A tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

Amos 4-5

I hate all your show and pretense – the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies. ­– Amos 5:21 NLT

The book of Amos is NOT politically correct. Anytime you start out a chapter addressing the wealthy women of the community as "fat cows" you have pretty much made a decision to offend any and all. These two chapters are intense. They contain a scathing indictment from the lips of God concerning the people of Israel – the northern kingdom. These people had turned from Him a long time ago, choosing instead to worship false gods. They still considered themselves Yahweh worshipers, but had simply added a few other gods to their religious menu. They were highly religious and because they seemed to enjoy a certain degree of affluence and material success, they thought they were being blessed by God Himself or one of the many other gods they worshiped. So God has to make it clear that it is not He who is blessing them. In fact, He is about to bring judgment on them unless they repent and return. God had already brought a number of punishments on them over the years, from drought and famine to crop failure, plague and wars. But they had refused to return to Him. They had grown fat and happy. They enjoyed their wealth and loved practicing their religious rituals.

But all the while they were failing to do what was right. Their greed and insatiable desire for more drove their behaviors. As a result, they oppressed the poor by charging them exhorbitant rent. They twisted justice and hated those who told the truth. They trampled the poor by taxing them relentlessly and mercilessly. All the while building fancy houses for themselves. So God warns them to "do what is good and run from evil" so that they might live (Amos 5:14). He told them to "hate evil and love what is good, turn your courts in to true halls of justice" (Amos 5:15). If they did, God would spare a remnant of them. He would show mercy. Otherwise, "the day of the Lord will be dark and hopeless, without a ray of joy or hope (Amos 5:20).

Come back to me and live!

God has no desire to destroy them. He wants them to return. He wants to bless them. But their stubbornness will not allow them to admit their sins and return to Him. They saw themselves as religious and right. Their own affluence was a testament to their righteousness. They were religious, keeping a long list of religious observances. But in God's eyes it was all show and pretense. Their offerings and sacrifices meant nothing to Him. Their hymns of praise were nothing but noise in His ears. Their worship was more about them than Him. It was all a matter of pride and pretense. It was all a show for others to see and admire. But what God wanted was something completely different. He tells them, "Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living" (Amos 5:24 NLT). God wanted to see true righteousness lived out in right behavior and the just treatment of the poor and needy. He wanted to see religion that resulted in right behavior and a godly lifestyle. He wanted to see compassion, mercy, justice, kindness, and a true appreciation for who He was and all that He had done for them. He wanted His people to understand and appreciate His compassion, mercy, justice, and kindness and share it with those around them – an endless river of righteous living. And He still wants to see the same thing today.

Father, may my life be an endless river of righteous living. I want live in such a way that I am a conduit of Your compassion, mercy, justice, and kindness to those around me. I want to extend to others what You have given to me. Give me eyes to see others as You do. Give me a love for the poor, needy, lost and helpless. May your church and the presence of Your people on this earth be like a mighty flood of justice washing over those in need. Amen

The Inevitability of Accountability.

Amos 1-3

"My people have forgotten how to do right," says the Lord. ­– Amos 3:10 NLT

Amos was just a lowly shepherd, an ordinary layman. He wasn't a priest or a prophet, or the son of a priest or a prophet. He was a common Hebrew laborer. But God chose him to deliver a message to the people of Israel regarding their sin and His coming punishment. One minute Amos was tending sheep, the next minute he is the spokesman for God accusing the people of God of spiritual complacency, abuse of the poor, and empty religion. His is a message of judgment – on the surrounding nations, but on Israel itself. God makes it clear that they were His chosen people. He had hand-picked them, not because of anything they had done. Not because they were special or deserved His recognition. God had set them apart as His own. He had privileged them with His presence and given them a position of prominence among all the other nations. And how had they treated His favor? With unfaithfulness. They had received His special revelation in the form of the Ten Commandments, then proceeded to disobey the very commands they had been given. He had graced them with His presence and provided them with the sacrificial system as means to maintain their own holiness and deal with their own sin. But they had abandoned it for the worship of other gods. They treated God as just another in a long line of gods. He was not special. He was not unique. He was just a means to an end – their end. They worshiped Him only as long as He delivered what they wanted.

In these opening chapters of Amos, the people of Israel hear a message they longed to hear. It starts out with God's plans for the nations surrounding them, including the southern kingdom of Judah. God is going to punish them all. This had to be music to the ears of the Israelites living in the northern kingdom of Israel. All of their enemies were going to be punished by God. Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Amon, Moab, and Judah. God said that they had all sinned again and again and He would not allow them to go unpunished. This is just what the Israelites wanted to hear. Then Amos drops the bombshell. He includes Israel in the list. He accuses them of the very same sins AND MORE. They were selling their own poor into slavery in order to make a profit. They lacked compassion on the poor and needy. They were guilty of gross immorality. They were taking advantage of the poor and needy. They were idolatrous. And they were unrepentant. In spite of the fact that they were God's chosen people.

"From among all the families on the earth, I have been intimate with you alone. That is why I must punish you for all your sins" (Amos 3:2 NLT). God had to hold them accountable. His justice demanded it. His holiness required it. He could not deal with the sins of the pagan nations and turn a blind eye to the sins of His own people. His people had forgotten how to do right. They had grown fat and happy, rich and prosperous, by ignoring the very laws God had given them. Somehow they thought they had become immune to the consequences of sin. They seemingly believed that their position as God's chosen people was going to protect them from reaping what they sowed. They were counting on God's justice delivering their enemies the punishment they deserved. But they were special. They were privileged. They could get away with murder – literally. Or so they thought. Not only had they forgotten how to do what was right, they had forgotten the holiness of God. They had become complacent about His righteousness, power, and passion for holiness. They feared men more than God. They desired wealth more than God. They sought after ease and comfort more than God. They loved themselves more than they loved God. Could the same thing be said of us today? As God's chosen people, are we just as guilty of spiritual complacency and apathy. Can we justify our sins and somehow think we can somehow escape the consequences of a lifestyle that is devoid of God? The warning from Amos is just as real today as it was then. God has not changed. He is just as holy now as He was then. His expectations have not changed. He has provided a means for us to deal with our sin. He has offered us a way to receive forgiveness. But God expects us to hate our sin and confess it regularly. He wants us to turn from sin back to Him. He wants us to obey. We are His special people, but He wants us to live like it. He has even provided us with the means to do so through the presence of His indwelling Holy Spirit. But have we forgotten how to do what is right?

Father, refresh my memory today. Help me remember how to do what is right, what You desire of me. Don't let me become complacent, cocky and self-assured just because I have a relationship with Your Son. I want to live like who I am in Christ. I want my lifestyle to reflect the life change You have made possible.  Amen

Who Will You Trust?

Isaiah 7-8

Unless your faith is firm, I cannot make you stand firm. ­– Isaiah 7:9b NLT

Life is all about trust. Every day we are faced with opportunities to trust. We trust that our alarm will go off in the morning and wake us up for work or school. We trust that when we flip the switch on the wall, the lights will come on. We trust that the food we eat will provide us with nourishment, not make us sick. We trust that our cars will start, our drives to work will be safe, and our jobs will still be there. We spend our days trusting. We trust the chairs we sit in, the traffic lights that tell us to go or stop. We trust the cashier to give us the right change. We trust the government to do what is right. Okay, so maybe that one is a stretch. But we trust in a lot of things, including people. But why do we have such a hard time trusting God?

This section of the book of Isaiah is all about Judah's lack of trust in God. In the face of pending trouble, they are turning away from God and planning to place their trust elsewhere. King Ahaz of Judah is being threatened by King Pekah of Israel and King Resin of Syria. They are getting ready to attack Judah if King Ahaz does not make an alliance with them against Assyria. And this situation had the king and people of Judah scared. "So the hearts of the king and his people trembled with fear, like trees shaking in a storm" (Isaiah 7:2 NLT). But God tells Isaiah to take his young son, Shear-jashub, whose name means, "a remnant shall return," and go to King Ahaz and tell him "to stop worrying. Tell him he doesn't need to fear the fierce anger of those two burned-out embers" (Isaiah 7:4 NLT). Isaiah is to tell Ahaz that this invasion will never happen. God is in control, not the kings of Syria and Israel. But God needs for Ahaz to stand firm in his faith. God wants Ahaz to trust in Him, not these two kings.

Immanuel – God with us

God gives Ahaz a sign. A young, unmarried woman would have a child and she would call his name Immanuel, which means "God is with us." From the time she became pregnant to the time this young child learned to speak, approximately three years, the two invading kings would be destroyed. This prophecy should have reminded Ahaz that God was indeed with him, as well as with Judah. But Ahaz had placed his trust elsewhere. He was already planning on making an alliance with Syria and Israel. So God would destroy these two nations and then call on the Assyrians to destroy Judah. But as Isaiah's young son's name reflects, God would preserve a remnant. And as the young woman's son's name illustrates, God would be with them. Why? Because of the promise He had made to David so many years before to keep his dynasty alive. Another king would come from David's line – the King of kings and the Lord of lords – Jesus. He would be the ultimate Immanuel – God with us.

But while God will ultimately save Judah, He will still bring judgment on them for their rejection of Him. He will use the Assyrians to punish them for their rebelliousness. Their refusal to trust God would have serious consequences. Isaiah has another son and calls his name, Maher-shalal-hash-baz. Not exactly a household name, but it means "swift to plunder and quick to spoil." God was about to deal with the sins of His people. "My care for the people of Judah is like the gently flowing waters of Shiloh, but they have rejected it" (Isaiah 8:5 NLT). The gently flowing love of God was about to turn into an overwhelming, devatating flood. "The Lord will overwhelm them with a mighty flood … submerging your land from one end to the other" (Isaiah 8:7 NLT). Their unwillingness to trust God would lead to their destruction. The closing verses of chapter eight are a reminder to us all that God is the one in whom we should place our trust. He will keep us safe. He will watch over us. He will protect us. We should put our hope in Him. We are to seek Him for help, guidance, comfort and protection. So who are you going to trust today?

Father, help me trust You today. Replace my fear with faith. You have never given me a reason to doubt You, yet I do so every day of my life. I want to learn to turn to You and rest in You.  Amen

Great Expectations.

Isaiah 5-6

The nation of Israel is the vineyard of the Lord of Heaven's Armies. The people of Judah are his pleasant garden. ­– Isaiah 5:7 NLT

God had chosen the people of Israel as His own possession. He had hand-picked Abraham to be the father of the nation of Israel. God had blesses Abraham and his descendants. He had given him a land, blessed him with a child in his old age, and promised to give Abraham a multitude of descendants – too many too count. Years later, when Abraham's descendants found themselves living in the midst of a famine in the land of Promise, God led them to Egypt where He had arranged for their care through the unlikely intervention of Joseph – who had been sold into slavery by his jealous brothers and was now the second-highest ranking official in all the land of Egypt. While in Egypt, the people of Israel would prosper and multiply. Their expansion would cause the Egyptians to persecute and enslave them. So God provided a savior to lead them out of captivity and back to the land He had promised to Abraham. God miraculously provided their release from Egypt and met their needs all during their travels through the wilderness. He even gave them victory after victory over the inhabitants of the land once they arrived. Time after time, God had blessed the people of Israel. He had given them David as their king. He had graced them with His constant presence and protected them by His power. He had allowed Solomon to build a temple as His dwelling place on earth. God had provided a sacrificial system to deal with their sins and to assure their access to Him.

But as we have read in the stories of the kings of both Judah and Israel, the people continued to sin against God. They rejected His leadership. They proved unfaithful to Him time and time again. God had expectations of His people. He chose them for a reason. He had blessed them for a reason. So through the lips of Isaiah He laments, "What more could I have done for my vineyard that I have not already done? When I expected sweet grapes, why did my vineyard give me bitter grapes?" (Isaiah 5:4 NLT). God uses the analogy of a vineyard because it was one the people of Israel would have readily understood and appreciated. Wine was a necessity in that day. Vineyards were vital to survival. So the idea of an unfruitful vine or a non-productive vineyard would have struck a chord with the people to whom Isaiah was speaking. God makes it clear that He is talking about Israel. "The nation of Israel is the vineyard of the Lord of Heaven's armies. The people of Judah are His pleasant garden" (Isaiah 5:7 NLT). God's chosen people were not producing the "fruit" He expected. Instead of justice (the righting of wrong), they oppressed (inflicted wrong). They replaced righteousness (right relationships) with violence (wrong relationships). They were guilty of greed, hedonism, willful sin, mocking God, pride, and corrupt values. It wasn't that they were fruitless. It was that they were producing the wrong kind of fruit – bitter grapes instead of sweet. Their fruit was worthless. And as a result, God was going to have to deal with them. Branches that produce worthless fruit are worthless themselves. They have no value to the vineyard owner. Listen to what Ezekiel says, "Son of man, how does a grapevine compare to a tree? Is a vine's wood as useful as the wood of a tree? Can its wood be used for making things, like pegs to hang up pots and pans? No, it can only be used for fuel, and even as fuel, it burns too quickly. Vine branches are useless both before and after being put into the fire! " (Ezekiel 15:2-5 NLT). Vine branches don't even make good firewood. They have one use and one use only – to produce fruit.

God had great expectations for Israel. But they failed to deliver. And in chapter six we get a contrast between the unrighteousness and worthlessness of Israel and the righteousness and worth of God. Isaiah is given a vision of God in which he is blown away by God's holiness and his own sinfulness. Before God can use Isaiah as His messenger, Isaiah must come to grips with His sinfulness and God's righteousness. What God is about to do to Israel is just and fair because God is righteous and holy. In the midst of Israel's unfaithfulness, God would reveal His own holiness and righteousness by doing what is just and righteous. He would carry out His moral commands. He would honor His holiness by dealing with His people's sinfulness. But as always, God would show mercy and grace by providing a hope for the future. These two chapters end with the promise "But as the terebinth or oak tree leaves a stump when it is cut down, so Israel's stump will be a holy seed" (Isaiah 6:13b NLT). God would not completely abandon Israel. He would not destroy them all, but He would preserve a remnant, so that He could fulfill His promise to Abraham. From the seed of Abraham would come the Messiah, Jesus Christ. God would reveal His holiness, righteousness, mercy and grace – simultaneously. Just as the cross was a representation of God's wrath against sin and His love for men by providing a sin substitute, God's dealings with Israel would result in their ultimate preservation and the provision of the Messiah. God would fulfill His own expectations of the people of Israel by providing a means of salvation and a process by which holiness is achievable – through the death and resurrection of His own Son.

Father, like Isaiah, I am a man of unclean lips living among a people of unclean lips. I am incapable of living up to Your holy expectations. Left to myself, I am a worthless vine producing worthless fruit. I am good for nothing. But because You provided Your Son as my sin substitute, I have hope and holiness. They have been provided by You, and I can't thank You enough.  Amen

Retribution and Restoration.

Isaiah 3-4

But in that day, the branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious; the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of all who survive in Israel. All who remain in Zion will be a holy people … ­– Isaiah 4:2-3 NLT

Isaiah is all about the coming judgment of God upon the people of God for their sins against Him. They have refused to obey Him. They have given their affections and worship to other gods. They have become arrogant and prideful, placing their faith, hope and trust in themselves and other nations. In the final verse of chapter 2, Isaiah warns, "Don't put your trust in mere humans. They are as frail as breath. What good are they?" (Isaiah 2:22 NLT). In chapter three Isaiah tells the people that God is going to take away from them everything they depend on. Every bit of bread, every drop of water, all their heroes, soldiers, judges, prophets, fortune-tellers, elders, army officers, high officials, advisers, skilled craftsmen, and astrologers. In other words, they are going to learn the hard way just how much they really need God. All the things they have learned to lean on and prop them up will be removed. It will be a devastating time with no leaders, little provision, and no hope. But Isaiah is to "tell the godly that all will be well for them. They will enjoy the rich reward they have earned" (Isaiah 3:10 NLT).

This is a prediction having to do with future events. Some of these will be fulfilled with the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. But most of it will come about during the Tribulation, that seven year period of time after the rapture of the church and the removal of all believers from the earth. During that time, Israel will become the target of the Antichrist, who will persecute the people of Israel like never before. The last three years of the Tribulation will be extremely difficult for those who are Jews. But God will raise up a relatively small group of Jews who will come to faith in Christ and become His witnesses during this dark period of time. There will be those who survive the Tribulation and remain faithful to God. God will punish Israel for its sins, but He will also restore Israel and preserve the nation from annihilation. God will remain faithful. So while the book of Isaiah is full of warnings and predictions of doom and devastation, it is also full of promises of restoration and reminders of God's faithfulness. "The Lord will wash the filth from beautiful Zion and cleanse Jerusalem of its bloodstains with the hot breath of fiery judgment" (Isaiah 4:4 NLT). God is good. He is faithful. He has a plan for preserving His people and protecting His name. He will restore. He will redeem.

Father, never let us lose hope. In the midst of all the difficulties of life, never let us lose sight of the fact that You have a plan that You are working and it is perfect. While we may abandon You, You never abandon us. You have not forgotten the people of Israel or their land. You will someday send Your Son to bring order and righteousness back to the earth. You will restore this world to the way You had intended it when You created it. You are far from done yet.  Amen

Enough Is Enough.

Isaiah 1-2

Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways. ­– Isaiah 1:16 NLT

God is loving, patient, and kind. He is long-suffering. He extends mercy and grace. He is faithful and keeps His promises. But God is not a doormat to be walked on, taken for granted, and treated with disrespect. He is the God of the universe, the creator of all things. His patience has its limits. And Isaiah 1 and 2 give us a somewhat unsettling glimpse of God when He has had His patience tested one time too many. He never stops loving the people of Israel, but He does become fed up with their actions and attitudes, their unfaithfulness and hypocrisy. And He lets them know exactly what is going to happen unless they repent of their sins and turn back to Him. Isaiah has the not-so-fun responsibility of bringing a message of warning and judgment to the people of Judah regarding their rebellion and God's coming response to it.

God has had enough. He is loving, but He is not going to allow the people He has chosen as His own to continue to live in open rebellion and mock His name. He is sick of their religious rituals and observances. It is nothing less than hypocrisy. "What makes you think I want all your sacrifices?" he asks them (Isaiah 1:11 NLT). "I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams" (Isaiah 1:11b NLT). "Stop bringing me your meaningless gifts" (Isaiah 1:12 NLT). Unlike the northern kingdom of Israel, Judah was still worshiping at the Temple and keeping the religious observances God had established for them. They were making their sacrifices, giving their offerings, and observing all the appropriate feasts and festivals. But their hearts weren't in it. In fact, God tells them their hearts are sick. Their faith was worthless, impure and diluted. They were just as idolatrous as their northern neighbors. They were just as unfaithful. And so God sends Isaiah with a message that is partly a warning of judgment and a call to repentance. "Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool. If you will only obey me…" (Isaiah 1:18-19 NLT).

God is calling them to return to Him. He warns them that if they don't, He will be forced to deal with their pride and arrogance. They have wealth, power, pride and idols in abundance. But God tells them, "Human pride will be brought down, and human arrogance will be humbled" (Isaiah 2:11 NLT). God will cause them to return to Him. He will not allow them to continue to live in open rebellion to Him. So He warns them of the consequences and pleads with them to repent and return. "Don't put your trust in mere humans. They are as frail as breath. What good are they?" (Isaiah 2:22 NLT). Trust in God. Turn back to God. Put your faith and hope in God. That same call could be issued to many of us today. We are going through the religious motions, serving God outwardly, but refusing to trust in Him inwardly. The message of Isaiah is timeless. May we listen to what the Lord has to say.

Father, help me hear what You are saying through Isaiah. Don't let me read this book just as some historical document, but as the living, breathing Word of God. Show me my own sins through the lives of the people of Judah. Call me to repentance. Reveal Yourself to me through this incredible book.  Amen

A Self-Made Man.

2 Chronicles 26

But when he had become powerful, he also became proud, which led to his downfall. ­– 2 Chronicles 26:16 NLT

King Uzziah was a successful king. Like Solomon before him, he seemed to have it all: power, prestige, possessions, and an ability to succeed at just about anything he put his mind to. He experienced great military victories. He oversaw significant construction projects. He had abundant flocks and herds, vineyards and farms. His standing army consisted of 307,500 elite troops. Civic improvement projects were everywhere in Judah, thanks to Uzziah. We are told that "his fame spread far and wide … and he became very powerful" (2 Chronicles 26:15b NLT). This guy had it all, including a reign that lasted five decades.

But Uzziah had one major problem: Pride. He failed to recognize and realize that his fame, power, and success were the direct result of God's intervention in his life. He took the throne at 16 and was mentored by Zechariah, "who taught him to fear God" (2 Chronicles 26:5 NLT). And it seems that Uzziah did fear and seek God. And as long as he did, God gave him success. We are told that "God helped him in his wars against the Philistines (2 Chronicles 26:7 NLT). His fame and power were from God, "…for the Lord gave him marvelous help" (2 Chronicles 26:15b NLT). He owed all his power, success, fame, and wealth to God. But rather than thank God and acknowledge His hand in his life, Uzziah sinned against Him. He became so convinced of his own significance and self-importance that he thought he was above God's law. He didn't have to live according to God's rules. As a result, he entered the temple of God and attempted to offer sacrifices on his own. This was clearly a violation of God's law and when the priests tried to stop him, he became angry. He threw a temper-tantrum right in the temple. As he held an incense burner in his hand, he raged at the priests for attempting to stop him from doing what HE wanted to do. It's funny that the burning of the incense was supposed to be an act of worship, a pleasing aroma to God, but here was Uzziah, throwing a fit in the temple – an action that was anything but pleasing to God. As a result of his actions, Uzziah is struck with leprosy. He is rushed out of the temple and is quarantined in a separate house for the rest of his life. He is no longer able to enter the temple of God. When he dies he is buried in a separate field, apart from the rest of the kings. His pride led to his destruction (Proverbs 16:18). His failure to show gratitude to God for His providential participation in his life resulted in Uzziah's prideful arrogance and ultimate fall. He bought the lie that he was a self-made man. He ended up worshiping self more than he worshiped God. He respected his own wishes more than he did those of God. His will was more important than God's. What a temptation for each of us. God is active in each of our lives. Any success we have is a direct result of His hand. Any joy we experience is from Him. All that we have comes from Him. Even the next breath we take. And when we fail to recognize His provision, we can begin to think that we are self-made and self-sustaining, leading to a love of self that is ultimately self-destructive. "As long as the king sought guidance from the Lord, God gave him success" (2 Chronicles 26:5b NLT). Keep your eyes focused on God, not self. Seek Him. Serve Him. Obey Him. Thank Him. You are nothing without Him.

Father, how easy it is to believe the lie that I have made myself what I am. I can take credit for my own successes, then blame You for my failures. I want to think that I am something special, when in reality, I am nothing without You. Open my eyes to the reality of Your providential presence in my life each and every day.  Amen

The Unavoidability of Instability.

2 Kings 15

Then Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against Zechariah, assassinated him in public, and became the next king. ­– 2 Kings 15:10 NLT

When the worship of God takes a back seat, either in the life of an individual or a nation, instability becomes the norm. Without God as the firm foundation upon which to build a life or a nation, everything becomes subject to change without notice. Respect for authority, moral absolutes, love of man, and the fear of God become optional and any sense of continuity and cohesiveness vanishes. From the day that Jeroboam led Israel to separate themselves from Judah, the worship of God had taken a backseat. He had erected idols to replace God and places of worship to substitute for the Temple in Jerusalem. And every king after him followed in his footsteps of rebellion and the rejection of God. In this one chapter we see six different kings reign over Israel in a 42 and a half year time period. In comparison, Uzziah reigned 52 years in Judah. Israel was marked by instability and divisiveness. Of the six kings mentioned in this chapter, Zechariah, Shallum, Pekahiah, and Pekah all have their reigns ended by assassination. Each is characterized as having done evil in the Lord's sight, and each is killed by his successor. Their reigns were short and ended sadly, and were characterized by a lack of respect and reverence for God.

Interestingly, in Judah you have two kings who reigned during this same time period. One was Uzziah and the other was his son, Jotham. In contrast to the kings of Israel, both Uzziah and Jotham "did what was pleasing in the Lord's sight" (2 Kings 15:3, 34 NLT). While they were far from perfect or consistent in their faithfulness, they sought to serve God and make Him a high priority in their lives and kingdoms. As a result, their reigns were long and marked by a greater sense of peace and prosperity. Had they both fulfilled God's command to destroy all the shrines and high places dedicated to the worship of other gods, who knows how their reigns might have gone. But in spite of their inconsistency, they did try to lead their people to remain faithful to God, and as a result, their reigns were marked by a sense of stability.

When we refuse to honor God in our lives, instability is inevitable. We lose our sense of purpose and calling. We leave ourselves open to attack and distraction from the temptations of this world. Godlessness can be just as much a reality for the Christian as it is for the non-Christian. We can live our lives like practical atheists, even though we say we are worshipers of God. If we refuse to listen to Him, seek Him, worship Him, or give Him the honor and respect He deserves and demands, our lives will be marked by a sense of instability and fearfulness. Life will lack meaning and a sense of purpose. Our hard work will become fruitless, our best efforts, futile. Without God at the center of our lives, our lives will lack focus and stability.

Father, help me to keep my life focused on You. I want to keep You at the center of my life and at the heart of my worship. Forgive me for all the times I replace You with other things or other people. I long to establish my life on You – the solid rock.  Amen

Unmerited Favor and Undeserved Grace.

Jonah 3-4

This change of plans upset Jonah, and he became very angry. So he complained to the LORD about it: "Didn't I say before I left home that you would do this, LORD? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you were a gracious and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. I knew how easily you could cancel your plans for destroying these people. Just kill me now, LORD! I'd rather be dead than alive because nothing I predicted is going to happen." ­– Jonah 4:1-3 NLT

Jonah had not wanted this assignment from God. In fact, he had attempted to run away when God had told him what he was to do: Go to the people of Nineveh and preach a message of judgment. Now we see why Jonah didn't want to go. It wasn't that he disliked the message of doom and gloom he was to share. It was that he feared the people would repent and God would spare them. Jonah hated the people of Nineveh. In his mind, they were idolatrous pagans who deserved to die at the hand of God. He didn't want to call them to repentance, because they just might do it, and then God might extend mercy to them. That is what drove Jonah to run from God. Pretty revealing, isn't it? Jonah's will was that Nineveh be destroyed. And his greatest fear was that God might show mercy and allow them to live. He knew that a message of judgment was a possible precursor to repentance.

And that is exactly what happened. Once Jonah got to the city, his only message was: "Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!" And we're told "the people of Nineveh believed God's message" and repented. They were so serious, they even made their animals wear garments of mourning. They prayed, fasted, and waited to see what God would do. And what He did was relent from His plans to destroy them. He extended mercy. He was, as Jonah knew, "eager to turn back from destroying people" (Jonah 4:2b NLT). But God's unfailing love and mercy angered Jonah. He wanted destruction and wrath. He hated the people of Nineveh. When Jonah was in the belly of the fish, he prayed to God for mercy. He counted on God's unfailing love. And he received it. But there is a certain degree of spiritual pride and arrogance in Jonah's prayer. He said, "Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God's mercies. But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise, and I will fulfill all my vows" (Jonah 2:8-9 NLT). Jonah seemed to think he was special because he somehow deserved God's mercy and grace. He somehow earned God's gracious favor and deliverance. The people of Nineveh didn't. And he was right. Except that he failed to understand that neither he or the people of Nineveh deserved God's mercy and grace. God says of Himself, "I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy" (Exodus 33:19 NET). No one deserves God's mercy and grace. We can't earn it. God simply extends it. And He chose to extend it toward the people of Nineveh. He also chose to extend it to Jonah, in spite of his rebellion and running away. Yet Jonah was more upset about a plant that died than the 120,000 residents of Nineveh who were destined for destruction. Jonah had been extended mercy and grace, but he was unwilling to extend it to others. What about you and me? Who do we know that we would love to see destroyed because of their sin? Who out there do we wish God would wipe off the face of the earth because of their evil and rejection of God? Do we have the heart that God has? Do we see the world the way He does? Are we merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love? Are we eager to see God turn back from destroying those who probably deserve it? The message of the book of Jonah is one of redemption and forgiveness. It is about the compassionate heart of God. He is righteous and just and must deal with sin, but He also longs to redeem and restore. Which is why He came up with the idea of the cross. He had a plan for restoring mankind that would allow Him to remain just and still extend mercy. Because we could not pay for the penalty our sins deserved, He came up with the only way to satisfy His righteous demands and pay in full the price our sins required. He gave His only Son. He sacrificed Jesus on our behalf. He showed us mercy and grace when we deserved death. We have benefited greatly from the mercy of God. Now we must extend it to others. We should want them to know what we know and to experience what we have experienced. Regardless of who they are and what they have done.

Father, thank You for showing me mercy. Now help me to develop a heart of mercy toward others.  Amen

You Can Run, But You Can't Hide.

Jonah 1-2

But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction in order to get away from the LORD. He went down to the seacoast, to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping that by going away to the west he could escape from the LORD. ­– Jonah 1:3 NLT

Running from God. Sounds idiotic doesn't it? I mean, who in their right mind would ever think they could get away from God? Yet Jonah decides to ignore God's command, catch a ship and head off in the opposite direction, somehow hoping that God would not see him and possibly forget about him. But God warns us, "'Am I a God who is only in one place?' asks the LORD. 'Do they think I cannot see what they are doing? Can anyone hide from me? Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?' asks the LORD" (Jeremiah 23:23-24 NLT). The omnipotent, omniscient God is not some old geezer in the sky that we can somehow pull a fast-one over. We can't run from him. We can't hide from him. And we certainly can't say we worship Him if we refuse to listen to Him. Yet that is exactly what Jonah did. When he caught a ride on the ship and it gets caught in a violent storm, Jonah gets exposed as the cause of all their problems. And when they confront him, he simply says, "'I am a Hebrew, and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.' Then he told them that he was running away from the LORD. The sailors were terrified when they heard this. 'Oh, why did you do it?' they groaned" (Jonah 1:9-10 NLT). Did you catch the irony of Jonah's statement? "I worship the Lord." Really? Do you?

You see, worship is about more than going through the motions. It's about more than words of affirmation and declarations of intent. Jonah could claim to be a God-worshiper, but his actions proved otherwise. He was disobedient and dismissive of the very command of the One he claimed to worship. He talked a good game, but he lacked follow-through. He was going to live life on his terms, not God's. He worshiped his own agenda, his own opinion, his own desires. Yet when Jonah saw what was going on and that the men in the ship were going to perish because of his disobedience, he confessed his sin and instructed them to throw him overboard – which they eventually did. But death wasn't to be Jonah's lot. Deliverance was. But first Jonah was going to have to discover what real worship is all about. He found himself in a lonely and extremely difficult situation – under the water and in the belly of a large fish. That's a bad day anyway you look at it. Jonah was in trouble and at a loss as to how he was going to get himself out of the fix he was in. So what did he do? He worshiped! He turned to the only one who could rescue and restore him. He called out to God, and in doing so he acknowledged the sovereignty and power of God. "Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from inside the fish. He said, 'I cried out to the LORD in my great trouble, and he answered me. I called to you from the world of the dead, and LORD, you heard me!'" (Jonah 2:1-2 NLT). Worship is far more than singing songs and attending a service on Sunday. It is a state of the heart. It is a way of life. It involves submission to the will of God. It includes obedience to the Word of God. It requires an understanding of the worth or value of God. Listen to what Jonah said: "When I had lost all hope, I turned my thoughts once more to the LORD. And my earnest prayer went out to you in your holy Temple" (Jonah 2:7 NLT). Worship is turning our thoughts to the Lord. It is turning our thoughts away from ourselves and all those other things we turn to for hope, help, deliverance, and satisfaction. It is learning to rely, instead of run. It is listening to the Word of God and doing what He tells us to do – regardless of how we feel, what we think, or what others may tell us to do.

Jonah tried to run from God. He thought he could hide from God. But God had a job for him to do. He had a message for him to share. And God has a job for you and me as well. He has a message for us to share, too. Yet just think about how many times we follow Jonah's lead and run from God's will. We ignore God's Word. We reject God's way for our lives and choose our own. But while you may run from God, you won't get far. You can try to hide from God, but He'll always find you. The story of Jonah is really not about him, but it's about the redemptive plan of God for mankind. It's about a sovereign God who chooses to use fallen men to accomplish His divine will. God has determined to use people like you and me to accomplish His will in the world. He doesn't need us. But He chooses to use us. Amazing isn't it? So why in the world would we ever want to ignore His call and command for our lives? Why would we ever choose to run and hide from God when we can be instruments in His redemptive hands?

Father, I run way too much. I try to hide far too often. I ignore Your Words and reject Your will far too frequently. Forgive me. Thank You for using me. Thank You for choosing me. Thank You for showing patience to me. Give me a view of Your redemptive plan for mankind. Then give me the strength to obey – at all costs.  Amen

Is God For You Or Against You?

2 Chronicles 25

God will overthrow you, for he has the power to help you or to trip you up."­– 2 Chronicles 25:8b NLT

Chapter 25 of 2 Chronicles gives us some further insight into the story of King Amaziah of Judah and the events surrounding his defeat at the hands of Israel. It seems that Amaziah started off well. We're told that he "did what was pleasing in the Lord's sight," but then we're given the additional little caveat, "but not wholeheartedly." He was half-hearted in his obedience, devotion, and submission to God. Sometimes he did what he was supposed to do. Other times, he did what he wanted to do. His real god seemed to be military conquest and power. He formed an army comprised of 300,000 trained men, then added to that number 100,000 more paid mercenaries from the northern kingdom of Israel. But a prophet of God warns Amaziah against going into battle with these Israeli soldiers on his payroll. The prophet warns him, "Your majesty, do not hire troops from Israel, for the Lord is not with Israel. He will not help those people of Ephraim!" (2 Chronicles 25:7 NLT). If he chooses to disobey God's warning, he will be defeated, no matter how well armed, trained, and numerous his troops are. If he disobeys God, he will be fighting against God – and that is a no-win situation.

But it is amazing how easy it is to inadvertently do battle with God when we choose to ignore His counsel or refuse to seek His advice. He has given us His written Word, but we too often leave it out of our decision-making processes. And yet, He "has the power to help you or to trip you up." It's interesting that Amaziah's first concern when given the warning by the prophet is about the money he stood to lose if he sent the Israelite troops packing. He said, "But what about all that silver I paid to hire the army of Israel?" (2 Chronicles 25:9a NLT). Wait a minute God! I stand to lose a lot of money if I listen to You! We're talking 7,500 pounds of silver – down the drain, wasted, squandered – if I listen to God. This can't be God's will. It doesn't make good financial sense. It's fiscal suicide! But the prophet simply replies, "The Lord is able to give you much more than this!" (2 Chronicles 25:9b NLT). Just do it! Don't try and rationalize your decision or justify your desire to obey God's clear command. Remember, He has the power to help you or to trip you up. Amaziah could have used a little bit of Micah 6:8 about this time. "He has told you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord really wants from you:He wants you to promote justice, to be faithful,and to live obediently before your God." God wanted Amaziah to do the just thing, not the expedient thing. God wanted Amaziah to put his faith in Him, not an army. God wanted Amaziah to make his faith into practice by obeying instead of justifying his own actions.

And God wants the same things from you and me. It doesn't pay to fight against God. That's a battle you will always win. God's ways don't always make sense. His will is not always palatable or even enjoyable. Obeying is not always easy. But it always pays. It always brings blessing. God has the power to help us or trip us up. His will always wins out. We will never lose if we always obey. Our obedience may cost us, but He will make up any loss we suffer in ways we could never even imagine. Jesus put it this way, "If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life" (Matthew 16:25 NLT). We never lose with God on our side.

Father, why would I ever willfully choose to leave You off my team? It just makes no sense. But I do it every single day in a variety of ways. I rationalize, justify, ignore, and avoid Your divine will in order that I can do my own. I decide that Your way is too costly and then learn the hard way that disobedience carries a much higher price in the long run. Father, You have the power to help me or trip me up. Why would I ever choose the latter over the former? I know. Pride. Continue to deliver me from myself.  Amen

The Self-Destructive Nature of Self-Importance.

2 Kings 14

You have indeed defeated Edom, and you are very proud of it. But be content with your victory and stay at home! Why stir up trouble that will only bring disaster on you and the people of Judah? ­– 2 Kings 14:10 NLT

Pride goes before the fall. Or something like that. We all love paraphrasing this message from the book of Proverbs. It actually says, "Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall" (Proverbs 16:18 NLT). But regardless of exactly what it says, we enjoy sharing the basic gist of it – especially in retrospect – when someone we know, and usually don't like, has experienced a failure of some kind. It's a very biblical way of saying, "I told you so!" Whatever negative circumstances this person has experienced was well-deserved. They got what was coming to them. Now while we probably misapply this verse more than any other, there is some truth to the idea that pride is destructive. And behind all pride is a sense of self-importance that blinds us to the danger we face when we think too highly of ourselves. Paul provided this warning against being overly self-important. "I gave each of you this warning: Don't think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us" (Romans 12:3 NLT).

Self-importance is a dangerous drug that is both addictive and destructive. Little victories and successes, even spiritual ones, can cause us to suffer from inflated self-worth and become overly self-confident. That's what happened to Amaziah. As king of Judah, he experienced some early successes and seemed to have the hand of God on his life. At one point he experienced a decisive victory over Edom, defeating 10,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. He also defeated the stronghold of Sela, located in the city of Petra. Fresh off these convincing victories, Amaziah decides to challenge the king of Israel to a battle. He is confident and tad bit cocky. King Jehoash of Israel warns him to think about what he is doing. He compares Judah to a thistle going up against a mighty cedar tree. Not only that, but the thistle ends up getting stepped on and crushed. before it can even attack the cedar tree! But self-importance can make us self-delusional. We can begin to believe our own press clippings and think we are something really special. Which is exactly what happened to Amaziah. He refused to listen to Jehoash and went ahead with his battle plans. Rather than be content with his victory over Edom, he had to have more. He had to prove himself to himself. His self-confidence would end up being self-destructive. "King Jehoash of Israel captured Judah's king, Amaziah son of Joash and grandson of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh. Then he marched to Jerusalem, where he demolished 600 feet of Jerusalem's wall, from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate. He carried off all the gold and silver and all the articles from the Temple of the Lord. He also seized the treasures from the royal palace, along with hostages, and then returned to Samaria" (2 Kings 14:13-14 NLT).

Amaziah's pride led to his fall and the defeat of Judah. His own self-importance became self-destructive, but also spread to those around him. The effects of self-importance and pride are rarely relegated to self alone. Others are always impacted by our own self-obsession and over-confidence. Nowhere do we read that Amaziah was instructed by God to wage war with Israel. This was his own plan, driven by his own need for self-importance. And the results were disastrous. Jerusalem was left defenseless with broken-down walls. The Temple of God was ransacked and left desecrated. Citizens were turned into slaves. The wealth of Judah became the booty of Israel. All because of one man's self-importance and pride. If Amaziah had only listened to the wisdom of Solomon. "Those who listen to instruction will prosper; those who trust the LORD will be happy" (Proverbs 16:20 NLT). The antidote to self-importance is humility and submission to the will of God. When we begin to think we are something special, we need to remind ourselves of the reality of our own self-worth. Paul gives us sobering words to consider any time we begin to think too highly of ourselves. "Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world's eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and use them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God" (1 Corinthians 1:26-29 NLT).

Father, protect me from self-importance and it's offspring – pride. Help me remember that I am nothing without You. My value is found in Christalone. Self-importance is self-delusional and self-destructive. But learning to find my value and worth in Your Son reminds me that I bring nothing to the table. All my worth comes from Him and what He has done for me.  Amen

A Sign of Things To Come.

2 Chronicles 24

Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness that Jehoiada, Zechariah's father, had shown him, but killed his son. And when he was dying, he said, "May the LORD see and avenge!" ­– 2 Chronicles 24:22 ESV

Christ, the living Word of God, fills the written Word of God from beginning to end. He is revealed in a variety of types and forms throughout the pages of the Old Testament. It is essentially the story of redemption – God delivering His people from their slavery to sin and providing them with salvation. The undeserved grace and mercy of God can be seen everywhere. His repetitive use of a savior to rescue His people is a common theme. And here is the story of King Joash, we see the rejection of the savior. King Joash had been rescued from sure death at the hands of his power-hungry grandmother, Athaliah. She had had all his siblings murdered so that she would have clear access to the thrown after the death of her son, Ahaziah. But Joash had been hidden by Jehoiada the high priest in the temple for seven years. Then at the age of seven, Joash had been crowned king of Israel and Athaliah had been executed for her crimes. And all the years that Jehoiada was alive he provided Joash with counsel and wisdom so that his reign was a righteous one. But when Jehoiada dies, Joash turns away from the wise counsel of Jehoiada and succumbs to the wicked counsel of men. He forgets all that Jehoiada had done for him – the grace and mercy he had shown him all those years ago. He forgets that it was Jehoiada who made it possible for him to live and take the throne of Israel.

So God sends the son of Jehoiada to call him to repentance. Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada, is given a message from God to the people. "Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, 'This is what God says: Why do you disobey the LORD's commands so that you cannot prosper? You have abandoned the LORD, and now he has abandoned you!'" (2 Chronicles 24:20 NLT). But his message was not well-received. Neither the people of Joash like what Zechariah has to say, so Joash commands that he be put to death – stoned in the middle of the courtyard of the temple itself. The messenger of God is killed.

Fast-forward. The people of God have rejected the wisdom and will of God again. Their rebellion has resulted in the occupation of their land by the hated Romans. They are an oppressed, yet proud people. And into their midst, God sends His own Son, Jesus Christ, to bring them a message of repentance. The very one who had rescued them from captivity and given them a land they did not deserve, had been rejected by them. So He sends His Son with a message for them to hear. And their response? They kill Him. Unlike Zechariah, Jesus came with a message of hope and salvation. He brought good news of great joy to all people. He offered a means for them to receive forgiveness of sin and a restored relationship with God – that was not tied to them keeping the Law, but was a free gift based solely on faith. Yet they still killed the messenger. The killed the Messiah. They rejected the very one who brought the answer to their problems and the solution to their sins. And we still reject Him today. Even those of us who have placed our faith in Christ for salvation can end up rejecting Him on a daily basis. We reject His wisdom. He reject His leadership. We reject His call to holiness. We reject His offer of sanctification and heart transformation. Instead, we try to change ourselves and work our way toward righteousness. We demand to do things our own way. We listen to the advice of the world and reject the word and wisdom of God. And we suffer the consequences. But if we listen, we will learn. If we obey, we will be blessed. If we take the words of Jesus seriously, we will continue to be changed – radically. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Father, You sent Your Son to save. You sent Him to provide life more abundantly. But we have to listen. Not just to His offer of salvation, but to His call to sanctification. He wants to transform us into His likeness. He wants to make us increasingly more into His image. We have His Spirit living within us, but we have to listen to the voice of His Spirit speaking to us each and every day. Don't let us be like Joash and reject the message of God given through the messenger of God. Amen

Our Gracious God.

2 Kings 13

But the LORD was gracious to the people of Israel, and they were not totally destroyed. He pitied them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And to this day he still has not completely destroyed them or banished them from his presence. ­– 2 Kings 13:23 NLT

If I were God … I know, that's a dangerous statement to make, let alone finish. But when I read through the history of the kings of Israel and Judah, I can't help but think what I would have done to the people of God if I had been in God's place. Extending grace is NOT one of the things that comes to mind. Even when I was a kid I would read some of these stories and think how ridiculous it was that God didn't wipe these people off the face of the earth for their stupidity and stubbornness. He could have started all over with some other people group. But He didn't. And as I've gotten older, I've realized that these stories are less about the fallibility of men, than the faithfulness of God. These brutally hones portrayals of the lives of the kings and their people allow us to see just the kind of God we worship and follow. Over and over again we see their infidelity. And over and over again we see God's faithfulness – His commitment to keep His promises – in spite of the actions and attitudes of His people. Today's reading is a perfect case in point.

We read that Jehoahaz, the king of Israel, was just as wicked as the kings who came before him. And it resulted in punishment from the hand of God. "So the LORD was very angry with Israel, and he allowed King Hazael of Aram and his son Ben-hadad to defeat them time after time" (2 Kings 13:3 NLT). But Jehoahaz, unlike most of his predecessors, sought God. " Then Jehoahaz prayed for the LORD's help, and the LORD heard his prayer" (2 Kings 13:4 NLT).  God heard and God responded because of His grace and mercy. "The LORD could see how terribly the king of Aram was oppressing Israel. So the LORD raised up a deliverer to rescue the Israelites from the tyranny of the Arameans. Then Israel lived in safety again as they had in former days" (2 Kings 13:4-5 NLT). God sent a deliverer – literally, a savior – to rescue the people. He gave them what they didn't deserve – which is the basic definition of grace. They deserved punishment, but instead God extended mercy and rescued them from their oppressors. And in spite of God's grace and mercy, the people continued to turn against Him. His mercy was met with ingratitude and rebellion.

But even in the days of Jehoahaz, as the people continued to reject God, He continued to fulfill His covenant promise that He had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. "But GOD was gracious and showed mercy to them. He stuck with them out of respect for his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He never gave up on them, never even considered discarding them, even to this day" (2 Kings 13:23 MSG). He never gave up on them. And He never gives up on you and me! God keeps His promises. He remains faithful to His commitments. He shows us mercy and grace, when we deserve nothing less than punishment. He continues to extend grace even in the face of our ingratitude. Because that is who He is. He is faithful. He is merciful. He has made a promise to His people and He has and will keep it. God's faithfulness to His covenant resulted in the arrival of the Messiah. His faithfulness to His promise made possible salvation to all those who would accept it. When Israel and Judah were unfaithful, God was faithful, and we are the beneficiaries of that faithfulness today.

Father, thank You for Your faithfulness. Without it, I would not be here. Without it, I would never have been given eternal life and forgiveness of my sins. You remained faithful so that we might have a chance to experience the faithfulness of Your Son, who died on a cross in our place. Thank You! Amen

Good Start. Bad Ending.

2 Kings 12

All his life Joash did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight because Jehoiada the priest instructed him. ­– 2 Kings 12:2 NLT

Jehoiada the priest had protected Joash for seven years from his scheming grandmother, Athaliah. She had killed all his siblings in order to take over the throne of Judah when her son, King Ahaziah, had died. But Joash had been hidden away in the temple of God until the day he was crowned king by Jehoiada at the age of seven. He would reign for forty years in Judah and as long as his mentor, Jehoiada was live, he accomplished some good things for the kingdom. One of his main projects was the restoration of the temple. It had fallen into disrepair, so he came up with a fund-raising plan to provide the resources to see to its repair and restoration. But somewhere along the way, Jehoiada died. "Jehoiada lived to a very old age, finally dying at 130. He was buried among the kings in the City of David, because he had done so much good in Israel for God and his Temple" (2 Chronicles 24:15-16 NLT). And with his death, things began to change for Joash – and not for the good.

Within no time, Joash's reign took a turn for the worse. According to 2 Chronicles 24, Joash was easily convinced by his officials to abandon the restoration of the temple. "But after Jehoiada's death, the leaders of Judah came and bowed before King Joash and persuaded the king to listen to their advice. They decided to abandon the Temple of the LORD, the God of their ancestors, and they worshiped Asherah poles and idols instead! Then the anger of God burned against Judah and Jerusalem because of their sin" (2 Chronicles 24:17-18 NLT). God sent Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada, to rebuke Joash, and his reaction was to have him killed. He was stoned to death at the command of Joash. Suddenly, Joash found himself in a difficult place. He was under attack from King Hazael of Aram. Hazael had recently defeated the northern kingdom of Israel and was headed south along the Mediterranean coast toward Judah. He had already captured Gath and had sent soldiers against Jerusalem. who killed many of the leaders of Judah. But instead ofturning to Yahweh for deliverance, Joash decided to try and buy off Hazael using gold from the renovated temple. But Hazael would later return to Judah and Jerusalem with a small company of men and destroy all the princes of the people and send their spoil to the king of Damascus (2 Chronicles 24:23).

In the midst of all this, Joash was wounded by the Arameans and left Jerusalem to recuperate in a town named Beth Millo. It was while there that several of his officials came up with a plan to assassinate him, all because he had put the high priest Zechariah to death. Joash was buried in Jerusalem but not in the royal tombs – a sign that the people had lost respect for him as their king.

"Once a promising, God-fearing young ruler, Joash died a disappointment. By bribing Hazael with Temple treasures, he tarnished his one great achievement, the Temple restoration." – R. L. Hubbard Jr., First and Second Kings

Joash started out well, but ended poorly. All because he turned away from following Yahweh. When his godly mentor died, he began to listen to the advice of the ungodly men around him. Instead of listening to the counsel of Zechariah as a word from God, he had him killed. As a result, God would remove His blessing from the life of Joash, causing his reign to end with death and indignity. He failed to finish well. Our goal, as followers of God, is to finish well. The writer of Hebrews put it this way, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us" (Hebrews 12:1 ESV). Let us run with endurance. Finish well.

Father, I want to finish well. Give me the strength to run the race ahead of me so that I can finish with a kick. I want to cross the line with a full head of steam, not staggering and stumbling. May my life bring You joy and pleasure right up to the very end. Amen

A Godly Influence.

2 Kings 11

Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people that they would be the LORD's people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people. ­– 2 Kings 11:17 NLT

Salt and light. That is what we have been called to be – providing an influence and making an impact on the society in which we live. As God's chosen people we exist to influence. We can and should make a difference in our surroundings. We are His ambassadors, His change agents, who are indwelt and empowered by the very Spirit of God. Our presence in this society should be felt. Our lives should be making a difference. Just like Jehoiada did. Jehoiada was the high priest of God living in a time when the worship of God was waning. The people of Judah were worshiping Baal more than they were worshiping God. A line of kings had led them in rebellion against God and caused them to turn their hopes to false gods instead. Even in Jerusalem, home of the temple of God, they had erected a temple to the rival god, Baal. The queen, Athaliah, was a wicked woman who had ascended to the throne when her son Ahaziah had been killed. She did so by killing all the royal offspring – her own grandchildren – so that she would be the only heir left. But little did she know that God had preserved one son, Joash, by having him hidden in the temple, where he was protected for six years by Jehoiada, the high priest.

For six long years, Jehoiada kept the future king of Judah safe, providing him with around-the-clock protection. He knew that if Athaliah ever got wind that Joash was alive, she would have him destroyed. He had to keep him alive long enough so that he could grow old enough to crown him king. So when Joash turned seven,  "Jehoiada brought out Joash, the king's son, and placed the crown on his head. He presented Joash with a copy of God's covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him, and all the people clapped their hands and shouted, 'Long live the king!'" (2 Kings 11:12 NLT). Jehoiada had endured the wicked reign of Athaliah for six long years, but now it was time to make a change. During that time he must have been grooming this young boy, teaching him the law and telling him about Yahweh, the one true God. He must have told him all the stories about David, the one king of Israel who was a man after God's own heart. He probably read him the writings of Solomon, the wisest king who had ever lived. He more than likely told him all the stories of God's deliverance of the people of Israel from captivity, of His miraculous provisions during their wilderness wandering years, and of His provision of the Land of Promise. Behind the scenes, Jehoiada was preparing the next king of Judah to be a king who had a heart for God.

But Jehoiada's influence didn't stop there. He had Athaliah executed for her crimes against God and the royal family. "Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people that they would be the LORD's people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people" (2 Kings 11:17 NLT). He called the people back to God. He encouraged them to restore their commitment to God. And they took that commitment so seriously that they immediately tore down the temple of Baal and killed the high priest of Baal. Jehoiada's godly influence was far-reaching. He made a difference. "So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was peaceful because Athaliah had been killed at the king's palace" (2 Kings 11:20 NLT). The city was peaceful. The people rejoiced. A godly man had made a powerful impact on the society in which he lived. And he had not done so without risk. Everything he did was risky. But he was willing to do it because it was the right thing to do. Godly people living godly lives will have a godly influence. They will make a difference. What is God asking you to do today? What risk are you willing to take to stand up for God and against wickedness? You could be the difference maker.

Father, I want to make a difference. I want my life to make an impact on the world in which I live. Like Jehoiada, I want to be used by You to prepare the next generation to live for You and serve You. But to do that I am going to have to want to protect them from evil. I am going to have to take a stand for You. Don't let me become complacent or content with my life the way it is. You have called me to serve You, not me. Show me what You would have me do to make a difference today. Amen

Good, But Not Good Enough.

2 Kings 9-10

Thus, Jehu destroyed every trace of Baal worship from Israel. He did not, however, destroy the gold calves at Bethel and Dan, the great sin that Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to commit. ­– 2 Kings 10:28-29 NLT

Jehu isn't exactly a household name, but he stands as a semi-bright spot on the landscape of Israel's dark history. He was chosen by God to take the throne of Israel and to punish the descendants of Ahab for his years of wickedness and rebellion against God. Jehu was hand-picked by God and anointed by the prophet of God. And he took his new role as king seriously. In fact, he took it so seriously that Elisha warned the prophet who was being sent to anoint him, "Say to him, 'This is what the Lord says: I anoint you to be king over Israel.' Then open the door and run for your life!" (2 Kings 9:3 NLT). Jehu was going to waste no time getting acclimated to his new role. He immediately kills King Joram, the king of Israel, as well as King Ahaziah of Judah, who had made an alliance with the king of Israel. The Jehu began to methodically wipe out every descendant of Ahab he could find. He also killed every priest of Baal as well as all Baal worshipers he could find, as well as 70 of King Ahab's sons. He cleaned house – Baal's house that is. He tore down the sacred pillar and wrecked the temple, converting it into a public restroom. We're told that Jehu destroyed every trace of Baal worship from Israel.

Sounds great, doesn't it? He was obedient. He did what God had told him to do. HOWEVER! Yes, the story of Jehu's exploits contains that awkward and tension-packed word. He didn't exactly finish what he began. "He did not, however, destroy the gold calves at Bethel and Dan, the great sin that Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to commit" (2 KINGS 9:29 NLT). Why in the world would he be so committed to getting rid of the prophets of Baal, every worshiper of Baal, as well as the temple and idols of Baal, but leave the golden calves in Bethel and Dan that Jeroboam had set up as replacements of Yahweh? It would seem that his decision was based on convenience. Since Baal was tied directly to the reign of Ahab, it made good political sense to disassociate himself from Ahab's gods. But if he got rid of the golden calves, then the people would have no place to worship; leaving them Jerusalem as the only option. This was unacceptable to Jehu as the new king of Israel. He could not afford the risk of any of his people coming back from Jerusalem ready to reconcile with their southern brothers. There was also more than a possibility that Jehu saw the golden calves as not idols, but simply as representations of Yahweh Himself. When Jeroboam came up with the idea of the golden calves in the first place, he had told the people, "It is too much trouble for you to worship in Jerusalem. Look, Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of Egypt! (1 Kings 12:28 NLT).

While Jehu received more than a passing grade for his removal of all descendants of Ahab and is destruction of all remnants of Baal worship, he failed in one fatal respect. "But Jehu did not obey the Law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He refused to turn from the sins that Jeroboam had led Israel to commit" (2 Kings 10:31 NLT). Jehu's reign would last an amazing 28 years – an eternity for a king in those days. But his reign would not be marked by complete obedience. God would never have his whole heart. He was content to give God partial obedience, partial commitment, and partial worship. He would never be a man like David – a man after God's own heart. Jehu is a powerful reminder of partial obedience and incomplete devotion. Jehu knew what God expected. Nothing less than his best. "Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today" (Deuteronomy 6:4-6 NLT).  Wholehearted obedience. Wholehearted commitment. Wholehearted devotion. God wanted all of Jehu, but only got a part of him.

Father, You want my whole heart. But on my own, I am incapable of loving You wholeheartedly. I am incapable of obeying You completely. I am lousy at worshiping You alone. But You have given me a new heart and a new desire, and filled me with Your Spirit, so that I have a new capacity to love You – wholeheartedly. Thank You for making it possible for me to love and follow You wholeheartedly. Amen

Our Behind-the-Scenes God.

2 Kings 8

But the Lord did not want to destroy Judah, for he had made a covenant with David and promised that his descendants would continue to rule, shining like a lamp forever. ­– 2 Kings 8:19 NLT

He is always there, behind the scenes, working in ways that we can't see. It may appear that God has abandoned us or become too busy elsewhere, but He is always there. His timing is perfect. His knowledge of our needs and circumstances is complete. In writing this chronicle of the kings and prophets of Israel and Judah, the author has a Jewish audience in mind. He is not only giving them a history lesson, but a primer on the character of God. Every story is designed to provide the people of God with an intimate understanding of just who it is they worship and serve. These stories reveal His power and patience, His wrath and redemption, His sovereignty and His faithfulness. The kings of Judah and Israel present a sad portrait of the character of man, full of rebellion, selfishness, unfaithfulness, and sin. Each seems to take the practice of evil to a whole new level of depravity. They lead the people of God away from God. They believe they have become the masters of their own fates. But God reveals over and over again that He is in control. This is His story, not theirs. God has a greater plan that will outlast every one of the kings. He has a purpose behind every circumstance that happens. Even their most willful act of rebellion against God will be used by God to accomplish His will.

The story of the woman from Shunem gives us an understanding of just how gracious and good our God is. Here you have this relatively unimportant woman who had been helped by the prophet Elisha earlier in the story. He had miraculously brought her son back to life. Then Elijah had told her to take her family out of the country because a famine was coming to the land of Israel. She listened to the words of the prophet and did as he instructed her. Seven years later she returned. But her concern was that she would be able to get her land back after having been gone so long. Little did she know that the very moment she was making her way to the king's palace to make her request, the servant of Elisha was telling the king about her story. "At that very moment, the mother of the boy walked in to make her appeal to the king about her house and land" (2 Kings 8:5 NLT). Not only did she get her land back, but all the value of the crops that had been harvested while she had been away. God took care of her. Her obedience resulted in blessing. This story is here for a reason. It was a reminder to the people of God to obey Him, even when it seemed to make no sense.

This story stands in contrast to that of Jehoram, king of Judah. As was the case with his predecessors, "Jehoram did what was evil in the Lord's sight" (2 Kings 8:18 NLT). Rather than obey, he rebelled. Rather than trust God, he trusted in himself. He did what was right in his own eyes. He did things his way and eventually lost it all. There would be no blessing from God. But in the midst of his rebellion and rejection of God, we see the faithfulness of God expressed to the people of Israel. While their actions were punishable by God, He remained faithful to the covenant He had made to David. He had made a promise and He was going to keep it. Why? Because His promise came with a provision and a plan. A descendant of David would someday rule who would save His people once and for all. God had a reason for preserving the tribe of Judah, because out of the tribe of Judah would come the Lion of Judah, Jesus Christ. He would become the ultimate King of kings and Lord of lords. He would rule justly and righteously. He would be the faithful King. God would preserve Judah so that He could redeem mankind. Every king and every story in these two books show us that our God is faithful and in full control of history because it is ultimately His story. This is all about Him. He started it and He will finish it. He is working behind the scenes in ways we can't see, but He is there. We can trust Him. And while we may not like our circumstances, we can rest in the fact that "God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28 NASB).

Father, this is Your story. Help me to keep the greater context in mind as I look at the text of my life and of the time in which I live. You are working a far greater plan than the one that I can see. But at the same time, in the midst of all that is going on, You care for me. Like the woman of Shumem, You care for and provide for me in ways that are beyond belief. All I have to do is trust You. Amen

The Blindness of Doubt.

2 Kings 5-7

O Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see. ­– 2 Kings 7:17 NASB

When we doubt God, it prevents us from seeing what He is doing or getting ready to do. Doubt distorts our vision of reality. It blurs our perspective and causes us to view life with less-than-perfect vision. We become far-sighted and can only see things that are close-up or nearby. But faith is the like corrective lenses for our lack of vision. The writer of Hebrews tells us, "What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see" (Hebrews 11:1 NLT). Faith has a way of correcting our perspective and improving our sight. We begin to see things from God's point of view. Rather than our myopic, limited perspective, we begin to see what God see and realize that He is working in ways that have been unseen to us before. Paul told the Corinthians believers,"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV).

In these chapters of 2 Kings, we have two different stories of spiritual blindness brought on by doubt and a lack of faith. In the first, Elisha's servant is suffering from spiritual nearsightedness. He can't see beyond the immediate problem surrounding him. The king of Aram has sent troops to capture Elisha for having exposed his plot to attack Israel. When Elisha's servant wakes up one morning he sees them surrounded by enemy troops and cries out, "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?!" All he can see is trouble. His vision of reality is distorted. He is unable to see what is really going on. So Elisha tells him to calm down, to relax. "Don't be afraid, Those who are with us are more than those who are with them" (2 Kings 6:16 NLT). Really? But that's not the way this servant saw things. Elisha's statement couldn't have seemed more ill-informed or unrealistic. So Elisha prays for him. "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see" (2 Kings 6:17 NLT) and immediately the servant's eyes are opened and suddenly he can see what he couldn't see before. The hills around them are filled with horses and chariots of fire – the army of God. His lack of faith had limited his perspective. But Elisha had seen it all along. He had learned to look at life through the lense of faith. He had learned that what was seen was not necessarily an indication of reality. Elisha had learned to fix his eyes on what is unseen. He had learned to look at life through God's eyes, not his own.

It's interesting that in the story, while the servant of Elisha had his eyes opened, God blinded the eyes of the enemy. They lost their ability to see and were easily led by Elisha right into the capital of Israel where they were captured by the king. Their inability to see made them vulnerable. They were easily mislead and confused. That is what a lack of faith can do to us. It blinds us to the work of God. It causes us to lose our way. But when our eyes are opened by faith, we are able to see God at work where we didn't see Him before. We learn to see what is unseen, not just what is right in front of our face. God is always at work. He never rests. He never sleeps. He never runs out of ideas or answers to our problems. Faith allows us to see that God is at work despite our circumstances.

Open my eyes, that I may see

glimpses of truth thou hast for me;

place in my hands the wonderful key

that shall unclasp and set me free.

Silently now I wait for thee,

ready, my God, thy will to see.

Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine!

Father, open my eyes. Help me to see what You can see. Give me an eternal perspective. Increase my vision, my ability to see more than what seems to be apparent at first glance. Replace the blindness of doubt with the vision of faith. Amen

A Perfectly Practical Prophet.

2 Kings 3-4

And sure enough, there was plenty for all and some left over, just as the LORD had promised. ­– 2 Kings 4:44 NLT

The prophets of the Bible get a bad rap. They're typically seen as socially awkward, hyper-spiritualists who never have anything good to say, but were always spouting doom and gloom and warning about the coming wrath of God. They weren't exactly the kind of guys you would invite to a dinner party. They were loners who had the unenviable job of acting as God's spokesmen to a generation of people who were refusing to live for God. We usually know little about them other than the few times they appear on the scene to dispense bad news. But in the story of Elisha we're given a different perspective. Sure, we get to see Elisha prophesying the will of God to three powerful kings concerning a pending battle. They found themselves on the verge of battle without water for their men or horses and Elisha predicts that God will provide water for them – without rain. Not only that, God will provide them with victory over their enemies. And it all takes place just as Elisha says.

But then in chapter four we see a different side of Elisha. We see his humanity expressed in simple, practical, everyday ways. Elisha encounters a recently widowed woman who is faced with the loss of all that she has, including her two sons, because of debts she can't pay. Her sons are about to be sold into slavery and she has no resources to keep it from happening. So she calls out to the prophet of God. And he responds by providing her with a miraculous answer to her problem. From one small vial of oil, she fills every container she can find in the house with oil – enough to sell and pay off all her debts. God used His prophet to minister to one of His own. He met a very real need in a very practical way. The prophet represented the word of the Lord. He spoke for God. As the woman faithfully obeyed the word of the Lord, spoken by the prophet, her needs were met. She was provided for.

The next story is about a prominent woman and her husband who show Elisha hospitality, providing him with a room in which to rest from his travels. As a way of repaying this couple for their kindness, Elisha asks her what he can do for her. She responds that she has all that she needs. But Elisha sees that there is one thing missing. She and her husband have no heir. There is no son to carry on his father's name. So Elisha tells her that in one year she will bear a son – which she does. But not long after that, the son becomes ill and dies. In faith, she sends for the prophet. When she tells her husband she is going to seek the prophet and he asks her why (not knowing his son is dead), she simply replies, "It's all right." She had faith to believe that the prophet of God, as the representative of God, would know what to do and would have a solution to her problem. And he did. Elisha raises the son from the dead. He miraculously brings him back to life and gives him back to his mother. God worked through His prophet to restore life and return joy to this woman and her husband during their greatest time of need.

The next story involves a simple meal eaten during a time of famine. Elisha instructs his servant to prepare a stew for a group of his fellow prophets. Inadvertently, one of the men adds an ingredient to the stew that happens to be poisonous. As the men eat, they realize what has happened and become concerned that they are all going to die because they have eaten the poisonous stew. But Elisha calmly instructs them to throw some meal into the pot and informs them that it is now safe to eat. The word of God through the prophet of God averted a disaster and provided a solution to their problem.

Finally, we read of Elisha miraculously feeding 100 men with nothing more than 20 loaves of bread and some grain. In a scene reminiscent of the feeding of the 5,000 the men eat to their fill and there are leftovers when they are done. The story concludes with the words, "and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the Lord" (2 Kings 4:44 NASB). According to the word of the Lord. That is a theme throughout these two chapters. This is not really about Elisha, but it is about God. He was merely God's mouthpiece. He represented the word of God. He spoke for God. Today, you and I have the written Word of God. We no longer have prophets revealing new words from God. We have the completed Word of God readily available at all times. It is the revelation of God providing us with instruction, insight, wisdom, direction, and a glimpse into the character of God Himself. When we read it and obey it, God provides through it. God meets our needs through His Word. He does all things "according to" His Word. God still meets us at our point of need. He provides solutions to our problems. He feeds us, clothes us, protects us, provides for us, and goes into battle on behalf of us. His Word is practical for everyday life. It is NOT just doom and gloom, rules and regulations. It is the living, breathing, Word of God that can speak into our lives and circumstances. But like the widow in need who called out to the prophet of God, we must turn to the Word of God in our times of need. Like the woman who lost her son, we must seek the Word for a solution to our problems, AND expect God to answer. Like the men who thought they were poisoned, we must turn to God's Word for healing from our infirmities – both physical and spiritual.

Father, Your Word is a powerful resource that we tend to overlook and sometimes ignore. Too often we treat it like the prophets were treated. We see it as negative, hard to understand, full of bad news, and not exactly fun to have around. But like Elisha, Your Word is highly practical, useful, and powerful. It is a resource with having and using. Keep me in it. Help me listen to it and live out what it says – every day of my life. Amen