is that being a part of the Body of Christ is way more fun if you are in over your head doing your part. So, I keep my eyes open for pew sitters, and I do what I can to encourage people (okay, maybe even twist their arms) to get involved in ministry. Unfortunately, I probably scare the wits out of some people when I get them in my sights.

My recruiting for Team Jesus is more likely to end on a positive note when I take the time to mentor the person I enlist. As I read the teaching of Jesus in Luke 10-12, I realized that it provides a remarkable outline for training others to follow Christ.

Go and tell others the good news. (10:1-24)
Love God. Love people. (10:25-37)
Sit at the feet of Jesus and worship him. (10:38-42)
Pray. (11:1-13)
Fill your life with godly thoughts, not evil. (11:14-36)
Faith is built on grace, not on self-righteousness. (11:37-54)
Speak up for your faith in Christ. (12:1-12)
Be generous rather than selfish. (12:13-21)
Trust God and do not worry. (12:22-34)
Be prepared and anticipate Christ’s return. (12:35-59)

We may be tempted to rearrange the outline a bit and move the Go and Tell portion to the end when our pupil is more mature in her faith. Never squelch the fire of a new believer! Allow her to tell her story and bring others to faith in her excitement. Then if you are faithful to your task, God will enable you to disciple your recruit, plus the people she wins to Christ. One of my greatest joys this summer was to pray with children who wanted to follow Jesus at Vacation Bible School. One night we celebrated the salvation of a little girl, and the next evening, the very first thing she asked me was, “Do you know Jesus as your Savior?” I was thrilled to be asked! After responding with an enthusiastic, “Yes, I do!” I encouraged her to keep asking all her friends and family that same question.

I am asking you, "Do you know Jesus as your Savior?" Whom will you ask today?

Luke 8-10

2009-07-25T17:07:00.002-05:00

8:1—“After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God.”—Have you traveled any this summer? Have you proclaimed the good news to anyone? Tell us about it!

8:3b—“These women were helping to support them out of their own means.”—Have you helped support any Christian mission projects? Tell us about it!

8:9—“His disciples asked him what this parable meant.”—One of our deacon’s wives in Colorado told me that she always prays before she does her Bible reading and asks God to make His Word clear to her as she reads. When you do not comprehend God’s Word, who better to ask for clarification than the author himself?

Read and compare these two verses—
8:39—“'Return home and tell how much God has done for you.' So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.” & 8:56—“Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.”—Why was it okay to spread the good news that the demon-possessed were healed, but not okay to tell that the dead were raised?

9:23—“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”—Are you choosing to follow Jesus no matter the cost today? (Luke 9:57-62) Share your story with us!

Read the fabulous story in Luke 10 about Jesus sending out 72 missionaries. My favorite verses are 16-21. The missionaries returned with joy, and Jesus was full of joy because of their stories! Can you just picture the exciting celebration their group had? Do you realize that Jesus gets excited when you and I go on mission too? When was the last time that your Lord rejoiced over your story?

Let’s finish reading Luke 10 through 12 tomorrow, okay; because I really want you to take the time today to post a comment on the blog or to send me an email to answer some of the questions I asked you today. Pretty please, with sugar on it???

Mark 10

2009-07-07T07:40:00.004-05:00

Okay, I sat down to read Mark 10 one more time before writing my blog, and I fully intended to write a comparison of the rich young man and blind Bartimaeus. I still may, but this morning one verse jumped off the page at me, and my friend Cindy says we should always pay attention when a particular word leaps at us from God’s Word.

“It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. (Mark 10:5) Is my heart so hard against God that I ask Him to let me get by with breaking a commandment? The Pharisees were asking Jesus about divorce, but you and I may ask God about any one of the commands. Is it lawful for me to tell this “little white lie”? Is it okay for me to leave this item out of my tax report? Isn’t it my right to take the life of my unborn child if I choose? Shouldn’t I leave my husband so I can be happy with another man? God, I want her house, her car, and her family, pretty please? Okay. . . just to be clear, I personally am NOT asking these questions of God, but you and I know people who have.

Let me attempt to paint a word picture. I have taught high school business in three different schools since I graduated from the University of North Texas in 1991. During those years a great number of my students have excelled in my classes, making terrific grades, creating fabulous products, and earning awards at contests. At the same time, some of my students did just enough work to get by. Same teacher, same classroom, same expectations. The students who followed the rules, performed the work, and met the expectations were the outstanding students, not only in my classes, but throughout their high school careers and beyond. The students who did not put forth the effort, and who did not turn in their work, were usually the students who asked me to bend the rules for them. “Please, Mrs. Young, give me one more day.” “Do I have to answer all the problems?” “Can’t I skip this one because I don’t understand it? or don’t like it? or don’t agree with it? or don’t want to put forth the effort it will take to finish it well????”

My students earn their grades in my classes. I don’t give grades. Excellent work earns excellent marks. Poor work and poor attitudes earn poor marks. What type of student am I in God’s classroom? Do I strive to please Him and to meet His expectations? Or do I whine, complain, and forget to do my homework? I do not believe a teacher should have to hound a student about completing a project, and I do not believe God will force us to obey His law. He will allow us to choose just to get by in life.

The rich young man in Mark 10 was not willing to put God first in his life, and Jesus allowed him to walk away sad. The rich man was not willing to submit his finances to God. He chose to excel in worldly wealth rather than in godly riches. Blind Bartimaeus was willing to place his trust in Jesus, and he found healing through his faith. He chose to follow Jesus rather than continue to sit by the roadside begging. Which of these students would you have voted as most likely to succeed? Which one is more likely to graduate at the top of God’s faith class?

I don’t know about you, but I want to finish this race as a medal winner, not as the guy who had to hitch a ride on the golf cart. Let’s not cut corners and wimp out on the hard assignments. Let’s rise to meet God’s expectations rather than ask Him to make an exception to the rules for us. I want to graduate with honors. How about you?

Matthew 5-7, The Sermon on the Mount

2009-06-26T08:25:00.004-05:00

Detailed person that I am, it will be very difficult for me to blog the entire Sermon on the Mount in one post, but I will make a valiant effort. Matthew 5-7 is packed full of fabulous material! Did Jesus really sit down on a single afternoon and preach this sermon to His disciples alone? Maybe.... I am much more inclined to believe that the truth in these chapters were the things Jesus shared with anyone who would listen. Throughout Jesus' three years of ministry, these were the important words He wanted everyone to hear and to follow with their lives. You and I would do well to find someone to mentor, and we could use these three short chapters to teach a new believer to be like Christ.

Matthew 5:48, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect," is the theme of the entire passage. Jesus has high expectations for His followers: have a godly attitude; be salt and light; be righteous; do not murder or commit adultery; do not divorce; be a person of integrity; love all people. We must admit we cannot possibly score perfectly in each of these categories, but we should be encouraged rather than discouraged to strive to reach the goal God has set for us. Because of my perfectionism, I sometimes do not attempt projects I know I will not execute well. That has not proven to be a helpful philosophy in life. Just because I cannot possibly be perfect as my heavenly Father is perfect, does not mean I should not put forth my best effort. Actually, in my own strength I cannot do it anyway. "But nothing is impossible with God!" Luke 1:37.

Did you notice in Matthew 6 that Jesus said to do these three things secretly: giving, praying, and fasting. Regarding each of those things, He cautioned against hypocrisy. My NIV Study Bible defines a hypocrite as a "play-actor." You and I would call a hypocrite a "faker." When I give, do I fake a cheerful spirit? When I pray, do I play-act in front of the congregation? When I fast, do I seek as much sympathy as I can find by whining about my grumbling stomach or bragging about my self-denial?

The remainder of the Sermon on the Mount teaches these principles: store up treasure in heaven by following God, not money; do not worry; do not judge others unfairly; ask God for what you need; and follow God's way, not the easy path of the world. Wow! If every person who claims to be a Christian would simply follow these instructions, wouldn't life be fun? Then if we would tell all our unbelieving friends and family members what a positive difference it makes in our lives to follow the straight and narrow path, couldn't their lives be changed as well?

The first parable at the end of the Sermon tells us that people will recognize our righteous living by what we do for Christ. The second parable tells us to be wise, not foolish, as we put Jesus' words into practice. If the Sermon on the Mount really was a one-time sermon, it packs a powerful punch, don't you think? Just like the crowds, I am amazed at Jesus' teaching, and I want to put it into practice today. I think I will invite someone else to join me in striving to reach God's goal of living perfect according to His standards. Will you join us too?

Mark 2-4

2009-06-18T13:19:00.011-05:00

Chapters 2 & 3 of Mark tell the same stories we read yesterday in Luke 4-6. So, unless somebody has questions about either of those chapters, I am going to focus on Mark 4 today. The theme of this chapter is Seed: the farmer and his seed, the growing seed, the mustard seed. I grew up as a farmer's daughter; so I hope you will indulge me as I explore some of the metaphors relating to seed and the Word of God.

Seed must be planted to produce a crop. Seed left too long in the grainery turns to rot. What good is a packet of wildflower seeds left in the garage? You and I attend Sunday school most every week. What are we doing with the Word of God we study? Is it rotting within us, or are we sowing it into the lives of others?

I searched the word germination and found the following wiki page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germination. A couple of things stood out to me as I read this page while thinking about sowing the Word of God. First of all, there are certain conditions that must be present for a seed to germinate: water, oxygen, temperature, light or darkness. When you and I talk to our friends and family about coming to know Jesus, the conditions must be right for the Word to sprout in their lives. God must be drawing them, and their hearts must be soft to accept His love. The wiki page even mentions that love is one of the conditions for germination. And I quote,

"You need love to make a plant grow too. If you abandon the plant and don't water it, it will die. If you take care of it and really want it to survive, it will live. Love is a big element you need to contribute to your plant. If the plant has water, oxygen, right temperature, and light/darkness it still won't survive without love. Love would motivate you to give it all of the things such as water, oxygen, right temperature, and light/darkness."

I hope you understand the spiritual application here. Are you and I taking care of the souls God has given us to grow for His Kingdom?

The second thing that stood out to me in the article was that there are several types of germination. Every seed has its own way of sprouting. Each person we meet has his own special needs. Don't think that one method of evangelism works every time. Build a relationship with the person God gives to you. Take the time to love them as Jesus loves them.

I also followed this link to read about sowing seeds: http://theseedsite.co.uk/seedsowing.html.
I liked this list from the page. As you read it, think about how it relates to sharing the Word of God with others.

Always use fresh compost
Always use clean pots
Always label the seeds
Don't let them dry out
Don't keep them wet
Watch out for predators - snails and slugs can get anywhere!
Improvise - use whatever you have that will give the seeds the conditions they need to germinate.
Don't be afraid to experiment - often, one 'expert' will tell you a particular type of seed needs to be stratified, and another 'expert' will tell you it needs to be sown in heat. Your guess is as good as theirs.
Finally - they won't grow if you don't sow them!

I also came across another blogger's page on the topic of the seed metaphor. I hope he won't mind if I send you to his page to read the collection of Bible passages he discovered where the sowing of seed is mentioned. I especially like the title of his page, don't you?

After Jesus told parables, then He would tell His disciples the true meaning. Mark 4:34b, "But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything." It made me wonder if you and I spend enough uninterrupted time with Jesus to allow Him to explain everything to us?

I sure hope you will ask a question or make a comment on today's reading. But if you don't, I would be totally thrilled if you would, "Come, glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt His Name together!" (Ps. 34:3)

Luke 4-6

2009-06-17T09:41:00.007-05:00

This passage begins with the temptation of Jesus. Notice that Jesus was "full of the Holy Spirit." He was also full of the Word of God, which is evident from the way Jesus handled each temptation. Likewise, you and I are able to face opposition from the enemy only when we are filled with God's Holy Spirit and with God's Holy Word.

"When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time." (v. 13) We are wrong to think that the wilderness temptation was the only time satan attacked Jesus. Evidently, every day of Jesus' earthly life presented "opportune" times for confrontation. Take a look at each of these examples in Luke 4-6.

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth--Do you remember what it was like to come home from college? You left town as a top-dog senior, and you drove home with expectations that everyone would be thrilled to see you. When you arrived, everyone had moved on with their lives, and their focus was on the new senior class. They had already forgotten you, and since you were a lowly college freshman, all they focused on was your incompetence.

Jesus had just won a major victory over the enemy in the desert. He had fasted and prayed for 40 days, and He was ready to conquer the world. The first obstacle he faced was his home town. Do you see how that was an opportune time for an enemy attack? You and I face it any time we come home from a spiritual retreat. The people we encounter at home have not been on the spiritual high, and it only takes one or two negative words to shoot us down. Jesus chose to move on and to stay focused on His mission.

Jesus Drives Out an Evil Spirit--Jesus was amazing the people with His teaching! Then right in the middle of his sermon, the demons tried to expose His deity. The time was not right, and Jesus told them to zip it! The enemy will always try to spoil our godly works by distracting our listeners.

Jesus Heals Many--What a temptation! The people were hanging on His every word, and they tried to convince Jesus to stay with them. However, He knew that God had called Him to spread the gospel to all people, not just one village. Flattery and ego-boosting are very effective tools for ruining the mission of Christians who are called to spread the good news.

The Calling of the First Disciples--"Don't be afraid!" I wonder if Jesus ever grew weary of telling His disciples to have more faith?

The Man with Leprosy--"Don't tell anyone." Jesus wanted this to be the man's own private miracle, yet the tale was told anyway. "Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." I wonder if He ever vented His frustration to the Father? I know I would be tempted to ask God if I could just smack somebody!

Jesus Heals a Paralytic--First of all, do you know how discouraging it is to have your Bible teaching interrupted? The enemy uses this tactic quite often. Just when the preacher is getting to the invitation, somebody's cell phone goes off, a baby cries, or someone sneezes. Secondly, do you know how tempting it is to fire back when someone questions your authority? "Forgive sins? You don't think I have the authority? Well, just watch this . . . ." I stand amazed at the emotional control Jesus possessed.

The Calling of Levi--The Pharisees continually questioned Jesus, trying to frustrate His plans. In this case, they questioned His choice of followers. Why did they care? Were they jealous that Jesus did not choose them instead? I am certain they were not worried about protecting Jesus' reputation.

Jesus Questioned about Fasting--Legalism. The enemy is very convincing when it comes to making people feel guilty for not following all the rules. Let's be very careful when we are tempted to cling to old traditions and rules rather than yielding to what we hear the Spirit calling us to do.

Lord of the Sabbath--More rule following issues. . . . People, not laws, were priority for Jesus. Love God. Love people. Do those two things, and you will lead a God-pleasing life.

Hebrews 4:15--"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin."

The remainder of Luke 6 gives a list of the 12 Apostles as well as several teachings of Jesus. While I would love to write more, all of these teachings speak for themselves. Please take time to read them, and then feel free to post a comment about which ones speak to you the most today.

John 4--Jesus is the Real Thing!

2009-06-01T06:04:00.015-05:00

John 4:1-3--What impresses me most about these verses is that Jesus was not interested in trying to win a popularity contest against his cousin John the Baptist. Rather than stirring up trouble, he decided to move on. We should follow that example, especially when the focus draws attention to ourselves rather than drawing people closer to Christ.

v. 4--Why did Jesus have to go through Samaria when all the religious Jews traveled around the despised country? Because He had an unannounced appointment with a woman who was lost as a goose without Him. Why should you and I listen to the Holy Spirit when He tells us to pay a visit to someone? Because He has scheduled a divine appointment that we must not ignore.

v. 7--"Will you give me a drink?" Now, that's the oldest pick-up line in the book! [grin] Was Jesus really tired, hungry, and thirsty? In His godly form, probably not, but in His human form, yes, absolutely. Jesus invited this woman to help meet His physical needs. That opened the door for communication and relationship. People need us to be vulnerable in relationship. When we appear self-sufficient, it seems that we have no need for relationship. (I am preaching to myself because this is a lesson God has recently brought to my attention.)

v. 9--Jesus never let social taboos prevent Him from ministering to a person's soul. He spoke to women, touched the lepers, ate with sinners, never worrying about tarnishing His reputation. What petty fears do I use as an excuse for not reaching out to people in need?

v. 14--Are you drinking daily from the spring of water welling up to eternal life? I pray that Jesus will so fill you that you cannot possibly contain it! Makes me wanna shout!!!

v. 16-19--Jesus touched a tender nerve with this woman, and she quickly tried to change the subject. When Jesus wants to deal with the sin in your life, please don't change the subject. Let Him pry into your business. Be open and honest. Let Him cleanse your heart.

v. 23--God is seeking true worshipers, those who worship in spirit and in truth. Do you connect your spirit daily with the Holy Spirit? Do you meditate on the truth of God's Word daily? Are you letting worship of the One True God change your life from the inside out? Girls, I don't want to be a fake worshiper. I want to be an all-out, sold-out, true worshiper, welling up with the Spirit of the Living God!!! Will you join me? "Come, glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt His Name together!" (Ps. 34:3)

v. 29--Has Jesus so changed your life that you are compelled to invite others to come see Him? What has happened to our zeal?

v. 31-34--Doing the will of the Father is energizing! Are you feeling burned out? Maybe your energy is zapped because you are doing your will, not the Father's.

v. 39--"He told me everything I ever did." That's all there was to the woman's testimony, yet many people believed. So many people will not witness because they are afraid they won't know what to say. What a cop-out!

v. 41--"Because of His words, many more became believers." Jesus will do the convincing. You and I just need to make the introductions. "Friend, meet my best friend Jesus."

v. 48--Are you waiting on a miraculous sign before you will believe in the Messiah? Not me. I've seen all the proof I need. Jesus is the only way, the only truth, the only life, the only path to heaven. Will you join me in following Him?

John 3

2009-05-27T11:05:00.002-05:00

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16 sums up everything I know about the Bible. I believe in Jesus! Have you become a Believer yet? How many people have you told?

Jump over to my friend Kenny's blog. He has posted a Penn Says video in which a Las Vegas magician/atheist talks about proselytizing. He is more impressed with Christians who are honest enough to share their beliefs than he is with those who are afraid to offend him.

It made me think of Nicodemus in John 3. He came to see Jesus at night, probably because he didn't want any of his Pharisee friends to see him. Too often, we stop reading this chapter at verse 16. Yet, in verses 19-21, Jesus calls Nicodemus evil because of his fear of having his deeds exposed. Jesus said in verse 21, "But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

Girls, I'm tired of being a Nicodemus. I want everyone to know that I believe in Jesus. Sometimes it's tempting to think that they will understand that since I am a preacher's wife. Well, being a preacher's family member, just like being a church member, does NOT make you saved! Having a conversation with someone about the weather does not move them any closer to God either. Let's make it a point to ask people today if they believe that God sent Jesus to the earth to pay for their sins. We don't get any points for assuming they've heard the Gospel.

Let's go live as children of the true Light!

Mark 1

2009-05-17T08:19:00.003-05:00

We discussed what a prolific writer Luke was and how his gospel provides us with so much detail. Mark’s gospel stands in stark contrast to Luke’s. Using the phrases “at once” and “immediately” throughout, Mark’s gospel is short, sweet, and to the point. He packed seven stories into half as many verses as Luke used to write the birth stories of John and Jesus.

As a high school business teacher, I required my students to write summaries of articles related to the topics we discussed in class. Invariably, at least one of my students would try to select the shortest article in the magazine. I tried to emphasize that it is very difficult to write a full page summary of a five-sentence article. Well, that’s sort of how I feel about writing commentary on Mark Chapter 1. Mark gave us the facts, and I hesitate to expound.

So, as I read this chapter for the tenth time this week, I asked God to pick out the items on which He wanted me to focus. The first thing I noticed was verse 18, “At once they left their nets and followed him.” Does this characterize how you and I respond when we hear Jesus calling us to, “Come, follow me”? Oh, you and I are much more likely to be like Gideon and throw out the fleece to test God’s patience. Are you really serious, God? Do you really want me to follow You blindly by faith? Uh. . . yeah. . . .

My favorite verse in this passage is Mark 1:22, “The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.” Jesus, we beg You to amaze us with your teaching today! We long for Your authority to rule in our lives. May we follow Your teaching far more readily than we follow the teaching of any other author. Amaze me today, LORD!

The final point I feel led to discuss comes from verses 35-38, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.”

“Everyone is looking for you!” In other words, how dare you be so selfish as to spend time alone with God? Don’t you know you are a celebrity and the people deserve to control your every waking moment?

I am reluctant to write about this topic because I do not want anyone to think of me as a selfish preacher’s wife. However, in the last month I have read two books that point out this topic. The focus of Jesus’ ministry was prayer and preaching. Yes, He took care of the physical needs of people, but only when it gave Him the opportunity to meet their spiritual needs. As church members, you and I need to encourage our pastors to spend the bulk of their time in prayer and preaching the Word of God. We need to stop demanding that our spiritual leaders are present for every committee meeting and every broken arm. While most pastors want to be informed of the goings on in their church body, they should not feel guilty about protecting their study time.

Please do not take this to the extreme. My intention is not to offend any of my readers. I trust that the Holy Spirit will speak individually to you about how you can be an encourager to your pastor. I know your pastor loves and appreciates you. Will you support him by letting him know how much you love and appreciate him?

I love you too!
Dana

John 1

2009-05-11T19:47:00.001-05:00

The thing that stands out the most in this chapter is the word testimony. It should make us stop to think about our own testimony about Jesus. Do I make a conscious effort to tell other people about the difference Christ makes in my life? Do my words and actions point others toward knowledge of eternal salvation?

John the Baptist was very adamant about leading others to follow the Messiah. He did not want any glory for himself, and he did not worry about losing his own followers when they chose to follow Christ. John's entire life was a testimony that said, "Look! The Lamb of God!" (v. 35)

The first thing Andrew did after discovering the Messiah was to go tell his brother. (v. 41) Philip also immediately told a friend about Jesus. (v. 45) Have you and I lost the urgency in telling our friends and relatives about Christ?

Just in case I haven't told you, Jesus Christ is the real thing! He came from the Father to be the Savior of the world, and He wants to be your personal Savior. Will you invite Him to cleanse you of your sin today?

John 1:1-5

2009-05-10T10:27:00.003-05:00

¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was with God in the beginning. ³Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴In him was life, and that life was the light of men. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. John 1:1-5

This is one of my favorite descriptions of who Jesus is. He is the Word of God, and He is God. He is eternal, and He is the agent of creation. Genesis 1 tells us that God spoke things into being. John 1 tells us Jesus is the Word of God. This concept is so huge that it is tough to wrap your mind around it, but I believe it is crucial to our Christianity. Do you believe that God spoke the world into being and that Jesus was the Word that made it happen? I hope you will respond to this blog post with your thoughts and beliefs.

As I am writing, I am listening to Matthew West's song, "The Motions." I agree with his statement, " I don't want to go through the motions." At the end of my life, I don't want to be asking the question, "What if I had given God everything?" I want to worship Him with everything I have! How about you?

Luke 2

2009-05-07T06:26:00.002-05:00

I think I will title this blog post--Don't Miss the Opportunity.

Luke 2 is a very familiar chapter to churchgoers, and it is full of stories we have heard since childhood. The birth of Jesus. No room in the inn. The shepherds. The angels. Simeon and Anna. Even the story of Jesus being left at the temple as a twelve-year-old is found in Luke 2. Will you take some time with me today to look at these stories from a new angle? Put yourself in the shoes of the players in this story. Would you have been an eager participant, or would you have let these opportunities go by?

First of all, think of the people who missed the blessing of hosting the Holy Family in their homes. When we read the story of Jesus' birth, we tend to focus on the innkeeper (who is not mentioned anywhere in the Bible, by the way). Well, what about Joseph and Mary's family members? Did you notice that they missed the birth of their grandson, nephew, cousin, Savior of the world?? Even the great-aunts and uncles who may have been still living in the Bethlehem area did not open their homes to the young couple in need. You and I have lots of long-lost relatives, and we meet people every day who have needs. Do we welcome them with open arms, or do we turn them away in shame?

I am so proud of the shepherds! Typically, these guys would not strike me as opportunity seekers. However, they grabbed this one by the horns! You and I might have been tempted to doubt our angelic vision, but the shepherds said, "Let's go check it out!" They hurried to find the Holy Family, and then they wasted no time spreading the news. I'm afraid you and I don't always follow through on telling people the good news. We didn't hear the message of Jesus through heavenly messengers, but we have heard the message of salvation, nonetheless. Are you hurrying to find the Christ child? Are you sharing His story with everyone you meet? This is one opportunity we should eagerly seek.

I want to play the parts of Simeon and Anna. Both were filled with the Spirit. Both were actively worshipping the One True God. Both of them had their eyes open looking for the Promise of God. Neither one of them were hesitant about sharing a word of prophecy with the new parents. Now, that is the opportunity where you and I would stumble. We might think we have a word from God, but we have a tough time gathering our courage to share it with anyone. I know from experience that God still speaks to His people today. I also know that preachers aren't the only ones who can get a word from God. Next time God gives you a word to share with someone who needs a little encouragement, don't miss the opportunity.

Finally, let's think about all the people who missed the opportunity of sitting at the feet of the 12-year-old Messiah. Without a doubt, Jesus' parents missed it. I wonder if they ever asked Jesus about the Heavenly Father who shared His one and only Son with them? Later in His ministry, the gospel writers tell the story of Jesus' mother and brothers waiting outside to speak to Him. I wonder if they missed the opportunity to go inside and sit under His teaching? Girls, I don't want to miss the things Jesus has for me to learn. Let's agree to sit at His feet daily!

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. Prov. 1:7

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Prov. 9:10

Luke 1--Part 2

2009-05-05T07:04:00.003-05:00

In this second post for Luke 1, I want us to take a look at the songs of Mary and Zechariah.

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. (v. 38) Wow! Is that how you would respond if your world had just been turned upside down? I agree with another commentator who was amazed at Mary's understanding of her role in God's story. I work with teenagers, and I have two of my own. I'm afraid none of them would be able to sing the song of Mary.

Here is an example: Our family Bible reading this morning was I Timothy 1:12, "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service." I asked my children if they knew what God had appointed them to do for Him. All I got was, "Huh??" Where was the, "my soul glorifies the Lord," or the, "my spirit rejoices in God my Savior"? It made me feel like a miserable failure. :-(

Actually, it just really makes me mindful of what an important job we have as parents. Our children do not naturally seek God on their own. Without our prayers and encouragement, they will follow selfish desires, not godly ones. They need constant reminding (maybe even nagging) that God has created them for fellowship. As Christians, they are God's chosen servants.

Zechariah's prayer for his newborn son is beautiful! He and Elizabeth had prayed for a child, and they knew without a doubt that he was a gift from heaven. Zechariah gave praise to the Lord because the angel promised him John would fulfill an important role as God's prophet. All papas are proud of their firstborn sons, and you can bet Zechariah was one proud papa!!! Zechariah had nine months of silence due to unbelief. I hope he spent that time praying for his child and researching the books of the prophets to discover all this child of promise would fulfill. This makes me mindful that we should continually pray for our children. We may not know what God has in store for them, but we can beg Him to make it glorious!

Here is your homework assignment (you like homework, right?). Since Mother's Day is next Sunday, will you write a song to the LORD thanking Him for your children? Perhaps as you write, God will even grant you a prophetic insight for your offspring. Above all, be sure to tell your children how much you love them and that you see them as a blessing from Jesus. They need to hear from you that God has created them for a special purpose.

Luke 1--Part 1

2009-04-26T16:24:00.012-05:00

Luke is probably my favorite gospel writer because he is such a detail man. After 20 years of marriage, my husband has come to realize that my love language is details. When he shares details of his day with me, I feel totally connected and completely loved. Drives him nuts! ha! Anyway, Luke was a medical doctor by profession, and he knew how to research the facts. In chapter 1 Luke admits that others had already written accounts of the life of Jesus, but Luke thought it worth his time to interview eyewitnesses and draw up a detailed, orderly account. Why? So that we "may know the certainty of the things we have been taught." (v. 4) I am so glad he did, aren't you?

Since we have begun our chronological study of the New Testament, I have been really struck by how all the puzzle pieces fit together. The story of Zechariah in Luke 1 is just one more example of God planning ahead to cause things to come together at just the right time. Zechariah and Elizabeth had prayed for a son for years. God chose to answer their prayer according to His time table. He arranged to share the news with Zechariah during his once-in-a-lifetime duty of offering incense to God in the temple. That is terrific!

Luke is very careful to point out that Zechariah and Elizabeth both were upright and blameless in God's sight. This is critical information because in their day, infertility was seen as a sign of God's judgment for sin. Do you think we still look at it like that today as well? We have ministered to several families dealing with infertility. In fact, I had two miscarriages myself. It is very typical for people to question God when they feel He is withholding the blessing of a child for their family. It is not unusual for people to ask what they have done wrong. Unfortunately, others are not very helpful or supportive of families longing for a child either. I can imagine that Elizabeth felt very ostracized from her community. After all, she was a preacher's wife and a barren wife--what a double whammy! We can be assured she was ecstatic when she found out she would have a son, because God had "shown his favor and taken away her disgrace among the people!" (v. 25)

I really like the words of encouragement the angel gave Zechariah when he told him about John. "He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord." (v. 14-15) I don't think I had ever noticed the end of verse 15, "and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth." That had never happened before! In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit would fill people from time to time, but not continually, and never from birth. Way cool! And then in verse 40, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit when she greeted Mary. A woman filled with the Holy Spirit? That never happened before either!

I am so glad that God promised John would be a joy to his parents, because verse 80 says he lived in the desert. We also know that John suffered imprisonment and a tragic death. I pray he was a joy to raise, because his parents would have endured much heartache because of their son as well. Luke leaves out the details of whether or not John's parents were still living when he moved to the desert. However, if they were alive, you know they experienced judgment from the community for having a "wayward" son. Oh girls, let's be very cautious when we are tempted to judge people when we do not know their circumstances.

There are so many more things I want to write about this first chapter of Luke. I think I will save it for another post. You can blame it on Dr. Luke. He's the one who wrote 80 verses in one chapter!!!

Matthew 2

2009-04-19T20:29:00.003-05:00

I am a puzzle lover. I love to analyze things and make connections and figure out how all the pieces of the puzzle fit together. That’s why I have gained so much from this chronological Bible study. The pieces of God’s story of mankind are all fitting together in my brain. It has caused me to become thoroughly convinced that we should study the Bible as a whole and not look at it in bits and pieces only. While we may enjoy digging deep into a short passage, it only makes complete sense when we read verses in context. Read the whole chapter. Read the chapter before and after.

Read Matthew 2; Read the end of Matthew 1; Read Malachi 4. It all fits together!!! What nation was in power when Malachi was writing in Jerusalem? (Persia) Where were the Magi traveling from? (Persia) Who was the chief of the Magi in the Old Testament? (Daniel) Where did Daniel live? (Babylon, which was ruled by Persia) Who did Daniel and Malachi predict would come as King of the Jews? (Jesus) Whom did the Magi seek? (The King of the Jews—Jesus!!!!)

The remainder of the chapter illustrates that the life of Jesus would fulfill the prophecies of Hosea and Jeremiah as well. Can you see that nothing in the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus caught God unprepared? From the beginning of time, God was placing the pieces of the puzzle in perfect order. His plan to redeem mankind from the wages of sin would be accomplished.

The lesson I need to learn here is that nothing in my own life catches God by surprise either. His plan for all mankind has been in place since Creation. Why in heaven’s name would I think God needs my help and suggestions for how to work out my situations? Hmmm.

Matthew 1

2009-04-14T06:48:00.002-05:00

I love how the Old and New Testaments tie together! Studying them side by side adds so much depth to our understanding of God. He is the God of both Old and New. He is the God of our day and the days to come. He is eternal. He is not limited by time or space. Hallelujah! Our God is amazing!

It is always tempting to skip over genealogies in the Bible, mostly because we don't know how to pronounce half the names. But let's take some time to refresh our memories about some of the people we have studied over the past several months. At the top of
my blog page, there is a search box. You can type in a name from the genealogy listed in Matthew 1, and if we have studied that person, a list of past blog posts will show on your screen. We did not study the people following the exile; so their names will not yield any search results. However, we did study almost all of the people listed in Matthew 1:1-11. Take some time to review your favorites.

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"^d]">[d]—which means, "God with us." (Matthew 1:22-23) Jesus Christ was born to fulfill every prophecy we read in the Old Testament! He is Messiah, and He will return again! Hallelujah!

Malachi

2009-04-10T08:32:00.009-05:00

It looks like I really will get to finish blogging the Old Testament before Easter! I am so excited! This journey that was supposed to take 60 days has taken me ten months instead. While I may have worn out and lost some readers along the way, I have gained a wealth of blessings from studying the Word of God. I look forward to continuing through the New Testament too!

I don't suppose I have really ever studied the book of Malachi indepth. My husband preaches from Chapter 3 at least once a year when we encourage the church to be faithful in tithing. But Malachi has so much more to say! Yesterday I read the four brief chapters of Malachi in the New Century Version. It really made a lot of sense to me. Will you read through it before we get started with our discussion?

The book of Malachi is evidence that God can handle our big questions. So many people are afraid to question God's plan, but our reading today is an example of the dialogue we can have with our heavenly Father. God invites our questioning because it gives Him opportunity to cleanse our lives of sin. The people of Israel were asking hard questions: How has God loved us? Will He accept us? Why do the bad guys always win? Where is the God of justice? How can we return to God? (Sound familiar in our day?)

Did God strike the people down for their opposition? No. But He did answer their questions with more questions: Where is the honor and respect due to Me? Would your governor put up with your poor sacrifices? Why don't you just shut the temple doors and stop your useless sacrifices? Why have you broken faith with me and with one another and with the wives of your youth?

Do you feel far away from God? Do you wonder why He does not seem to respond to your prayers for blessings? Have you taken time to ask God your hard questions? Then have you stilled your heart long enough to hear His reply?

God's major complaints against the people of Israel were (1) they were no longer giving Him their best, (2) the priests had turned from God's way and were causing others to stumble, and (3) the people were not building healthy families because they were marrying idol worshippers and divorcing the wives of their youth. Why did these things make God so upset? Because His whole purpose for choosing them was for their relationship with God to bring glory to His Name. Their actions were in direct contradiction to God's purpose. Everything they did brought dishonor to God.

God's solution to the problem? TITHE! You may say, "That makes no sense to me." Well, sister, to the human mind, bringing tithes and offerings to God does not make financial sense. Why does God ask us to tithe? Because it enables us to prove our commitment to a Holy God, and it allows Him to prove His miraculous provision for us.

Do you question the wisdom in this? Then take it before the throne of God, who waits eagerly to debate the issue with you!

Nehemiah 1

2009-04-08T06:57:00.001-05:00

As I have read through the book of Nehemiah the past couple of weeks, Nehemiah’s call to action has really stood out to me. Our ladies Bible study at Patterson Avenue is studying how to discover our SHAPE, which is one of the focuses of the Purpose Driven Life. We have discussed how to find out what ministry God is calling us to. I think Nehemiah is a terrific example of a guy who was just doing his job, working for the government, when God called him out for special service. That is one of those terms we don’t use much in the church anymore—“special service.” I suppose we have gotten away from it because we encourage people to know that everyone is a minister of the gospel. We don’t want anyone to feel like they are not called to serve.

Anyway, in the first chapter we can see the progression of God at work in Nehemiah’s heart to move him to action. Boy, this is my prayer for the church—that we would move into action rather than sit in the pew! At first, Nehemiah was just curious about how things were going in Jerusalem, and he started asking questions. I think he must have been expecting a positive report about Jerusalem, and when he heard bad news, it really caught him off guard. He sat down and wept. He was heartbroken over the devastation of Jerusalem, and he fasted and prayed for days. The chapter gives us a glimpse of what Nehemiah prayed about as he asked God to listen to his prayer. He confessed the sins of his people, and he took it personally and took responsibility. Even though Nehemiah had never been to Jerusalem, he included himself when he asked God to forgive their nation. He asked God to remember His covenant to Israel, and he begged God to remain faithful.

Then he decided to get involved. At the end of chapter one, Nehemiah prayed that God would give him success by granting him favor in the presence of the king. So, sometime during Nehemiah’s prayer and fasting, he moved from being grieved by the situation to choosing to do something about it. He made up his mind that he was going to turn in his two-week notice and leave for Jerusalem.

What keeps us from getting involved? Why do we pray about it and then forget it? Why do we talk and talk about doing ministry but then never get the job done? What are we waiting for? Nehemiah did not need someone to ask him to volunteer. God told him to go, and he obeyed. Nehemiah did not take any spiritual gift inventories so he could be assured that he was equipped to lead a building project. He was a cupbearer, a food taster for the king, not a wall builder. What qualified him for this huge undertaking? He felt God moving in his heart, and he yielded himself to the Holy Spirit moving him to action.

Let’s quit making it so hard to serve Jesus! When He pricks your heart, respond immediately. Quit throwing out the fleece over and over and over again to see if God is really serious when He tells you to do anything. Stop longing for affirmation from your Sunday school teacher, the pastor, your best friend, and your mom before you will answer the call. Just get ‘er done!!!!

I Am Proud of You

2009-03-31T10:24:00.002-05:00

My friend Melissa from Colorado sent me this YouTube video. Please take the time to watch the full 5 and a half minutes. While you do, please pray for our service men and women and their families who are sacrificing for the sake of my freedom and yours. My brother-in-law is on active duty in the Navy, and I am so grateful for his faithfulness and commitment to our country. He makes me proud to be an American! Love you, Mike!

Esther 1-4, 7-8

2009-03-26T09:39:00.005-05:00

The story of Esther is very familiar to many of you. It was even more interesting to me as I read through it this week, however, in light of the chronological study we are doing. It was interesting to think that Esther and Mordecai's struggles in the Persian city of Susa were going on about the same time Ezra and Nehemiah were trying to motivate the people to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

The other item that jumped off the page at me is in reference to what we have learned about the laws of the Persian kings. Our recent discussions about the reasons King Darius did not repeal the law about throwing Daniel into the lions den make me totally amazed at the courage of Esther in today's reading. Every other time I have read this story, I looked at Esther as someone who had to work up enough courage to invite the king to a banquet. Like you and I have trouble deciding if we should invite our boss to dinner or not because we don't want to look like we want to be the class favorite. Now I understand that Esther was putting her very life on the line! To ask the king to change an edict was to ask him to impale you on a tree!

I am so impressed with Mordecai's support and encouragement to his niece. Esther needed reassurance that she was called by God "for such a time as this." Can you imagine the torment they all went through as they fasted and prayed those three days? I like Esther's attitude, "If I perish, I perish." We have to come to that place in our faith walk. We have to realize that nothing else in this world matters except fulfilling the calling God has placed on our lives.

So, do you know what that calling is for you? Have you fasted and prayed until God showed you His vision for how you fit into His Kingdom?

My God-given calling is to Glorify the LORD! And the second part is to invite others to join me! Will you come and glorify the LORD with me? Can we exalt His Name together?? I am willing to do this no matter the cost. I would be so grateful if you would join me!!!

Zechariah 1-2

2009-03-23T09:28:00.002-05:00

"Return to me," declares the LORD Almighty, "and I will return to you," says the LORD Almighty. "Do not be like your fathers. . . they would not listen or pay attention to me," declares the LORD. (Zechariah 1:3, 4)

"And I myself will be a wall of fire around [Jerusalem]," declares the LORD, "and I will be its glory within." (Zechariah 2:5)

"Shout and be glad, O Daughter of Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you," declares the LORD." (Zechariah 2:10)

"Be still before the LORD, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling." (Zechariah 2:13)

Everything taking place in our world today points to the return of Jesus to this earth. Am I ready to take a stand for Christ? Are you ready? Are your friends and relatives ready?

Haggai 1-2

2009-03-20T10:28:00.004-05:00

Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it." (Haggai 1:5-6)

Wow! I can certainly identify with that! Never enough. Is that how your life feels sometimes? I just received our income tax bill; so we are feeling like our wages are in a purse with holes in it. Don't even ask us about our retirement accounts. Wish we could count those losses as expenses on our tax return!

"You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away." (Haggai 1:9a) This is the story of my financial life. Is it yours? I must confess I am a hoarder by nature. I want to save as much money as possible, and I never feel like I have enough in the savings account. I'm not always sure what I am saving it for, but it makes me feel secure to have money in the bank for emergencies. I know some people who never feel like they have enough money in the checking account. They are not always certain what they plan to spend it on, but they can always think of something. We expect much, but it turns out to be little. Why? Let's read on.

"Why?" declares the LORD Almighty. "Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house." (Haggai 1:9b) Haggai was speaking to the people who had returned to Jerusalem from Babylon. The king had granted them permission to return so that they could rebuild the temple. However, they were instead "busy with their own houses." This describes our lives, doesn't it? I am certainly guilty of spending all my time making sure my own house is in order to the neglect of God's Kingdom business.

God goes on to describe all the blessings He withheld from the land due to the disobedience of the people. What blessings am I missing in my life because of disobedience to God's calling?

In Chapter 2, God asked the people to remember the former splendor of the temple and compare it to the ruins before them. Then He told them to get to work because He would be with them. (v. 4) Then God reminded the people, "The silver is mine and the gold is mine,' declares the LORD Almighty. 'The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,' says the LORD Almighty. 'And in this place I will grant peace,' declares the LORD Almighty." (v. 8, 9) Everything I need belongs to the LORD Almighty. All He asks of me is to be about His business.

"From this day on I will bless you." (Haggai 2:19c)

Ezra 3, 6-7

2009-03-11T21:57:00.006-05:00

"Despite their fear of the peoples around them. . . ." (Ezra 3:3a) I'm impressed. Even though the Israelites were being persecuted, they persisted in worshipping God. Last week I visited a friend in the hospital, and I was impressed with one of the hospital staff who came to check on my friend. Before leaving the room, the staff member said, "God bless you. I'll be praying for you today." This staff member did not know any of the three people who were standing around visiting the patient. Yet the person spoke up and did not shy away from expressing a firm faith in God. Would you do that if you didn't know anybody in the room? Would I do that? As Americans we are very weak in our faith, and it takes very little persecution to dissuade us. In fact, many of us won't speak up at work because "they" might not like it. Who are "they" anyway?

"When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, . . . No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away." (Ezra 3:10a, 13) That's the kind of worship service I want to be a part of!!!!

Okay, Ezra 6 will help us answer the questions we had when we read Daniel 6. (Why didn't Darius just change his decree so that Daniel wouldn't have to be thrown to the lions?) You see, Persian kings were looked to as gods, and whatever they decreed was law, and there was no changing that law. They even attached death penalties to the decrees stating no one could change the law without extreme punishment. In Ezra 6 Darius, in the second year of his reign, decreed that the temple in Jerusalem would be rebuilt. "Furthermore, I decree that if anyone changes this edict, a beam is to be pulled from his house and he is to be lifted up and impaled on it. And for this crime his house is to be made a pile of rubble." (Ezra 6:11) He was serious! If I have my dates right, the Daniel 6 story took place after the Ezra 6 story. If Darius made such a big deal about a decree in Jerusalem, he sure couldn't go back on his word concerning a decree in Babylon.

Another interesting thing I learned about the kings of Persia was that they were known for rebuilding temples in the lands they had conquered. They were polytheistic and wanted to appease any gods who lived in the lands. They would ask the people of the land to "pray for the well-being of the king and his sons." (Ezra 6:10b) This is a good reminder to us in our day that God can use pagan rulers to advance His kingdom. God is still in control.

Ezra was a living testimony of the power of God. He was sent on a mission by God, and God paved the way for him. Take a look at these verses from Ezra 7, "The king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the LORD his God was on him. For the gracious hand of his God was on him. For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel. Whatever the God of heaven has prescribed, let it be done with diligence for the temple of the God of heaven. Praise be to the LORD, the God of our fathers, who has put it into the king's heart to bring honor to the house of the LORD in Jerusalem in this way and who has extended his good favor to me before the king and his advisers and all the king's powerful officials. Because the hand of the LORD my God was on me, I took courage and gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me." (v. 6b, 9b, 10, 23, 27-28)

Do you know any pastors or missionaries for whom you could pray these verses? In place of Ezra, insert the name of the pastor or missionary. Pray that God would encourage them to gather leaders to help in the ministry to which God has called them.

I'm Confused

2009-03-09T08:25:00.002-05:00

Now we have come to the books of the Bible written during the time of the restoration of Jerusalem. The timeline of these books is confusing to me, which is one of the reasons I started this chronological study of the Bible in the first place. So I hope you will bear with me as I try to sort it all out in my mind. I also pray you will correct me if I am wrong and that you will post a comment if you discover something different in your own research.

Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians in 586 B.C. This is where the story of Daniel begins. The book of Ezekiel was also written during the Babylonian exile. In 539 B.C. (remember year numbers get smaller until the time of Christ) Babylon fell to Persia under the rule of Cyrus. The book of Ezra begins this way, “In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing.” Cyrus proclaimed that the temple of the God of heaven would be rebuilt in Jerusalem and that any one of his people who wanted to go would be allowed to return to Jerusalem. This initiated the restoration of Israel.

Jewish tradition accredits Ezra as the author of the books of I Chronicles, II Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah. I have always wondered why we have the books of I & II Kings and I & II Chronicles. The notes in my NIV Study Bible state that the Chronicler utilized the writings of Samuel, Kings, the Pentateuch, Judges, Ruth, Psalms, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, and Zechariah to compile a history of Israel and Judah. Ezra was preserving the history of the Hebrew people even during the exile! Did you know that Ezra and Nehemiah were originally written as one book? Later it was broken into I Ezra and II Ezra.

Ezra 4:6 mentions the reign of Xerxes, the king who married Esther. Ezra 5:1 mentions the prophets Haggai and Zechariah.

So, if I understand correctly, the actual chronological order of these books would be as follows:

I & II Chronicles (these books were written later, but the events happened before the exile)
Daniel
Ezekiel
Ezra
Esther
Haggai
Zechariah
Nehemiah

These people were all alive at the same time! My confusion over the timing occurs because of the order in which these books appear in our modern day Bibles. The books of I & II Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther are listed with the books of Old Testament History. Ezekiel and Daniel are listed with the Major Prophets (the long books of prophecy), and Haggai and Zechariah are listed with the Minor Prophets (the short books of prophecy).

You may read this and wonder, “What was the point?” I am just trying to fit the puzzle pieces together in my brain. Thanks for being patient with me.

Daniel 6

2009-03-04T16:08:00.003-06:00

Daniel in the Lions Den--I love this story, don't you?! Okay, so I love the whole book of Daniel . . . because good triumphs over evil again and again. Please take the time to click the link at the beginning of this paragraph and re-read this story for yourself. Take time to notice details you have not paid attention to before.

One thing that really jumps off the page at me is the jealousy the other administrators had toward Daniel. As far as we know, Daniel had been a man of integrity, and he had worked his way to the top through much patience. He had endured the reign of about six different kings. (See timeline)

He had earned his position. Yet the other guys were green with envy. It makes me reflect on times when I have viewed the success of others with a jealous heart. Was I mean, bitter, and caniving toward these people? I can also think of times when I have been the victim of jealous gossip. It should make us stop and think about our words, thoughts, and actions. Don't you think?

Verse 10 is priceless. "Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before." The government's actions did not affect Daniel's commitment to worship God one little bit!

Can you imagine the predicament in which King Darius found himself? The king planned to give Daniel a great deal of authority. He did not want to have Daniel killed. Yet, the king had signed a law, and he could not set the precedent of repealing decrees to show favoritism. He would have been inundated with future requests. (More on this topic when we study the book of Ezra.)

Instead, both King Darius and Daniel were given the opportunity to demonstrate great faith in the living God. "For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions." (vs. 26-27) Can you imagine the celebration Daniel and the other Hebrews had? I imagine King Darius threw a huge party in their honor. We know the lions feasted heartily on the administrators and their families.

I love it when the good guys win! Now, let's just make sure we are on the right side of justice.

Our next set of readings covers Ezra 3, 6-7, Haggai, and Zechariah 1-2. Do you think you could push me to finish the Old Testament before Easter?? I wish!

Daniel 5

2009-03-03T07:15:00.001-06:00

Please read the story in Daniel 5 before reading the blog.

Wake up, Belshazzar! Did you not pay attention to the stories of your ancestor Nebuchadnezzar? His life was a living testimony to the fact that God is able to humble “those who walk in pride.” (Daniel 4:37) As I read Belshazzar’s story, I was reminded how crucial it is to be intentional as we hand down our faith to our children and to our children’s children. In Daniel 5:18-21, Daniel recounts Nebuchadnezzar’s story of being humbled by God, and in verse 22, he says that Belshazzar already “knew all this.” Yet, Belshazzar “set himself up against the Lord of heaven.” (v. 23)

Where was the disconnect? If Belshazzar actually knew of the story of Nebuchadnezzar’s fall from glory, why did he choose to disregard it? Why did the queen mother have to tell Belshazzar to “call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means?” (v. 12) Unfortunately, Belshazzar “knew about” this all-powerful God, but his family had not helped Belshazzar “know” this God personally. It cost him his life.

What am I doing to help my children meet God face-to-face? When my family encounters the God of the universe, I do not want them to react as Belshazzar did in verse 6. “His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his knees knocked together and his legs gave way.” I must train my children to “honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways.” (v. 23) I want my family to be very familiar with the truth of the Bible because they have read it for themselves. I want my family to be very comfortable talking to Jesus because they pray to Him daily. I want my family to be filled with the Holy Spirit’s power because they worship Him regularly.

Lord God, you do hold my life in your hand. Help me be a living example of your truth to my children.

Daniel 4

2009-02-28T11:28:00.004-06:00

Oh, how I have missed blogging with you! This has definitely been a week of the Tyranny of the Urgent. I feel like I have been forced to put Bible study on the back burner this week. It makes me miserable! I need some encouragement to stay consistent.

Will you read Daniel 4 with me? It begins with King Nebuchadnezzar telling the story of the previous 8 years of his life. Hindsight is 20/20, and without a doubt, Nebuchadnezzar wished he could turn back time and make a different choice.

In verses 4-8, Nebuchadnezzar had another one of his troubling dreams, but this time he told the magicians the details without making it a guessing game. Verse 8 begins with "Finally, Daniel came . . ." Didn't it make you wonder why the king didn't consult Daniel first? Verse 9 shows that the king had confidence in Daniel's ability; so I am very curious to understand why he even bothered to ask the other wise men's opinions.

After Daniel confirmed that the king's dream was a bad omen, he offered some words of wisdom in verse 27. "Therefore, O king, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue." And Nebuchadnezzar completely disregarded Daniel's advice!! He was able to escape the consequences for a year, but then his selfish pride got the best of him, and the dream came true. Because Nebuchadnezzar refused to acknowledge the sovereignty of the One True God, he was driven away to live with the wild animals for seven years.

At the end of the seven years, the king chose to praise and glorify God, and God restored his kingdom. This time, Nebuchadnezzar seemed to understand that God has the power to humble the proud and that all things belong to God Almighty.

So, how can this story apply to our lives? First of all, am I walking in humility or selfish pride? Do I recognize that all good things come from the Father, and am I quick to praise Him for everything? Do I point others to Christ, and do I invite them to praise and exalt His Name with me? The Bible says in at least three different places that "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Let's make it our goal to be worthy of His grace!

Daniel 3

2009-02-16T13:07:00.001-06:00

King Nebuchadnezzar took Daniel’s interpretation of the dream way too far. Recall Daniel 2:37-38, “You, O king, are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory; in your hands he has placed mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds of the air. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold.” Well, it went straight to the king’s head, and he built a gold statue of himself that was 90 feet tall! Then he wanted everyone to bow down and worship the monstrosity.

The story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego is one of my favorite Bible stories. It displays the glory of God and His power over the laws of nature and over the will of man. I love the testimony of faith the three young Hebrews voiced in verses 16-18! “We do not need to defend ourselves . . ., the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods.” They knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the God of heaven had complete power to save them from the fiery furnace. However, they were willing to serve Him even if He chose not to save them from pain and death.

God did choose to save them, and I believe He answered their prayers because it was an opportunity for God to be glorified in their lives. I try to follow their example when I pray about difficult decisions. “Lord, I firmly believe that you have all the power to work in my circumstances. However, if you choose not to work in my favor, I will still love and serve you.” When in your life have you been able to demonstrate that type of faith in God? I would love to hear your stories!

Daniel 2

2009-02-10T07:02:00.013-06:00

King Nebuchadnezzar was a harsh task master, wasn't he! Can you imagine being threatened with execution unless you could tell someone what they had dreamed last night? Wow! Why would anyone make such a request? Why was this such a huge issue for the king? Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary points out that men with great authority are often disturbed at night with the great burden of cares and responsibility they bear. Their sleep is not restful because of their dreams and worries.

John Gill mentions in his commentary that the punishment of being cut into pieces and having houses turned into piles of rubble was common "when any were found plotting against the government, or guilty of treason." So, my thought is that King Nebuchadnezzar may have had a good idea that the dream was related to the demolition of his personal kingdom. He was rightfully suspicious of the wise men in his kingdom who were known to have insight into the future. He may have been paranoid that these men were plotting against him, and his demand that they tell him the dream was a test of their loyalty to the kingdom.

In verses 10-11, the wise men insulted the king by telling him he didn't have the right to make such a request of them. Oooo, bad move. You don't tell an insecure king that he doesn't have the authority to give orders in his own palace. This forced Nebuchadnezzar to say, "Time's up! Execution is tomorrow."

I don't know why Daniel and his friends were not at the palace to hear the request, yet they were on the execution list. At any rate, I am so proud of Daniel once again for having the nerve to speak to the commander of the king's guard "with wisdom and tact." (vs. 14) Here he was facing a death sentence, and he was able to keep his cool and make negotiations. Then he had the gall to go before the king and ask for more time! Wow! I have always been taught (I guess because of the story of Esther) that the king had to call for you before you could enter his court. Daniel certainly wouldn't have been on the invitation to dinner list. The king was desperate enough for an interpretation that he agreed to Daniel's plea.

Daniel was very wise to get his three friends to pray for mercy from the God of heaven concerning the mystery. (vs. 18) In times of great need, do you have friends you can call on to pray with you? I couldn't make it without my personal prayer warriors. I feel very fortunate to have prayer partners world wide whom I can call on when I am desperate for a word from God.

"During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision." (vs. 19) Do you find that God often talks to you in the night? Sometimes that is the only time He can get me alone and quiet enough to listen to His voice.

I really like Daniel's prayer of praise in verses 20-23. I also like that Daniel unashamedly gives God the glory in verse 28, "but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries." He needed the king to recognize from Whom his wisdom came. This prompted the king to proclaim, "Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries," after Daniel had interpreted the dream. (vs. 47)

Even though Daniel's interpretation confirmed that Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom would end, the king celebrated because he realized there was not an immediate threat to his reign. He threw a party and lavished gifts and high honors on Daniel and his three friends. Let's be friends like that who encourage one another to serve God by serving others. Let's go glorify God together!

Daniel 1

2009-02-06T06:47:00.006-06:00

Will you take time to read Daniel 1 with me? You've read it before; so let's stop and dig into some of the details we tend to skip over because of familiarity with the text.

In our chronological study we had just a glimpse of King Jehoiakim in 2 Kings 23. It was during his reign that Babylon invaded Jerusalem, and King Nebuchadnezzar carried Daniel and his friends into exile. Notice the description of the young Israelites the king selected in Daniel 1:3-4, "royal family and the nobility-young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king's palace." These kids were the cream of the crop. I cannot imagine what it was like to be taken from their homeland and from their places of importance in Israel to become slaves to a pagan king. Personally, I would have just curled up in a corner and died of depression.

In verses 6 & 7, not only did the king give Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah new names, but he gave Daniel the name of Belteshazzar. I think it is cool that we know Daniel by his Hebrew name instead of his Babylonian name. Throughout the book of Daniel, Belteshazzar is put in parentheses because that is the name the king called him. We recognize him by his God-given name instead. I think it is a terrific example of how a young man stayed true to his godly upbringing rather than conforming to the secular culture.

"But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way." (Daniel 1:8) Would I have had the nerve to make this request of the chief official? Would I have preferred a diet of veggies and water over steak and potatoes and apple pie? Would I have given up after the chief official said no? Daniel did not take no for an answer. In verse 11, he asked the guard to test them for ten days. I had never noticed before that Daniel asked the chief official first and then talked the guard into trying his plan. This also makes me wonder if I have trained my children to value their religious beliefs like Daniel and his friends did. Would my kids stay true to their faith under this type of pressure? Is their faith their own, or are they relying on my faith? My prayer is that God will become very real to my children. I pray they will stand firm in their beliefs, especially when I am not around.

God honored the faithfulness of these four young men. At the end of the test, they were healthier and better nourished than any of the other exiles. In fact, Nebuchadnezzar found the boys ten times better than all the wise men in his whole kingdom. God gave them knowledge and understanding and enabled Daniel to interpret visions and dreams. God took the tragic circumstances of their slavery and used it to form these young men for service in His heavenly kingdom. I am so thankful that these boys took advantage of the opportunity rather than giving up on God. Would we do the same?

Lamentations 3

2009-01-27T10:02:00.000-06:00

The author of Lamentations was most likely Jeremiah, and it was probably written during the exile in Babylon. This book reminds me of many of David’s psalms because in the midst of the author’s complaint against God, he finds hope in God’s faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:1-20—Have you felt afflicted by the LORD as Jeremiah did? Remember God had called Jeremiah to be His spokesman to the kings of rebellious Judah. It just doesn’t seem fair that Jeremiah had to endure such hardship as a servant of God, does it? Look at the description he gives to his suffering: wrath, driven away, turned against me again and again, broken, besieged, bitterness, weighed down, dragged, mangled, made me a target, pierced my heart, laughingstock, mocked, trampled, deprived, forgotten, downcast. In verse 8, he even says God had shut out his prayers. In our society of prosperity gospel preaching, it just doesn’t compute that a man of God would have to suffer so much. However, the pattern of God’s calling is a life of difficulty, not one of ease. As long as we are not living in rebellion, we should welcome trouble as a sign that satan is fighting hard against our message of salvation to the world. Those who are highly favored by God should expect tribulation on earth. Do not let your mockers intimidate you or prevent you from spreading the Good News. Stand firm to the end. Be faithful in prayer for those who need eternal salvation.

Lamentations 3:21-26—There is hope! Our God is a loving, compassionate, faithful LORD. He is good to those who seek Him; so we should wait quietly for His salvation. There it is again, my friend Melissa will say. “Wait on the LORD.” Does any of this make sense to you? Why would Jeremiah say God is good after he had recounted all the danger God put him through? I’m not sure I can truly describe my hope in God, especially to someone who has never trusted Him. The following words are synonyms of hope: trust, faith, belief, conviction, confidence, expectation, reliance, dependence. Because God has always provided for me and because I can look back at every trial in my life and see how He blessed me in the end, I can say that I rely and depend on God. I have confidence in Him, and I expect that He will continue to be faithful to guard my life. I can say with conviction, with certainty that I believe and trust in God as my eternal Savior. He is my only hope for salvation, and I have placed my faith in Him. I realize the futility in trying to humanly persuade someone to believe in God. Only the Holy Spirit can convict a soul to rely on the Holy Invisible Creator of the Universe. That thought should drive us to our knees in prayer for our lost friends and family.

Lamentations 3:27-38—Jeremiah actually says it is a good thing for a man to face hardship when he is young. Do you agree? I think we can all look at our lives and see how much we grow during trials. Without them, would we ever gain maturity? If you protect your children from every consequence and give them everything they ask for, will they grow to be responsible adults? Probably not. God uses both calamities and good things to bring about His will in our lives.

Lamentations 3:39-51—When our hardship comes as punishment for sins, we should examine our ways and return to the LORD. When we live in sin, God “covers Himself with a cloud so that no prayer can get through.” (vs. 44) I hear people say that their prayers bounce off the ceiling. When you feel that God is not listening, then search your heart and ask forgiveness of the things the Holy Spirit points out to you as sin. None of us are without some sin that prevents God from working freely in our lives.

Lamentations 3:52-66—The author ends this chapter with complaints about his enemies, and he begs God to uphold his cause. “Do not close your ears to my cry for relief. O Lord, you took up my case; you redeemed my life.” (vs. 56, 58) My encouragement to you is always to keep the door of communication open between you and the Father. Keep your case before His throne daily. I jokingly say that it is my fault if Trent ever forgets my birthday or our anniversary; so I start reminding him of the dates weeks in advance. Well, let the same be true of your relationship with God. It is my fault if God ever should forget me. I take it as my responsibility to call His Name every moment of my day. He knows my name, and He remembers my cause.

While I'm Waiting--clip from Fireproof

2009-01-24T10:46:00.002-06:00

Melissa, thanks for pointing out this song to us. I hope everyone enjoys it!

Ezekiel 1-3, 18 & 33

2009-01-17T11:12:00.004-06:00

Okay, here goes . . . . I have been reading these chapters for a week now, and I'm not certain I have a clear picture of what God wants us to learn just yet. So, I pray you will not be too disappointed in what I write. At least you have the other commentaries to research; so I trust you will not simply be satisfied with my meager opinion.

Ezekiel 1--I still don't completely understand this chapter, and I feel like even the knowledgeable commentators were most likely taking a guess when they discussed this chapter. However, when I read Ezekiel's vision, it makes me want to see God in such a miraculous way. My God is no ordinary god. He is clouded in mystery, and no man can fully imagine God's power and glory and majesty. My God is indescribable, and if I try to describe the way I picture Him, it likely will not be the same way you would describe Him. Let's take time each day to stand in awe of our Savior. Let's not take our relationship with the God of the universe for granted like we would an old pair of shoes. "This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking." (Ez. 1:28b)

Ezekiel 2--Ezekiel's Call to Ministry. I would love to hear about your call to ministry. What do you feel God has called you to do in His Kingdom? How did you come to understand what He wants of you? Ezekiel, like most of the prophets, was called to an impossible task. Although he would not have to learn a new language, the people Ezekiel would speak to would be rebellious and non-responsive to his message. That is a tough calling. Would I have been obedient to answer as Ezekiel did?

Ezekiel 3--"But the house of Israel is not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for the whole house of Israel is hardened and obstinate. But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are." (vs. 7-8) "Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a loud rumbling sound—May the glory of the LORD be praised in his dwelling place! --the sound of the wings of the living creatures brushing against each other and the sound of the wheels beside them, a loud rumbling sound." (12-13) I love the expression of praise in the middle of Ezekiel's thought. :-)

The Spirit then lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the LORD upon me. I came to the exiles who lived at Tel Abib near the Kebar River. And there, where they were living, I sat among them for seven days-overwhelmed. (vs. 14-15) Overwhelmed . . . I certainly would have been too. He sat with the people saying nothing for seven whole days! You know, sometimes I hesitate to visit or call someone because I'm not sure what to say or do. Ezekiel didn't say or do anything, but he was there building a rapport with the people just by being in their presence.

vs. 16-20--At the end of seven days, the Lord told Ezekiel what to say and do. Plain and simple, warn the sinner, or he will die, and you will be held accountable. This same instruction is given to Ezekiel in chapters 18 & 33 as well. My friend Christie Seeley says that if you hear God tell you something three times, then you had best be getting the message! So, does this instruction for Ezekiel also apply to our lives? I do believe we are called to warn people of the penalty of their sins. But I'm not sure I do that very well or very often.

Ezekiel 18:30-32 "Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!" God has made a way for all of us to live eternally. Let's make certain we are obedient to God and ask Jesus to forgive our sins and help us to turn from them. Then let's make it our business to encourage others to repent and live!

I know I took a skip, a hop, and a jump through Ezekiel, and I probably missed something you thought was important. Would you please post a comment so we can discuss it? I am so thankful you are taking this journey through God's Word with me!

Ezekiel

2009-01-13T09:58:00.003-06:00

I am reading Ezekiel 1-3, 18, & 33, as they are the next chapters on our list to study. Chapter 1 of Ezekiel is way beyond my experience; so I am looking at online commentaries to get a handle on it before I post a blog. I posted a Study Link titled Commentaries. You can click on any book of the Bible and read comments by a variety of authors. There are also links that will allow you to sign up for daily Bible reading email messages.

Will you study these chapters in Ezekiel with me by reading some of the commentaries? Send me an email or post a comment for this blog post and tell me what you hear God saying in the life of Ezekiel. How does Ezekiel's call to minister to Israel in exile relate to the call God has placed on your life?

Jeremiah 1-5

2009-01-09T09:48:00.001-06:00

Jeremiah took on a job position that you and I would have refused. He is known as the weeping prophet for good reason. God did not send Jeremiah to spread the good news. Jeremiah’s job was to speak harsh judgment against the nations of the world. Yet, God had chosen Jeremiah before he was even born. (Jer. 1:5) Did Jeremiah try to talk God out of calling him? Yep. Did Jeremiah obey God anyway? Absolutely.

God knew you too before He formed you in your mother’s womb. What has He appointed you to be and do? I encourage you to have that conversation with your Creator God. Life is too short not to know what your purpose is in this life. Ask God to show you plainly. Life is much more enjoyable when you are fulfilling God’s calling on your life. Even when the call is difficult, it is much easier to bear when you can see God’s hand at work in your circumstances. We know Jeremiah did not enjoy his work, but he was able to persevere because he knew God had a plan. “You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD. (v. 7-8)

The theme of Jeremiah 1-5 is that God’s people had forgotten Him. He was calling them to repentance, but they would not listen. They believed the lies of the priests instead because the priests told them what they wanted to hear. In this new year of 2009, let us return to our first love of God with passion. Let’s go glorify God together!

Nahum 1, Zephaniah 3, Habakkuk 1

2009-01-07T08:16:00.001-06:00

King Josiah (whom we studied yesterday), Nahum, Zephaniah, Jeremiah, and Habakkuk were all contemporaries, meaning they lived and ministered during the same time period. Josiah reigned from 640 to 609 B.C. While Josiah worked his tail off cleansing Judah of her idolatry, these four prophets were predicting the Babylonian exile. King Josiah was fighting a losing battle. How do I respond when I realize I can’t win for losing? I typically shut down when I am overwhelmed. I know I would not have had the courage of Josiah to keep working against the odds. He had four gloom and doom prophets who were telling the world that bondage in Babylon was on the horizon. It makes me look at Josiah with awe. Let’s pray today for courage to stand against the tide of evil in our day. We can be certain that God will make it worth our effort. “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18)

Nahum’s message was very straight forward. “The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD takes vengeance and is filled with wrath.” (Nahum 1:2a) “The mountains quake before him and the hills melt away. The earth trembles at his presence, and the world and all who live in it.” (Nahum 1:5) People get ready; Jesus is coming! My favorite verse in this chapter is 1:7. “The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.” It is right in the middle of the chapter, sandwiched between “God’s wrath is poured out like fire” and “with an overwhelming flood God will make an end of his foes.” I want to live my life with the assurance that God is my refuge in times of trouble. My God has always been faithful to care for me when I trust in Him.

Zephaniah’s prophecy is summed up at the end of Chapter 3 verse 8, “The whole world will be consumed by the fire of my jealous anger.” God’s judgment was certain, and the people were to expect it soon. In the next breath Zephaniah offers hope, however, as he explains the goal of God’s fierce anger. “Then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the LORD and serve him shoulder to shoulder.” (Zeph. 3:9) Read that verse again. I think that sounds like a terrific prayer for any church. When we go through difficult times as a church, God is seeking to purify our lips so we may serve the LORD in unity. Amen. The other two verses I like from this chapter are 12 & 17. “But I will leave within you the meek and humble, who trust in the name of the LORD.” “The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” I love that!

Habakkuk was asking the question I ask the LORD quite frequently if I watch the evening news. “Why do you tolerate wrong? Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Justice never prevails.” (Hab. 1:3, 13, 4) When are you coming back, LORD? Why do you let this evil world exist? I’m tired of the stress of this life. Why don’t you just come on back, Jesus? God’s response to Habakkuk’s inquiry was, “I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.” (Hab. 1:5) All right! Bring it on, God! I want to see your power and the display of your splendor! Please show up to us in our day.

Let’s save Jeremiah 1-5 for our next reading, okay. I pray you will be on the look out for the LORD your deliverer today!

2 Kings 22-23, 2 Chronicles 34-35

2009-01-06T08:41:00.002-06:00

This is the story of King Josiah, the last great king of Judah. While Josiah’s ministry was focused on reforming the nation, he was actually preparing the people for their exile to Babylon.

Josiah was 8 years old when his reign began. When he was 26, the priest Hilkiah found the Book of the Law in the trash can at the temple of God. What in the world happened?? It had not been that long since the reign of King Hezekiah, whose leadership was heavily influenced by the major prophet Isaiah. And now only three kings later, the people didn’t even know about “the book?” Folks, it just doesn’t take very long for God’s people to wander from the Truth. We need to make certain that our churches are preaching straight from the Word of God. We must evaluate the programs we promote and be assured that they are Bible-based. Why do we do the things we do at church? Are they based on man’s traditions or on God’s law?

Are you teaching your children the ways of the LORD? They certainly won’t learn them in public schools. They won’t even learn them if the only place they hear the Bible is for 30 minutes a week at Sunday School. Did you know that there were arguments against starting children’s Sunday School in the early days of American churches? The opponents contended that the responsibility for teaching Scripture to children rested with the parents. They rightly predicted that parents would stop teaching God’s Word in their homes if they thought their children were being taught at church. I’m sorry, but the Word of God does not take root in the lives of our children unless they see it lived out at home. If they hear one thing at church but experience the opposite at home, they are far more likely to follow what they see modeled by their parents. Take your children to church and Sunday School, yes, but you must go with them. Read the Bible and pray with your children every day. How else will they develop a hunger for personal Bible study? Parents and grandparents, pour the Truth of God into your kids at every opportunity.

Josiah spent his days cleaning up the mess made by the kings before him. I am proud of the work he did, but he shouldn’t have had to face the evil disarray in the first place. Doesn’t it bug you now that the holidays are over that all the tv commercials are about weight loss and debt recovery? Buy this exercise equipment. Go on this diet. Pay off your credit cards now. Excuse me, but all this advice would have been much more helpful in November before we got into physical and financial trouble. Don’t you agree? The people of Judah allowed the altars, shrines, and Asherah poles to creep into their lives with subtlety. What have I allowed to slink into my heart and mind? Let’s follow Josiah’s example and clean out the immoral clutter in our closets. But let’s go above and beyond by making decisions before hand that will keep us out of the chaos in the first place.

Do you need someone to hold you accountable? Post your request here on the blog or send me an email.

2 Kings 21 & 2 Chronicles 33

2009-01-01T21:09:00.005-06:00

In our chronological Bible study, we took a look at King Hezekiah, and we just finished taking a glance at the ministry of the prophet Isaiah. Now we are back in the story of the kings as we look at Hezekiah's son Manasseh. What a disappointment. While Hezekiah was not a perfect ruler, most of his choices brought blessing for God's people. Manasseh brought nothing but heartache for 55 years for his people--he "filled Jerusalem end to end" with innocent bloodshed. He even sacrificed his own son.

The chapter in 2 Chronicles mentions Manasseh's plea for God's mercy. And God chose to grant him a second chance. Believe me; you and I cannot comprehend God's capacity for showing mercy and grace to people as evil as Manasseh. You and I cannot comprehend that God completely washes away our own sins. We can't forgive ourselves; so we assume God doesn't altogether wipe our slates clean either. Honey, if God looked at Manasseh and saw someone worth redemption, then He can also look at you with compassion. Make a fresh start with Jesus in this New Year of 2009. Bring your worries, fears, and wrongdoings to the throne of God, and leave them there. Do not pick them up again. Walk free in Christ, and do only what He calls you to as we close out the first decade of the new millenium this next year.

Let's glorify God together every day this year!

Survey

2008-12-30T09:16:00.002-06:00

I have added a Study Link called Relationship Survey. If you have not already completed this survey, will you please do that for me? Trent is working on his doctoral paper, and we need about 50 more people to answer the survey for us. Will you also send all your friends to the site to fill it out for us?

What a blessing you are!

Love,
Dana

Isaiah 54 & 55

2008-12-30T09:02:00.001-06:00

This chapter is a reassurance of God’s love for Israel. Although her captivity had been prophesied, God wanted Israel to know it would be temporary; He would bring His people back. Read the following verses from Isaiah 54 as God’s words of affirmation that He loves you forever. He has not forgotten His covenant with you.

vs. 5—For your Maker is your husband—the LORD Almighty is his name—the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth.

vs. 7b—but with deep compassion I will bring you back.

vs. 8 b—but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you, says the LORD your Redeemer.

vs. 10—Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed, says the LORD, who has compassion on you.

vs. 17—no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me, declares the LORD.

I don’t know about you, but I need God’s reassurance quite often. I tend to believe the lies of the enemy telling me I am inferior and that God doesn’t have time for me. He has more important people or people with greater needs to look after. These Scriptures comfort my soul when the world around me is shaken. God’s unfailing love is solid ground.

Isaiah 55—Invitation to the Thirsty. I love that title for this chapter. Thirst is the perfect word picture for our relationship to God. When I am physically thirsty, nothing satisfies like an ice-cold glass of water. When I am spiritually thirsty, nothing satisfies like a refreshing drink from God’s Word. I can think of nothing else until my physical thirst is quenched. Does that describe my spiritual thirst as well?

vs. 2b—your soul will delight in the richest of fare. God’s Word is a veritable feast for my spirit. Am I indulging in all God has to offer? Feasting on God’s Word is like a holiday banquet table overflowing with the richest of foods. Bible study should not be like eating dry, hard rice cakes.

So, how can you change your quiet time from a frightful famine to a blessed buffet? May I suggest that you learn how to study God’s Word for yourself? Reading the commentary of another person may be enlightening, but it is rather like eating boring leftovers. Believe me; I know I am enjoying this online Bible study far more than any of my readers ever could. The tasty morsels are the ones you find for yourself when you dig into the meat of God’s Word. The heart of the watermelon always has the best flavor. The center of the steak is always the juiciest. Skimming through a passage of Scripture is like eating a dry crust of bread. Searching out the hidden meaning of a word in Scripture is like homemade bread hot out of the oven. If you aren’t sure how to examine the Word of God under a microscope, send me an email, and I would love to share some secrets I have learned along the way.

vs. 6—Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Talk to God as soon as you wake up in the morning. Don’t let His Spirit get away from you when you rise up out of bed. Respond to Jesus the very moment He knocks upon your heart’s door. Don’t let a moment be wasted. Learn to hear the voice of God when He whispers an idea into your mind. Act upon it immediately. You will be doubly blessed when you quickly obey.

vs. 8, 9—God’s thoughts and ways are so much higher than mine!

vs. 11—so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. LORD God, please accomplish your purposes in me!

vs. 12—You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Oh wow! That’s what I want my life to resemble. Everywhere I go, I want to spread joy and peace. I want the mountains, hills, and trees to sing and dance and shout for joy because they see me coming. I want people who see me walk into a room to be delighted because I bring them joy and peace. Hmmm. That thought should change the look I have on my face today. Jesus, put your song in my heart!

Revolutionary Love by David Crowder Band

2008-12-22T08:37:00.001-06:00

God's love is SIMPLY AMAZING!!!!!

Isaiah 52 & 53

2008-12-19T08:20:00.011-06:00

Please take time to read Isaiah 52 & 53 before reading my commentary. May God's Word speak to you as I never could.

Isaiah 52:3--"For this is what the LORD says: You were sold for nothing, and without money you will be redeemed." This one little word sent me on a hunt for meaning. A consistent theme throughout Scripture is that God redeems His people. The true reason we celebrate Christmas is in fact that Jesus Himself came to be our Redeemer. A keyword search on Biblegateway.com yielded a long list of verses using the words redeem, redeemed, Redeemer, redemption.

The notes in my NIV Study Bible describe Redeemer in this way, "The Hebrew for this word refers to an obligated family protector and thus portrays the Lord as the Family Protector of Israel. He is related to Israel as Father and Husband. As Redeemer he redeems their property, guarantees their freedom, avenges them against their tormentors and secures their posterity for the future." A person needed a redeemer when they had sold themselves into slavery. A woman needed a redeemer when her husband died without leaving any male heirs. You and I need a Redeemer because we have sold ourselves in slavery to sin. You and I are the Bride of Christ. He is our Redeemer Husband, the One who secures our future when all around us is uncertain.

I really liked the Biblegateway description of Redemption. (click to read) This sentence really stood out to me. "The debt against us is not viewed as simply cancelled, but is fully paid." The description of Messiah as Suffering Servant in Isaiah 53 really brings this to light. Just because Jesus, the Son of God, volunteered to pay for our sins, does not mean that God dismissed the consequences. Jesus endured every bit of pain and suffering required to pay for the sins of each and every person who ever lived. Our entry into heaven is not a free pass or comp ticket. Jesus paid for it in blood. Sometimes we picture it in our heads something like this--Heaven is like God performing a major concert, and since we know Jesus, we can simply slip in the back door and get back stage access for free. Only the truth is our ticket to the concert was fully paid for by the death of Jesus. God did not actually grant Jesus permission to bring all his buddies to the show at no cost. Let's not lose sight of the fact that Jesus Paid It All on the cross for us.

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!" (Is. 52:7) This was one of Bro. Billy's favorite verses to quote. One day after he had taken our youth group on a hike at Black Mesa, he was changing his shoes, and we were teasing him about how ugly his feet were. He quoted this verse to us, and I always think of him any time I read it. It makes me thankful that Billy challenged our group to proclaim the Good News of God's salvation. It makes me grateful that he took the time to invest in our spiritual lives.

The LORD will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God. (Is. 52:10) You know how in the movies when guys are getting ready for a fight, they throw off their jackets and roll up their sleeves? That's the picture this verse brings to mind. The arm of the LORD represents the power of God. He has rolled up his shirt sleeves to fight for our victory over sin. Through His mighty power, we can know salvation. When the LORD bares His holy arm, the nations tremble before Him. Oooo, makes me shiver!

Isaiah 53 is a highly debated chapter between Jews and Christians. You can do a google search of the chapter to see the differing opinions. To boil it down, Jews believe Isaiah 53 refers to the suffering of the nation of Israel. Christians believe the chapter prophesies the crucifixion of Jesus the Messiah. I think we can read it both ways. There are many places the Old Testament prophets spoke a message relevant to their day and time while prophesying of the Messiah at the same time. Will you try this experiment for me? Read Isaiah 53 twice. The first time you read it, think of the suffering the Jewish people have endured throughout the centuries. Be amazed at their perseverance to remain a nation called by God. The second time you read it, think of Christ and His suffering for the payment of your sins on the cross. Be amazed that He allowed Himself to be beaten beyond human recognition when He had the power to slay His persecutors with one word from His mouth.

Will you marvel with me at the great lengths God went to in order to redeem His people? Simply Amazing!

Isaiah 40

2008-12-16T06:47:00.001-06:00

I am really glad that we are reading of the Consolation of Israel in Isaiah 40, 52-55 at Christmastime. These Scriptures prophesy of the coming of the Messiah. We probably will take more than one day to blog these passages because there is a lot of treasure hidden here. These Scriptures make me wish I were more of a Bible history/prophecy scholar. I am certain there is a lot of symbolism and meaning that we miss when we do not fully understand the history and culture behind the writing. So, if you could help me a little by researching these passages on your own, that would be terrific! If you find a really helpful internet site, or if you know of a great book on these topics, please let us know by clicking on the comment link on the blog.

Isaiah 40 begins with “Comfort, comfort my people—her sin has been doubly paid for.” Israel and Judah needed hope. Israel had already fallen into the hands of Assyria, and Isaiah had prophesied that Judah would be taken into captivity by Babylon. Chapters 40-66 of Isaiah foretell the restoration of the entire nation at the coming of the Suffering Servant. In the face of impending doom, Isaiah wrote of eternal hope. I can imagine that the captives in Babylon longed for God’s Comfort. They needed assurance that their punishment for sin had been paid and that they would soon be restored to relationship with their God. Are you in need of hope during these days of crisis? Look to Christ for your eternal Comfort. He is the only one who knows your future, and He wants to give you hope. Seek Him! (Jeremiah 29:11-14)

Isaiah 40:3-5—John the Baptist would fulfill this prophecy, as he came proclaiming the coming of the Messiah. Jesus was the glory of the LORD revealed. Glory means presence, and Jesus was Immanuel, God with us, the very presence of God come to earth. (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23) Hallelujah!

Isaiah 40:10—“the Sovereign LORD comes with power.” Israel and Judah needed God to rescue them with great power. Do you need Him also? Believe and trust that He is able!

Isaiah 40:11-14—Wow! I love these verses! If you are only reading my blog, and not the Word of God, then you are totally missing out. Get up out of your chair right now and read these words out of your Bible. Read it out loud. Savor the mental images of your LORD cradling you in His arms, carrying you close to your heart. Picture the God of the heavens measuring the waters in his hand, marking off the heavens with the breadth of his hand. He holds the dust of the earth in a basket! I have lived in places where the dust was abundant! It is hard to imagine it all gathered in one basket. God weighs the mountains on a scale. I have stood at the base of the Rocky Mountains, their grandeur towering over me. They are a small thing to be weighed in God’s perspective.

Take time to bask in the splendor of God, your Creator. To whom can we compare Him? He has no equal. He is the Holy One. Worship Him by reading aloud Isaiah 40:21-31. Please don’t cheat your relationship with the One True Savior by failing to bask in His majesty when He is inviting you to His throne. Savor the greatness of our God!

Hezekiah

2008-12-10T07:29:00.002-06:00

My pastor for most of my growing up years was Brother Billy Rammage. And he loved to pull pranks. One of his favorites was to tell the congregation to turn to the book of Hezekiah. He liked to make up his own verses and quote from Hezekiah, such as, “Toot thy own horn,” Hez. 2:2. Brother Billy was the one who really taught me and my friends how to study God’s Word, and he challenged us to memorize Scripture. I am very fortunate to have had him for a mentor, even if he got a kick out of teasing us mercilessly.

So, even though Hezekiah doesn’t have his own book, he has enough chapters written about his life to have one: 2 Kings 18-20, 2 Chronicles 29-32, Isaiah 36-39. “He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done. Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. He held fast to the LORD and did not cease to follow him; he kept the commands the LORD had given Moses. And the LORD was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook.” (2 Kings 18:3, 5-7a) Let’s make it our goal to be that type of follower of the LORD, one who does what it right, who trusts God, holding fast to the LORD and never ceasing to follow Him. Hezekiah still had to face challenges during his rule. His life was not trouble-free. He faced illness and struggled with pride issues. He was human, just like you and me. Hezekiah was not perfect, but God used him mightily to impact the lives of people because Hezekiah was willing to trust God through good times and bad.

“And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: ‘O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; listen to words Sennacherib [the enemy king] has sent to insult the living God. Now, O LORD, our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O LORD, are God.’” (2 Kings 19:15-16, 19) Once again, let me make the point that this is the type of prayer that God is most willing to answer. God delivers when our motivation is to make Him known to everyone around us.

The story of Hezekiah in 2 Chronicles focuses on the rebuilding of the temple and the celebrating of Passover. Hezekiah even invited Israel to join Judah in worshiping God. That’s awesome! “People of Israel, return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that he may return to you. . . . Come to the sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever. Serve the LORD your God, so that his fierce anger will turn away from you. . . . for the LORD your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him.” (2 Chron. 30:6-9) Hezekiah sent the message to all the surrounding towns. “Also in Judah the hand of God was on the people to give them unity of mind to carry out what the king and his officials had ordered, following the word of the LORD.” (2 Chron. 30:12) Unity of mind. Cool!

“In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, ‘This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.’ Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, ‘Remember, O LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.’ And Hezekiah wept bitterly. Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the LORD came to him: ‘Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you.’” (2 Kings 20:1-5b) When Hezekiah prayed for healing, he was able to remind God that he had been a faithful servant. Could I do the same?

While we are on the topic of praying for healing, honestly, it bothers me sometimes that all we ever pray for in our Sunday school classes is for sick people to be well. I suppose I need to consider that much of Jesus’ ministry was healing the sick. And Hezekiah is an example of God’s concern for his servants when they are ill. What is your opinion on this subject?

Unlike all the other kings of Judah and Israel, Hezekiah did stay true to following God his entire life. However, his pride was a stumbling block in the end. The king of Babylon sent Hezekiah a get-well card, and while the Babylonian messengers were at the palace to hand-deliver it, Hezekiah treated them to a tour. He showed them all his treasures. When they left, the prophet Isaiah told the king that everything the messengers saw would be carried off to Babylon in the future. Oops! Hezekiah flunked that test (2 Chronicles 32:31)

Isaiah was Hezekiah's priest and prophet. I wonder if they were good friends too. I wonder if Hezekiah was such a great king because of Isaiah's influence. It makes me thankful for the mentors in my life, people like my mom and Brother Billy, my Sunday school teachers, and Nick my BSU director. My husband is a terrific mentor in my life too. I think I'll tell my mentors "Thank You" today.

We will read Isaiah 40 and 52-55 next!

Hosea 1-4

2008-12-02T07:27:00.001-06:00

Let me just tell you how tempting it is to skip over Hosea and the rest of the Old Testament prophecies we still need to read on our Chronological reading list. Honestly, these stories just don’t mesh well with our postmodern theology of name it and claim it, health and wealth, prosperity gospel mindset. Haven’t you been taught in church that God isn’t going to call you to do something and not fully equip you to handle it? In your heart of hearts, don’t you feel like God would never ask you to do anything that is too hard? When you pray for God’s guidance, don’t you ask Him to give you a peace and a sense that everything is going to turn out according to your plans, oh I mean, according to God’s plans??? And when we say that we believe God wants the best for us, don’t we really mean that we believe God wants the easy road for us?

Well, when we take a good, hard look at the lives of most of God’s chosen ones anywhere in the Bible, they did not live easy lives. I really don’t find it biblical that a blessed life is particularly an easy life. Just look at Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus. The angel said Mary had found favor with God; yet God called Mary to a life of heartache and misery. And King David was a “man after God’s own heart”; yet his family life was a shambles with his children killing and raping one another and then attempting to overthrow David’s kingship. Sorry, I’m rambling. We’re supposed to be studying Hosea.

Hosea’s assignment from the LORD was to marry an adulterous wife and be a father to children conceived in unfaithfulness. Doesn’t sound like a cake walk to me! As a pastor’s wife, I know what it’s like to live in a fish bowl, where everyone can walk by and see everything that is going on in the life of your family. It especially feels like that right now because our house is located on the busiest street corner in the county! However, my situation is far more pleasant than Hosea and Gomer’s home life. Their family was called to be a reflection of God’s relationship to the unfaithful people of Israel. Their children were named things like “God scatters,” “Not loved,” and “Not my people.” Hosea was forced to buy back his own wife out of the trade of prostitution. I much prefer the calling that my own family has to play the role of the faithful Bride of Christ.

Chapters 1-4 of Hosea offer harsh criticism for Israel because of her unfaithfulness. My prayer for my family is that we will remain faithful and true to our love relationship with God. I want the following verses to be true of us, “In that day,” declares the LORD, “you will call me ‘my husband’; you will no longer call me ‘my master.’ I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the LORD.” (Hosea 2:16, 19-20)

In these passages there are two things Israel was punished for that are also very prevalent in our day. First, they did not acknowledge the blessings of God, and second, they rejected the knowledge of God. “She [Israel] has not acknowledged that I was the one who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil, who lavished on her the silver and gold—which they used for Baal.” (Hosea 2:8) We have to teach our children that everything we have is from God. He is the One who provides for all our needs. Without God, we would have absolutely nothing. I am extremely thankful that my parents taught me that everything we have belongs to God, and we should share all we have with others. My mom would literally give away the farm if God told her to because she knows He is the rightful owner.

“My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I will also ignore your children.” (Hosea 4:6) Ladies, you do NOT want God to ignore your children!!! But He says He will ignore them when we ignore our responsibility to teach them the law of God. Do you read the Bible with your children and grandchildren? Do you pray with them? Do you pray for them? Have you taught your children how to find the books in the Bible? Do you help them memorize Scripture? “Thy word have I hidden in my heart that I may not sin against Thee.” (Psalm 119:11) Have you helped your children come to trust Jesus as their Savior? As parents it is up to us to make sure our kids will spend eternity in heaven. Dr. James Dobson commented how tragic it would be to lose our children to eternity. Talk to your family about placing their faith in Jesus today, before it is too late.

Isaiah 6

2008-11-29T07:30:00.003-06:00

Oh, how I long for heaven, and Isaiah 6 makes me wish even more to be in the presence of God. This world is not my home, and there are lots of things that make me sad and uncomfortable here. While I love being with my family and friends, I’m ready to skip to the end of the story when Jesus comes to take all the Believers to His heavenly kingdom. Trent makes fun of me because I always read the last page of any book before I actually get to the end. Usually I read two or three chapters, and then I flip to the back page to find out if my predictions about the conclusion are going to come true. Trent thinks that ruins the story, but it doesn’t for me. I don’t really like surprises, and I don’t like being kept in suspense. I want to know what’s coming around the corner at me. So, knowing the end of the story keeps me reading because I know what to expect. And if it’s a really great story, then I can hardly read fast enough. Well, God’s story of mankind is absolutely the best story I have ever read, and I’ve read it through several times, and it gets better with each reading. The end of the story tells me that because Jesus is my Savior I will get to live with Him in heaven for eternity. I can hardly wait, girls. The suspense is killing me!

Isaiah’s vision makes me hungry for a glimpse of God’s throne room. One of our youth group leaders in high school would often lead us in an extended time of meditation and prayer. She taught us to seek God’s presence. Even in a room full of teenagers, she helped us learn how to get alone with God so we could hear His voice and fall on our faces before His throne. Honestly, I haven’t done that in a long time. I let the distractions of this world drown out the voice of my heavenly Father calling me into peaceful relationship with Him. Even in my own living room, I find it difficult to quiet my spirit in order to commune with the Holy Spirit.

In 6:5 Isaiah recognizes that he is not worthy to be in the presence of the Holy God. None of us deserves an audience with the King of kings and Lord of Lords. But praise Jesus, He invites us to come boldly before His throne of grace! (Heb. 4:16) In Isaiah 6:6-7, the seraph cleanses Isaiah’s sin with a hot coal from the altar. You and I can have our sin washed away by the blood of Christ on the cross. Have you asked Him to cleanse your heart? Won’t you ask Him today?

After we come into God’s presence and He changes us to be more like Christ, then we must be ready to answer His call to go out. Come in, grow up, go out. This is the new pattern our women’s ministry plans to follow. We are good at inviting everyone to come just as they are, and now we want to help women grow in their relationship to God so that they can go out and serve their world. Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” (vs 8)

The rest of the story is a tough pill to swallow. Isaiah has answered the call to follow God, and God tells Isaiah that the job is going to be impossible. Isaiah will preach the message of salvation to people who will refuse to listen to him. They will be cruel to him and spit in his face. Their land will be destroyed and forsaken by God. Isaiah was asked to take on a thankless ministry, one doomed to failure in the eyes of the world. Would you and I readily accept such an assignment? I sincerely doubt it. Our family just moved to Oklahoma to minister to a very loving church. They have already blessed our socks off, as my husband would say! If God had told us to move some place where people were unfriendly, I am certain we would have said no. If God had told us that the people would never love us and that they would not respond to the messages God puts on Trent’s heart to deliver, would we have come? No, because in the church of today, we measure success just like the world does. We measure in numbers and in good feelings. So, if God has placed you in a thankless ministry, I want to encourage you today. Measure success according to God’s standard. He is looking for obedient hearts that are willing to follow Him even when the road is hard. Seek His face, and enjoy His approval instead of man’s.

Christ the Solid Rock

2008-11-24T07:19:00.002-06:00

Isaiah 2

2008-11-24T06:34:00.008-06:00

Isaiah 2:3b--"He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." God is our teacher. Are we being diligent students of His Word? We are always whining about not knowing what God is going to do. Let's start listening to the Spirit's voice telling us, "This is the way, walk ye in it." (Isaiah 30:21)

Isaiah 2:6--"Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the LORD." "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." (Ps. 119:105) O house of Jacob refers to God's people. God's Word to His people is the Bible, and when we read it, we receive direction concerning where God wants us to go and what He wants us to do. A lamp, however, gives light for only one or two steps at a time. Therefore, we must trust God with the big map of our lives as we obediently follow Him one step at a time, one day at a time.

Isaiah 2:6-9 is a very thought-provoking passage. It begins by saying God has abandoned His people, but it continues by saying that the land is full, full of superstitions, full of silver and gold, full of treasures, full of horses and chariots, full of idols. It ends by saying mankind will be humbled. The Jews believed that God's blessing brought prosperity, yet these verses indicate prosperity did not satisfy their longing for relationship with God. I can see this reflected in our own day and time. Our society is full of supersitions, silver, gold, treasures, material wealth, and idols, but our souls are not satisfied because prosperity does not equal relationship to our Creator God. My prayer for our nation is that we (myself included) will stop longing for wealth and financial stability and that we will start chasing after a love relationship with the One True God. Mankind will be humbled. I would much rather bow down willingly before God's throne than to beg for His mercy after tragedy has struck.

Three times this chapter tells us to hide "from the dread of the LORD and the splendor of his majesty." (vs. 10, 19, & 21) My first thought was, "Oh, but I want to see God's majesty!" But not in the context of His judgment on mankind. He is the God who melts mountains and rises to shake the earth. I think we would all want to run and hide in the hills when the wrath of God is unleashed. Praise Jesus because of His sacrifice, which allows us to stand clean before the throne of judgment. We don't often realize the significance of Christ taking our place. He endured the wrath of God so we wouldn't have to. Because of Jesus, I do not have to run and hide from the Father. Hallelujah!

Isaiah 2:11-12 talk of the day of the LORD. The arrogant and proud will be humbled in that day because the LORD alone will be exalted. Let's exalt His Name in our day, ladies. As my husband says, "I want to be at the head of the parade. I don't want to be at the back of the parade."

Isaiah 2:22--"Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?" Who or what am I trusting in instead of trusting in God? People? Job? Finances? My own abilities? Of what account is any of it? I'm trusting in Christ, the Solid Rock! Will you join me?

Isaiah 1

2008-11-19T06:48:00.000-06:00

Isaiah 1:2—“I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me.” I know several parents who brought up their children to know God, but the children have chosen to rebel. Even God’s children rebelled against Him. So, parents keep praying fervently for your prodigal children, but quit beating yourselves up about it. As our children grow up, they become responsible for their own choices. Let’s follow God’s example of loving our children continuously, but remember that sometimes our children need tough love. Be sure you are not enabling your children to continue living in sin. Get out of the way and let God have His way in their lives.

Isaiah 1:13—“Stop bringing meaningless offerings!” Ouch. Anyone else feel convicted? I think our poor excuses for not serving and worshiping wholeheartedly are meaningless offerings. “Sorry I didn’t have time to do Bible study this week. I was just too tired.” “Sorry I didn’t come to church for worship. I had a long week at work.” “Sorry I can’t help with that mission project. I have to stay home and watch Dancing with the Stars.”

Isaiah 1:15—“When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen.” Have you ever been guilty of telling someone God always hears their prayers? I have. According to this scripture, God will not listen to us when we have sin in our lives. Verses 16-17 say, “Stop doing wrong, learn to do right!” Until we confess and turn from our sin, God is not obligated to listen to us. By the way, God is not obligated to give us everything we ask for, even when we have made ourselves clean before Him. In America, we feel entitled to whatever pleases us. We act like spoiled brats when God doesn’t give us the answer we want when we want it. That’s dangerous!

Isaiah 1:18—“Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” I love this verse! God wants to heal the relationship we have with Him. He does not want our sin to be an obstacle in our lives. So, He offers us the perfect solution. Through the blood of Christ, God washes our sins away and makes us clean. All we have to do is come to Him as humble children, and He will forgive us completely. Why do we make it difficult? Verse 19 says we must be “willing and obedient.” Instead, we “resist and rebel” as in verse 20. Oh, stubborn heart. . . .

The relationship between God and His people became a vicious cycle, and Isaiah 1:21-31 describes it well. The people would sin (v. 21-23), and God would wipe them out (v. 24-25). Then God would restore His people to righteousness (25-27), but the people would return to their familiar sins (v. 28-31). Do you and I have any familiar sins we slip back into after God has faithfully restored our relationship with Him? Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any pet sins in your life. Ask Him to cleanse your heart and teach you to do right. Stay faithful to God one day at a time. The rewards will be great!

We will read Isaiah chapters 2 & 6 next. Thanks for reading along.

Joel 2, Jonah 1, Amos 3, Micah 1-2

2008-11-13T08:15:00.010-06:00

I know, I know. That's a lot to read, and not much of it is fun reading either. All of these prophets foretold of the Lord's judgment on the Israelites. I'm not an expert in prophecy; so I can't tell you if these prophecies have all been fulfilled already or if they are still a part of the last day judgments to come. So, here's how I'm going to blog these passages. I have chosen one verse from each passage that really jumped off the page, and I am going to write about each of those verses. If you find other verses you like better, I hope you will post a comment and let us know. We don't want to miss out on any of God's blessings from His Word.

Did you read all the chapters? Okay then, let's get started!

Joel 2:13-14--"Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing."

You and I typically do not mourn for our sin like the Israelites did. They would tear (rend) their clothes and put ashes on their heads or wear sackcloth (an itchy, uncomfortable garment) as an outward sign that they were sorry for their sins. Joel was telling them that the repentance needed to be of the heart, not merely an outward show for everyone to see. Frankly, you and I do not take our personal sins that seriously. We think God should have a forgive and forget attitude whether we get on our faces to ask forgiveness or not. We jump right to the idea of God being gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in love, showing us pity, and blessing. What about the idea that God has every right to send calamity on our families because of the sinful choices we make every day? Who knows? He may have pity on us, but should He if we are not willing to beg for mercy in the first place? We do serve a merciful God, but we should never take His goodness for granted. Get on your knees before Jesus in humility because you love Him and because you want to serve Him with your life.

Jonah 1:14c--"for you, O LORD, have done as you pleased."

Did you catch that? It pleased God to send a storm and a big fish to swallow Jo-Jo-Jo-Jo-Jo-Jo-Jonah. (Sorry, I started singing the song I learned in Sunday School.) Why would it please God to send calamity on Jonah? Because Jonah was living in direct disobedience to the will of God. Doesn't God want to bless His children with good gifts? Absolutely, but does that mean He won't spank our hineys and put us in a three-day timeout? Uh . . . evidently not.

Amos 3:7--"Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets."

Cool! As God's servants, we should be hearing from God about his plan for mankind. If we aren't, then maybe we should check our connection. Is yours plagued with static like mine has been? Get yourself a journal and turn off your music and get alone with God. Ask Him to reveal His heart to you so you can share it with the world. Then when He gives you a word, no matter how difficult it may be to swallow, you go be obedient and spread that word to your fellow men. If we don't share, then why should God share with us? The purpose of a prophet was to get God's word to the people. The word was never for the prophet alone.

Micah 1:3-4--"Look! The LORD is coming from his dwelling place; he comes down and treads the high places of the earth. The mountains melt beneath him and the valleys split apart, like wax before the fire, like water rushing down a slope."

Now, that's what I'm talkin' 'bout! I want to serve the God who melts mountains and splits valleys! When God comes to rescue me from the mess I'm in, I don't want Him sitting in His rocking chair telling the angels to get me a band-aid. I want His Holy Presence coming from His dwelling place. Absolutely! However, I want Him coming after my enemies. I don't want God to come down from His throne because He aims to discipline my unrepentant heart. Think about this. When the principal walked into the classroom at your elementary school, did you want to be the bad kid he was after, or did you want to be the kid who had already fessed up to the teacher? I want to be the child of God who confesses sin immediately and gets back on the straight and narrow without having to be forced. Invite God to step into your life today, ladies. The things you fear will melt like wax before the fire, like water rushing down a slope.

Okay, I want to hear from you now. Did I pick your favorite verses, or did I miss a goodie?

2 Chronicles 24-26

2008-11-12T08:44:00.002-06:00

Same song, second verse. 2 Chronicles 24 is a repeat of 2 Kings 12. I just want to point out a couple of verses that caught my attention.

Verse 10—“All the officials and all the people brought their contributions gladly, dropping them into the chest until it was full.” Do you bring your tithes and offerings to church gladly? Being able to give back to the LORD a portion of what He has blessed you with should be an important part of your worship. My husband and I always make sure our tithe check is the first one we write on payday. We want to offer God the firstfruits of our labor, not the leftovers. God pours out His richest blessings in our lives when we honor Him first. Will you thank God next time you write a check for a tenth of your income as an offering to Him? Or will you continue to grumble that the church only wants your money? Become an active participant in worship at your church and give gladly to God.

I was surprised at the contrast between Jehoiada and Joash in 2 Chronicles. The 2 Kings passage did not point out some of the details. For example, in 2 Chronicles 24:16, we are told that Jehoiada was buried with the kings because of the good he had done in Israel for God and his temple. In 24:15 we are told that Joash was buried, but not in the tombs of the kings. Jehoiada the priest was buried with the kings. Joash the king was not. This tells me that my position in life does not determine my potential to impact my world. Joash did not use his high position to bring about good. Jehoaida used his humble position to effect positive change. Will you and I allow God to use us in our homes and workplaces today? Will you “bloom where you are planted?”

2 Chronicles 24-26 tells us the story of three kings of Judah: Joash, Amaziah, and Uzziah. The Bible says all three of these kings “did what was right in the eyes of the LORD.” The Bible also tells us the names of the mothers of these three kings: Zibiah, Jehoaddin, and Jecoliah. I think it is totally cool that the three good kings of Judah all had moms who were worth mentioning. Usually the females were not listed in the genealogies. Behind every great world leader is a great mom. I wanna be that kind of mom!

2 Chronicles 25:2 tells us that Amaziah “did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not wholeheartedly.” Are you and I serving Jesus wholeheartedly? I do not want to be known as a half-hearted Christian. I’m fairly certain that would be the type of person Jesus mentioned in Revelation 3:16. A half-hearted Christian makes Jesus sick to His stomach. Does my service in God’s kingdom make Him joyful, or does it make Him want to vomit?

2 Chronicles 25:5-12 happens to be an example of Amaziah doing the right thing, but only after a man of God confronted him. Amaziah counted his soldiers in Judah and came up with 300,000 men. He decided to hire 100,000 more soldiers from Israel. The man of God told Amaziah that he needed to send the Israelite troops home because the LORD was not with Israel. “God has the power to help or to overthrow.” (v. 8) I think we have broached this subject before. Verses like this mess with our postmodern theology. We think God is always going to be on our side to help us out of the battles we get ourselves into. It’s time for us to wake up and realize that when we face strong resistance, it is very possible that God sent the opposition to bring our disobedient hearts to a halt. Where are you facing hardship? Instead of blaming it all on the devil, take a second look to make sure you are hearing God’s voice on the issue.

Then Amaziah was worried about the 100 talents he had paid to hire the troops. “The man of God replied, “The LORD can give you much more than that.” (v. 9) Amen! Why do I worry about petty financial losses when I know for a fact that God can give me much more? Amaziah did the right thing and sent the Israelites home, and God helped Judah win the battle. Unfortunately, the disgruntled Israelites ransacked several towns on their way home. Amaziah then did the stupid thing by bowing down to the gods of Edom. “The anger of the LORD burned against Amaziah, and he sent a prophet to him, who said, ‘Why do you consult this people’s gods, which could not save their own people from your hand?’” (v. 15) Instead of listening to the godly prophet, Amaziah consulted his own advisers who told him to pick a fight with Israel. What a sad way to end his kingly reign, in direct disobedience to the Word of God.

2 Chronicles 26 is the story of King Uzziah. He became king when he was only 16, and he depended heavily on men like Zechariah and Isaiah to give him godly wisdom. This Zechariah was not the guy who wrote an Old Testament book. The author of Zechariah was born in Babylonian exile a couple hundred years later. Isaiah, however, mentions Uzziah in Isaiah 6:1—“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the LORD, seated on a throne, high and lifted up . . . .” 2 Chronicles 26:22 mentions the prophet Isaiah.

2 Chronicles 26:5 is a very telling verse, “As long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success.” Let’s seek the LORD, ladies! Verse 16 is even more telling, “But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall.” Dear Jesus, keep me humble! Honestly, this subject has been a personal battle. In my younger days, I was overly self-confident and prideful. I pretty much thought I was God’s gift to mankind. Lately, however, the enemy has been filling my head with lies telling me that I have nothing important to offer and that I should sit down and shut up. Pray for me that I will listen to God’s voice instead.

Okay, we have waded our way through most of the kings of Israel and Judah. Next, we are going to hop, skip, and jump through the prophets. We will start with Joel, Jonah, Amos and Micah. If you need a copy of the reading plan we are following, go to the following link at biblegateway.com. Print it out and carry it in your Bible so you can read along with us. Thanks again for joining me on this journey!

2 Kings 11-12

2008-11-06T07:21:00.002-06:00

2 Kings 11:1—“When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family.” Treacherous! It is really hard for me to write about women like Athaliah. In fact, if I were doing this chronological study by myself rather than on my public blog, I probably would have read this passage and then moved on without processing it too much. I don’t understand women like Athaliah who seek fame and success at the cost of their families. I cannot relate to the idea of a woman who would have her children and grandchildren killed so that she could ascend to the throne. You and I would never annihilate our families. Would we? Do we ever devastate our families with our harsh words? Do we ever slay our husbands or children with an evil stare? Do our nasty attitudes tear down the spiritual protection we should be providing for our families? God is reminding me that there is a little bit of Athaliah in each one of us. Let’s pray for God’s strength to allow the Holy Spirit to rule our lives instead.

Hurray for Jehosheba, the aunt of Joash! She took the risk to hide her nephew from the wrath of the queen mother. I was wondering how Athaliah didn’t find Joash. I guess she must not have gone to worship at the Lord’s temple too often. I also wonder if she even knew she had a grandson named Joash. Verse 3 says they hid him for six years, and verse 21 says Joash was seven years old when he began to reign. He was a newborn when Jehosheba took him into hiding. Wow! Can you imagine having a seven-year-old rule your country?

Hurray for Jehoiada the priest! He took the risk to bring Joash to the throne. If God told you to anoint a seven-year-old as king to overthrow his grandmother, would you be obedient?? And I always pictured priests as being meek and mild. Ha! Not Jehoiada. He was a warrior priest. Hurray for Jehoiada! He took the risk of being a mentor to Joash. “Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him.” (2 Kings 12:2) Who are you mentoring?

Joash decided to have the priests repair the temple. They collected money, but they didn’t do any repairs. Ha! That sounds like me. I like to save money, but I don’t like to spend it. Anyway, when Joash turned 30, he finally confronted Jehoiada and told him to quit hoarding and start putting the money to good use. So Jehoiada used the money to hire carpenters and builders. I thought 2 Kings 12:15 was really interesting—“They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with complete honesty.” Wow! I wish we all acted with complete honesty today. Let’s make a pact to be people of our word.

The Scriptures do not tell us any other accomplishments of Joash except that he repaired the temple. 2 Chronicles 24 tells the rest of the story concerning the assassination of Joash. Joash turned against God’s law after his mentor Jehoiada passed away. That is so sad. Once again we have an example of a king who did not stay close to God as he grew older. I don’t want us to repeat that pattern in our lives. Let’s hold one another accountable to staying true to our faith in the Living God.

2 Kings 6-7

2008-10-30T09:24:00.001-05:00

The ax head floating is an interesting miracle, don’t you think? It reminds me that our God is interested in the details of our lives. Do you look for Him in the little things? There have been a number of times when I have lost something, and I have prayed for God to help me find it. I think it is a fun faith-building exercise. The most prominent memory I have of God revealing something I lost was when I could not find my kids’ school pictures. I sat down to put the photos in Christmas cards, but the pictures were not on my piano where I had left them. I prayed all day long, “God, You know exactly where these photos are, will you please tell me.” Early the next morning before I got out of bed, I prayed again, and God whispered, “They are in the dumpster. You threw them away when you sorted your mail.” I couldn’t get dressed fast enough! I quickly retrieved the bag of trash, and about a quarter of the way down, the pictures were sandwiched between a newspaper and a catalog. Jesus and I had a praise party all day long!

I love 2 Kings 6:16-17—“Don’t be afraid,” Elisha answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. Open my eyes, LORD!!! Remind me continually that “Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world!” (I John 4:4) Does the enemy have you feeling defeated today? Beg the LORD to open your eyes so you can see the protection He provides for your life.

I think it is very intriguing that Elisha prays three times in this passage about eyesight. First he prayed for his servant to see the army of God. Next he prayed that the enemy would be struck with blindness. Finally, after he has brought the enemy into captivity within the city walls, he prayed the LORD would open their eyes again. Do you realize Elisha is praying about spiritual sight? Do you have trouble seeing God at work around you? Pray that He will heal your spiritual eyes. We know that God is always at work (John 5:17). Ask God to show you where He is working so you can get on board.

In verses 22-23, Elisha chooses to treat the enemy with kindness. He prepared a feast for them, and they returned the favor by stopping the raids on Israel. When Aram did start raiding again, however, the king blamed it on Elisha (v 31). I don’t quite get why the man of God should be blamed, but I guess kings need someone to be the scapegoat when things go wrong.

Verses 26-29 describe a desperate woman in desperate times. Girls, we should be grateful each morning when we rise out of our soft, warm beds to select an outfit from a crowded closet before eating a breakfast from a full cupboard. We have never truly known desperate times. I selfishly pray that Jesus will return before we have to face such devastation. LORD, come quickly!

Did you notice that as soon as the king sent a messenger to find Elisha, then the LORD lifted the siege? That makes me ponder. Would God have lifted the oppression sooner if the king had consulted Elisha sooner? What nastiness could I avoid if I would seek guidance from the Holy Spirit sooner rather than later?

Wouldn’t you love to watch the movie of the four men with leprosy who discovered the deserted Aramean camp? I can smell their fear as they approached the camp ready to surrender their lives because of their desperation for food. Then I can feel their jubilation when it dawns on them that the enemy is scattered and the bounty is theirs. Woohoo! I am so proud of the men for deciding not to keep the secret to themselves. You know they had every right to be greedy. Their society had abandoned them as leprous outcasts. These men had every reason to hoard all the blessings. But they chose instead to be men of integrity, men who did the right thing even when it cost them everything. Let’s be people like that! Let’s be people who share the goodness of God with everyone we meet rather than keeping the best for ourselves.

I sure hope the king rewarded those guys.

2 Kings 2

2008-10-27T09:47:00.003-05:00

I want to say a special “Thank You” to my fabulous husband for helping me with his insight for this passage. I was making it too hard looking for hidden meaning behind the three groups of prophets. I wanted to know how the prophets knew that Elijah was leaving and why Elisha didn’t want to talk about it. Why did Elijah keep trying to convince Elisha to stay behind? Trent pointed out that the central theme of this story is the mentoring relationship between Elijah and Elisha. Aha moment for me!

Mentoring has been a recurring theme in my thoughts lately. Trent’s marriage project will focus on mentoring. The members at our new church have brought up the idea of discipleship several times. One of the most rewarding times for me at our previous church was when I read through the Bible with women who were hungry to know God’s Word. I have always been grateful for the discipleship group my pastor had for my friends and I when we were young.

Reading about Elijah and Elisha’s relationship caused me to think of other biblical examples of mentoring. Naomi and Ruth, Eli and Samuel, Jesus and Peter, Paul and Timothy. In each case, the mentor poured himself into the life of another. In each case, the student was a faithful follower of the leader. The mentor saw potential in the student, and the student loved and admired the mentor. Were any of these relationships identical? Did any of them require the completion of an extensive curriculum? No. They were open and honest relationships where both parties were transparent with one another. Were these always easy relationships? No. Sometimes one party had to confront the other to keep the relationship on track. Did both mentor and student benefit from the relationship? Most definitely.

2 Kings 2:9-10—Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?” “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied. “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise not.” I think we can gain important wisdom from this conversation between mentor and mentee.

1. The mentor needs to understand what the mentee needs from her.
2. The mentee must set specific goals for her learning.
3. The mentor must hold the mentee accountable to meet certain expectations.
4. The mentee must be faithful to do what the mentor requires.

Once a few ground rules are in place, the rest is all about relationship. Author and speaker Chris Adams says it is about “doing life together.” Author and pastor Max Lucado speaks about “being a faucet of love” in someone else’s life.

Can I challenge you to pray and ask for God’s guidance about entering into a mentoring relationship? Do you need someone to pour her knowledge into your life? Ask her to be your mentor. Has God brought someone into your life you know needs encouragement to start her journey with God? Ask her to simply read the Bible with you. Then let God build your relationship and grow it deep in His goodness and truth.

I am praying. Will you?

2 Kings 1

2008-10-23T06:39:00.014-05:00

As we continue our study of the prophet Elijah, I like this story much better than yesterday's. Fire from heaven is much more in line with how we typically picture God's judgment of evil, don't you think? After all, we want to worship an all-powerful God, don't we--just as long as He doesn't use any of His lightning bolts on us personally?

Poor King Ahaziah. You can read about his appointment to be king in the last few verses of 1 Kings 22. He really had no hope to succeed, what with being the child of Ahab and Jezebel and all. With mentors like that, who needs antagonists? King Ahaziah's reign is doomed from the start, and you get the feeling he was aware of this fact. He sent messengers to inquire of a foreign god to find out whether or not he would recover from a fall through lattice. Okay, who walks on lattice and doesn't expect to fall through it?? Anyway, did you notice that Ahaziah is not asking this foreign god for healing? He is just looking for a confirmation or denial of what he already dreads will be the answer.

Did Ahaziah not realize that God would know what he was up to? Come on, Ahaziah had heard the story of Elijah. He recognized Elijah from a simple description of his wardrobe in 2 Kings 1:8. ("He was a man with a garment of hair and with a leather belt around his waist." The king said, "That was Elijah the Tishbite.") If I knew my parents were defeated by the God of Elijah, I'm thinking I would figure out how to please this God and avoid His wrath. Can you tell that I don't have much patience for people who choose the wrong road in life? I just want to put a leash on them and drag them down the straight and narrow road. Okay, you're right, that doesn't really yield the results I'm looking for most of the time.

So, on with our story. After the messengers came back with confirmation from Elijah that Ahaziah would not recover, Ahaziah tried to intimidate the prophet. Should you threaten the God of the Universe with a captain and fifty men? Hmmm. Evidently not. It didn't work the first two times, but Ahaziah must have thought the third time would be the charm. "So the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. This third captain went up and fell on his knees before Elijah. "Man of God," he begged, "please have respect for my life and the lives of these fifty men, your servants! See, fire has fallen from heaven and consumed the first two captains and all their men. But now have respect for my life!" (2 Kings 1:13-14) I hope the third captain got a pay raise!

So, God told Elijah to travel with captain #3 to deliver the message to Ahaziah face-to-face. "You will certainly die!" (2 Kings 1:16) "So he died. . . ." (2 Kings 1:17)

End of story.

I think you will enjoy tomorrow's story. Will you read 2 Kings 2, and we will witness the ascension of Elijah and the empowering of Elisha together!

1 Kings 21

2008-10-21T09:37:00.003-05:00

I remember the story of Naboth's Vineyard from Sunday School when I was a little girl. It has never been my favorite story because the good guy loses to the bad guy. Let me sum it up.

Ahab has a pity party because Naboth won't sell him his vineyard. Naboth wanted to keep it because land was a very important inheritance to the Hebrew people. So Ahab's wife Jezebel had Naboth killed. I don't quite understand why she went to the trouble of declaring a day of fasting and having Naboth falsely accused by two scoundrels. But hey, Jezebel was evil, and that's the way evil people operate. After Naboth is stoned, Jezebel gives his vineyard to her wimpy husband. Then Elijah shows up and prophesies that Ahab's kingdom is doomed and that Jezebel will be fed to the dogs. Ahab humbles himself before God, and God postpones the punishment. Ahab dies in 1 Kings 22, and Jezebel meets her predicted death in 2 Kings 9.

What a pretty Sunday School story. It should reiterate to us that life on earth is not fair. The Bible never teaches that life was meant to be fair. Sometimes evil triumphs over good, but God is ultimately in control. I've read the end of the story, and our God wins!!!! His entire purpose is to bring glory to His Name, not to mine. My job is to trust Him no matter the circumstances I encounter in this earthly life. Let's keep our eyes focused on the finish line, where we will win the prize of eternity with Jesus Christ, our Savior and LORD! I'll race you to the end. :-)

I Kings 19

2008-10-20T09:45:00.002-05:00

19:1—“Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done. . . .” Tattle-tale! I don’t think Ahab was the strong one in his marriage.

19:3—“Elijah was afraid and ran for his life.” Our Elijah? The guy we’ve been reading about? No way!

19:4—“Elijah prayed that he might die. ‘I have had enough, LORD,’ he said. ‘Take my life.’” What happened to our fearless prophet? I bet you’ve been there. I certainly have been. Elijah was exhausted. His mountain-top experience with God, followed by a marathon run, took every ounce of energy Elijah had. He was ready to give up, but I am so thankful God did not give up on Elijah. God gave Elijah a 40-day vacation. Then He called him back into action.

Have you ever done a study on all the 40-day stories in the Bible? Noah’s 40-days and nights in the flood, the Israelites wandering for 40 years, Moses’ 40 days and nights on Mt. Sinai, the spies in Canaan exploring for 40 days, Goliath challenged Israel every morning and evening for 40 days, Elijah and Jesus both spent 40 days in the wilderness. There are also a handful of kings who reigned 40 years, and God punished Israel for 40 years in other stories besides the Moses story. The pattern of 40 typically indicates a time of testing for God’s people, and after the testing, God shows up. Has God taken you through any 40-day experiences? I just celebrated my 40th birthday! The possibility of God doing something miraculous in my life is terribly exciting!

In verses 9-10 and 13-14, God and Elijah have the same conversation twice. “What are you doing here, Elijah?” “Poor me. I’m the only one left!” Elijah was having a major pity party, but God was not going to let him stay there in the cave of despair. Did you notice that Elijah readily recognized God’s voice? Elijah had spent plenty of time alone with his LORD, and he knew exactly what God sounded like. Can you hear God’s gentle whisper in your life? I must admit that my mind is in such a whirlwind most of the time that it drowns out what God is trying to tell me. I think that is why I am enjoying my Bible study blog so much. It lets me get alone with God, and He speaks to me through His Word, and the Holy Spirit talks to me as I write. I remind myself that whether or not anyone responds to the blog, my main goal is to sit at the feet of Jesus and to glorify His Name.

19:15—“Go back the way you came . . . .” I hate retracing my steps. It usually means I lost or forgot something. What was God’s purpose in having Elijah go back the way he came? Did he lose his faith along the journey? Did he forget his passion for communicating God’s Word to the people? Retracing our steps in our walk with God reminds us of His faithfulness in carrying us through the hard stuff of life. I encourage you to draw a timeline and let yourself remember all the times God has intervened on your behalf. How has He used you to minister to others? When has He shown up to you? Ask Him to do it again!

Elijah feels alone, but God reminds him he is not alone. God has preserved 7000 other faithful believers, and God tells Elijah to commission others to help him lead the fight against evil. Elijah is to anoint Hazael, Jehu, and Elisha. Do you want to feel like you are making a difference in God’s kingdom? Then become a mentor to someone. Pass on your faith to the next generation of leaders. The enemy is so good at isolating us and telling us we know nothing about God. The way to prove him wrong is to pour your life into someone else. Elijah became Elisha’s mentor, and what a powerful duo they were! Will you pray today about who you could mentor? Ask God to bring someone to mind, and then be obedient to approach that person and invite them to study the Bible with you. If you need ideas, please email me at tydyd_89@yahoo.com.

Verses 19-21 tell the story of Elisha’s call. Only three short verses. Have you written your testimony of answering God’s call on your life? Will you post it on the blog? I would love to hear your story!!! What I love about Elisha’s response is that he completely destroyed his oxen and his plowing equipment. There was no turning back. Wow! That challenges me.

Looking forward to your responses!
Love ya! Dana

I Kings 18:23-46

2008-10-17T10:37:00.013-05:00

Even though Elijah felt like he was the only prophet of God left, it did not keep him from challenging the 450 prophets of Baal. He set up a contest, and the winner would be "the god who answers by fire." (vs. 24) How did Elijah know what would happen? Did God give him the game plan, or was Elijah following God with blind faith?

Something that has really leaped off the page at me is Elijah's faith in what God had promised He would do. For example, God told Elijah there would be a drought, and Elijah went and told King Ahab about it. Then God told Elijah the ravens would take care of him and that the widow's flour and oil would not run out. Now in this chapter, God promised to consume Elijah's sacrifice with fire, and after that God said the rain was coming again. I want to know how Elijah could be so sure-fire certain of what God said. Truly, if God told you there would be no rain or that you would never have to put flour and oil on your grocery list, how would you respond? Would you ever dream of challenging your antagonistic co-workers to a sacrificial BBQ Throwdown? Do I even slow down long enough to hear God say anything like that to me? Do I recognize His voice when He does speak? Do I have enough faith to share the word with anyone else, or am I too afraid they will think I'm looney?

We don't see Elijah's kind of faith in our society, girls. Will you share your thoughts on why you think this is the case?

The humor in this Mount Carmel story is fabulous. Elijah has a great time taunting the prophets of Baal! And then Elijah adds insult to injury when he douses his sacrifice with 12 large jars (4 jars x 3 times) of water. No way was that gonna burn, the prophets thought. "Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench." (vs. 38). Ha. Guess I showed you, boys. My God is way bigger than your god!

Elijah's prayer in verses 36 & 37 should be a pattern we follow. What did Elijah ask for? Did he ask for fire? Did he ask for fame for himself? Did he ask God to put the prophets of Baal to shame? No, those would have been selfish requests. Instead, Elijah asked God to prove Himself so that the people would come to believe that He is God. I believe the Bible teaches that God is willing to answer this type of prayer. This prayer of faith does not dictate our wishes to God; it invites Him to display His power in our lives. Asking God to prove Himself in the midst of our difficult circumstances means that we are willing to accept His answer even when it doesn't match our expectations. It means we offer ourselves as a vessel God can use however He pleases. It means we make ourselves available so that God can shine His light into the lives of other people. The outcome we should desire most is for people all around us to fall prostrate and cry out, "The LORD--he is God! The LORD--he is God!" (vs. 39)

In verse 41, Elijah told Ahab "there is the sound of a heavy rain." What? Elijah's spiritual ears are far more keen than mine. It wasn't until after Elijah prayed 7 times that "a cloud as small as a man's hand" rose from the sea. (vs. 44) Was Elijah grasping at straws, or did He really have a promise from God that the black clouds and heavy rain were on the way? At any rate, God's power falls on Elijah, and he runs 20 miles down Mount Carmel to Jezreel.

Will you join me in praying that God will display His power in our lives? It will take a true commitment on our part to be still and wait on His answer. We can't throw a fit when He does not answer on our time schedule or according to our wishes. I'm not certain what to look for, but I'm pretty sure we will know it when our God shows up!

1 Kings 18:1-22

2008-10-15T17:09:00.017-05:00

"After a long time, in the third year . . . . The famine was severe . . . ."

You and I have never known such extreme drought in our lifetime. Even if you live in the desert Southwest US, you see close to 8 inches of rain a year. Elijah's declaration resulted in zero rainfall for three whole years. Keep in mind that the people in Elijah's day did not have the benefit of water storage or electric pump wells. Even when our nation experiences drought, we have access to water. You would think God had Israel's attention after three years! However, Scripture does not record King Ahab seeking relief from God. Sure, he sent people looking for Elijah, but he wanted to take his life, not seek his wisdom. Baal worship was prevalent because of King Ahab's wife Jezebel, but God was setting the stage for a grand display of His glory.

Obadiah. Can anybody identify with the role he played? Obadiah was hiding prophets in caves, but at the same time, he was servant to the evil king. He was between a rock and a hard place. Obadiah was a man of God, but he worked a secular job. He wanted to stand up for his faith, but he also wanted to maintain his lifestyle. I'm not judging Obadiah, because I've been there. Often times God uses Christians in the work place to be living examples of His love. At the same time, I see a contrast between the lives of Obadiah and Elijah. Obadiah was careful. Elijah was radical. Obadiah hid his faith. Elijah made his public. Obadiah is a little-known prophet. Elijah's legacy lives on. During the Passover, the Jews set an extra place at the table in hope of the return of Elijah. Which of these prophets does your life resemble?

In verse 15, before Obadiah would agree to tell his master that Elijah was there, he made Elijah promise he wouldn't disappear. Once again, Elijah proves to be a man of his word. Let's agree to be people like that, men and women who do what we say we are going to do. If there is anything that gets on my nerves, it's having someone promise they will be there, but they never show up.

Verses 16-17 give us a snapshot of the great debate between Ahab and Elijah. "I'm not the troubler of Israel, you are." "No, you are." "No, I'm not, you are." Sounds like a certain couple of US senators in a recent debate, don't you think?

I like the challenge Elijah gives the people in verse 21. "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him." But the people said nothing. Oh, this is so similar to our current presidential election, I can hardly stand it. Everyone is still undecided. We are all standing around waiting for the fireworks display before we will cast our vote. Pray, dear people. Pray as if your future depended on it, because it does. Pray for God's mercy on our nation. Pray that He will hear our cries and forgive our land. Pray that God will raise up godly leaders rather than hand us over to the evil leaders we deserve. God used pagan kings to bring Israel back into line with His will. What makes us think that America deserves anything better? The LORD disciplines those He loves. People get ready!

Verse 22--Elijah thought he was the only prophet of God left. That was not true, but you and I know exactly how Elijah felt. One of satan's best tools against us is isolation, the feeling that we are the only person out there fighting God's battles. He separates us from the herd like a lone calf on the prairie. Look around, sister, God is gathering His army. You are not alone. Do not live a life of defeat.

Ooops. It looks like I only made it halfway through this chapter. Is it okay if I post here and come back later? Have a fab day, ladies! I'll see you tomorrow at the Challenge on Mount Carmel.

1 Kings 17

2008-10-14T08:28:00.014-05:00

1 Kings 17:1--"Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead." I almost skipped this. Elijah was from the middle of nowhere, from a town nobody ever heard of, but God used him mightily. How many times have you said, "But I'm just a nobody from nowhere special"? God wants to use willing people to be mouthpieces for His Kingdom. Let's accept the challenge!

We don't have any background info on Elijah. He just shows up in King Ahab's court one day and swears that there will be a drought. Wow! That's a lot of confidence in what Elijah believed about God. Then Elijah gets the word from God that all his needs will be met if he will trust God and go live in the wilderness. Any takers on this challenge? Elijah's unquestioning life is in stark contrast to mine.

My heart breaks for the widow at Zarephath. She is just waiting for her family to die in the famine. You and I do not know this kind of heartache. We are so totally spoiled in America. We are worried about our retirement accounts, and this poor widow was worried about keeping her child alive another day.

Elijah challenges this woman to take the path of faith when he asks her to take him into her home and provide for him. Selfish people that we are, we never take in strangers, and we have food, clothing, and shelter in abundance. Sadly, we don't see God work miracles for us because we keep hoarding all the things He provides for us.

Verse 14 blows me away. "The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land." How did Elijah know that? How could he be so confident of God's promise to provide? Sorry, but you and I panic when the paycheck doesn't come a day early. I am fairly certain that a semi trailer load of flour and oil did not show up at the doorstep the next morning. Every meal the widow prepared for her little household of three was an act of faith. Every time she measured out the flour and the oil was an act of obedience to this new God Elijah had introduced her to.

Verse 18--Can you hear the fury in the words of the widow? I don't suppose she intended the phrase "man of God" as a compliment toward Elijah. She was bitterly angry at the death of her only son, her only remaining family member, her only hope for survival in her old age.

Verses 19-22--By faith Elijah resuscitates the boy. Is this the first resurrection story in the Bible? I can't think of any others before this. Do you know of one? Cool. Elijah, the guy from nowhere, is a pioneer in CPR. Again, I am simply amazed at Elijah's trust in God's promises. Did he know that God would bring the child back to life? Elijah stretched himself out and prayed three times for the boy. Would I have given up after the first try?

"Look, your son is alive!" JOY, JOY, JOY, JOY!!!! Verse 24--"Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a "man of God" (maybe it's complimentary now), and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth." Dear LORD Jesus, please provide opportunities for others to witness in my life that Your Word is Truth. May my life never contradict the message you have commissioned me to share with others. You are the Living God. You are the God who works miracles. You are the Giver of all good things.

I glory in Your Holy Name! Amen.

2 Chronicles 14-16

2008-10-07T08:40:00.013-05:00

Did you enjoy studying the lives of King David and King Solomon? I sure did. Now we are going to hop, skip, and jump through some of the other kings. We will start with Asa, King of Judah.

Asa was a good king (in the beginning), and his country enjoyed a time of peace because Asa worked to please God. He recognized that victory would come to Judah because of God's power. "Then Asa called to the LORD his God and said, "LORD, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. O LORD, you are our God; do not let man prevail against you."" (2 Chronicles 14:11) Did you notice the last word? Asa understood that the battle was God's. When I face a battle, do I pray like this? Do I ask God to use His power to save me? Do I realize that He wants to take my place in the battle? There is a big difference between asking God to give me strength in times of trial versus asking God to be my substitute in the trial. Hmmm. What are your thoughts here?

1 The Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded. 2 He went out to meet Asa and said to him, "Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. 7 But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded." 8 When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of Oded the prophet, he took courage. (2 Chronicles 15:1-2, 7-8a) I am so thankful for the Azariahs in my life, the people who listen to the Spirit and speak the Word of God to me when I need encouragement to stay the course. Who can I encourage today? Have I listened to God's voice closely enough to hear a Word to share?

Do you remember our study of 1 Kings 11? God was angry with Solomon because he had turned away from Him. God promised He would divide Solomon's kingdom. 2 Chronicles 15:9 shows the results of the division. Asa was king over the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and some of the people from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon had come over to his side as well.

The remainder of 2 Chronicles 15 showcases Asa's glory years. He led the people to enter a covenant to seek the LORD. "They sought God eagerly, and he was found by them." (vs. 14) King Asa even had the gall to depose his grandmother because of her idol worship. Now that is one gutsy guy! Do any of you want to mess with your grandma?

Chapter 16 introduces us to Baasha king of Israel. I knew Israel was a divided kingdom, but never before in my study had I realized that Israel and Judah actually fought against one another. That's what I love about studying the Bible. I notice different things each time I read its truth. God is such a detail Man!

Wow! What happened between year 35 and year 36 for King Asa? He trusted and sought after God's wisdom for 35 years. Did he just suddenly choose to seek help from other armies? Probably not. If you listen to K-Love radio, you have heard the song Slow Fade by Casting Crowns. Our journey away from God does not happen in a day. It happens as a result of daily choices we make. Just like I was disappointed in Solomon in 1 Kings 11, I was disappointed that Asa did not stay true to his faith in the One True God. My expectation of godly people is that they will become more and more godly as they grow older. Sadly, this is not the case. Just because I seek God wholeheartedly today does not guarantee that I will seek Him when I am old and gray. It is so much easier to get out of the habit of worshiping God than it is to maintain the discipline. Being a God-follower is a daily choice I make. I can make the choice today, but if I do not make the choice again tomorrow and the next day, then I will wander farther and farther from God's wisdom. I think that's what happened to Asa. He enjoyed peace for so long that he forgot what it was like to chase after God. He became so comfortable in his palace that he forgot it was God who placed him there. He stopped praying to ask God to fight his battles. Instead he paid off a neighboring pagan king to fight his battle. "Oh be careful little feet where you go."

"For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." (2 Chronicles 16:9a) God, keep me fully committed to You!

Proverbs 2 & 3

2008-09-28T08:45:00.008-05:00

I found out last night that one of my former students is in trouble. My heart is broken because I prayed often for the students in my classroom, and I told this particular student more than once that he had great potential and that God had a plan for his life. It reminds me how critical prayer covering is in the lives of our children. So, my post today will be my version of praying God's Word for my children. Will you please take it and make it your own, praying these words for your children, or your husband, or any special person in your life?

Proverbs 2
1 Dear God, please help my son and my daughter accept your words and store up your commands in their hearts.
2 Help them listen to wisdom and apply their hearts to understanding,
3 May they call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding,
4 Make their hearts' desire to look for wisdom as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5 I pray earnestly that my children will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 You hold victory in store for the upright, You are a shield to those whose walk is blameless, Help my children to live blameless lives.
8 I beg you to guard the course of my children. Make them just and protect their way encouraging them to be your faithful ones.
9 Then they will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path.
10 May wisdom enter their hearts, and may knowledge be pleasant to their souls.
11 Grant them discretion to protect them, and understanding to guard them.
12 May Your wisdom save them from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse,
13 May my children never leave the straight paths to walk in dark ways,
14 Never allow them to delight in doing wrong or to rejoice in the perverseness of evil,
15 Keep them away from those whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways.
16 Please save my son also from the adulteress, may my daughter never become the wayward wife with seductive words,
17 Help my children to be faithful to their partners and help them uphold the covenants they make before God.
18 Help them realize that adultery leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead.
19 None who go to her return or attain the paths of life.
20 Please, God, strengthen my children to walk in the ways of good men and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 May they be counted among the upright who will live in the land, and the blameless who will remain in it;
22 Protect them from the wicked who will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful who will be torn from it.

Pray God's Word out loud for your family and friends. Pray it diligently. Pray it often.

Proverbs 3 is even better than this. I want you to pray it for your loved ones. Insert their names as you pray. Make it personal and talk directly to God about the people in your life who need His guidance. Praying for others is a special privilege, and we do not take it as seriously as we should, myself included.

Thank you, Jesus. Your timing is always perfect.

Proverbs 1

2008-09-25T10:42:00.001-05:00

This chapter is broken into three sections: introduction, fear God, find wisdom. The introduction tells us why Solomon wrote Proverbs and what we can hope to gain by following its instruction. The list of benefits is great:

wisdom,
discipline,
understanding,
insight,
a disciplined life,
a prudent life,
doing what is right, just, and fair,
prudence,
knowledge,
discretion,
learning,
guidance,
understanding the stories and riddles of life.

I think that is proof enough that we should study this book and learn all we can from it. Let’s make this our wish list, our prayer list, as we complete our study of Solomon’s life.

The second segment of the chapter tells us to fear God, to listen to our parents, and to stop wasting our time following people who lead us into trouble. If you want wisdom and knowledge, fear God. If you want to be a fool, disregard wisdom and discipline. We know what it looks like to be foolish. A fool lives a life of chaos, making the same stupid choices over and over again. I hope you are tired of living that kind of life. So, what does it look like to fear God? A God-follower keeps her eyes on what God tells her to do. A God-follower reads her Bible and prays over every decision, no matter how small it may seem. A God-follower makes the hard choices to deny selfish desires in order to live a disciplined life in the areas of relationships, finances, healthy living, etc. A God-follower seeks to glorify God rather than self at every turn. Easy? No. Worth it? Absolutely!

The things we learned from our parents should adorn our lives like jewelry. They are the accessories that complete our lives. They should make us beautiful people. Just like the feeling you have if you forgot to put on your wedding ring or your watch, we should feel naked when we disregard the wisdom passed down to us from generation to generation. LORD, help me teach my children to know Your wisdom. May they never leave home without Your Word of wisdom buried deeply in their souls.

O God, help my son and my daughter not to be enticed by people who will lead them into evil schemes. Keep their eyes wide open so they will not go along with the crowd. Keep their feet away from the path of sin; help them resist the desire to rush into decisions they will regret later in life. Help them to understand that greed steals our lives away. God, may we all come to learn that lesson.

The final portion of this proverb is devoted to Lady Wisdom. She is crying out at the top of her lungs, standing on the wall at the head of the multitudes, crying for us to listen to her voice. Why in the world do we turn a deaf ear to her? Why are we so hard-headed to think we can make our own way in life? If we wait too long, Wisdom will finally say, “Enough is enough. Tough cookies, child.” When we do not heed God’s call in our lives, He will let us die in our selfish choices. Girls, cry out to Jesus today, and He will provide you a place of safety and security, a home free from the fear of evil. Amen. Let it be so in our lives this day, dear Jesus.

My friend Julie sent me this, and I couldn't pass it up.

2008-09-23T14:25:00.001-05:00

Solomon's Song of Songs 1 & 2

2008-09-23T07:34:00.001-05:00

Song of Songs = the greatest of songs, just as King of kings = the greatest of kings, and Lord of lords = the greatest of lords. King Solomon wrote this song as a testimony of a true love story. Some scholars would say we should read this as a parable or an allegory. I want to know what’s wrong with reading it as a novel and as an example of how we should love our spouses. I will be writing directly to married women in my post today. Some of you might be shocked or appalled. Sorry. If any of this makes you terribly uncomfortable, feel free to meet us tomorrow in the book of Proverbs.

As a teenager, I got the message that the Song of Solomon was off limits for my young, innocent mind. Somehow I got the impression, though, that sexual intimacy was totally off limits for all Christians. When we teach our young people to save their purity for marriage, we must be sure to teach them that intimacy within marriage is a wonderful thing. As a dear Christian sister in Yuma, Colorado, says, “Sex within marriage is good! You can have it whenever you want it, and it doesn’t cost you anything.” Amen, girl!

Sadly, too many Christian couples are missing the joy of sex because satan has twisted our concept of what God created to be a beautiful act of devotion. Some of you are beet-red with embarrassment just reading the word on the screen, and you cannot believe a minister’s wife is actually blogging about the topic. Girls, that’s why so many of our marriages are in the dumps. Nobody talks about how to allow your husband to enjoy your body. Most of us think our husbands are perverted if they ask for sex more than once a month. God created us in His image, and God gave us the need for physical intimacy. It’s time to enjoy the gift!

Verse 2—Let him kiss me! Do you and your husband ever just sit on the couch or on the pickup seat and kiss? We used to when we were dating. Passionate kissing can stoke the fires! Give it a try.

Verse 3—Your perfume is pleasing. Here’s a fun date idea. Go to the mall together and try all the colognes and perfumes. Splurge and buy your favorites for one another, or if money is tight, save up and surprise your spouse with a gift later.

Verse 3—No wonder the maidens love you! Have you told your husband lately all the reasons you love and appreciate him? Do you point out the things other people admire about him? The rest of the world puts your spouse down most of the time. You be his cheerleader. If you aren’t his cheerleader, someone else will be. Believe me; you don’t want him finding another cheerleader.

Verse 4—Hurry! Take me away to your bed chambers! Say this to your husband tonight after dinner, or slip him a card with the words written on it. I’m guessing the results will be good.

Verse 4—The friends say . . . . You know, not many of us have any friends who encourage us to love our spouses. Most of our friends badmouth their own spouses, or their ex-spouses. Most people make fun of us if we hold hands or kiss in public, and heaven-forbid if we call each other a pet name. Ladies, let’s be encouragers of marriages.

Verses 5-6—Dark am I, yet lovely. The girl was ashamed of her looks because she had to work hard in the fields. Who among us does not have more than one thing we would like to change about how we look? Why are we never happy with the bodies God gave us? If we have straight hair, we want curly. If we have short legs, we want long. If we have breasts, we want them reduced. Good grief! Accept yourself the way God created you. Let your husband enjoy your body.

Verse 7—Tell me. Are you curious about your husband’s work? Do you ask about his day? Do you make an effort to find out where he is working at midday so you can make a surprise visit? Even a quick phone call just to say you were thinking of him can go a long way. Be interested in your spouse.

Verse 8—The friends are encouraging her to pursue him. Way to go, friends!

Verses 9-11—I liken you to a mare. This might not be the compliment you seek from your husband, but think about it. Have you seen how a stallion cannot resist a mare? Girl, that’s what you do to your husband!

Verses 12-14—All the senses are involved here: taste, sight, hearing, touch, smell. When you make love to your husband, pay attention to his senses. Make preparations beforehand to heighten his senses and yours.

Verse 15—How beautiful you are, my darling! When your husband pays you a compliment, do you take it in, or do you rebuff him? Since you and I don’t really like how we look, it is difficult for us to accept words of praise. Stop it! Listen to your husband praise you. Let him know how special you feel when he compliments your appearance.

Verse 16—How handsome you are. Likewise, we need to praise our husbands. Sure, we’ve all gotten older, and your husband may not be in tip-top shape anymore. But he still needs that assurance that you are attracted to him. Be sincere and tell him what draws you to him.

Verses 16-17—Our bed is verdant. Do you make your bedroom attractive, or is there laundry piled everywhere? Make your bedroom a love sanctuary.

Chapter 2—Okay, your assignment is to invite your husband to a love-making session with you. Begin by reading Song of Songs Chapter 2 to one another. Take time to enjoy one another as you read. Strengthen one another with apples and raisins. Allow him to embrace you. You get the picture.

Here’s to an exciting romance between you and your husband! I cheer you on, my friend!!!!

Ecclesiastes 12

2008-09-18T06:51:00.002-05:00

Ecclesiastes 12 in the Amplified Bible http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes%2012;&version=45

Okay, I got the first line, “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth.” In other words, “Get to know God while you still have your wits about you.” But the rest of Ecclesiastes 12:1-8 made little sense to me until I read it in the Amplified Bible. This translation gives more definition to the words in Scripture by placing explanations in brackets. So it helped me to understand this particular Scripture passage by explaining that the “strong men” were the feet and knees, and the “windows” were the eyes, etc. These verses are describing what we will feel like when we are old. (I played basketball last night at youth group; so I am experiencing feeling old firsthand!)

Throughout the book of Ecclesiastes, the Teacher has continually discovered how meaningless life is. However, at the end of his life, he still encourages us to get to know God early in life. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Learn the ways of God while you still have life in you, while life is still rewarding. Don’t suffer through this difficult life on earth all by your lonesome. Find the blessing of God in your youth, and your life will be more meaningful than you could ever imagine.

This should certainly be our prayer for our children and grandchildren and any other youth we may have influence over. When Zach and Jacque were born, I began praying that they would come to know Jesus at the earliest possible age. I believe that the Christian walk is a process, and the earlier you get started, the further Jesus can take you on the journey. Coming to know Christ is not a one-time event. He unveils our eyes a little at a time. People who find Jesus as children have the opportunity to learn to trust Him completely, before their hearts are completely bruised by the world, in most cases. When we wait until later in life to trust Christ, we have to take a crash course. So, teach your children to love Jesus while you nurse them in the rocking chair.

Now that our children are becoming teenagers, our prayer is that God will make their faith their own. We don’t want our children to go to church just because we make them. We want them to fall in love with Jesus. We want them to be God-followers because He is drawing them unto Himself. If you or your children begin to doubt the existence of God, pray earnestly that He will prove Himself. He will honor that prayer because He wants us to be certain of our faith. He does not want us to have to continually guess whether He will show up when invited. Our God is dependable. Beg Him to show up to you!

Verses 9-14 summarize what we have read in all of Ecclesiastes. I like the description of the wise words—prodding goads, nails firmly fixed in our minds. Studying Scripture should help us nail down what we believe, don’t you think?

Verse 12 is certainly proving true in this the information age. The vast number of books available these days is absolutely overwhelming. You can find an author for every topic. In fact, you can even become an author yourself! Be careful what you read, and always compare it to Biblical truth.

Verse 13—1. Fear God, 2. Keep His commandments. That is our whole duty. Sounds simple enough. . . .

Ecclesiastes 5

2008-09-17T07:57:00.001-05:00

The Teacher is telling us to shut up and listen when we go to the house of God. Phillips, Craig & Dean have a song that plays on K-Love all the time http://www.klove.com/lyrics/lyrics.asp?566 , and it comes from Ecclesiastes 5:2. He is God, and we are not; so why do we chatter on as we do? When I pray, I need to listen to what God has to say to me rather than ordering Him around on my agenda. Verse 6 directs us, “Do not let your mouth lead you into sin.” A word to the wise this fine Wednesday morning!

Verse 10 hits very close to home this week since our retirement accounts took a nose dive as a result of the national economic conditions. “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.” My husband and I have very opposite spending habits. He likes to describe me as a tightwad, and I label him as an impulse buyer. The fact of the matter is that due to our sinful natures, we are both “lovers of money.” One of us can never have enough in the bank, and the other of us can never have enough to satisfy our wish list at the retail stores. Dear Jesus, may our family find our satisfaction in You today, no matter how much or how little You provide for us materially. May we find our fulfillment in our relationship to the God of Heaven. Forgive us for trying to hoard it all for ourselves. Verse 15, “Naked a man comes from his mother’s womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand.” Trent likes to say that he’s never seen a U-Haul following a hearse to the cemetery.

Verses 18-20 really sum up everything the Teacher has been getting at. Eat, drink, and be merry. If God grants you wealth plus the ability to actually enjoy your possessions, then count it as a double blessing. Think about this. What material blessing have you thanked God for this week? Do you thank Him for your automobile, or do you complain about high gas prices? Do you thank Him for your home, or do you sit and worry about what needs fixing? Do you thank Him for your closet full of clothes, or do you whine that you have nothing to wear? All of us are guilty of wanting more, more, more and being thankful for very little of it when we get it.

Looking forward to hearing your comments!

Ecclesiastes 4

2008-09-15T07:11:00.001-05:00

I know you are a forgiving bunch and would understand if I gave you a list of reasons why I have not posted for a week. However, I won’t put you through the list. I will sum it up by saying I have procrastinated because even though I read Ecclesiastes 4 almost every morning this week, I’m just not inspired to write about it. So, I will comment only on a handful of verses. Will you please take the liberty to write about the verses that speak to you, especially if I happen to skip your favorites? Thanks!

Verse 1—The oppressed have no comforter. This really stands out to me, especially since the writer repeated it twice in the same verse. Why do the oppressed have no comforter? God loves them. He wants to be their comforter. You and I try to comfort those who are in need. Why are they not comforted? This verse says their oppressors have power so they can’t or won’t be comforted. Hmmm. Think of someone you have repeatedly tried to help, but they always end up right back where you found them. That someone could even be you and me. Why do they tend to slide backwards? Because their oppression has such power over them. Perhaps we need to help people pray against their oppression while we are trying to meet their physical and emotional needs. I know I get overwhelmed with trying to meet needs over and over again. But I can pray, and prayer is powerful because it invites our all-powerful God to defeat the oppression. Am I way off-base here?

Verses 9-12—Two are better than one. I have always liked this passage. Life is much easier and a lot more fun when you share it with others. I have often said that I would be a horrible single mom because I depend on my husband for so much. I cannot imagine the stress single parents endure, and I know several of my fellow bloggers have been there. I admire your tenacity, and I want to encourage you to hang in there, to take one moment at a time, and to find a trusted friend to walk beside you when the days are long and discouraging.

Two are better than one, and we should all be grateful for our friendships. My natural tendency is to be a loner. I would be content to stay in my house all day, every day, reading, blogging, piddling with paperwork and other stuff that probably will not impact eternity. Friendship takes a conscious effort for me. I have to be careful because I want others to take the first step to initiate friendship. Proverbs 18:24 in the King James Version says we have to be friendly to others if we are to have any friends. So God’s challenge to us today is to get out of our computer chairs and go be a friend to somebody. Let me know how it works out for you, okay!

Ecclesiastes 3

2008-09-07T15:46:00.012-05:00

A Time for Everything

Tell me honestly, do you really truly believe this passage of Scripture? Do you really think there is a time to die, to uproot, to kill, to tear down, to weep and mourn? I get the feeling that as spoiled Americans we think life should be a bed of roses and that we should endure absolutely no hardship whatsoever. However, God is telling us in Ecclesiastes 3 that hard times are simply a part of life. So, we have to take the bad with the good and quit griping about it. We want to blame all the bad stuff on a mean, uncaring God, and we want to take credit when things in life are successful. Uh uh. That's not how my Bible reads. "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." (Ecc. 3:11) You and I have absolutely no control over the events in our lives. God has it planned from beginning to end, and you and I cannot even fathom His plans. So, Solomon's advice is to be happy and do the best you can and leave the rest in God's hands.

Okay, I'm not quite sure where that soap box came from because I had not planned to write that first paragraph. So, if the shoe fits wear it. If not, then maybe you'll like the rest of this post a little better.

If you have time, will you read this chapter in The Message version? It just does a terrific job of putting it into every day language that you and I may relate to a little better. Then, will you respond to this post by writing about the verse that describes where you are in life right now? At some point in our lives, we will each experience all of the events and emotions described in Ecclesiastes 3. I'm just curious to know where God has you right now.

I am right in the middle of verse 6--"a time to keep and a time to throw away." I have recently packed up my entire house to move from Colorado to Oklahoma. (Yeah, I know, everybody's jaw drops here in Oklahoma when I tell them we left cool, colorful Colorado. Because every Oklahoman vacations in Colorado.) Anyway, I have had to make countless decisions about what to keep and what to throw away. And I thought I had done a good job of getting rid of excess cargo, but I have taken three more good-sized boxes to Goodwill since we arrived. What I have found, though, is that keeping and throwing away does not apply only to material belongings. It also applies to attitudes and thoughts and old habits and the way we do things. In what areas of my life would God like permission to perform a good housecleaning? What am I holding on to in my heart that needs pitched in the garbage?

Before leaving this chapter, I also want to comment on the writer's thoughts in verses 18-21. Did the writer actually think that we are no different than animals? Traditional Jewish teaching did not emphasize life after death because God's promises to the Israelites in the Old Testament focused on material blessings for obedience. When Jesus introduced the new covenant in His blood, He promised eternal life. Solomon did not have the benefit of knowing Jesus. He was looking forward to the Messiah. He had no assurance of life after death any more than his pet dog had. You and I, however, know differently. Jesus promised us in John 3:16 that God loves us and that if we believe in His Son we will not perish but have eternal life. In John 10:28, Jesus said He gives us eternal life and no one can snatch us out of His hand. John also tells us in 20:31 "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." God wants us to know that we know that we know that we can live with Him for eternity in heaven. I'm gonna be there! Are you?

Ecclesiastes 2

2008-09-06T18:42:00.006-05:00

Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. (Isaiah 55:2)

King Solomon had enough money to buy everything he wanted for himself and all his wives. He had enough money to go anywhere and do anything his heart desired. Yet he was not satisfied. "Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun." (Ecc. 11:2) So why in the world do you and I try to store up wealth? What do we hope to gain? "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-21)

In Ecclesiastes 2:17, the writer says he hated life. I wouldn't go quite that far, but there are many times when I tell Jesus that I am ready for His return. I get tired of fussing over details here on earth, and I'm ready to skip straight to heaven. Do you agree, or do you look forward to long life?

The reason the writer gives for hating life is because he has to leave everything to his heirs, and who knows whether they will be wise or foolish? He's right. We can't take it with us, and we can't control what generations after us will do with their inheritance.

Ecclesiates 2:24-26 sums it all up, "A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind." Everything good comes from God, so we should spend our lives doing our best to please Him. What have I done today that would bring glory to Christ?

Ecclesiastes 1

2008-09-03T09:00:00.013-05:00

Ecclesiastes--what a fun word, huh! In Greek it means preacher or teacher. Most biblical scholars attribute this book to King Solomon even though he is not specifically named in the book.

Meaningless! Meaningless! This is obviously the theme of Ecclesiastes. Dear Jesus, please do not let my life be completely meaningless. Help me find enjoyment, and help me have an impact on the people I meet. Most of all, help me to live my life glorifying You! Living for God makes our lives eternally meaningful! Woohoo!

To sum it all up, the book of Ecclesiastes tells us life ain't fair. Amen to that. But the Teacher also says we might as well get over it and enjoy life as much as we can cuz it may be all we get. Amen to that too. I once heard a preacher on CSN radio say that we should pray for God to bless unbelievers because this earthly life is all the blessing they will get. So, if you don't know Jesus, and you are waiting for life to get good, I urge you to begin a personal relationship with the God who created you. He is the ticket to the best life for all eternity!

Ecclesiastes 1:4, 11--"Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow." I am a firm believer in passing on our godly heritage to the generations who will follow us. So these verses really bug me, but I know they are true. I once had a seminar speaker ask us to list the full names of all our great grandparents. Can you do it? I can get a couple of their first or last names, but that's about it. I don't know all of them, and I know very very little about their lives. Were they Christians? Yeah, maybe. Do I know their stories of coming to Jesus? No. How about you? Any ideas about how we can make sure that our kids pass on our stories to our grandkids who will pass it on to our great-grandkids who will pass it on to our great-great-grandkids and so on?

Ecc. 1:18--"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief." This seems sort of backwards to me. I'm always trying to gain wisdom and knowledge. Should I stop if all it will bring me is sorrow and grief? I feel like the Teacher is saying that as we grow wiser, our responsibility and burdens grow too. And if we are maturing as Christians at the same time, then we should be glad to shoulder the load and help our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. It's not all about me . . . hmmmm.

I really had planned to blog Ecclesiastes 1-5 & 12 all at once. But I'm fairly certain this one chapter is enough for us to process today. I'll pick up on chapter 2 tomorrow.

1 Kings 11-12

2008-08-31T22:35:00.014-05:00

1 Kings 11:1--"King Solomon, however . . . ." However is loaded with meaning here. We have just concluded reading about the splendor and wisdom of Solomon. Now this little word "however" introduces us to Solomon's other life, a life in stark contrast to the blameless life God had called him to live. Dear Jesus, I do not know if anyone will ever write my life story, but I pray there will not be any "howevers" included. Ladies, whenever it is in within our power to choose, let's lead a life without regrets. May our lives bring glory to God.

1 Kings 11:4--"As Solomon grew old . . . ." I'm sorry, but my expectation was that Solomon would grow even wiser with age. With age comes wisdom, right? As I lay in bed last night, I asked God, "Why? Why couldn't Solomon be the perfect king? Why couldn't he have learned from his father David's mistakes?" God's reply? "No man can be perfect."

I was so disappointed in Solomon. Guess what, people will always disappoint us. "No man can be perfect." We all need a Savior. Solomon needed a Savior.

1 Kings 11:9-10--"The LORD became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the LORD's command." God had appeared to Solomon TWICE. I want to put on my judge's robe and condemn Solomon for his disobedience, but I can't because I do the exact same thing. Sure, my sin may look different than Solomon's, but at the core it is the same. When things are rocking along smoothly in my life, I get my eyes off of God, and I start listening to the advice of other people. I get distracted from worshiping the One True God. All sin comes back to selfishness and pride. Although it shows up in our lives in different forms, all of it is a slap in the face for our Savior.

To sum up the remainder of Solomon's days, God raised up three enemies: Hadad, Rezon, and Jeroboam. Solomon's 40 year reign of peace ends in disappointment.

1 Kings 12--Solomon's son Rehoboam was doomed to failure from the beginning. In Chapter 11 Ahijah had already prophesied that Jeroboam would be king of Israel instead. I want to ask the "what if" questions. What if Rehoboam had listened to the advice of the elders? What if Rehoboam had studied the history of his nation and chosen to seek advice from God? But 1 Kings 12:15 says, "this turn of events was from the LORD." While David had handed his son a successful kingdom, Solomon did not continue the tradition. In one generation the dynasty had fallen apart. Ladies, we should pray for our children and our grandchildren and our great grands and so on. We must be intentional about training our families to be followers of Jesus.

1 Kings 12:25-33--Okay, I have real issues with God's choice of Jeroboam as the leader of Israel. Why would God appoint a man who was going to lead the people to worship golden calves? I don't get it. Does anyone have any insight here?

Let's end on a positive note. Will you write and tell me what your prayer is for your family today? You can post a comment on my blog or you can send me an email. I am praying God will surround my husband and children with godly people. I pray all of their friends will encourage them to fall more in love with Jesus.

1 Kings 9-10, 2 Chronicles 7-9

2008-08-29T06:43:00.007-05:00

Again the 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles accounts of King Solomon run parallel. We will hit a few high points today.

When the Lord appeared to Solomon, he gave him some choices. Do it God's way, and be blessed, or do it your own way and be ridiculed. "Walk before me in integrity of heart and uprightness, and I will establish your royal throne forever." (1 Kings 9:4) "But if you turn away from me, then I will cut you off, and all who pass by will be appalled." (1 Kings 9:6 & 8) Verses 8 & 9 give the Why and Because. People would ask Why the LORD had done such a thing to Israel, and people would answer Because they have forsaken the LORD their God. 2 Chronicles 7:14 is a verse I hear quoted often, "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

Okay, this next comment won't be very spiritual. Did you notice what Pharoah king of Egypt gave his daughter for a wedding gift in 1 Kings 9:16? Thanks a lot, daddy.

1 Kings 10 and 2 Chronicles 9 tells the story of the queen of Sheba's visit to King Solomon. Solomon answered all her questions, and she was overwhelmed by his hospitality. She said Solomon far exceeded her expectations. And I would think it would be difficult to impress a queen. The climax of the story is when the queen of Sheba says, "How happy your men must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! Praise be to the LORD you God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD's eternal love for Israel, he has made you king, to maintain justice and righteousness." Did you catch that? Because God loved Israel, he gave them a good and wise king. Dear Jesus, please give our nation good and wise leaders. Help us to pray and seek your face. Please forgive our sin and heal our land.

The queen brought gifts to Solomon, but then he gave her even more than she had brought to him. (2 Chron. 9:12) The remainder of the chapter describes the wealth of Solomon. He was greater in riches and wisdom than all other kings, and the whole world sought audience with him to hear God's wisdom. (1 Kings 10:23-24) Of all the kings in history, Israel's King Solomon is one of the most famous of all time.

1 Kings 8, 2 Chronicles 5-7:10

2008-08-25T08:42:00.018-05:00

This reading is quite extensive, but these two passages are almost identical. There are a number of places in these Scriptures that should cause you to break out in praise and thanksgiving to the God of Israel, who is also the God of the foreigner (you and me)!

Can you just imagine the enormous celebration Solomon and his people held? Can you hear the people shouting and the instruments playing? Can you see the children running about giggling and playing, their mothers standing in huddles smiling with pride? Can you see each father bringing the sacrificial animal for his family, so many cattle, sheep and goats that no one could count them? Can you sense the excitement? The Israelites had not participated in central, corporate worship for quite some time. Now they had a temple for Name of the One True God, Yahweh! The Israelites knew how to celebrate! Girls, we should throw a party when we worship Christ!

And then the priests carried the ark of the covenant on its poles and placed the throne of the Living God in the sanctuary. Can you imagine the awestruck faces of the people who may not have seen the ark since David had moved it? How nervous would you be if you had been assigned the task of opening the ark to verify that its contents were still there? Then what if you had to be the one to report that only the stone tablets remained? Where were the manna and Aaron's staff? (Heb. 9:4)

1 Kings 8:10-11 "When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the LORD. And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled his temple." Girls, I am on my face before God, and I hope you are too! I wanna see God's glory fill my church, my house, and my life. I want people to know I have been with God! We should not be able to go on about our routine business because God's presence is so overwhelming in our daily lives. Whew!

I hope you will allow me a little side trip to take a look at the word "glory." I am fascinated by this little word, and I have been for the past ten years or so, ever since Beth Moore touched on it in one of her Bible studies. The glory of God is the presence of God, and when you and I glorify God, we are making His presence evident to the people around us. I used to get so worried about whether or not I was bringing glory to God because I thought I had to perform perfectly for Him to receive glory in my life. That is too much pressure! Through that Bible study, I came to understand that just by being real, I could show God to others. I didn't have to put on a show; I just had to be transparent, and God would shine through me. I tell you, it was a freeing thought! Now my entire goal in life is to invite others to "Come glorify the Lord with me, let us exalt His Name together!" (Psalm 34:3) I'm so glad you accepted the invitation!

1 Kings 8:17-19--I am so thankful that God planted it in David's heart to build the temple. And I am very grateful that David's dream did not die with him. God allowed his son Solomon to bring it to fruition. Praise the LORD! Are you leaving a godly legacy for your children to pick up when you are gone? What work for God are you doing that your kids will want to take up in your absence? Please do not make the mistake of simply willing your material possessions to your descendants. Pass on your love for Jesus to those who will follow you.

1 Kings 8:27 "But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!" Amen!!

I love Solomon's boldness as he makes requests of God. Solomon knew he and the people would sin (v. 46), and he knew they would need God's mercy and grace; so he boldly asked for it. He asked God to judge between right and wrong, to hear and forgive sin, to teach them the right way to live, to forgive and act, and to deal with them as individuals. Solomon begged God to hear their plea and to uphold their cause, to forgive all their offenses, and to cause their conquerors to show them mercy. He asked God to listen to them because God had singled them out as his chosen people. Solomon also asked God to make allowances for any foreigners because he knew God's fame would spread to other lands and that people would come seeking to worship the One True God. Wow! I think he covered all the bases, don't you? Solomon ended his prayer with praise and a final request that all people may know that the LORD is God and that there is no other. (v. 60)

1 Kings 8:63--After he dedicated the temple, Solomon sacrificed 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep and goats. If they could count that many animals, then I cannot even fathom how many animals were sacrificed in verse 5!!!!!! Verse 64 says the bronze altar was too small to hold it all. I'm pretty sure our offering plates are rarely overflowing like that.

1 Kings 8:65--Fourteen days. When was the last time you went to church for a 14-day celebration? I remember when I was little Vacation Bible School lasted two weeks, and I have heard people talk about revivals lasting that long. Our attention spans fizzle out too soon in our day and time. Actually, I think that's a cop-out. Do you agree?

I will end today's post by quoting the end of Solomon's prayer that is recorded in 2 Chronicles 6:40-42. "Now, my God, may your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. Now arise, O LORD God, and come to your resting place, you and the ark of your might. May your priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, may your saints rejoice in your goodness. O LORD God, do not reject your anointed one. Remember the great love promised to David your servant."

1 Kings 3, 6-7

2008-08-22T10:30:00.014-05:00

When you hear the name of Solomon, what Bible stories come to mind? When I asked Trent this question, he said Solomon's wives, the Queen of Sheba coming to ask Solomon for wisdom, and the building of the temple. The stories in chapter 3 are what I think of, Solomon asking for wisdom and applying that wisdom when he decided whose baby was still living. King Solomon was the wisest and wealthiest man of his day, and the kingdom of Israel enjoyed peace and prosperity during his reign.

1 Kings 3--Okay, if God asked you what you wanted from him, would you ask for wisdom or wealth? I'm thinking Solomon was already a wise man since he knew how to respond to God's question. It makes me wonder if Solomon's father David had trained him how to pray. David had set an example for his son in praying unselfish prayers, prayers that would benefit others more than himself, prayers that would bring glory to God. Solomon recognized that the people belonged to God, and he wanted God's wisdom to be able to govern them. So God not only granted Solomon's request, but also gave him great riches and honor. Wow! What a blessing.

Verse 15 makes me ponder--Solomon realized he was dreaming. I don't know about you, but I have never had an intelligent conversation in my dreams. When I do remember my dreams, they are so disjointed and weird that it is hard to make any sense of them. A couple of nights ago, I dreamt that a former colleague of mine was eating a hamburger at a retirement party for a junior college president. Ummm.... Okay.... It would seem sacrilegious for me to try to discern a word from God out of that dream. I did pray for my former coworker though. Middle Eastern cultures, however, put much more stock in their dreams than we westerners do. In fact, some missionary friends of mine ask for special prayer during the Holy Days where they serve. They pray that Jesus will show himself in visions to the people there during their days of fasting and prayer.

The remainder of Chapter 3 is a terrific story demonstrating the wisdom God gave to Solomon. I love his creative problem solving! Verse 28 tells us the people were in awe of their king, and they recognized the wonderful gift God had given him.

1 Kings 6--Wow! Look at all the details! Once again I am thankful that God enjoys details as much as I do. Did I ever tell you that details are my love language? If Trent will come home after work and tell me all about what he did that day, I feel very loved. Reading this chapter makes me think of Melissa's question about why David listed all the items that were offered for the temple. Solomon's temple was one of the wonders of the ancient world, and it took them seven years to build (v. 38), and it was built in silence (v. 7). I think it is significant that so much was recorded about the structure of the temple. When we take on a task for God's glory, we should perform the task with excellence. Our completed project should leave people in awe of the amazing God we serve.

1 Kings 7--Solomon took 13 years to build his own palace. I don't really know what to say about that. The first verse of Chapter 3 mentioned that Solomon built his palace, the temple, and the wall of Jerusalem. 1 Kings 9:10 says it took 20 years to build the temple and the palace. Then 9:24 says Solomon's wife didn't come to Jerusalem until the palace was built. What do you think about that, girls? Do you think you could live with your mama until your husband finished building your house? Maybe it took Solomon 20 years to finish the construction projects because he was so distracted with accumulating his harem (1 Kings 11). His palace had to be humongous to house that many women! That makes you question his wisdom, doesn't it?

The rest of 1 Kings 7 describes all the furnishings created to be used in the temple worship. Again, the details are overwhelming. Do I take my worship of the One True Living God that seriously???

Psalms 1, 8, 19, 23, 51, 100, 103, 139

2008-08-20T16:21:00.013-05:00

My original plan was to blog the first four psalms on the list and then do the others on another day. Well, it has been so long since I have been able to blog, that I am going to have to cover them all at once.

I hope you have enjoyed spending time with David as he worshiped God. I know I have. The Psalms are where I gravitate to whenever I don't have a structured reading plan. Typically they speak to me in whatever life circumstances I find myself.

In this blog, I will comment on my favorite verse from each of the eight Psalms listed in the title. I hope you will comment on your favorite verses in response!

Psalm 1--When I was in high school, one of my Bible study leaders taught us a chorus for this psalm. We learned it in the King James Version; so that's how I know it best. Did you notice that this psalm is divided into two parts--the blessed man and the wicked man? I want to be the blessed man! How do I do that?

Do not seek counsel from ungodly people.
Do not align yourself with sinners.
Do not become one who mocks and ridicules God and His people.
Delight in God's law.
Think about God's Word day and night.

My favorite phrase from Psalm 1 is at the end of verse 3, "Whatever he does prospers." That is my prayer for me, for my family, and for you my Christian sisters.

Psalm 8--Lots of songs have been written using words from this psalm. Verse 1 is my favorite, "O LORD, our Lord, how majestics is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens." I most identify with verse 4, "What is man that you are mindful of him?"

Psalm 19--This psalm echoes the ideas from Psalm 8. "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." (v. 1) I love how David personifies the heavens and skies by saying "they pour forth speech." Did you notice in verses 3 & 4 that the skies speak to people in every language in every part of the earth? Fabulous! Psalm 19:14 should be our daily prayer, "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer."

Psalm 23--Do you have this psalm memorized? If not, start hiding it in your heart today. This is the most well-known psalm, and it brings true comfort to many people. Commit it to memory and then ask God to allow you to speak it to someone who needs to know His peace. My favorite is verse 2, "He makes me to lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters."

Psalm 51--This has long been one of my favorite psalms. When I was in high school, our youth group performed a musical, and the narrator read this psalm in his deep, booming voice. Reading it takes me back. This psalm was written by David as a plea for forgiveness after he had committed adultery and murder. I am so thankful that God is able to forgive all even when we feel unforgiveable.

The verse that speaks the most to me is verse 12, "Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me." I like the fact that David does not ask for restoration solely for himself. Verse 13 goes on to say, "Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you." David asked God to restore him so that he in turn could encourage others to reconcile themselves to God. I believe God answers unselfish prayers such as this. May we all get to the mature point in our lives where we can ask God to act on our behalf so that we can bless others.

Psalm 100--Verse 5, "For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations." I so want the generations that follow me to know the faithfulness of my LORD!!!

Psalm 103--This psalm is packed with good stuff! I hope some of you will comment on the numerous ways God has shown you his compassion. Verse 17 stands out to me, especially in relation to my favorite verse from Psalm 100. "But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children." I am so tremendously thankful for the Christian heritage passed down to me from my parents and grandparents. I want to continue that tradition and instill a love for Jesus in my own children. I realize that too often I am either too busy or too lazy to speak about God's love to my children. God forgive me! I also assume that my children know how to study their Bibles. I was reminded this morning that if I am not training my children in regular Bible study, then no one else will train them for me.

Psalm 139--Again, a psalm loaded with God's goodness. We cannot get away from God's love. He is everywhere we go if we will only recognize him wooing us into his arms. He knows us better than anyone else does, and yet he longs to be with us. "Search me, O God, and know myheart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (v. 23-24).

1 Chronicles 28 & 29

2008-08-15T22:55:00.015-05:00

Sorry I took a couple of days off. My computer didn't get packed, but I am temporarily homeless, which is a bit stressful as you might imagine. They packed up our house on Wednesday, and we drove to my parents' house on Thursday. We will be here until Sunday after church. Then we will drive to our new house. Our moving van won't be there until next Thursday, however. Go ahead and say it . . . "Waaahh!" I'm a big baby, I know.

The chapters we are reviewing today, I believe, show us David's finest hour. He is passing the baton to his son after a successful reign as king of Israel. He is understandably proud of his ability to make provision for the building of the temple, and David's own generosity inspires his people to give abundantly as well.

1 Chronicles 28:4-5 and 1 Chronicles 29:14-17 demonstrate David's amazement that God would choose him. "Who am I, and who are my people . . .?" At first when I read the listing of all that David donated to the temple, I wondered if he was bragging and saying, "Look at what I did!" But he acknowledges that everything he gave came directly from God. I definitely want that to be my life philosophy. Absolutely nothing I have is a result of my own efforts. Everything in my life came from God's hand, and all of it belongs to Him.

Why do I hold so tightly to it then? As I watched all my worldly possessions being loaded onto a semi, it was overwhelming. Do I really need all that stuff? And I thought I had already cleaned out a boat load of junk too. I am so totally spoiled. Am I honoring God? Sometimes I don't know, especially when I spend too much time trying to maintain material wealth. Would I have responded as the leaders did in 1 Chronicles 28:6? Would I have given willingly? Would I have been included in verse 8? Would I have given all my precious stones to the treasury of the LORD's temple?

Verse 19 of Chapter 28 is very reassuring to me. God is so a detail man! I love it! I think it is terrific that God shared all those details with David. During our drive this week, I heard Psalm 25:14 quoted as the verse of the day, "The LORD confides in those who fear Him; He makes His covenant known to them." I just looked it up in the Message version on www.biblegateway.com "God-friendship is for God-worshipers; they are the ones He confides in." Isn't that awesome? I'm hiding that Word in my heart!

Don't skip over David's prayer in Chapter 29. It is so totally fabulous!

Did you cry at the death of David? I believe his family and friends did, and Psalm 116:15 tells us that the death of the LORD's saints is precious in His sight.

1 Chronicles 29:29 lists David's mentors: Samuel, Nathan, and Gad. They were the prophets who served during his reign. They were his spiritual advisors. Will you tell me who has been a spiritual mentor for you? I could list several, but the ones who stand out the most are Loretta Arthaud (my mom), Brother Billy Rammage (my pastor when I was young), and Nick Howard (my BSU director from college). These people helped disciple me, and like David did for Solomon, they helped me to be strong and courageous. They reminded me not to be afraid or discouraged, and they helped me to believe that God would not fail me or forsake me until my work for Him on earth is done.

We will read some of David's psalms before we delve into the reign of Solomon. See you soon!

1 Chronicles 21-22

2008-08-12T07:06:00.006-05:00

The Bible calls David "a man after God's own heart." (Acts 13:22) So, how did he screw up so many times? I think his life proves that no one except Christ was capable of living a sinless life. It also proves that the only perfect King is Christ Jesus. David really was a successful ruler who conquered surrounding nations and established a kingdom for Israel. Yet, the things we remember him most for are his weaknesses. Unfortunately, this is true of most leaders. While they may have accomplished much, they typically exit their roles on a down note. It should certainly keep us humble!

The following is a quote from Matthew Henry's commentary found at http://biblecommenter.com/1_chronicles/21-1.htm. "Now, when Satan meant to do Israel a mischief, what course did he take? He did not move God against them to destroy them (as Job, ch 2:3), but he provoked David, the best friend they had, to number them, and so to offend God, and set him against them. Note, 1. The devil does us more mischief by tempting us to sin against our God than he does by accusing us before our God. He destroys none but by their own hands, 2. The greatest spite he can do to the church of God is to tempt the rulers of the church to pride; for none can conceive the fatal consequences of that sin in all, especially in church-rulers."

So, after David's sin of pride in numbering the people, they suffer a plague and 70000 people died. To stop the angel of terror, David purchased a threshing floor where he could offer sacrifices. When the man tried to give the property to David, he replied, “No, but I will surely buy it for the full price; for I will not take what is yours for the LORD, or offer a burnt offering which costs me nothing.” (1 Chronicles 21:24) What have I sacrificed for God lately?

1 Chronicles 22 describes how David orchestrated the details so that his dream of building a temple for God would be accomplished by his son Solomon. Quite often God gives us a vision of what He wants to accomplish, but it is our duty to pass the vision on to the generation that follows us. When we take on a ministry, we should always be mentoring someone else to take on the task when we can no longer carry it out. If we are the only ones with the vision, then it will die with us. If we successfully pass the vision on to someone else, it will live on when we are gone. What legacy am I leaving for those who follow me?

Did you notice in verses 9 & 18 that Solomon's kingdom is described as one of peace and rest? Remember that Solomon means peace. I think that's cool.

I really wanted to blog 1 Chronicles 28-29 today, but the moving company is coming to pack boxes in a couple of hours; so I guess I better get ready. Pray for me, and I will pray for you today, okay!! If my computer doesn't get packed, I'll see you tomorrow!

2 Samuel 13, 15, 18

2008-08-10T08:40:00.011-05:00

David's naughty, naughty children! King David definitely needed to read a copy of Boundaries by Cloud & Townsend. His children manipulated him like crazy! I just want to scream at him, "Are you out of your mind? What were you thinkin'?"

Amnon fell in love with Tamar, who was his brother Absalom's sister. Doesn't that make Tamar Amnon's sister too? This is another example of why multiple wives was a bad deal. Amnon's "cousin friend" Jonadab didn't help matters either. Lord, please surround my children with godly friends who will offer them godly advice! I just can't believe King David fell for the stupid scheme. Poor, naive Tamar. She was just obeying her father. Amnon's rejection of Tamar after the incest is very typical of perpetrators. I just cried for Tamar, who lived as a desolate woman after she was violated.

2 Samuel 13:21 makes me sick. David was furious? And then what? Nothing! He did absolutely nothing about his son's crime. Aaaahhhhhhhhhh! This drove Tamar's brother Absalom to plot Amnon's murder. Two years later he succeeds. Again, David is manipulated by his children. Good grief! 2 Samuel 13:32-33 shows Jonadab meddling again. He knew all along that Absalom was planning to kill Amnon. I thought he was Amnon's friend! Can anyone say, "Soap opera?" Verses 37-39 leave me dumbfounded. David didn't deal with Absalom's crime either. His passive fathering is just horrifying to me. Parents, step up and be the parent. Comfort your children when they need it, but never be afraid to discipline them when they need it. Aaahhh!

2 Samuel 15 proves that Absalom lost complete respect for his father. I have to wonder how drastically different things would have been if David had handled Tamar's victimization wisely. But since David avoided confrontation when his children were young adults, he had to face their opposition later in life. 2 Samuel 15:6 tells us Absalom, "stole the hearts of the men of Israel." He was very shrewd! It almost makes me admire him for being a man with a plan. David falls for the plan once again (surprise, surprise) when Absalom asks his permission to worship at Hebron. Remember Hebron is where David was first proclaimed as king. Absalom was no dummy.

David fled Jerusalem in fear of his own son. Verse 16 of 2 Samuel 15 should cause you to reflect back on the judgments Nathan pronounced against David in Chapter 12. Absalom will publicly defile David's concubines at the end of 2 Samuel 16.

Did you notice that David kept telling people to go back to Jerusalem? I'm not sure I get that. I would want as many people on my side as possible. Do you have any thoughts about this? I'm not sure I understand what David was thinking. I do think it's funny that he prayed in 2 Samuel 15:31 that God would ruin Absalom's counselors. Then he sends Hushai to make sure Absalom's plan will be thwarted. 2 Samuel 17 gives those details.

2 Samuel 18 leaves me shaking my head again. David was totally confused. Did he want Absalom alive or dead? What if Joab had not killed Absalom? Then what? As a parent, I understand that David had to mourn the loss of his son, but Joab wisely tells him to snap out of it in 2 Samuel 19:1-8.

Ick! These were not fun chapters. I think today's reading will spur me on to be a better parent and to pray daily for my children. How about you?

2 Samuel 11-12

2008-08-07T07:04:00.009-05:00

King David is almost as well-known for his adulterous affair with Bathsheba as he is for his successes as King of Israel. The sin he committed in secret brings David public disgrace.

2 Samuel 11:1 tells me that David had become complacent. He must have believed he deserved some time off since he had been working so hard at conquering the surrounding nations. This verse tells us it was time for David to go back to work, but he chose to send Joab to take his place instead.

Verses 2-5 just blow me away. Why did David fall to the temptation? Why didn't he heed the warning signals? One of my grade school teachers had a saying, "A chicken may land on your head, but you don't have to let it roost." David's sin is no different from my sin, however. I am just as guilty at times of disregarding the people in my life who try to speak up against what I am choosing to do, and I just keep trudging along into the muck and mire. LORD, help me be sensitive today to your Holy Spirit. Help me to find the way of escape You provide whenever I am tempted. (1 Corintians 10:13)

David is such a manipulator. I mentioned a few days ago that I am reading Cloud & Townsend's book "Boundaries." David was not respectful of anyone's boundaries in this situation. I am very impressed with Uriah's integrity! What man wouldn't take the opportunity to go home to his gorgeous wife, especially since the king had given him permission? But Uriah said, "As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!"

I was so disappointed that Joab became David's co-conspirator. Then the messenger gets in on the deal. And you know the messenger told other messengers who told other messengers. Word definitely got around.

Verse 27 in the NIV says that what David did "displeased" the LORD. Understatement? Other versions say that God was angry and that what David did was evil in the sight of Jehovah. I don't think "displeased" is a strong enough word for David's sin. "Displeased" is not a strong enough word for my sin.

In 2 Samuel 12 the prophet Nathan confronts the king. He uses a great word picture to get David's attention. I think the reason David "burned with anger" was because he subconsciously saw himself in the man Nathan described. The things that anger us about other people are usually the things we hate about ourselves. Verse 7, "Then Nathan said to David, 'You are the man!'"

Verses 8 & 9 must have ripped David's heart out. God gave David everything, and He would have given him even more if he needed it. Why did he despise God's gifts by taking what wasn't his?

Nathan pronounces several punishments for David

The sword would never depart from his house
David's wives would be violated in broad daylight (by his own son Absalom!)
David's sin would become public knowledge
His new son would die

God forgave David's sin, but David still suffered all the consequences. Forgiveness does not remove heartache and devastation from our poor choices. You may ask why God forgave David at all. In 2 Samuel 12:13, David confesses his sin by simply saying, "I have sinned against the LORD." It's that simple. God does not want our long, drawn-out explanations of why we sinned. He just wants us to agree with Him that we did in fact sin against Him. If you want to read David's complete confession, where he begs God for mercy, read Psalm 51. It has always been one of my favorites.

David does not plead with God to remove any of the consequences except in the case of his son's life. 2 Samuel 12:22-23 paint a beautiful picture of David's complete faith in God. May our lives mirror such trust in our Savior.

Verse 24--I wish I understood the reason behind giving children two names in the Hebrew culture. Is it similar to the way we give our children a first name and a middle name? Solomon means peace or peaceful, and Jedidiah means loved by the LORD. Solomon was loved by God, and his would be a reign of peace for Israel. I don't find reference that Solomon is called Jedidiah anywhere else in Scripture.

After Solomon's birth, David returns to what he should have been doing in the first place, and God grants him victory.

Next we will read about David's heartache over his other children in 2 Samuel 13, 15, & 18. This is where we see the fulfillment of David's other punishments.

2 Samuel 7, 1 Chronicles 17

2008-08-05T07:37:00.005-05:00

Will you start your study this morning by declaring out loud the Word God gave to you from 1 Chronicles 16? Say it loud and proud, girls!

I had fun this morning comparing 2 Samuel 7 and 1 Chronicles 17. I rolled the pages back in my Bible and read the two chapters side-by-side. They are almost identical with very minor differences. If you are reading the Scripture on the computer, open two browser windows and read them side-by-side.

The first statement that leapt off the page at me was that the king was settled in his palace. I'm in the middle of packing my house for a move; so I look forward to that feeling of peace that comes from getting settled again. Then I enjoyed finding out that David has a new spiritual mentor in the prophet Nathan. I would have appreciated a little better introduction to Nathan though, wouldn't you? He just shows up, and we don't know anything else about him. David trusts him though, and we will find out that they have a strong enough relationship that David will listen to Nathan's rebuke. I want accountability friendships like that.

I also think it is fabulous that Nathan goes to the LORD in prayer concerning David's desire to build a temple for God. When people tell you what they think God is calling them to, do you earnestly pray for them? Nathan quickly told David to go ahead and do what he wanted, but after praying about it, God came back with a different response. Isn't it cool that David was willing to accept his friend's wise counsel? Scripture doesn't even record that David questioned Nathan's report. David just immediately began to praise the LORD!

I would think David was disappointed that he would not see his dream fulfilled, and we will see that at the end of his life, he goes to great lengths to make provision for Solomon to carry it out. But in this passage today, David is just tickled to death that God has a plan for his family's future. "Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?" "Is this your usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign LORD?"

I think the real key is David's motivation. He says, "Do as you promised, so that your name will be great forever. Then men will say, "The LORD Almighty is God over Israel!" Sure, David was excited that his family tree would be established forever, but his greatest desire was to glorify God! When I ask God to do a mighty work in my life, do I ask for my own benefit, or do I ask so that God's name will be great forever? I want people to look at my life and say, "The LORD Almighty is God over the Young family!" I don't want them saying how cool Dana is.

As I read the Word of the LORD that came to Nathan, the word "forever" kept jumping out at me. God said He would establish the throne of David and his offspring "forever" and that the people of Israel would not be oppressed anymore. This really bothered me because the Jews have been persecuted throughout their history. So, what did God mean by "forever?" I have a couple of thoughts, but I want to hear yours first. Will you post a comment or send me an email at tydyd_89@yahoo.com?

Have fun seeking the LORD today!!!!

1 Chronicles 16

2008-08-03T17:00:00.003-05:00

You all have been working so hard at studying God's Word, and I am so extremely proud of you. Thank you for spurring me on with your words of encouragement. Just like David, I think it would be appropriate to take a time out for a session of thanksgiving.

So, I am not going to blog about 1 Chronicles 16. What I want you to do is to get alone with God and to read David's prayer in this chapter out loud. Lift your voice and glorify God. And who cares what your children or the neighbors think about you. Let them think you are out of your mind talking to yourself. It's about half true anyway, right?

After you have read the chapter through once or even twice, choose your favorite Scripture from the passage. Write it on an index card and memorize it. Carry it with you this week as your Word from God. Let your blog sisters know which verse you chose so we can rejoice with you too.

My Word from this passage is 1 Chronicles 16:10 "Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice." I am writing it on a card even now, and I will put it in my pocket. When you see me this week, please ask to see my card, and ask me to say my verse to you, okay!

Love ya!
dana

2 Samuel 6 & 1 Chronicles 13 & 15:1-16:3

2008-08-02T17:00:00.004-05:00

Some of you will look at all the chapters listed in today's post title and want to scream at me for covering too much. But let me explain. You see, the story of David moving the ark of the covenant in 2 Samuel 6 is repeated in greater detail in 1 Chronicles. The definition of chronicle according to thefreedictionary.com is "a detailed narrative record or report." So 1 & 2 Chronicles are repeats of the stories of the kings beginning with David in 2 Samuel and going all the way through 1 & 2 Kings. If you take a quick glance at the chronological reading plan we are following, you will see the Chronicles sprinkled throughout Days 13 through 29. I just want you to enjoy how the Bible is the best commentary on itself. I love how it is neatly packaged and tied with a bow for us to delight in.

So today we will discuss the story told in 2 Samuel 6, and then we will cover 2 Samuel 7 on another day. Are ya with me?

King David decided to bring the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem, where he was building his own palace. So, where had the ark been all these years? We read just a piece of the story in 1 Samuel 7 when the people of Kiriath Jearim (same city as Baalah of Judah in 2 Samuel 6) took the ark to Abinadab's house. The Philistines had stolen the ark in 1 Samuel 4 but returned it when God struck them with tumors because of it. Then the Israelites in Beth Shemesh were afraid of it and sent it to Kiriath Jearim (Baalah of Judah). Saul must not have wanted to mess with it either, because he left it there. King David wanted the worship of God to be central in his kingdom; so he went to the trouble to put the ark on a cart and attempt to transport it to the capital city.

The ark on a cart? Woops. God had instructed Moses to have the priests carry the ark with poles on their shoulders. So even though David and his men had the best intentions, God was not pleased with their actions. 2 Samuel 6:2 tells us that the LORD Almighty sits enthroned between the cherubim on the ark. The ark was God's throne here on earth. Uzzah reached out and touched the very place where God was enthroned, and he paid with his life for not respecting God's throne as sacred. We should praise God daily for not doing the same to us. How often do I disrespect God's presence with my words, thoughts, and actions?

David was right to be angry and afraid. It was also wise of him to put the ceremony on hold to do some research on the proper way to carry the throne of God. So in the three-month interim, the family of Obed-Edom enjoyed God's tremendous blessings. I wonder what that was like! Do you think the neighbors wanted to come by and have a look? What a conversation piece in your living room, huh! After Uzzah's death, I suppose the ark of the covenant would have been kept under lock and key, and no one would have wanted to go near it. I hope people came by to worship God though. At any rate, word got back to David that Obed-Edom was being blessed because of the ark (2 Samuel 6:12).

The second time, David consecrated the priests and offered sacrifices and did the whole thing up right. I am so thankful that 1 Chronicles 15 gives us all the yummy details about this celebration. Details are my love language, and my God is a detail Man!!! David even gave gifts of bread, dates, and raisins to the crowd. Cool! It reminds me of how excited I was as a little girl when Santa showed up at the end of the school Christmas play every year. He would pass out bags of oranges, apples, and candy to every child who wanted one. I thought I was so special. I hope David actually participated in handing out the gifts to all the children. What a special blessing to receive a gift from the king.

I mentioned in a previous post that David's wife Michal was jealous of his worship of God. 2 Samuel 6:20-23 is the best example of how to fight dirty in marriage. Michal slanders David's religious beliefs, and she is super jealous of her husband in the presence of his slave girls. Then David makes snide remarks about Michal's daddy and basically throws Michal's concerns back in her face, making her more jealous of the slave girls. Michal had no children, not because of being barren, in my opinion. I believe her husband refused intimacy with her from that day on.

I wish God had given us examples of perfect marriages in Scripture. Instead, He shows us families like David's. I think it is because there is no such thing as a perfect marriage, because marriage is a union of two imperfect people coming from two imperfect families with baggage of their own. Making marriage work is hard most of the time, but it is so worth the effort. If I could have sat down with Michal and David, I would have told them not to get married in the first place. They got married to spite Michal's father, and they did not worship the same God. Marriage is tough enough when you do worship together. Having opposite religious beliefs magnifies the issues. We have to be on the same page spiritually with our spouses. If you are not, then it is your job to pray for your husband. You are not his junior holy spirit. You have to trust God with his soul. Well, I could go on and on with my marriage advice, but I'm not sure you would want to listen. So, I'll close for now and look forward to hearing your comments.

2 Samuel 5

2008-07-31T06:56:00.006-05:00

Just in case you thought David had an easy time setting up his kingdom, take a second to skim the first four chapters of 2 Samuel. David was a warrior king right from the beginning.

As I read about David establishing his kingdom first in Judah at Hebron and then over all Israel at Jerusalem, it made me wonder where Saul's palace was. I found references to several Benjamite towns, especially to Gibeah, Mizpah, Micmash, and the hill country of Bethel. Gilgal was also mentioned several times. It is in the territory of Manasseh, just north of the Benjamite city of Jericho. So, it makes me wonder if Saul ever really established a central headquarters for his kingdom. It sheds some light on the instability of his reign. As I was researching, I found an interesting link http://www.northforest.org/BiblicalArchaeology/background.html. When you click the link for Saul on the left-hand side of the page, it mentions the Amarna Letters, artifacts that give credence to the biblical account of history. I think it is fun to discover evidence that proves the Bible is true. There is a lot of info on this site that I did not explore; so don't assume that I agree with everything the author has to say, okay. Interesting reading, however.

2 Samuel 5:10 reminds us why David was successful, "because the LORD God Almighty was with him." Verse 12 is one of my favorite verses, "And David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel." [emphasis mine] David knew it wasn't about his own personal glory. He was called to be king for the people's sake. I love that! Often we are placed in positions of authority, not because of how it can benefit us, but because we can help promote the welfare of others. Have you looked at your job in that light today? Stop the "poor me" attitude, and start looking for ways you can bless others. Ouch.

2 Samuel 5:13 describes the source of David's ruin. His wives, concubines, and children would become a major source of distraction and discontent in his life. He also set a poor example for his son Solomon, who would become the next ruler of Israel. According to Deuteronomy 17, having many wives was against the rules for the king too. Did you know that God included rules for how the king should live when He gave the law to Moses? He knew all along that Israel would ask for a king. Nothing takes Him by surprise!

In the remainder of the chapter, David inquires of the LORD, and God gives him the plan of attack against the Philistines. I think it is terrific that David can talk directly to God. He does not consult a priest. I also think it is terrific that God responds directly to David. LORD, help me to listen to Your voice today. I want to hear You plainly. Please forgive me for trying to tell You what the plan should be.

Okay, I hope I have given you enough to ponder today. We'll check on David again next time in 2 Samuel 6-8.

1 Samuel 28 & 31

2008-07-29T07:01:00.004-05:00

In 1 Samuel 27, David finally decided he needed to get away from Saul; so he and his men went to live with the Philistines for a year and 4 months. In 1 Samuel 28:1-2 Achish, a Philistine leader, declares David as his bodyguard and invites him to help them fight Saul's army. A flash forward to Chapter 29 shows us that the other Philistine commanders did not trust David. So they made Achish send him back home. I see this as God's protection for David. If David had helped pursue Saul's army, he would have been fighting his own countrymen, and perhaps his own brothers. God kept David away from the scene of Saul and Jonathan's death, and for that I am very glad.

1 Samuel 25:1a and 1 Samuel 28:3a are the only description we have of Samuel's passing. That's not fair! Samuel deserved a hero's burial, and I don't like that God only gave him two partial Scriptures. It is a reminder to me that Samuel's treasure was stored up in heaven. He did not waste any reward on the temporal praise of men here on earth. Oh, that I would learn this lesson!

The remainder of 1 Samuel 28 is another example of Saul not practicing obedience. Saul himself had banned the practice of sorcery in Israel. Yet, he resorts to consulting a witch when God does not answer his selfish prayers. At first, verses 6 & 15 really bothered me. Why wouldn't God answer Saul's prayers? Saul was finally seeking God; so why would God not want to respond? God knew that Saul's heart was still unchanged, and God is not obligated to work on behalf of anyone who is asking for selfish gain. It really bothers me when nonbelievers get mad at God for not answering their prayers. If you are not willing to give your life to God, why would you expect Him to give you anything?

Verses 12-14 are very intriguing. The woman is shocked when Samuel really does appear. I don't think she expected her incantation to produce real results. Then she is furious at Saul for tricking her. Turnabout is fair play, don't you think? And her description of Samuel cracks me up! "An old man wearing a robe." Wouldn't that describe just about any dead soul? Saul had never asked Samuel for advice before. Why does he think he should consult him now that he is dead? All Samuel does in this chapter is reconfirm what he had already told Saul before. The LORD had torn the kingdom from Saul and given it to David. And now Saul and his sons would meet their Maker.

1 Samuel 31 is a sad ending to a sad story of a sad man. Saul, his three sons, and his armor-bearer all die in the battle against the Philistines. Then the Philistines greatly dishonor them in a postmortem display. Why did the people of Jabesh Gilead care about Saul? Glance back at 1 Samuel 11. Saul had come to their rescue before he was confirmed as king. And 42 years later, they were able to repay his act of kindness.

Today we said goodbye to the prophet Samuel and to King Saul. Tomorrow we will see David take the throne in 2 Samuel 5-8. However, before we leave 1 Samuel, I want you to notice a couple of things David did to help ensure the successful start of his kingdom. In Chapters 24 & 26 of 1 Samuel, David spared Saul's life twice. Why??? Because David believed Saul to be God's chosen man for the time being. I am so impressed that David did not try to hurry God's plan for his own life. I am often guilty of asking God to fast-forward to the good part so I don't have to endure the tough parts of life. David had the spiritual maturity to pray for his enemy Saul. Jesus asks us to do the same. At the end of 1 Samuel 30, David also demonstrates his wisdom by sending gifts to all the people in the region who had helped David and his men. This will pave the way for David to have plenty of allies when he becomes king. However, I believe David gave the gifts out of genuine gratitude with no strings attached. He was generous without expecting anything in return. LORD, help us to model our lives after David, a man after Your own heart.

1 Samuel 18-20

2008-07-28T10:54:00.005-05:00

I know I say, "I love," a lot when I am writing, but I just love the picture God paints for us of David and Jonathan's friendship. They were true friends who stuck by one another through thick and thin. 1 Samuel 18:3 says Jonathan loved David as he loved himself. Jesus says that is the second greatest commandment, to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Here we witness an example of what that looks like.

18:1 They became one in spirit
18:3 They loved each other
18:4 They gave gifts to one another
19:2 Jonathan warned David of trouble
19:4 Jonathan spoke well of David and stood up for his reputation
20:3 They confided in one another
20:4 They would do absolutely anything for each other
20:23 They had their faith in God in common
20:41-42 They valued their friendship above all else

18:5 & 14 God granted David success in everything he put his hand to! This was a true sign that David was chosen by God. Did David still have to fight the battles? Did David still have to run from Saul? Yes. He still faced difficulties, but when all was said and done, David was successful.

18:9 Saul kept a jealous eye on David. I don't see any indication that Saul was actually aware that Samuel had anointed David to replace him as king. But Saul must have known that God's Spirit was no longer with him. I wonder if Saul recognized the Spirit of God resting on David? Do people recognize God's Spirit resting on me? (18:12 answers my first question, huh.)

18:11 David eluded Sauls's spear TWICE! I'm sorry, but once would have been all it took for me to high-tail it out of there! In 19:10 David eludes Saul once more and finally makes good his escape. That was one harp performance I would have not shown up for!

18:17 & 20 Saul offers his daughters to David in marriage so they would be a snare to him. Shame on Saul. He should have been raising his daughters to be godly women who would be helpmates for their future husbands. Am I a snare or a helpmate?

18:25 Saul knew just the challenge David could not refuse. In v. 27 David actually brings Saul double what he asked for.

18:28-30 Saul's plan backfired. David wins the girl and the fame, and Saul is more afraid and jealous than ever before.

19:11-17 Michal protects David from her father's soldiers. Then she lies to her father. I admire her for protecting her husband, but I don't appreciate that she lied to daddy to do it. She should have boldly stood up to him. Would I have stood up to him? Maybe not. Don't skip over the word "idol" in 19:13. What was an idol doing in the house? We will see later in 2 Samuel 6 that Michal does not approve of David's worship of the One True God.

19:20-24 I don't think the prophesying here is the good kind. I think this was probably a crazy chaos that kept Saul and his men from pursuing David. Does anyone else have any insight here?

1 Samuel 20 is a story I remember hearing as a young girl in Sunday School. I was amazed that Jonathan would be brave enough to help his best friend when he knew how outraged his father would be. If you are already familiar with the story, resist the temptation to skim the pages. Read it and marvel at the detail in planning they went to. Notice David's patience as he waits to hear from Jonathan. Notice the faithfulness of Jonathan when he could have backed out on the plan. After all, David would be taking Jonathan's spot as the next king of Israel. Notice their commitment to one another as they pledge loyalty for future generations. Notice their extreme grief when they have to part ways. Their friendship is a beautiful picture of the way we should treat our relationships. Treasure the people God brings into your life.

1 Samuel 17

2008-07-24T10:26:00.002-05:00

David vs Goliath--I love this story!

v. 11--Saul, dismayed and terrified. Just what I look for in a leader.

v. 12--David, the son of an Ephrathite. David's daddy was Jesse, whose daddy was Obed, whose mommy and daddy were Ruth and Boaz!

v. 16--Forty days! Have you ever been away from home for forty days? Our family just returned from a 13-day vacation, and I was worn out. We should be extremely mindful of the families whose loved ones are fighting the war on terror. They are making extreme sacrifices for our freedom!

v. 24--The Israelite army ran in fear. They are a reflection of their leadership. This makes me stop to reflect on my own leadership style. Sometimes the people following me flake out on me. (I'm not talking about you; so don't take any of this personally.) Anyway, instead of blaming it on their lack of commitment, maybe I should take a look at how I have trained my followers to respond to situations.

v. 25--So, if the soldiers were so excited about what Saul would give the hero, why wasn't anyone stepping up to the challenge? Beware of the salesman who will not taste his own wares!

v. 26--"Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?" Way to go, David! He knew God was living because He had talked to him personally through the Spirit. Do you know that God is living today? He is, and He is waiting for you to begin a personal relationship with Him.

v. 28-30--Sibling rivalry is as old as Cain and Abel! Does anyone have any helpful advice for helping brothers and sisters learn to get along? I remember my mom making my brother and I sit on the couch and hold hands if we were fighting. That cured us fairly fast. I also remember my brother being a pest in jr. high, and I remember vividly the last time I was able to take him down in a headlock. I had to take him by surprise because he was bigger than me!

v. 32-37--How could David have such confidence? Because his confidence was in the power of God, not in his own strength. God had been faithful to deliver David many times, and David had the faith to believe he would do it again. My husband and I were talking about this story, and his thought was that David probably said to himself, "If I want to have a kingdom to inherit, then I better stand up and fight this Philistine!"

v. 40--David took his staff, five smooth stones, and his slingshot. Cool. I'm trying to think about what this looks like in my life. David chose not to use the biggest and the best equipment. Instead, he stuck to the basics, the tools of his trade, the tools he had seen God use in his life. The world tries to tell me that I have to have all the latest technology to be effective. While that may be true in some circumstances, most of the time I should rely on God to provide what I need rather than spending all my energy on trying to get ahead in life.

v. 41-44--Goliath is such a bully. LORD, give me the courage of David to stand against the bullies in my life.

v. 45-47--David's bravado is very inspiring! "I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty." "This day the LORD will hand you over to me." "The whole world will know that there is a God in Israel." "The battle is the LORD's, and he will give all of you into our hands." LORD, may the whole world know that You are God! May I proclaim Your Name boldly, even in the face of my enemies.

v. 51--This is such a guy's story! Not for the faint of heart (or stomach).

v. 52--Can you hear the men shout?!!

v. 55-58--I want to know the rest of the story. Why didn't Saul know who David was if David had been serving in his court? Probably kings didn't get overly personal with their servants, huh. Well, from here on out, Saul will definitely become aware of just who this little boy from Bethlehem is!

I hope you don't mind that I've been taking the chapters one at a time for awhile. I just don't want to miss any of the good stuff. Next time we try to press a little further by taking on 1 Samuel 18-20. Thanks for sticking with me!

1 Samuel 16

2008-07-23T23:44:00.001-05:00

Basically, God tells Samuel, “Quit your whining and get on with it!” Has God ever had to tell you that? He certainly has me. I get down and depressed and get the “I don’t wannas,” and God has to tell me to suck it up and move on. I like that Samuel is honest enough to ask God, “How can I?” When we take time to listen for God’s voice, He will tell us His plan of action.

1 Samuel 16:4—I didn’t realize that the elders were present when Samuel anointed David. It makes me wonder then how David’s anointing as king did not become public knowledge. I think it is very interesting that David had enough humility to remain silent about his anointing to be king. It must have been very difficult for him, especially during the times when Saul tried to take David’s life.

1 Samuel 16:11—How did Samuel know that he had not seen all of Jesse’s sons? I want to be that in tune with God’s Spirit; that in the midst of the situation, I can hear Him speaking to me, telling me what steps to take. What do you think David’s big brothers thought when little brother was chosen, and they were all passed over? I can just imagine the sibling rivalry!

1 Samuel 16:12b-13a—“Then the LORD said, "Rise and anoint him; he is the one." So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power.” Wow! I love this! David was God’s chosen man for the job. In the Old Testament, the Spirit would come and go. David must have reveled in God’s glory. I must say that I take it for granted that I can enjoy God’s fellowship every moment of every day. It is easy to push Him aside and forget that His power is at hand whenever I choose to tap into it. Will you pray right this moment, “Dear Jesus, please fill me to overflowing with your Holy Spirit! I want to be used by you from this day on.”

Verse 14 really bothers me. Not only had God’s Spirit left Saul, God had sent an evil spirit to torment him. It is hard for me to fathom that God would torment anyone. I’m still trying to piece that together in my head. I must remember that before Christ, no one could have assurance of salvation. Their faith had to be in sacrifices and daily obedience. Saul was rejected by God because Saul never really obeyed God. Saul did not place his faith in God at all. Have you? Email me at tydyd_89@yahoo.com and tell me your story.

I love how God orchestrated the events that brought David into the king’s palace. We should not think it is a coincidence that one of Saul’s servants knew a lowly shepherd boy and invited him to play the harp for the king. Neither is it a coincidence that the young boy filled with the Holy Spirit was able to bring comfort to the tortured king. LORD, may I bring comfort and joy to the people around me who are suffering in this world.

I really want to keep writing, but the next chapter is the story of David and Goliath, and I think it may require lots of writing. See you in Chapter 17!

1 Samuel 15

2008-07-21T06:41:00.002-05:00

I’m trying to settle on a good title for 1 Samuel 15.
How to Ensure Your Failure
15 Ways to Screw up Your Kingdom
Disappoint Your God Today

Poor Saul! He didn’t have a single day of success in his entire 42-year reign as king of Israel. Sure, he may have won some battles, but He never won the heart of God. He screwed it up in 1 Samuel 13 when he offered burnt offerings without waiting for Samuel to arrive. He starved his own army in Chapter 14. In Chapter 15 Saul continues to disobey God’s commands by sparing King Agag and the best of his livestock.

1 Samuel 15:10-11 “Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel: "I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions." Samuel was troubled, and he cried out to the LORD all that night.” Oh, LORD, may I never ever grieve You! May I seek to obey You and to carry out Your instructions to the best of my ability. Have you ever cried out to the LORD all night over anything? If yes, then you know what Samuel was going through. He loved the nation of Israel, and He was trying to figure out how to fix the mess their new king was creating. Samuel felt the responsibility heavily on his shoulders because these were his beloved people, whom he had led in following God for years.

1 Samuel 15:13-14 “When Samuel reached him, Saul said, "The LORD bless you! I have carried out the LORD's instructions." But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?" Come on, Saul. Just how stupid do you think Samuel is? Samuel, the guy who told you your donkeys were found, the guy who foretold miracles that came true, the guy who anointed your head with oil!!! Saul was one of those habitual liars who didn’t even realize anymore that he was lying through his teeth. He blames the whole situation on his innocent army. When Samuel asks Saul why he didn’t obey in verse 19, Saul says in verse 20, “But I did obey . . . .” Liar, liar, pants on fire. Do you notice how Saul says “I, I, I” in verse 20, and then blames the bad decisions on the soldiers in verse 21? “Devoted to God . . . for sacrifice,” yeah, right.

1 Samuel 15:22 “But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” This has always been a favorite verse of mine. It was really good for me to read it in context today to remember where these words come from. Saul’s life is a good reminder for us as we strive to please God in our daily lives. Doing good things for God is not always obedience. Maybe Saul really did think he was doing the right thing by saving the livestock. Perhaps he really did desire to make sacrifices to God. But that was not what God had asked of him. Our Holy God demands obedience. LORD, help me pay attention to Your Holy Spirit every moment of every day.

After Samuel confronts him, Saul seems to repent, but I think Samuel was tired of hearing it. He lost complete respect for Saul and never went back to see him during his reign as king. Saul reigned for 42 years. We don’t know exactly where 1 Samuel 15 falls in those four decades, but I assume it was earlier rather than later. Can you imagine trying to run a kingdom without God’s direction? No wonder Saul went mad in his old age. “And the LORD was grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel.”

Sorry this chapter was such a downer. Maybe we will enjoy meeting David in 1 Samuel 16-20 tomorrow.

1 Samuel 9-10, 12

2008-07-19T07:41:00.003-05:00

Come on, Saul; just how hard is it to find lost donkeys? That’s donkeys plural. My aunt and uncle had a neighbor with a donkey named Jack. You could hear him braying from a mile away. And donkeys don’t typically travel terribly fast. They like to stop and smell the roses. Don’t you think the neighbors would have noticed loose donkeys plural? Did Saul stop to ask?

I think it’s funny, though, how God used donkeys to lead Saul to meet the man of God, Samuel. God used a donkey to get Balaam’s attention in Numbers 22. Funny story there too, if you haven’t read it. Has God ever frustrated your plans to get your attention? The next time you find yourself in a pickle, stop to look around you and ask God what it is He wants you to see.

Saul didn’t even want to be king. Samuel anointed Saul, and God fulfilled signs to prove Himself to Saul, but Saul didn’t even tell his family about it. (1 Samuel 10:16) When you are excited about something God has done in your life, aren’t you excited to tell others? You can’t get me to shut up about it! And you have to tell me more than once, “Yes, you told us that already.”

The end of Chapter 10 puzzled me. Why did Samuel go through the process of bringing all the tribes forward clan by clan, only to choose Saul as king? It is because this was part of their tradition as a nation. Joshua 7 gives an example of seeking out the sinful family by calling the people out clan by clan. The land was divided clan by clan throughout the book of Joshua. When we read 1 Samuel 16, we will see that Samuel goes through a similar process when he selects David to be king out of his family of 8 strapping, young men. As all possible candidates pass before the prophet of God, every man is given fair opportunity to be chosen by God. When the prophet announces who has been chosen, everyone is able to accept his choice.

1 Samuel 10:21-24 is further evidence that Saul did not want to be king. When his name was called on the roll, he was hiding among the baggage! Ladies, when God calls our names, let us be present and accounted for, ready and willing to accept our assignments.

1 Samuel 10:26-27 “Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, accompanied by valiant men whose hearts God had touched. But some troublemakers said, "How can this fellow save us?" They despised him and brought him no gifts. But Saul kept silent.” This passage bothers me for a number of reasons. From Saul’s first day in office, Israel would be a kingdom divided. It makes me mindful of our own nation. No matter what the results of the 2008 elections, we must commit to pray for our nation’s leaders. Whether we agree or disagree with the party in power, we must recognize that God has granted them authority. This should spur us on to pray that our leaders will listen to godly wisdom, and they will surround themselves with godly advisors. Let us bring our newly appointed leaders gifts of encouragement to stand for the truth. You can sign up to pray at http://www.presidentialprayerteam.org/.

This passage also bothers me because “Saul kept silent.” Saul would prove to be a cowardly leader who did not command respect from his people, neither did he earn their respect.

Samuel’s farewell speech in Chapter 12 is very touching. Samuel was a faithful leader for Israel, a leader with integrity, who lived his life without regret. The conclusion of the chapter is my favorite. “For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own. As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.” (1 Samuel 12:22-24)

I Samuel 7-8

2008-07-17T16:32:00.003-05:00

The story of Samuel's mother Hannah, a desperate woman begging God for a child, has always been very special to me. Then I married a fabulous guy, whose first name is actually Samuel. Then the story became more personal to me because I too desperately begged God for the gift of a godly husband, and He gave me Samuel Trent Young. Okay, that's getting too sappy, isn't it? Anyway, take the time to read of young Samuel's beginning in Samuel 1-3 if you have the time. I'll move on for the sake of our group.

In Samuel 7, the prophet questions his people to find out if they are committed to serving the LORD. In verse 4, they seem to be since they put away their idols and served the LORD only. However, they are wishy-washy when pressure from the Philistines comes along. They ask Samuel to cry out to God for them because they are scared. Samuel does pray for them, but the people miss out on a blessing by not speaking to God personally. God does choose to answer their prayer for help, and He thunders against their enemies. "The LORD thundered with loud thunder" has a new meaning for me this week. Our family enjoyed a vacation at Niagara Falls, which means Thundering Waters. As I stood there in awe of the tremendous power of the falls, I praised God for His thundering power in our lives.

The second verse of the hymn "Come Thou Fount" begins with "Here I raise mine Ebenezer; hither by thy help I'm come." http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh400.sht So, now I understand the meaning of those words. They come from 1 Samuel 7:12.

I was very excited to read in verse 17 that Samuel was able to visit Ramah, which is where his parents lived. You see, Hannah promised that if God would grant her a son, she would dedicate him to the LORD. So, when Samuel was about three years old, she took him to live with Eli, the priest at Shiloh. I am very thankful he was able to stay connected to his family as he grew older.

1 Samuel 8:1-3 Samuel seemed to be a man of God who practiced what he preached. Why didn't his sons get it? Samuel had witnessed Eli's failure at fathering. He had even been the one to deliver God's message to Eli that the priesthood would be taken from his family because of his sons. Why didn't he make sure his own sons received proper spiritual training? Can you believe verse 5? The elders of Israel even brought it to Samuel's attention that his sons were out of control. Why didn't Samuel take action? I know we can't control the decisions our children will make. And there are parents who did everything right, yet their children still choose to rebel. Why didn't Samuel seek someone else to appoint as priest? I'm going to have to have a sit-down chat with him to find out his story when I see him in heaven.

Later in Chapter 8, God assures Samuel that he should not take Israel's request for a king too personally. They were rejecting God's kingship in their lives. This was a pattern of behavior for their nation. Even after Samuel gives Israel a list of all the horrible things their king would do to them, they refused to listen to him. They threw a fit, and told God to give them what they wanted. Have you ever begged God for something, and then wished later that you could take it back? I'm almost certain you have asked God for things and didn't get it, then you pouted, and it wasn't until years later that you could look back and sing the lyrics of the Garth Brooks song "Unanswered Prayers." http://www.lyricsfreak.com/g/garth+brooks/unanswered+prayers_20058116.html

Well, God does grant Israel's petition for a king, and they are extremely disappointed in Saul's lack of leadership skills. We'll discuss his story in greater detail next time in 1 Samuel 9-12.

Ruth 1-4

2008-07-14T19:20:00.002-05:00

I love the story of Ruth. It is a love story replete with a knight in shining armor who rescues the princess.

Did you notice the date of the book in Ruth 1:1? "In the days when the judges ruled . . . ."

Ruth 1:6 "When Naomi heard in Moab . . . ." I have to wonder how Naomi heard. Was there a daily newspaper from across the Dead Sea? How often did the caravans travel from Bethlehem to Moab?

Ruth 1:16 But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me." These verses are used often at weddings. Did you know that it was Ruth who said them to her mother-in-law? I think all of us should aspire to show love and kindness and loyalty to our moms-in-law as Ruth did. My mom-in-law makes this an easy thing to do, but I'm not as kind and thoughtful as Ruth was. I think her story inspires me to try a lot harder.

Ruth 1:20 "Don't call me Naomi, [b] " she told them. "Call me Mara, [c] because the Almighty [d] has made my life very bitter. 21 I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The LORD has afflicted [e] me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me." Naomi had a very difficult time understanding why God would put her in such a predicament. Can anyone relate? Naomi was suffering consequences of her husband's decision to take their family far from the Promised Land. Seemingly, Naomi had no control over the circumstances she found herself in. In the midst of her sorrow, it was impossible for Naomi to foresee the blessings God would bring through her Moabite daughter-in-law. Was it God's will for Naomi's husband to die? I don't know. Was it God's will for Naomi's sons to marry foreign wives and then die as young men? I have no idea. Was God able to turn disappointments into something wonderful, and was God's plan for His chosen people fulfilled? Absolutely.

In Ruth 2:5 Boaz asks, "Whose young woman is that?" Then in verse 11, Boaz says, "I've been told all about what you have done." This makes me giggle! Boaz was curious enough to check Ruth out! Okay, take time to remember how you went about finding out the scoop on your true love. Makes me blush. ;-)

Ruth 2:12 "May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge." Ruth 3:11 "And now, my daughter, don't be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character." Ruth's reputation was getting all over town, and it was good news! Are people talking about what I do for others? Is it good news? Am I known around town as a woman of noble character? I most definitely hope so. While we are not called to be in a popularity contest, we are called to bring glory and good repute to the Name of Christ. Am I doing all within my power to make that happen?

We read the law about kinsman-redeemers in Leviticus 25. Since Naomi's husband and sons were no longer living, her closest of kin had to buy her land so that it could stay in the family. I like what she says about Boaz in Ruth 3:15, "For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today." He was a man of action. I like that! I laughed at the way Boaz talked his relative out of purchasing the land too. In 4:1, Boaz calls the man "my friend." Then in verse 5, Boaz convinces the guy that he doesn't want to marry the dead man's widow, implying that he would be marrying an old woman, Naomi. After he gets the man to swear that he doesn't want the land before several witnesses, then Boaz declares his intentions to marry Ruth. Tricky guy!

The elders and witnesses become prophets when they wish Boaz fame in 4:11. Their blessing in Ruth 4:12 is very fitting. "Through the offspring the LORD gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah." Tamar and Ruth are both mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1. Rahab and Bathsheba are the only other women mentioned there. Rahab was Boaz's mom. Boaz married Ruth. Their great-grandson David married Bathsheba. These women were grafted into the family line of the Messiah. God's chosen people expands to include all people who choose to follow God. Hallelujah!

I certainly hope you enjoyed Ruth's story. Come with me now to the book of 1 Samuel 7-10 and 12, where we read of Israel's request for a king.