A True Knowledge of God.

Jeremiah 8-9

But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the Lord, have spoken! ­– Jeremiah 9:24 NLT

"'They do not know me,' says the Lord." (Jeremiah 9:3b NLT). Among all the accusations God levels against His people, this is probably the most telling one. It explains their actions and attitudes. It begins to make some sense of the way they had been living their lives and treating their God. They just didn't know Him. They didn't know His heart or understand His character. And because they didn't know Him, they didn't understand His Law and the reason He had given it in the first place. It just became a list of rules and regulations to keep. It because burdensome and not beneficial. They had somehow mistakenly assumed that because they had the Law, the Temple, and were designated as God's chosen people, they were safe. Yet God accused them of not even knowing His Law, of desecrating the Temple and of not living lives that reflected their position as His chosen people. Their lifestyles did not reflect a knowledge or understanding of God.

They were more apt to boast in their own wisdom, power and wealth, than in God. They put more confidence in those things than they did in God. But God said that what was really worth boasting about was having a knowledge of Him. They didn't understand the love of God. The Hebrew word for this kind of love is hesed and it refers to loyalty, loving kindness, steadfast love, unfailing devotion, merciful love. If they truly understood that their God loved in that way, they would have turned back to Him. But instead, they refused to return. They also didn't understand that their God was a God of justice and righteousness. He had to do what was right. He had to punish sin, but He also had to provide salvation. He had to keep His promises. Because He is righteous. The Hebrew word for righteousness is sedaqa and it carries with it not only the idea of rightness and integrity, but salvation and deliverance. God was going to do what was right on the earth. He would not and could not tolerate sin, injustice, and indifference to His will. But the people of Judah did not understand any of this, because they didn't really know Him.

They also didn't know that God expected His people to delight in and live according to these same qualities of love, justice, righteousness, integrity and truth. To truly know God is to put a high value on what He values, and to make them a part of our lives. This is not about what you want or what the world agrees upon as the standard for living, but what the living God of the universe deems of value and worth. It is about knowing and understanding the character and will of God, and making His priorities our own. When we truly know God, we will want to see the character and qualities of God displayed in our own life – unfailing love, justice, mercy, righteousness, and fairness. Our lives will reflect that we know God and love what He loves. One of my favorites prayers in the Bible is a prayer that Paul prayed on behalf of the Christians living in Colossae. He said, "Be assured that from the first day we heard of you, we haven't stopped praying for you, asking God to give you wise minds and spirits attuned to his will, and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need" (Colossians 1:9-11 NLT).

Father, You have chosen to have a relationship with mankind. You have chosen to make Yourself known to us through Your Word and Your Son, Jesus Christ. You have displayed Your character through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. You have given us a glimpse into your character through the revelation of Your Word. We have no excuse for not knowing who You are and what You are all about. But give us an increasing desire to know You. To learn to know You better and better. Amen

Don't Follow Your Heart.

Jeremiah 7

But my people would not listen to me. They kept doing whatever they wanted, following the stubborn desires of their evil hearts. They went backward instead of forward. ­– Jeremiah 7:24 NLT

Following your heart's desires can be a dangerous activity – unless your heart happens to be devoted to God. But for many of us, just like the Israelites, our hearts are driven by something other than obedience and devotion to God. We are heavily influenced by the world and motivated by passions that are less-than-godly. James said, "Temptation comes from our own desires which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death" (James 1:14-15 NLT). Our hearts are the center of our will and emotions, our thinking and decision-making. In Hebrews we read, "let us draw near [to God] with a sincere heart in the assurance that faith brings, because we have had our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water" (Hebrews 10:22 NET). We have had our hearts purified by the work of Christ on the cross. But even as believers we can allow our hearts to turn from God. The writer of Hebrews warns us, "Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. You must warn each other every day, while it is still 'today,' so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ" (Hebrews 3:12-14 NLT).

God is all about heart transformation. He wants to change the very center of our being, where decisions are made, from where our emotions flow, the very source of our thinking, actions, and attitudes. Jesus said, "A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart" (Luke 6:45 NLT). What flows from our heart is an indicator of the condition of our hearts. Lust, greed, worry, anxiety, fear, anger – all these things reveal the condition of our hearts. They also reveal the allegiance of our hearts. We are loving something other than God – either ourselves, the world, or both. God wants our hearts. He wants our devotion. He wants our wills to be dedicate to Him. He isn't interested in our all our "spiritual" sacrifices, activities, and religious busyness. In fact, God told the people of Judah, "When I led your ancestors out of Egypt, it was not burnt offerings and sacrifices I wanted from them. This is what I told them: ‘Obey me, and I will be your God, and you will be my people. Do everything as I say, and all will be well!’" (Jeremiah 7:22-23 NLT). God wanted their obedience – obedience that came from the heart, out of love and a sense of devotion. But instead, "they kept doing whatever they wanted, following the stubborn desires of their evil hearts" (Jeremiah 7:24b NLT). When our hearts are in tune with and in touch with God, they can lead us effectively and safely. When we allow our hearts to drift away from Him and become influenced by the world and our sinful nature, we run the risk of making unwise and potentially harmful decisions. Following the desires of a heart that is not devoted to God can be a dangerous habit. But a heart that is devoted to God, influenced by the Word of God, and empowered by the Spirit of God will lead us to faithfully obey God.

Father, it's all about the heart. Continue to change mine. Keep me in Your Word so Your Spirit can speak to my heart, cleansing me from self-worship and pride. Make my heart increasingly more tender towards You. Amen

No Heart For God.

Jeremiah 5-6

They do not say from the heart, "Let us live in awe of the Lord our God, for he gives us rain each spring and fall, assuring us of a harvest when the time is right.’" ­– Jeremiah 5:24 NLT

This is all about the heart. Yesterday we talked about stubbornness of heart. The people of Israel had grown callous and cold, their hearts were no longer sensitive toward God. They were stubborn and hard-headed, determined to live their lives their own way, rejecting God and His ways. These were the people of God. He had chosen them. He had rescued them out of bondage in Egypt. He had led them across the wilderness; feeding, leading, clothing, guiding, instructing, and providing for them all along the way. He had given them the land He had promised them. He had given them His Law. He had provided them with His tabernacle and the assurance of His presence. He had displayed His power over and over again. He had given them victory in battle, cities they had not built, homes they had not constructed, vineyards they had not planted, and a life they did not deserve. And in return, they had rejected Him. But what would cause someone to react that way to the One who had done so much for them? They didn't really know Him. To them, God was nothing more than a disembodied force, a power they could tap into when it was convenient. He was a resource that could prove handy at certain times, but a little restricting at others. They had no real respect for God. No awe. No regard for His power, majesty, might, holiness, justice, and righteous standards. Which is why God asked, "Have you no respect for me? Why don't you tremble in my presence?" (Jeremiah 5:22 NLT). They had no understanding or knowledge of God. They did not connect the dots. "They do not say from the heart, 'Let us live in awe of the Lord our God, for he gives us rain each spring and fall, assuring us of a harvest when the time is right'" (Jeremiah 5:24 NLT). Even the simplistic realization that their very existence was tied to God did not help them develop a healthy respect for Him. They couldn't see that their ability to eat, live, and survive were directly linked to God. Because they were foolish and senseless, unable to see and hear (Jeremiah 5:21).

They had lost the ability to recognize God in their midst. They could no longer see His power, hear His voice, or comprehend what He was doing in their midst. They even denied that He was doing anything at all (Jeremiah 5:12-13). They viewed God as distant, disembodied and disinterested in what they were doing. So they no longer listened to what He was saying. They had developed stubborn and rebellious hearts (Jeremiah 5:23). The Hebrew word for "heart" is leb and it does not refer to the organ that pumps blood. It is talking about the mind, the seat of the emotions, our capacity for understanding. It is what drives our actions and behaviors. Their hearts were no longer sensitive to God. They had no sense of God. They did not thing about God. He was not a part of their decision-making process. They rejected His Word, refusing to listen to what He had to say. They didn't really know Him. They didn't understand Him. So they rejected Him. They replaced Him. And in doing so, they offended Him. But God continued to offer them a chance to return. He said, "Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls" (Jeremiah 6:16 NLT). Stop, open your eyes, see what God has been doing and is doing all around you. Live your life according to His terms – the godly way. Develop an understanding of and appreciation for God. He desires for us to know Him, not just know about Him. He wants to reveal Himself to us. He wants to display His power around us. But like the Israelites, we say, "No, that's not the road we want!" (Jeremiah 6:16b NLT). And we miss out on knowing God.

Father, we live lives blinded by the things of this world. We can't see You for who You really are. We can't hear You because we are so busy listening to the noise of this world. We don't know You. We just know about You. Our knowledge of You is limited and incomplete. Open our eyes and ears, help us to see You in our midst. Help us to understand who You really are. Take the blinders off so that our understanding of You can expand and our respect for You can increase. Amen

A Change of Heart.

Jeremiah 4

Plow up the hard ground of your hearts! Do not waste your good seed among thorns. O people of Judah and Jerusalem, surrender your pride and power. Change your hearts before the Lord. ­– Jeremiah 4:3-4 NLT

The people of Judah needed a change of heart. They needed to return to the Lord in submission and obedience, but their hearts were preventing them from doing so. They stubbornly clung to their own will and did thing their own way. God told them, "if you wanted to return to me, you could. You could throw away your detestable idols and stray away no more" (Jeremiah 4:1 NLT). They could return – if they wanted to. But their return to God would be predicated on their hearts having changed, because that was the source of their problems. Their hearts were hard – like hard-packed, sun-baked soil where only thorns could survive. They were characterized by pride and obsessed with their own power. Self-centeredness and self-sufficiency were destroying them. But until they admitted it and humbled their hearts before God, nothing was going to change – including God's determination to bring destruction onthem.

The only thing preventing them from enjoying the blessings of God again was the stubbornness of their own hearts. In the Hebrew, God somewhat graphically tells them to "circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and take away the foreskin of your heart" (Vs 4). He uses a reference to the rite of circumcision, giving by God to the people of Israel as a sign of their distinctive relationship to Him. It was a physical reminder of their everlasting covenant with God as His chosen people (Genesis 17:9-14). Every Jewish male was to have been circumcised on the eighth day after his birth. But now God was telling them to circumcise their hearts. Removing the foreskins of the heart meant they were to remove the lusts and longings of the heart that were driving them to turn from God and seek after idols. God was looking for heart change and still is. Over in his letter to the Romans, Paul says, "For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by God’s Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people" (Romans 2:28-29 NLT).

True circumcision is a change of heart produced by God's Spirit. The Jews did not have the benefit of God's indwelling Spirit. Their heart change was complicated by a lack of ability. Their efforts at attempting to keep the Law and love God were hampered by their own flesh. They were sinful human beings trying to live sinless lives. And they were failing. But we have the Holy Spirit. As believers we are filled with the very presence and power of God. We have the capacity to change our hearts and therefore, completely alter our behavior. And God is going to do the same thing for the Jews one day. He has promised it over in the book of Ezekiel. He will one day make it possible for the Jews to do what was once impossible – love and serve Him faithfully. "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart" (Ezekiel 36:25-26 NLT). God is one day going to do for the Jews what He has done for every one of us as believers. He is going to replace their hearts of stone with hearts that are tender and responsive toward Him. Because He knows that our hearts, left unchanged, are incapable of loving Him. Only God can change the human heart. Only He can give us the capacity to love and be loved, to serve faithfully, to sacrifice our wills willingly, to obey Him completely, to love others selflessly. God is about permanent heart transformation, not temporary behavior modification. And only He can make it happen.

Father, You have given me a new heart. You have given me a new capacity to love You faithfully and obediently. But because of my sin nature, I still struggle. I still find it easy to give in to my old self and turn away from You. May Your Holy Spirit find my life like well-plowed soil, receptive to His efforts at cultivating holiness in my life. Amen

Just Admit It.

Jeremiah 2-3

For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me — the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all! ­– Jeremiah 2:13 NLT

Stubbornness is a terrible thing to behold. Whether it is in a child with a will that refuses to yield, a dog with a rag that it won't let go of, or a believer who refuses to admit their own guilt. To sin is one thing. To sin and then refuse to acknowledge it, own up to it, and repent of it is another thing altogether. It compounds our sin and makes forgiveness impossible. When we read Jeremiah's message to the people of Judah, it repeatedly addresses their incredible stubbornness. Their sins were obvious – they were all around them for everyone to see – including God. But instead of admit them, they denied them. And instead of acknowledge that their false gods had never done anything for them, they kept going back to them. God describes their gods as cracked cisterns. These were man-made receptacles designed to catch and contain rain water in a land that was prone to drought. Instead of turning to God, the fountain of living water, who could quench all their spiritual thirsts, they came up with their own way of meeting their needs. But it didn't work. Their cisterns couldn't hold water. Their gods couldn't deliver or protect. Their alliances with other nations couldn't prevent destruction. Yet they kept doing the same thing over and over again – stubbornly and persistently.

And they stubbornly denied their guilt. They tenaciously refused to admit that they had done anything wrong."And yet you say, ‘I have done nothing wrong. Surely God isn’t angry with me!’ But now I will punish you severely because you claim you have not sinned" (Jeremiah 2:35 NLT). Instead, they blamed God for their predicament. In place of confession, they complained. They blamed. They passed the buck. Yet, when things went bad, God was the one they would turn to demanding that He do something. "They turn their backs on me, but in times of trouble they cry out to me, ‘Come and save us!’" (Jeremiah 2:27b NLT). But God kept pleading for them to return. He called for them come back to Him because He was merciful and forgiving. He only asked that they do one thing: Acknowledge their guilt. Admit that they had rebelled against Him. Confess that they had refused to listen to Him. RETURN to Him in humility, brokenness and genuine sorrow over their sin. God makes the same offer to you and me today. He reminds us in His Word, "…if we admit our sins – make a clean breast of them – he won't let us down; he'll be true to himself. He'll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing" (1 John 1:9 MSG). But how often do we stubbornly cling to our sins, refusing to admit them? Forgiveness is as close as the tip of our tongues, but we stubbornly refuse to speak the words that could bring release and restoration – "I have sinned."

It reminds me of the story Jesus told of the prodigal or wayward son, who decided to return home, after having blown his inheritance pursuing a sinful lifestyle. He came to his father and said, "Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son" (Luke 15:21 NLT). But he didn't get the reaction he was expecting. Instead of anger and rejection, he encountered something different altogether. "But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began" (Luke 15:22-24 NLT). Let the party begin!

Father, Your patience with me is incredible. In spite of all my stubbornness and pride, You keep calling me to come back to You. You keep pleading with me to simply confess my sins, admit that I have built my own cracked cisterns – poor, faulty replacements for You. I have worshiped gods of my own making – from power and prestige to popularity and possessions. And all You ask is that I admit it. Come to You in repentance and humility and own up to my sin. And You will restore me. You will clothe me in righteousness once again. You will restore me to favor and throw a party on my behalf. What an amazing God You are! Amen

Strength For The Task.

Jeremiah 1

For see, today I have made you strong like a fortified city that cannot be captured, like an iron pillar or a bronze wall. You will stand against the whole land — the kings, officials, priests, and people of Judah. ­– Jeremiah 1:18 NLT

Jeremiah was 20 years old. He was an unknown young man from the little town of Anathoth, just three miles northeast of Jerusalem. He was the son of a priest, but did not seem to have received any priestly training himself. One minute he was just another young Jewish man planning out his future, then everything changed. He received a call from God informing him that he was being appointed God's prophet to the nations. Jeremiah knew what this meant. He had lived long enough to see and hear the words of Zephaniah, God's current spokesperson. He knew being a prophet was not an easy task. It was not for the weak or timid. So Jeremiah responded, "O Sovereign Lord, I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!” (Jeremiah 1:6 NLT). He gave God an excuse. He used his youth and inexperience as a reason to reject God's calling. But God had set him apart for this job before he was even born. He knew what Jeremiah would be doing before he was even conceived in his mother's womb. God had plans for Jeremiah and told him so. "Don’t say, 'I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!” (Jeremiah 1:7-8 NLT). God's call was non-negotiable. This was not a request, but a command. He was going to do what God was calling him to do, and God wold equip him to do so.

The message Jeremiah was going to have to deliver to the people of Judah was not an easy one. He would not be popular. He was not going to be invited to a lot of parties or find himself with a lot of friends. His was going to be a message of judgment and coming destruction. He was to call the people to repentance and warn them of God's coming wrath if they didn't. Jeremiah was going to be a social pariah, an outcast. He would be hated. He would be ostracized. He would be threatened with death. But God assured him, "I have made you strong. You will stand against the whole land. They will fight you, but they will fail." (Jeremiah 1:18-19 NLT). God was going to be with Jeremiah and take care of Him all along the way. His message was God's message. He was going to be God's spokesperson delivering His words to His people. God never promised Jeremiah that this would be an easy job. He told him that he would face opposition. He warned him that he would have to stand against the whole land – from the kings and officials to the priests and people. Speaking truth is never easy. Being a prophet was not a popularity contest. It was about obedience and faithfulness to God's word. For the next four decades Jeremiah was going to have a full-time job speaking on behalf of God, delivering a less-than-pleasant message to a more-than-stubborn people. But God was with Him. He would protect and use Him. He would provide strength for the task. And He'll do the same thing for you today.

Father, the life You have called us to is not an easy one. In many ways, we are prophets speaking Your truth in the midst of a people who don't want to hear it. We are called to live lives that are set apart, distinctive and different from the world around us. We are to called to love those around us by telling them the truth about sin and the hope for salvation through Jesus Christ. Give us the strength we need for the task. Help us learn what it means to obey from the life of Jeremiah. Amen

Now, And Not Yet.

Zephaniah 2-3

For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful song. ­– Zephaniah 3:17 NLT

There is a sense in which most, if not all, of biblical prophesy has a now, and not yet, aspect to it. Much of what the prophets were predicting was to take place in the immediate context of their hearers. Destruction was to come soon. But then, there is another aspect of prophesy that was usually delayed for a future date. It is still yet to be fulfilled. Zephaniah 2-3 contains both of these elements of prophesy. God was going to bring destruction on Jerusalem, as well as Philistia, Assyria, Moab, Ammon, and Ethiopia – and He did. Those prophecies have been fulfilled. But Zephaniah also talks of a future restoration and redemption of Judah that has not yet taken place. In spite of Jerusalem's open and ongoing rebellion against God, He will one day restore them to favor. He will return the Jews to the land of promise and re-establish the throne of David in Jerusalem. This has all yet to take place and will not be fulfilled until the Millennial Kingdom of Christ is established at the end of the Great Tribulation. It will be a marvelous day in which God promises to "purity the speech of all people, so that everyone can worship the Lord together (Zephaniah 3:9 NLT). God also promises that He will live among His people again. He will bless them with His presence. Their troubles will all be over and they will never have to fear disaster again. He will take great delight in them and rejoice over them. But that day has not yet happened.

Or has it? This promise was to the people of Judah and the Jewish nation. It has yet to be fulfilled. But God will keep His promise to them because He is a promise keeping God. He will do what He said He would do. But there is a sense in which we, as Gentiles and followers of Jesus Christ, have seen this prophesy fulfilled – in part. Because when God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, He came as Emmanual, which means "God with us." God came and dwelt among men. He lived among us. And then He died among us and for us. But when Christ was resurrected and returned to the Father's side in heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit to live within us. The very Spirit of God not only dwells among men, but in them – in those who have placed their faith and hope in the saving work of Jesus Christ. For us, in a real sense, the words of Zephaniah have already been fulfilled: "For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a might savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs" (Zephaniah 3:17 NLT). God is with us and in us. The Holy Spirit comforts us, directs us, convicts us, and teaches us. The Lord Himself, the King of Israel, not only lives among us, He lives in us! We no longer need to fear disaster. We no longer have to worry about death, because He has conquered it. We no longer have to fear condemnation, because He has removed it. We no longer have to sin, because He has given us new hearts. God is with us. He lives among us. He has filled us with His Spirit and empowered us to live lives that are set apart, distinctive, joyful, powerful, and a glimpse of what is yet to come.

Father, You are among us and in us. You have given us Your Spirit and transplanted new hearts within us. We have access to Your power and the promise of Your indwelling presence – at all times. We have much to be grateful for and so much more to be hopeful for. May we live as if You live within us. May our lives reflect Your presence and power every day of our lives. Amen

Comfortably Complacent.

Zephaniah 1

I will search with lanterns in Jerusalem’s darkest corners to punish those who sit complacent in their sins. They think the Lord will do nothing to them, either good or bad. ­– Zephaniah 1:12 NLT

Josiah, the great reformer king sits on the throne. Zephaniah, the great, great, grandson of Hezekiah, was God's prophet delivering His words of coming judgment on the people of Judah. The northern kingdom of Israel had fallen in 722 B.C. to the Assyrians. But the southern nation of Judah is enjoying relative peace. Because King Josiah was moved to repentance upon hearing the words of the book of the Law, rediscovered while making renovations to the Temple, God had spared the nation from defeat at the hands of the Assyrians. They were enjoying a time of relative peace and prosperity. And while Josiah had instituted significant reforms in the nation by removing all physical displays of idol worship and re-establishing the annual celebration of Passover, much of it proved to be external in nature. The peoples' hearts had failed to change. They were going through the motions, displaying a form of commitment to God, but their hearts were not in it. And God knew it. They had become complacent in their sin, still seeking after other gods and forsaking the one true God. They were just as guilty of spiritual adultery as they had ever been. They had grown comfortable with their sin and no longer feared God. So God sent Zephaniah with a message of coming judgment. He was no longer going to tolerate their willful disobedience and arrogant displays of contempt for His Law.

While the people of Judah were content to follow Josiah's demands for reform, and go through the motions of sacrifice and adherence to the Law, they were still hedging their bets and worshiping other gods at the same time. Religion had become their god, not Yahweh. If Josiah's reforms could bring them prosperity and peace, then they were all for it. As long as it did not require them to change their lifestyles, they were perfectly find with it all. If worshiping Yahweh would stave off destruction and allow them to live their lives the way they wanted to live them, then they were more than willing to add Him to their list of gods.

"Wherever excitement in religion becomes an end in itself and wherever the cult of 'what helps' replaces joy in 'what's true,' Baal is worshiped." – J. Alec Motyer, "Zephaniah," in The Minor Prophets, p. 899

But God was not after religion, He wanted a relationship based on love, obedience, reverential fear, and faithfulness. He knew that these people "no longer ask for the Lord's guidance or seek my blessings" (Zephaniah 1:6b NLT). They put more trust in their prosperity and financial stability than they did in the God who provided it. Religion for them had become a means to an end. They worshiped to get. They sought after any and every god because they wanted to make sure they had all their bases covered. They believed the gods existed for their benefit, not the other way around. Religion had become nothing more than a tool to get what they wanted or protect what they already had. The more gods, the merrier, seemed to be their life philosophy. But God had other ideas. He had something else in mind. He had different expectations of His people. And He was about to make those expectations and the penalty for ignoring them painfully clear.

Father, how guilty we are of making religion some kind of a game we play. We make it a means to an end where we get to determine the outcome. We worship based on what we think we will get out of it. We tend to give to get. But You are looking for those who will worship You out of love, respect and faithfulness. You are looking for those who seek You because You first sought them. Like the people of Judah, we can end up going through the motions, giving the appearance of religious reform, but lacking the heart change that must accompany it. Forgive us for our complacency with the sin in our lives and our comfortableness with the world and its ways. Amen

Some Intense Reading.

2 Chronicles 34-35

This is what the Lord says: I am going to bring disaster on this city and its people. All the curses written in the scroll that was read to the king of Judah will come true. ­– 2 Chronicles 34:24 NLT

When Josiah heard the words of God found in the scroll containing the book of the Law, he was blown away. He was so shaken by what he heard, he tore his clothes in despair. He immediately called on his trusted officials to go to the Temple and make an appeal to God. "For the Lord’s great anger has been poured out on us because our ancestors have not obeyed the word of the Lord. We have not been doing everything this scroll says we must do” (2 Chronicles 34:21b NLT). But what could Josiah have heard that upset him so much? How bad could it have been? Well, a cursory look at the book of the Law will shed some sobering light on the subject. The book of the Law that Josiah heard was either the book of Deuteronomy of the entire Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible penned by Moses himself. Either way, part of what Josiah would have heard were the curses that God had promised to bring on the people of Israel should they disobey Him.

God's covenant with Moses had been conditional. It required obedience. And if they did obey, it came with blessings.

"You will experience all these blessings if you obey the Lord your God: Your towns and your fields will be blessed. Your children and your crops will be blessed. The offspring of your herds and flocks will be blessed. Your fruit baskets and breadboards will be blessed. Wherever you go and whatever you do, you will be blessed." – Deuteronomy 28:2-6 NLT

But God's covenant also came with curses.

"But if you refuse to listen to the Lord your God and do not obey all the commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come and overwhelm you: Your towns and your fields will be cursed. Your fruit baskets and breadboards will be cursed. Your children and your crops will be cursed. The offspring of your herds and flocks will be cursed. Wherever you go and whatever you do, you will be cursed." – Deuteronomy 28:15-19 NLT

God went on to assure them that He would be the one sending the curses on them. He would confuse and frustrate them in all that they did. He would send devastating diseases on them. He would afflict them with scorching heat and drought. He would cause them to suffer defeat at the hands of their enemies. He would curse them with boils, madness, blindness, and panic. They would suffer domestic difficulties. They would build houses and never live in, plant vineyards and never enjoy a drop of the wine produced, get engaged to be married to a woman and watch someone else marry her. The list goes on and on. And just to make sure they understand why these things are going to happen, God makes it painfully clear. "If you refuse to listen to the Lord your God and to obey the commands and decrees he has given you, all these curses will pursue and overtake you until you are destroyed. These horrors will serve as a sign and warning among you and your descendants forever. If you do not serve the Lord your God with joy and enthusiasm for the abundant benefits you have received, you will serve your enemies whom the Lord will send against you. You will be left hungry, thirsty, naked, and lacking in everything. The Lord will put an iron yoke on your neck, oppressing you harshly until he has destroyed you" (Deuteronomy 28:45-48 NLT).

This was serious stuff and somehow the people of God had forgotten all about the curses of God. They had conveniently let the negative consequences of their sinful choices disappear from the memories. And as a result, they had lived in willful disobedience to God for generations. They had turned their backs on God and, because they were the "chosen" people of God, they believed they were invincible. God would not allow anything to happen to them because they were the apple of His eye. He had set them apart from all the other nations of the world. But that set-apartness required distinctiveness. It demanded that they live differently from the nations around them. They were to follow God's commands and live according to His Law. And if they did, they would be blessed beyond measure. But if they didn't, they would be curses beyond belief. And when Josiah heard the words of God, he was devastated and rightfully concerned. He knew the track record of his people. He knew what his ancestors had done. He knew what his grandfather Manasseh and his father Amon had done. The evidence of their sin was all around him, in the form of idols and shrines to all the other gods they worshiped. So Josiah was shaken. He knew they were guilty and deserved every one of the curses outlined in the book of the Law. So he did the only thing he knew to do. He repented and turned to God. He began to make changes. He sought to shift the tide back toward obedience. And God took notice. He would delay the inevitable. He would not send the deserved curses during Josiah's reign, but would hold off until he was gone.

But what about us? Do we need to fear the curses of God? Do we need to go back and read the words of Moses and begin to live obediently or else face the consequences? No, as believers in Christ, we no longer live under the curse of the Law. Paul makes it clear in his letter to the Christians in Rome. "But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are" (Romans 3:21-22 NLT). Paul goes on to assure us that we no longer have to live our lives attempting to keep the Law. "So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God. When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death. But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit" (Romans 7:4-7 NLT).

We have been released from having to keep the Law. We have been freed from the curses associated with disobedience to the Law. But this does not mean we are free to disobey the Law. It simply means we now keep the Law willingly and joyfully, not out of some sense of duty or out of fear of condemnation. Paul said he loved God's law, and so should we. We should love His law because we love the one who gave us the Law. Can we keep the Law perfectly? No. And we do not need to. We are not judged by the Law, because Christ has fulfilled the requirements of the Law once and for all. We now obey out of love, not obligation. But the curses associated with the Law should be a sobering reminder of just what we have been rescued from. We were just as deserving of those curses as Josiah and the people of Judah were. But God provided us with a payment for our sins. He provided a sacrifice to cover our debt. And because of what Jesus did on the cross, we stand as blessed and not cursed. "So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1 NLT). Now those are words we should never get tired of reading.

Father, the curses associated with disobedience to Your Law were real. They revealed just how serious sin was and is to You. And I was deserving of every one of those curses. But because of what Jesus did on the cross, I have been freed from the curse of the Law. Never let me forget just how much I have been delivered from. Amen

Reform Is Costly.

2 Kings 22-23

Never before had there been a king like Josiah, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and soul and strength, obeying all the laws of Moses. And there has never been a king like him since. ­– 2 Kings 23:25 NLT

Josiah was considered the greatest king. Those are pretty high words of praise, considering the reigns of David and Solomon. But the author of the book of 2 Kings believed Josiah set the standard for kings. He inherited a situation that was less than perfect. He became king at a time when the nation was in disarray spiritually, morally, and politically. He stepped into a very toxic environment and was expected to rule – at the tender age of eight! And by the time he was 18 years old, Josiah began to make a difference. He began by trying to repair the Temple, which had suffered from years of neglect, abuse, and plunder in order to pay tributes owed to enemies of Judah. Josiah instituted a major restoration project on the Temple. While this was going on, they discovered a scroll containing the book of the Law. This may have been the entire Pentateuch or possibly just the book of Deuteronomy, but irregardless, it contained the Law and the covenant that God had made with the people of Israel years earlier when they had left Egypt.

When Josiah heard the words contained in this scroll, he was blown away. He tore his clothes in despair, and knowing that God had to be angry with them for their neglect of and disobedience to the Law, he appealed to God. The covenant that God had made with Moses back at Mount Sinai had been conditional. God had said, "Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me. And you will be my kingdom of priests, my holy nation" (Exodus 19:5-6 NLT). Years later, Moses would reaffirm this covenant with the people, as they stood on the edge of the Promised Land. "You must be careful to obey all the commands of the Lord your God, following his instructions in every detail. Stay on the path the Lord your God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives in the land you are about to enter and occupy" (Deuteronomy 5:32 NLT). But Josiah knew that the people had failed to keep the commands of God. They had lived in open rebellion to God. And Josiah had not missed the words written in the book of the Law that said, "If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods, worshiping and bowing down to them, you will certainly be destroyed. Just as the Lord has destroyed other nations in your path, you also will be destroyed if you refuse to obey the Lord your God" (Deuteronomy 8:19-20 NLT).

So Josiah humbled himself before God. He repented. And because he did, God promised not to bring destruction on Judah during his lifetime. And as a result, Josiah began a massive reform effort to stem the tide of wickedness and rebellion in Judah. He could have easily just waited out his reign, knowing that he was safe. But he wanted to make a difference. He wanted to leave Judah in a better state than when he inherited it. He took the words of Deuteronomy 6 seriously. "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. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates" (Deuteronomy 6:4-9 NLT). Josiah had all the people assembled and then personally read the book of the Law to them. He reminded them of their covenant with God. Then he began to do what he could do to make a difference. And he had his work cut out for him. This was not going to be easy. It was going to cost him. He would not be popular. But he didn't care. Just look at some of the things he did:

• He removed from the Temple all the articles used for worshiping Baal, Asherah, and all the powers of heaven.
• He did away with all the idolatrous priests.
• He removed the Asherah pole from the Lord's Temple.
• He destroyed the living quarters of the male and female shrine prostitutes that were inside the Temple.
• He defiled the pagan shrines.
• He defiled the altar of Topheth, where the people offered child sacrifices.
• He removed the horse statues dedicated to sun worship from the entrance to the Temple.
• He burned the chariots dedicated to the sun.
• He tore down pagan altars on the palace roof erected by his predecessors.
• He destroyed altars Manasseh had built in the Temple courtyard.
• He desecrated pagan shrines east of Jerusalem that Solomon had built.
• He had the sacred pillars smashed.
• He tore down the pagan altars at Bethel.
• He even destroyed that pagan shrines and buildings in Samaria, in the northern kingdom.
• He had the pagan priests executed on their own altars.
• Then he re-instituted the celebration of Passover.

Just take a look at that list. What a picture of the wickedness of the people of God. They were so far from being a holy nation. They were infested with idolatry. It was everywhere. They had taken unfaithfulness to a whole new level. Everywhere Josiah turned, he found altars, shrines, temples and symbols of their rebellion to God. He was inundated, but not incapacitated. He was willing to do something about it and he did. To took steps to toward positive change. And he probably made some enemies along the way. Not everyone was on board with his reforms. Not everybody agreed with what he was doing. But Josiah was going to do what God wanted. He was going to follow God's will, not anybody else's. Reform is costly. Obedience has a price attached to it. But for Josiah, it was worth it.

Father, too often I am unwilling to pay the price that true reform requires. I want to make petty changes that require little of me, when what I need is costly change. Give me the strength to examine my own life and see where true change needs to be made. Open my eyes to the idols in my own life so that I might remove them. Don't let me be satisfied with surface reform. Help me to make sweeping changes that result in a life of holiness. Amen

Restorer and Destroyer.

Nahum 2-3

Even though the destroyer has destroyed Judah, the Lord will restore its honor. Israel’s vine has been stripped of branches, but he will restore its splendor. ­– Nahum 3:2 NLT

This short, prophetic book was written to encourage the people of Judah who were facing possible annihilation at the hands of the Assyrians. They had watched their neighbor to the north, Israel, fall to the Assyrians, and now the enemy was coming against them. Assyria was more powerful and had a track record of success when it came to conquering nations. Judah was a small country with a relatively small army and few allies. They were no match for the Assyrians. Even the Assyrians knew that. Listen to the words of the Assyrian emissary as he taunted King Hezekiah. "I'll tell you what! Strike a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria. I will give you 2,000 horses if you can find that many men to ride on them! With your tiny army, how can you think of challenging even the weakest contingent of my master's troops, even with the help of Egypt's charioteers?" (Isaiah 36:8-9 NLT). This was a classic mismatch with a certain outcome. But there was one thing the Assyrians had not considered. In fact, they had underestimated its importance. They had miscalculated the presence and power of God. They mocked God and downplayed His ability to do anything to stop them. The Assyrian emissary warned the people, "Don't let Hezekiah mislead you by saying, 'The Lord will rescue us!' Have the gods of any other nations ever saved their people from the king of Assyria?" (Isaiah 36:18 NLT).

But Nahum assures the people that God is not one to be overlooked, mocked or made light of. God was going to destroy the destroyer. He was going to bring complete destruction on the nation of Assyria. Why? "…because Nineveh, the beautiful and faithless city, mistress of deadly charms, enticed the nations with her beauty. She taught them all her magic, enchanting people everywhere" (Nahum 3:4 NLT). This was not just about Nineveh's treatment of Israel and Judah. As the most powerful nation of that day, the Assyrians had had a tremendous influence on all the nations. Their military successes had spread their culture all over the known world. With it came their pagan practices and idol worship. They had spread their unrighteousness and moral corruption around the world. Now they were spreading it among the people of God. And God had had enough. The destroyer was about to meet the Destroyer. The Assyrians had become the enemies of God – not a good place to be. And God was going to bring His own brand of destruction and devastation on the people of Assyria. God is righteous and just. He is fully aware of all the injustice going on in the world. He is not blind, asleep or impotent. He is waiting to mete out judgment in His own time. He will one day deal with injustice and humble all those who lust for conquest, practice violence and brutality to dominate others, abuse their power, oppress the weak, worship anything but Him, or seek help from the demonic world.

But at the same time, the Destroyer is also the Restorer. He will restore what Assyria and nations like it have tried to destroy. He is in the restoration business. Jesus Himself said, "The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life" (John 10:10 NLT). The enemy is always out to destroy. He wants to steal our joy, kill our hope, and destroy our future. But God restores. He gives back what the enemy tries to take away. He brings life where the enemy attempts to bring death. Assyria was a great power. But it was no match for a great God. Nineveh no longer exists. It had its fifteen minutes of fame. It's day of glory ended in destruction at the hands of the Medes and the Babylonians. And those nations would meet their own destruction. Because ultimately, God is the one who is in control. He is the Destroyer and the Restorer. He rules over nations, kings, presidents, armies, dictators, juntas, terrorists, and even democracies. He alone is God. He alone is in charge. And while the enemy may be busy destroying, God will always be about restoring.

Father, thank You for the reminder. You are in charge. There is no enemy too big for You to handle. Nothing is ever out of your control, no matter how badly it may appear to us. Never let us forget that even when the enemy does destroy our joy, our hope, our health, our homes – You can restore. You can rebuild. You can make new. You can bring life. Amen

A Comforting Contrast.

Nahum 1

The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him. But he will sweep away his enemies in an overwhelming flood. He will pursue his foes into the darkness of night. ­– Nahum 1:7-8 NLT

Nahum was a prophet to the southern nation of Judah. He prophesied during a time when Assyria was throwing their weight around, conquering nations and taking their people captive. They were the neighborhood bully, imposing their will on any and all, including the northern kingdom of Israel, who they had conquered and taken into captivity. So Nahum was ministering to the people of God living in Judah. His message had two parts. He was warning the Assyrians of the judgment of God to come and encouraging the Jews in Judah to trust in God. His was a message of stark contrasts. Anger and love. Wrath and mercy. Justice and judgment. Destruction and deliverance. It's interesting that we, as modern-day Christians, find his descriptions of God's anger, wrath and judgment distasteful at times. We prefer a much more loving and compassionate God. We want a sanitized version of God minus the vengeful, angry side. But for the people of Judah, the words of Nahum regarding God's warrior-like attributes were comforting. When they were faced with the threat of a powerful foe who could wipe them out and take them captive at any moment, the picture of a powerful God who was willing to stand up and face that enemy on their behalf was encouraging. He wasn't complacent or uncaring. He was completely engaged and even angry over what He saw, and He was strong enough to do something about it.

We love hearing that God is good and a strong refuge when trouble comes. But God is not only defensive. He's offensive. He fights on our behalf. He hates evil, injustice, sin, and any who stand opposed to His righteous rule. Over and over again in this chapter Nahum uses words like vengeance, rage, revenge, anger, fury, and destroy. The repetition of these words creates a strong impression of an angry God. The word "rage" (Hebrew hemah) means "to be hot" and describes burning anger and intense fury. Why was God so angry? The rest of the book of Nahum will explain why. But His anger over the actions of the Assyrians was to be a comfort to the people of Judah. But God's anger, while intense, is not impulsive. Nahum says, "The Lord is slow to anger, but his power is great, and he never lets the guilty go unpunished" (Nahum 1:3 NLT). The word "slow" here means patient or long-suffering. He doesn't just explode in uncontrolled rage. He patiently endures, but then He acts, and He has the power to back up His anger.

We do not serve a powerless, impotent, uncaring God who is incapable of doing anything about the injustice in the world. It may appear that He has taken a holiday or forgotten all about us. It may seem as if He is unable to do anything about all the evil that is taking place in the world. But Nahum assures us that our God is anything but impotent or unresponsive. He will act. And when He does, He will do so with a balance of judgment and grace, justice and mercy, destruction and deliverance, revenge and restoration, wrath and reward. He will judgment on His enemies and a message of peace to all those who trust in Him. He is a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is good. He is great. He is in control.

Father, what good would it be to have a loving God who had no power? What benefit would it be to worship a merciful God who didn't have what it takes to make that mercy available? What would anyone want with a God who lovingly smiled on us all the while we suffered, but was unable to do anything about our suffering? But that is not the God we serve. You are a powerful, righteous ruler who loves us, but hates injustice and unrighteousness. And You can and will do something about it. You're not impotent. You're omnipotent – all-powerful and ready, willing and able to deal with the things going on in the world around us. May we find comfort in the words of Nahum. You are a refuge when trouble comes, but You are also a righteous warrior, fighting on our behalf. Amen

When Brokenness Brings Forgiveness.

2 Chronicles 33

Now that he was in trouble, he went to his knees in prayer asking for help – total repentance before the God of his ancestors. ­– 2 Chronicles 33:12 MSG

Manasseh took the throne of Judah at the age of 12, and he would prove to be one of the worst kings that nation had ever had. It didn't take him long to rebuild the pagan shrine his father Hezekiah had worked so hard to tear down. He reinstituted the worship of Baal and Asherah, reversing the religious reforms his father had set in place. He even erected pagan altars in the Temple and practiced human sacrifice, offering up his own sons on the fire. He practiced sorcery, witchcraft, divination, and consulted with mediums and psychics. This guy was bad to the core. He was a spiritual chameleon, changing his religious stripes to fit whatever circumstance he found himself in. He had no allegiance to God. In fact, he ignored God. God had given him warnings about what would happen if he continued to live in open rebellion to His Word, but Manasseh would not listen. So God sent the Assyrians against Judah and they captured Manasseh, taking him prisoner – with a ring through his nose and bronze chains on his hands and feet. The mighty Manasseh was now a prisoner in the pagan city of Babylon. He had rebelled against God and God had given him what he deserved.

But the story doesn't end there. Manasseh's pride had led to his downfall. His spiritual adultery had ended up with him divorced from God's presence. But in the midst of his distress, he called out to God. It doesn't say he called out to Baal, Asherah, or any of the other pagan gods Manasseh had worshiped in his glory days. No, he "sought the Lord his God and sincerely humbled himself before the God of his ancestors" (2 Chronicles 33:12b NLT).  In his darkest moment, Manasseh prayed to God. The word used to describe Manasseh's condition is "distress." It can mean "to be bound or tied up." It is a condition that leads to distress or pain. It is a circumstance that causes discomfort. With a ring through his nose and chains on his hands and feet, Manasseh was bound up and feeling down. He was broken. So he humbled himself before God. In his humiliating condition, he humbled himself. The Hebrew word for "humbled" is one that carries the idea of "bending the knee." He willingly brought himself under subjection to God. And he did so completely. This was not some half-hearted submission to God. Manasseh's humility is described using a Hebrew adverb meaning "completely, absolutely, or thoroughly." Manasseh's humility was sincere and severe. He was serious. And when he prayed, God listened. And because of his sincerity, God was moved. So moved, that He took Manasseh from Babylon and returned him to Jerusalem. He released him from the chains and bondage of the enemy and restored him to his original place on the throne of Judah. What a turnaround! What a reversal of fortune. We're told "Manasseh finally realized that the Lord alone is God!" (2 Chronicles 33:13b NLT). His brokenness lead to an awareness of God's power and supremacy. None of his other gods came to his aid in Babylon. No other gods were able to break the chains of bondage and humiliation. Only God.

Manasseh was a changed man. He made reforms in his life and his kingdom. He made changes to the way he lived and ruled. He removed the pagan altars and encouraged the people to worship God alone. His sinfulness had resulted in brokenness. His brokenness had resulted in humbleness. His humbleness had ultimately restored him to usefulness. Psalm 51:17 is a timeless reminder to each of us. "The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God." Brokenness is a key to humbleness, which leads to holiness. That is the story of Manasseh.

Father, I don't like brokenness. In fact, I avoid it like the plague. I try to run away from it and escape it at all costs. But often times, the decisions I make lead to brokenness. I find myself chained and bound by my choices to disobey or disregard You. I end up bound up and feeling down. But it is at those moments that I tend to turn to You. In my distress I look to You. I am much more willing to humble myself when I have been humiliated by my poor choices and bad decisions. I am more apt to realize how much I really need You. So Father, thank You for brokenness. Never let me forget that it is a key to holiness. Amen

Be Strong and Courageous.

2 Chronicles 32

"Be strong and courageous! Don’t be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria or his mighty army, for there is a power far greater on our side! He may have a great army, but they are merely men. We have the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles for us!' Hezekiah’s words greatly encouraged the people. ­– 2 Chronicles 32:7-8 NLT

They were surrounded by a more powerful enemy who was constantly bombarding them with demoralizing propaganda, attempting to undermine their faith in God and cause them to surrender without a fight. This enemy mocked their God and ridiculed their faith. The people suffered a steady barrage of withering scorn and disheartening news that was weakening their resolve and causing their conviction to crumble. So as their leader, King Hezekiah stepped in and offered them much-needed words of encouragement. He called them to be strong and courageous. But these weren't just empty words or some kind of meaningless pep talk with no basis in reality. They were a reminder of the fact that "there is a power far greater on our side." Hezekiah was trying to get the people to recognize the fact that God was greater than their circumstances. No matter how bad it looked, no matter how dire the circumstances may appear, God was more powerful. The size of Sennacherib's army was a non-factor. The past victories of Assyria were meaningless. The taunts of the enemy were futile. As long as the people of God remembered that Yahweh was in control. Their faith had to remain firm. They had to rest in the fact that their God was big enough to handle any situation. No circumstance was too big for God.

What a timely reminder for us today, when we stand surrounded by the enemy, and bombarded by messages that question our God's very existence. We face circumstances and situations on a daily basis that cause us to doubt and tempt us to turn away from God. The enemy is constantly whispering in our ear that our God is too small. Or He is too busy. Or He doesn't really care. We can begin to think that our situation is too difficult for God to handle. So we either try to solve it ourselves or simply give up. It's interesting to note that the last verse of the preceding chapter states, "In all that he did in the service of the Temple of God and in his efforts to follow God’s laws and commands, Hezekiah sought his God wholeheartedly. As a result, he was very successful" (2 Chronicles 31:21b NLT). And yet, he found himself surrounded by the enemy. He sought God with all his heart and still found himself under siege. He experienced success and the threat of defeat simultaneously. And yet when you and I are seeking the Lord, we seem shocked and surprised if anything unexpected or unwanted comes our way. We question the difficulties of life as if we somehow think we should be immune to them. We wonder why we are under attack when we have been trying so hard to remain faithful to God. But faithfulness to God does not guarantee an absenceof trouble. But it does provide an opportunity for our faith to be tested and God's power to be displayed. Hezekiah was diligently working to fortify the city. He was repairing the broken sections of the walls surrounding Jerusalem. He had increased the production of military weapons. He enlarged his standing army. He took steps to defend himself and his people against the coming enemy. But then he reminded them that their real defense and protection was God Himself. He was their hope. And was their "secret weapon." And God didn't disappoint them. We're told that "the Lord sent an angel who destroyed the Assyrian army with all its commanders and officers. So Sennacherib was forced to return home in disgrace to his own land. And when he entered the temple of his god, some of his own sons killed him there with a sword" (2 Chronicles 32:21 NLT). The walls weren't necessary. The weapons never made it out of their boxes. The defensive fortifications never got tested. God did it all. He provided victory without the Israelites having to lift a finger. They didn't have to do a thing, but watch God work. Their difficulty had become an opportunity to witness the power of God on display. The enemy's presence provided a platform on which God could demonstrate His power. Our difficulties are God's proving ground. He shows up when things are looking down. But we must stand strong and be courageous. We must trust and believe that He is greater than our biggest problem. He is able to save. He is ready, willing and able to deliver. Our problems exist to help us recognize that He exists – to learn that there really is a power far greater on our side.

Father, may I see You in my circumstances today. May I see my problems as Your proving ground and as opportunities to watch You work. Amen

From Good to Worse.

2 Kings 21

King Manasseh of Judah has done many detestable things. He is even more wicked than the Amorites, who lived in this land before Israel. He has caused the people of Judah to sin with his idols. ­– 2 Kings 21:11 NLT

He was only 12 years old when he took the throne. But he reigned for 55 years. And they would prove to be five of the worst decades Judah had ever seen. While Manasseh's father Hezekiah had been one of the few good kings Judah had seen since the kingdom of Israel split in two, Manasseh didn't follow in his footsteps. In fact, he reverse engineered most of the reforms Hezekiah brought about. We're told that Hezekiah "removed the pagan shrines, smashed the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke up the bronze serpent that Moses had made, because the people of Israel had been offering sacrifices to it" (2 Kings 18:4 NLT). Yet Manasseh "rebuilt the pagan shrines hsi father, Hezekiah, had destroyed" (2 Kings 21:3 NLT). Not only that, he constructed altars for Baal, the god of the Canaanites, and worshiped Asherah, the mistress of Baal. He went so far as to make a carved image of Asherah and have it set up right in the Temple. He practiced sorcery and divination. He offered up his own son as a human sacrifice to the false gods he worshiped. While Hezekiah had been faithful and obedient, Manasseh proved to be unfaithful and extremely rebellious. He was the antithesis of his father, leading the people of Judah into a lifestyle of sin that didn't just rival that of the pagan nations, it surpassed them.

And the result of his sin? The judgment of God. God would treat Judah with the same standard He had used on Israel. They had already been taken into captivity by the Assyrians. Now Judah, the slightly more faithful southern nation, would suffer the same consequences for their sinfulness as Israel had. God warned, "I will judge Jerusalem by the same standard I used for Samaria and the same measurec I used for the family of Ahab. I will wipe away the people of Jerusalem as one wipes a dish and turns it upside down" (2 Kings 21:13 NLT). But this was not a knee-jerk reaction on the part of God. He was not responding rashly or impetuously. He had been putting up with this kind of behavior for a long, long time. He makes that point painfully clear. "For they have done great evil in my sight and have angered me ever since their ancestors came out of Egypt" (2 Kings 21:15 NLT). This had been going on since the day He delivered the descendants of Jacob from Egypt. All throughout the wilderness the people had whined, complained, bickered, rebelled, disobeyed, and proven themselves to be highly capable of spiritual adultery. When they arrived at the Promised Land, they refused to go in, failing to trust God and suffering the results of their disobedience: 40 years of wandering in the wilderness until that generation died off. When the second generation finally did enter the land, they proved to be disobedient and unfaithful again. Theirs was a history of disobedience and unfaithfulness. And God had had enough. Manasseh was the final straw. And his son, Amon, would follow in his footsteps. Like father, like son.

Had Hezekiah proven to be a bad father? We don't know. Had he been so busy instituting reforms in the nation that he forgot about reforming his son at home? The Bible doesn't tell us. But it is a reminder that each of us has a responsibility to make sure that our efforts on behalf of God cannot overlook or overshadow the responsibilities He has given us as parents, spouses, employees and citizens. What good does it do if we reform the nation, but lose our kids in the process? What good does it do if we travel thousands of miles across the world to witness to a people group who speak a language we don't know, but we fail to share the gospel with our own children? What's the point in impacting the culture if we have no impact on our own families? You see this pattern over and over again in the Scriptures. Good, godly parents leaving behind less-than-faithful children. The task of reforming the culture begins at home. Our children are the future of this culture. Before we get busy removing the idols from the culture, we have to work at removing the idols from our childrens' hearts. Over in Psalm 78 we read these sobering words, "What we have heard and learned that which our ancestors have told us – we will not hide from their descendants. We will tell the next generation about the Lord’s praiseworthy acts,about his strength and the amazing things he has done" (Psalm 78:3-4 NET). We have a job to do. We have a generation to influence. Let it begin at home.

Father, in my zeal to serve You, never let me forget that You have given me children to raise, nurture, and teach. Sometimes I feel so inadequate for the task. I feel unqualified and overwhelmed. But don't let me get side-tracked and spend all my time making a difference in the world, while I neglect the ones who live in my home. Amen

Speak Up. God Is Listening.

2 Kings 20

I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will heal you. ­– 2 Kings 20:5b NLT

God is listening. But does He hear anything? Not if we don't pray. Even God can't hear what isn't spoken. Yes, He knows our hearts, but He desires to hear our thoughts expressed in words – spoken directly to Him. When Hezekiah suddenly became ill, he was told by the prophet Isaiah to get his affairs in order because this illness was irreversible and he would not recover. Hezekiah's response? "He turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord" (2 Kings 20:2 NLT). Even though Isaiah had told him this news was directly from God, Hezekiah didn't let that stop him from crying out to God. He reminded God he had been faithful and single-minded in his devotion to Him. He didn't specifically ask God to heal him, but he just asked God to remember him. The news he had received was difficult and devastating. So he called out to the only one who could do anything about it. Hezekiah prayed and God heard.

And God gave Hezekiah an answer. He told Hezekiah that He had heard his prayer and seen his tears. He was listening and watching. And as a result, He was going to extend Hezekiah's life by 15 years. Then He added that He would defend Jerusalem from the threats of attack by Assyria. God showed compassion. He heard the prayer and saw the tears of Hezekiah and He answered. Now is this a prayer principle we can apply to our lives and it will always work out just the way it did for Hezekiah? Probably not. God is not obligated to always do what we ask Him to do. In fact, Hezekiah never really asked for healing. He simply pleaded for God to remember him. The real message in this story is that God hears us when we call out to Him. He is always listening. He is always watching. He is looking at our hearts and how we respond to the difficulties of life. Do we despair or do we call out to Him? Do we appeal to the mercy and compassion of God when faced with insurmountable problems? Do we dare ask God to remember us and reflect on our own faithfulness and single-minded devotion to Him? Now, I don't think Hezekiah was nearly as faithful and single-minded as he thought he was, and I don't think that had anything to do with God's healing of him. In fact, God said He was going to heal him and defend Jerusalem "for my own honor and for the sake of my servant David" (2 Kings 20:6 NLT). This had more to do with God keep His promises than acknowledging Hezekiah's righteous life.

But we CAN appeal to God's mercy and compassion. He loves us. He cares deeply for us. He is constantly listening and wants to hear from us. But He can't hear us if we don't pray. He can't answer if we don't ask. He can't respond if we don't request. Ask God to remember you today. Ask Him to call you to mind and reflect on you. To think about you. To concentrate His thoughts on you. He will. Because He cares. And whatever He does in response will be just the right thing for you, because God knows what is best. He will for you is always right. So don't tell Him what to do, just ask Him to remember you. Then leave the rest up to Him.

Father, remember me today. Think about me. Reflect on my situation. Look down from heaven and see what is going on in my life. You know what is best. I don't. You know what I need. I don't. So I am going to try and talk to You more. Because You are listening. You can't hear me if I don't speak. So I am going to speak up – to You. Amen

The Faithfulness of God.

Isaiah 66

"As surely as my new heavens and earth will remain, so will you always be my people, with a name that will never disappear," says the Lord. ­– Isaiah 66:22 NLT

This is a difficult book, filled with messages of doom and images of destruction. It portrays the unfaithfulness of mankind in glaring detail and shows how even those who call themselves God's chosen people can turn that relationship into nothing more than ritual and casual compliance. It is a book filled with warnings about disobedience and spiritual adultery. It gives us a picture of God that is sometimes disturbing, revealing His "dark" side that some of us don't like to see. But God sent Isaiah with his message of coming judgment in order to call the people of God to repentance. It was a warning of what was to come if they refused to repent and return to Him. But woven throughout the book are reminders of what was to come to those who remained faithful. God was going to bless. He was going to keep His promises. He was going to keep His Word. God would remain faithful in spite of man's unfaithfulness. Jerusalem would be restored to its former glory and prominence. A descendant of David would one day sit on his throne, ruling in righteousness. But that day has yet to come. It still lies unfulfilled. Jerusalem has no king. The people of Israel do not occupy the land to its full extent. God is not worshiped there. Where the Temple once stood is a Muslim mosque. The city of Jerusalem is more secular than sacred. The people of Israel put more faith in their military might and political muscle than in Yahweh. But one day, God is going to change all that. Why? Because He is faithful. Not because the people of Israel deserve it. He says, "I will give Jerusalem a river of peace and prosperity. The wealth of the nations will flow to her. Her children will be nursed at her breasts, carried in her arms, and held on her lap. I will comfort you there in Jerusalem as a mother comforts her child" (Isaiah 66:12-13 NLT). That event lies in the future. God is not done yet. He has more to do and we can rest in the fact that He will do it – because He is faithful.

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” – Revelation 21:1-4 NLT

In spite of man's sin, God is faithful. In spite of our rebellion, God is faithful. In spite of our unfaithfulness, God is faithful. He will finish what He began. He will do what He has promised. We can count on Him.

Father, You are faithful and true. You are reliable and trustworthy. Never let me forget that. Never let me doubt it. Don't let me judge Your faithfulness based on my circumstances. I can't see what You can see. I don't know what the future holds. But I do know that You hold the future. You are in control. You are faithful. Amen

The Ignorance of Ignoring God.

Isaiah 64-65

I've made myself available to those who haven't bothered to ask. I'm here, ready to be found by those who haven't bothered to look. I kept saying 'I'm here, I'm right here' to a nation that ignored me. I reached out day after day to a people who turned their backs on me, People who make wrong turns, who insist on doing things their own way. ­– Isaiah 65:1-2 MSG

Ignoring God can be dangerous. And we can do it without even knowing we are. Sometimes we just take Him for granted. We figure He must be there because He's God and God is everywhere. Other times we simply forget all about Him. We get busy with our lives and just don't even make Him part of the equation. He becomes an afterthought, someone we think about only if things go wrong or we need something we can't get on our own. But regardless of how we do it, we all ignore God at times. Which, if you think about it, is a really stupid thing to do. That's like having electricity available in your home, but living by means of kerosene lanterns and cooking on an old coal stove. A source of power and energy is available to us that would make our lives so much better and easier, but instead we determine to do things the hard way. God told the Israelites "when I called, you did not answer. When I spoke, you did not listen. You deliberately sinned – before my very eyes – and chose to do what you know I despise.” (Isaiah 65:12 MSG). These people willfully disobeyed and disregarded God in their lives. But we do the same thing. God calls us through His Word. He speaks to us constantly through the Spirit-inspired pages of Scripture. But even when we read it, we often choose to ignore what it says. Other times, we simply choose to not read it at all. But that doesn't change the fact that God has spoken. It doesn't let us off the hook. We can't plead ignorance. We can only confess that we have ignored what God has said in His Word.

God warned the people of Israel that He was going to destroy them for ignoring Him. He had had enough. He was going to repay them for their sins. But He would not destroy them all. He would preserve a remnant – a small portion of His people who had remained faithful to Him. He would one day restore them to their land and will one day make them residents in His new heaven and new earth.  But what about us? What happens to us when we ignore God? Are we destined for destruction if we fail to remain faithful? The good news is the Good News. Because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross, I no longer have to face condemnation and destruction for my sins – if I have placed my faith in Him as my sin substitute. If I have acknowledged Him as my Savior, I am saved from even the sin of ignoring God. But the real question is why I would ever ignore a God who loved me so much. Why would I not listen to someone who has done so much for me? Why would I ever prove unfaithful to one who has proven Himself nothing but faithful time and time again? Why would I not listen when He speaks? Why would I not obey what He tells me to do? Why would I not answer when He calls? Why would I not eagerly want to seek someone who sought me out when I was still a sinner and sent His Son to die in my place?

Ignoring God can be dangerous. For believers it will not end in destruction, but it can end in disappointment, disillusionment and defeat. It can leave us living lives that are nothing like what God has promised. We end up missing out on the joy, peace, contentment and power that God has promised. All because we choose to ignore Him in our daily lives. But we don't have to ignore God. We can make Him a vital part of our daily lives. We can give Him the prominence and importance He deserves. "For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him! You welcome those who gladly do good, who follow godly ways" (Isaiah 64:4-5 NLT).

Father, forgive me for ignoring You so often. I can so easily leave You out of my day. I can leave You out of my planning and decision-making. I can get so busy living my life that I forget that I would have no life without You. Keep me in Your Word because that is where You speak to me. Help me to listen when You speak and obey what I hear You say. Amen

Pray Like You Mean It.

Isaiah 62-63

O Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen on your walls; they will pray day and night, continually. Take no rest, all you who pray to the Lord. Give the Lord no rest until he completes his work, until he makes Jerusalem the pride of the earth. ­– Isaiah 62:6-7 NLT

What role does prayer really play in our lives? Is it a last-resort measure we take when all else fails? Do our prayer lives improve only when things take a turn for the worse? Do we pray half-heartedly and unexpectantly? Do we pray with power and passion? How much does praise factor into our prayers? This mornings readings in Isaiah 62 and 63 were a well-needed reminder of the multifaceted and non-negotiable nature of prayer. It is NOT an option, but a necessity for living the Christian life. Prayer should be like oxygen to the life of the believer. We can't exist without it. Isaiah seemed to know that. He said, "Because I love Zion, I will not keep still. Because my heart yearns for Jerusalem, I cannot remain silent. I will not stop praying for her until her righteousness shines like the dawn, and her salvation blazes like a burning torch" (Isaiah 62:1 NLT). While Isaiah had the unenviable job of prophesying about Israel's coming judgment, it didn't mean he enjoyed it or relished the idea of Israel having to suffer discipline at the hands of God. He didn't look forward to seeing Jerusalem demolished and the Temple destroyed. So while he was busy prophesying, he also prayed. And his prayers were motivated by love. He loved the city of Jerusalem and the people of Israel. So he prayed. He couldn't help but pray. He couldn't keep his mouth shut. And he wouldn't stop praying until he was able to see Jerusalem restored. His prayers were motivated by love and persistent.

Isaiah reminds us, "Give the Lord no rest until he completes his work" (Isaiah 62:7 NLT). But the truth is, we get tired of praying. We grow impatient waiting for God to do something. When He doesn't answer according to our requirements or based on our timeline, we give up and move on. But Isaiah said that we should remain persistent and patient. Keep praying. Don't give up. Pray for God to do what He has promised to do. Prayer is NOT just about getting God to do something we want done. It is about asking God to do what He has already said He is going to do. It is about desiring to see God reveal His power and salvation in our lives. It is about wanting to see God display His power and presence in our lives. God reminds us, "It is I, the Lord, announcing your salvation! It is I, the Lord, who has the power to save!” (Isaiah 63:1b NLT). God alone has the power to save. God alone has the power to preserve. God alone has the power to bring salvation to His people. How badly do we want to see those things? How desperate are we to see God's power and presence revealed in our lives and in our world?

Another part of prayer that gets overlooked is the praise factor. We tend to relegate prayer to asking God for things. We try to turn Him into a glorified Genie in a Bottle, a cosmic vending machine dispensing what we want and satisfying our every desire. But a big part of prayer is praise. It is acknowledging who God is and what He has already done. "I will tell of the Lord’s unfailing love. I will praise the Lord for all he has done. I will rejoice in his great goodness to Israel, which he has granted according to his mercy and love" (Isaiah 63:7 NLT). Sometimes in our zeal to ask God for more or demands to ask God to do something new, we forget to praise Him for what He has already done.

A big part of prayer is the motivation behind it. What drives us to prayer? What makes us turn to God and seek His help? Sometimes it is the sense of loneliness. We feel like He is nowhere to be found. We feel deserted and alone. In verses 11-13, the people of Israel repeatedly cry out, "Where is the one?" They want to know where God is and why He is not doing something about their situation. He doesn't appear to be acting on their behalf like He did in the past. That sense of isolation drives them to plead for God's presence. They call out to God, "Lord, look down from heaven; look from your holy, glorious home, and see us. Where is the passion and the might you used to show on our behalf? Where are your mercy and compassion now?" (Isaiah 63:15 NLT). They plead for God to see their circumstances and intervene. Sometimes it takes a sense of aloneness and impotence to get us to cry out to God. Our desperation causes us to become more dependent on Him.

How desperate are you to see God work in your life today? How dependent are you on the power and presence of God to make it through this life? Or are you satisfied with your situation and smugly self-sufficient in living your life on this planet? God wants to hear from you today. He wants to reveal His power in your life. He wants to show You just how powerful He is. Do you long to see His power on display? Are you willing to plead and persist until it happens? While you wait, are you willing to praise Him for what He has already done in your life? Pray – persistently, patiently, pleadingly, expectantly, and accompanied with praise.

Father, forgive me for my prayerlessness. I tend to pray when I need something or I have run out of other options. My prayers too often lack praise. I rarely plead and seldom persist. I too quickly run out of steam and patience. I can tend to be self-sufficient, trying to solve my problems in my own strength. I make prayer a lost resort rather than my first response. May I continue to learn that prayer is non-optional, and a vital part of my relationship with You. It needs to become as natural as breathing, as life-sustaining as oxygen or water. May I discover through prayer not just answers, but the God behind the answers. May my prayers make me aware of You and Your power. Amen

Perfect Timing.

Isaiah 59-61

At the right time, I, the Lord, will make it happen. ­– Isaiah 60:22b NLT

Chapter 59 describes the litany of sins committed by the people of God. Murder, lying, corruption, dishonesty, violence, injustice, oppression, to name a few. Isaiah says, "Our sins are piled up before God and testify against us" (Isaiah 59:12 NLT). But the chapter ends with the encouraging words, "The Redeemer will come to Jerusalem to buy back those in Israel who have turned from their sins" (Isaiah 59:20 NLT). Chapter 60 then goes on to describe the future glory of Jerusalem after the Lord does return. The glory of the Lord will shine on Jerusalem again, the Temple will be rebuilt, God will replace His anger with mercy, their days of mourning will come to an end, and the presence of God will shine brighter than the sun and moon combined.

But these events have yet to happen. The people of Isaiah's day didn't get to see them fulfilled. And they have yet to be fulfilled even now. But God says, "At the right time, I, the Lord, will make it happen." That's a promise from God Himself that He will do what He has promised. He always has and He always will. Chapter 61 opens up with the familiar words, "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come" (Isaiah 61:1-2 NLT). These are the words read by Jesus Himself when He stood in the synagogue in Nazareth. After reading them, He handed back the scroll, sat down and said, "The Scripture you've just heard has been fulfilled this very day" (Luke 4:21 NLT). God had made it happen. He had done what He said He would do. Jesus had come, bringing comfort to the brokenhearted, proclaiming release to those captivated by sin, and telling those who mourned that the time of the Lord's favor had come. He had brought it. Galatians 4:4 tells us, "But when the right time came, God sent his Son." His timing was perfect.

But God is going to send His Son again. The disciples were told that Jesus would one day return just the way He left. "Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!" (Acts 1:11 NLT). He would come again in the clouds. "Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with great power and glory" (Mark 13:26 NLT). He is coming again, but we don't know when that day will come. Jesus told the disciples, "However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows" (Mark 13:32 NLT). Jesus didn't even know the day or time. But He went on to warn the disciples, "since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert! (Mark 13:33 NLT). Be ready. Be expectant. It is going to happen. At the right time, God will make it happen. He will finish what He began. He will complete what He started. He will make right every wrong. He will restore righteousness to the world. He will fulfill every promise He has ever made. We can count on it because God has said it. He will make it happen.

Father, Your word is faithful and true. You do what You say You will do. We can count on it. So thank You that one day You are going to make it all happen. You are going to bring an end to sin and sorrow. You are going to right every wrong and extend Your righteousness around the earth. You will redeem and restore Your people. You will establish Your kingdom forever. Your Son will reign and rule from Jerusalem. The enemy will be defeated once and for all. You will make it happen – in Your perfect timing. Give me patience to wait and an attitude of anticipation and alertness to remain ready. Amen