Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you. (Hosea 10:8) Have you ever wondered what you get when you plant apple seeds? Apple trees. Do you know what you get when you plant pumpkin seeds? Pumpkins. Here's a more serious ... [Continue Reading]
Hindsight (2 Kings 18:1-8; 2 Chronicles 29-31)
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]
Tired of the Game (Isaiah 1-4)
Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations— I cannot bear your worthless assemblies. (Isaiah 1:13) Solomon's wasn't kidding when he said, "there's nothing new under the sun." He was especially right as it comes to the whole game of religion. In fact, the temptation to make religion a game is just as ... [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]
The “I” Will (2 Kings 5-8)
After Naaman had traveled some distance, Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, “My master was too easy on Naaman, this Aramean, by not accepting from him what he brought. As surely as the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him.” (2 Kings 5:19b-20) The "I" will says, this is about me. Regardless of what's good and right, the ... [Continue Reading]
Making Room for People of God (2 Kings 1-4)
[The Shunammite] said to her husband, “I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God. Let’s make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay there whenever he comes to us.” (2 Kings 4:9-10) If a person of God were to come your way, would you make room for him or her? Would you welcome that ... [Continue Reading]
The Only Direction (Obadiah)
“The day of the Lord is near for all nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head.” (Obadiah 15) Have you ever wondered what the purpose of life is? Where did this world come from? Where is this world going? What does the future hold, and why are we even here in the first place? The Prophet Obadiah reminds us that ... [Continue Reading]
Setting the Direction (1 Kings 15:25-16:34; 2 Chronicles 17)
[Nadab] did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the ways of his father and committing the same sin his father had caused Israel to commit. (1 Kings 15:26) If you have children, then you, as a parent, have the responsibility of setting the direction for your family. Your kids take their cues from you, and the future and legacy of your family depends on the direction ... [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]
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]
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