Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. (2 Kings 18:5) The quality of a person and his or her leadership isn't always known until years after the person's life is over. It's only in hindsight that we can truly see the motives behind a person's actions and the quality of a ... [Continue Reading]
Becoming Popular (Amos 7-9)
Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Get out, you seer! Go back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there and do your prophesying there.” There's a sense in which we all want to be popular. We all want to be liked, included, and appreciated. Some people even go to great lengths to make sure that people like them, but becoming popular can be costly - particularly when it's at ... [Continue Reading]
Not Me! (Isaiah 5-6)
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8) Life with a one-year-old certainly presents some interesting learning situations. Right now we're working on teaching Madelyn to eat whatever is given to her. She has a special gift of evading a spoon full of food that she doesn't want ... [Continue Reading]
Swept Away in the Moment (2 Kings 14; 2 Chronicles 25)
The anger of the Lord burned against Amaziah, and he sent a prophet to him, who said, “Why do you consult this people’s gods, which could not save their own people from your hand?” (2 Chronicles 25:10) There are times when the emotion of the moment gets us, and we find ourselves doing things that we wouldn't otherwise do. If we were to stop and think rationally, then ... [Continue Reading]
Listen Up (2 Kings 12-13; 2 Chronicles 24)
Although the Lord sent prophets to the people to bring them back to him, and though they testified against them, they would not listen. (2 Chronicles 24:19) When I was in elementary school my brothers and I loved playing in the creek near our house. I remember one snow day when we adventured out, and I really wanted to walk on the ice. My older and wiser brothers ... [Continue Reading]
Managing Your Lion (2 Kings 9-11)
So Jehu destroyed Baal worship in Israel. However, he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit—the worship of the golden calves at Bethel and Dan. (2 Kings 10:28-29) Have you ever seen a lion on a leash? A couple of years ago I had the privilege of visiting the Greenville Zoo in Greenville, South Carolina, and one of ... [Continue Reading]
The Danger of Perception (1 Kings 20-21)
Ahab said to Elijah, “So you have found me, my enemy!” (1 Kings 21:20) The problem with our perceptions is that they aren't always right. In fact, I can think of many occasions when I perceived something quite wrongly. In my mind, the intentions of the person were even opposite of a true picture of reality. The problem is that perceptions are jaded by emotion, and ... [Continue Reading]
Not By Accident (2 Chronicles 10-12)
He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord. (2 Chronicles 12:14) Accidents are what happen when the plans don't go the way we expect. By definition, they are not deliberate - in fact, they go against our intentions. Accidents don't happen very often, and we do our best to prevent them from happening at all. Having said all of that, no one ... [Continue Reading]
Black Friday Countdown (Ecclesiastes 5-6)
Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless. (Ecclesiastes 5:10) Black Friday is on the way, and we've been inundated with ads galore of all of the things we don't have and probably don't need. Marketers got very creative when they pitched the idea to Americans of perceived obsolescence. In ... [Continue Reading]
The Nature of Your Closet (Proverbs 8-10)
Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out. (Proverbs 10:9) "Everyone has a skeleton in his closet." You've heard that phrase before, haven't you? The implication is that we all have things that we either like to hide or want to hide from others. Due to the reality of our propensity to sin, it's not surprising that most ... [Continue Reading]
Connect with Me