Today's Reading - 1 Kings 18

Choose Your Altar

Elijah is about to humiliate the false prophets of Baal. He has challenged them to a duel to prove that his God (Yahweh) is the one and only true and living God. Just before the contest begins, Elijah shouts out a dare to the people – challenging them to stop “sitting on the fence” and make the choice of which God they will serve. “If Yahweh is the real God, then go after Him; if it’s Baal, then go after him.” But whatever you do, MAKE UP YOUR MINDS!  Don’t just stand there hesitating between two opinions. The people were stuck between two altars. So, Elijah draws a line in the sand and tells them (in no uncertain terms) that they must choose which side of the line they’re going to be on. Choose your altar.

Here we see the problem of indecision that faces so many people in our world today. They say they want to follow Jesus, but they still have attachments to the world. They are sitting on the fence. They can’t decide which altar to worship at – the altar of the one true and living God; or the altar of the culture around them. Sadly, these people have “too much of Jesus to be happy in the world, and too much of the world to be happy in Jesus.” They are hesitating. They are limping between two different opinions. Fear of God or fear of man? Devotion to God or devotion to this world’s ways? Choose your altar.

As the day progressed, the people were witnesses of a spectacular show of God’s power as He brought down fire upon the altar set up by Elijah. The false prophets were utterly humiliated when their so-called “god” did nothing for them. Their altar was fire-less. This is always the case when someone chooses the wrong altar. Those today who choose any form of modern idolatry – the gods of self, materialism, sensual pleasure, possessions, naturalism, pride, intellect, or self-indulgence, will always end up with a fire-less altar. In the end, there is no power in any of those idols. Choose your altar.

Which altar do you choose? Are you hesitating to give your life wholeheartedly to Jesus? Are you, like the people of Elijah’s day, limping between two different opinions? Are you holding back, sitting on the fence? Not sure who to follow? The choice for all of us is pretty clear – follow Jesus wholeheartedly or don’t follow Him at all. There really is no middle ground. Don’t think you can float along without making a decision. Your failure to fully choose Jesus is your choice to reject Him. “If Yahweh is the real God, then go after Him; if it’s anyone (or anything) else, then go after him.” Choose your altar.

 

Today's Reading - 2 Chronicles 17 & 1 Kings 17

Trust and Obey

Today, we are introduced to an amazing man of God, a prophet named Elijah who ministered in Israel during the reign of king Ahab. The name “e li' jah” means “My God is Yah” (a shortened version of Yahweh). Elijah was from Tishbe of Gilead in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. He is often referred to as Elijah the Tishbite.

Here in 1 Kings 17, we first see Elijah speaking a prophecy to the king about an upcoming drought, telling him “there will be no dew or rain during the next few years.” Following that prediction, Elijah was instructed by God to leave town and go camping. The Lord told him to “Go to the east and hide by Cherith Brook, near where it enters the Jordan River. Drink from the brook and eat what the ravens bring you, for I have commanded them to bring you food.”

Here's the impressive thing about Elijah – “he went and did according unto the word of the LORD.” There was no hemming or hawing. No excuse making. No arguing or complaining. He simply went and did what the Lord said to do. He trusted God’s word and obeyed. As a result of his trust and obedience, the Lord provided water from the brook and fed him in a most unusual way – “the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening.” When the brook dried up, the Lord miraculously provided for him through a poor widow.

The lesson for us is this – trust and obey! So often, we want to argue with the Lord when He guides us to go some place or do some thing. We try to rationalize our way out of it – “But God, you don’t understand – if I do what you’re telling me, bad things might happen. And just think about what kind of impact it would have on my friends and family and employer. Besides, Lord, I won’t have enough money to live on if I go there or do the thing You’re telling me to do. I think it is better to just stay here and see things through.”

Jesus once asked his disciples, “Why do you call me ‘Lord’ when you don’t do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46) This is a heart-penetrating question that each of us needs to answer. Is He really your Lord if you don’t trust and obey Him – even in those situations where His leading doesn’t make much sense to your human logic? You may not know what tomorrow brings, but know this – He can bring you water from a brook and food from a raven if He chooses.  The outcome of Elijah’s obedience was that he went on to be one of the most powerful and effective prophets in Israel’s history. So you, too, will see an amazing outcome by being obedient to God’s plan for your life. So, trust Him and obey Him. As the old hymn goes, “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, than to trust and obey.”

Today's Reading - 1 Kings 16

God is Speaking

Throughout human history, God has initiated communication with humanity by speaking to us. In fact, God is constantly speaking to us through various means. In today’s reading, the word of the Lord came to a man named Jehu. But how, exactly, did this word come to him?

The Bible records God speaking audibly to people many times. In these cases, they could hear His audible voice with their ears. Although it seems somewhat rare, there is no reason God could not speak audibly to people today, just as He has in the past. But, God speaking audibly seems to be the exception, not the rule. But He is still speaking. There are many ways in which the words of God come to us.

First, God speaks to us through His written word, the Bible. Using this means, God is constantly speaking to everyone.  The Bible is God’s Word, and it contains everything we need to know in order to be saved and live the life He intended for us.   Second Peter 1:3 declares, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” So, if you are longing to hear the word of the Lord, you need look no further than your Bible.

God also speaks to us through the events and circumstances of our lives. God allows events to occur in our lives to instruct us, direct us, change us, and help us to grow spiritually. As we experience challenges and successes, the Holy Spirit is with us, impressing upon our hearts the truth God wants to teach us through those events.

God also speaks to us through visions and revelations. Sometimes these revelations come to us as strong impressions on our heart and mind, communicating God’s message. Other times, these revelations may come from other Spirit-filled believers in the form of prophecy, words of knowledge, words of wisdom, or exhortation.  The Lord has also been known to speak to His people through dreams (e.g. Joseph, Daniel) or even “trances” (e.g. Peter). In very rare cases, God sends an angel to speak to us directly with a message from Him.

In whatever way He chooses to speak to us, it is our duty to listen for His still, small voice as He communicates His love and grace to us.  Whether it is an audible voice, an inner voice, or a mental impression, God has something to say to you today. 

 

Today's Reading - 2 Chronicles 15 & 16

 

The Heart God Searches For

We all have searched for something of value to us. When something is of value, we usually don’t stop searching for it until we find it. The Lord is on a search as well. The Lord is not searching for animals or creatures. Nor is He searching out world events because He knows all the happenings in the world even before they come to pass. He is not searching for world leaders or popular celebrities. He is not searching for silver, gold, or precious gems. He is not even searching for beautiful churches or lavish cathedrals. But He is searching for something. The Lord is daily searching into the depths of peoples’ hearts. He has a specific item of great value to Him that He is hoping to find. The treasure He is seeking is a heart that is fully devoted to Him.

Here, in verse 9, we are told that the Lord is looking to and fro to find those whose heart is “blameless.” This word doesn’t mean blameless in the sense of being sinless or guiltless. The Hebrew word here is “šālēm.” This word is found 24 times in the Old Testament where it is translated as “complete; perfect; whole; full”. It means to be fully ready and carries the idea of being totally given over to something or someone. This is the type of heart God is searching for – the heart of men and women who are totally given over to Him and ready to fully serve Him without reservation.

So, the question is… is your heart the one God will find? As He searches the depths of your heart will He find one totally given over to Him without holding back? Fully devoted. Completely His. If so, expect the unexpected!  His promise here is that when He finds that kind of a heart, He will give His “strong support.” He will show Himself strong on your behalf. He will anoint your life with spiritual vitality, and spiritual fruit, and spiritual gifts. Anything and everything He leads you to endeavor on behalf of His kingdom will bring forth supernatural results.

Are you that person? Don’t let Him look into your heart and leave without choosing to show His mighty strength on your behalf. The power you experience in your life will be in direct proportion to how fully your heart is given over to God. If your devotion is tepid and halfhearted and indifferent - if you are holding back areas of your heart from Him – then your spiritual life will be tepid and halfhearted as well. But if you bow your knee and surrender your heart fully to Him – if you give Him ever nook and cranny of that heart of yours – your experience of Divine power will be like fire from Heaven – you will be the one who impacts their world for Christ. He’s searching for you. He’s searching right now. Give Him your complete, perfect, whole, and full heart. 

Today's Reading - 2 Chronicles 13 & 14

There is None Like the Lord

How big is your God? When facing strikes from your adversaries, is your God big enough to give you victory? When the odds are against you, do you rely on God to come against the odds? That was the situation facing king Asa and the Israelite army. A massive Ethiopian army had drawn battle lines against them. With an army of a million soldiers and three hundred chariots (state of the art military equipment), the Ethiopians army was nearly twice as large as Israel’s. The odds were against Asa and Israel, for sure.

When Asa saw the massiveness of the enemy coming at him, he did a very wise thing – he cried out to the Lord his God for help. When faced with similar odds, many military leaders would call upon their leading officers and strategists for help. They would look to devise a plan whereby they could outmaneuver their stronger foe. They would rely on battle plans and military tactics to get out of harm’s way. They would stock up on extra weapons and ammunition. Very few would cry out to God for help. But king Asa knew that there was one ingredient that would make his defense of Israel successful – it wasn’t chariots, or weapons, or strategies, or ammunition, or military tactics – it was the help of his God!

King Asa knew that his God was big!  Really big! Bigger than any Ethiopian army. In fact, he says in his prayer, “O Lord, there is none like you to help.” Asa knew that no enemy was big enough or strong enough to defeat the mighty power of Yahweh. Nothing can stand against the might of our God. Knowing this, Asa placed his reliance fully and completely on the Lord. He knew this truth: if God is for us, no one can defeat us.

So, how big is your God? Do you recognize that no enemy that comes against you can prosper? Do you rely on the power of His might to beat the odds? Even when life’s challenges appear overwhelming (like a million man army), you can call upon the Lord your God to help and to fight on your behalf and to bring you victory over your foes.

The tangible result of Asa’s prayer was, “So the Lord defeated the Ethiopians.” (V15) And this will be the result of your prayers when you realize that there is none like your God to help. He will come against your enemies, whether they seem weak or strong. Just stand back and watch the powerful hand of the Lord as He brings you victory. Remember, your God is big!  Really big!

Today's Reading - 1 Kings 15

Wholehearted Devotion

The books of First and Second Kings record the progression of kings who ascended to Israel’s and Judah’s thrones in the years following Solomon’s death. Some were good kings, some were bad kings. Chapter 15 of First Kings chronicles three bad kings (Abijam, Nadab, Baasha) and one good king (Asa).

The three “bad” kings are described as men who were not faithful to the LORD their God. They “did what was evil in the Lord’s sight.” (V26) Their hearts were far from God. They ignored the commandments of God and engaged in idolatry and pagan worship. Verse 3 says of Abijam, “his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God.” He, like the other evil kings, had a divided heart.

In verse 9, we are introduced to a “shining light” amidst all of this darkness, a king named Asa. Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He banished the shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols his ancestors had made. He even deposed his grandmother who had been responsible for much of the obscene worship practices.

Asa was wholeheartedly devoted to the LORD. Verse 14 tells us that “the heart of Asa was wholly true to the Lord all his days.” Asa is noticeable in the early part of his life for the fact that he got rid of idol worship and set up the worship of God, carrying it out with great diligence, conviction, and persistence. Asa was not perfect (as we will see in upcoming chapters) but his heart was in the right place – wholeheartedly devoted to God. A person with a heart that is “wholly true” has one preeminent desire—to please the Lord, not in outward ritual or eyeservice, but from deep within his/her soul. Devotion to God includes careful attention to His Word and unwavering effort to obey Him. God is looking for men and women with such hearts.

His will for you is to live your life wholeheartedly devoted to Him with diligence, conviction, and persistence. If your heart is in the right place, your daily living will follow. Living wholeheartedly for the Lord is impossible in your own strength. But if you’ll humble yourself and ask in faith, He will give you the grace to diligently and persistently live for Him. Your walk with Jesus will never be perfect during this lifetime, but you can give Him your wholehearted, persistent devotion.

 

Today's Reading - 2 Chronicles 11 & 12

The Short Trip Back to God

When Rehoboam had firmly established his kingdom and became strong as the nation’s leader, he abandoned the Law of the LORD and all Israel followed him in this sin. His departure from the LORD resulted in defeat at the hands of the Egyptian armies. God then spoke to Rehoboam through the prophet Shemaiah who explained, in no uncertain terms, that because Israel had abandoned God, God was doing the same: “This is what the Lord says: You have abandoned me, so I am abandoning you to Shishak.”  (V5)

This situation presents us with two vitally important lessons for life: (1) don’t take God and His blessings for granted; and (2) returning to Him is not difficult, but it takes humility.

Rehoboam’s departure from the Lord came as a result of his perceived strength and self-reliance. After all, he was now king of a powerful nation. He had all the blessings, accoutrements, and recognition that come with being king. Life was easy. God’s blessings were evident. So, as human beings are inclined to do, he began to drift away from the LORD and His laws and His ways. His dependence upon God shifted to a dependence upon his own status and wealth. He began to take God for granted and, because many eyes were upon him, so did the citizens of his kingdom. Watch out for the sin of taking God and His blessings for granted. Never depend on your status, wealth, resources, and recognition rather than depending fully upon Him. The promise of Scripture is that if you “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8) But, remember, the converse of this promise is also true, “Drift away from God, and He will draw away from you.” Never, ever “rest on your laurels” by taking God and His blessings for granted.

The good news for Rehoboam and for all of us is this: No matter how far away from God you’ve drifted, it is always only a short trip back. Rehoboam and his princes simply had to humble themselves, meaning they had to forsake their pride and self-reliance. It was not necessary to go through some prolonged process of finding their way back into His grace. It was a short journey back to Him. By humbling themselves and declaring “The LORD is righteous,” they were acknowledging their own sin and failure and declaring their own unrighteousness in light of God’s righteousness.

Have you drifted away from the Lord? Have you begun to trust in your status or self? What the Lord requires of you and me when this happens is to acknowledge our sin, humble ourselves, and draw near to Him once again. When we have drifted away, we don’t need to beat ourselves up. Nor do we need to go through some prolonged process of trying to prove ourselves worthy (we're not worthy). Simply repent and confess. You will find Him waiting for you right where you left Him. It is a short trip back to His loving arms! The promise of God found in 1 John 1:9 is that, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." What a promise!

 

Today's Reading - 2 Chronicles 10

 A Turn of Affairs

The Lord has a way of fulfilling His word. Once His will has been established, He can change situations and turn affairs in such a way so as to fulfill His word. Here, in 2 Chronicles 10:15, we read that the king’s decision not to lighten the citizens’ tax burden was “a turn of affairs brought about by God that the Lord might fulfill his word.” The underlying cause of Rehoboam’s decision was God, Himself.

Sometimes we have a hard time understanding God’s sovereign will. At times He causes (or fails to cause) certain events to take place that we wonder about. We wonder why He allows situations that we deem troublesome or adverse into our lives, our families, our communities, and our nation. What we fail to recognize is that God is sovereign and will do as He pleases, even when we don’t fully understand His actions. The Easton's Bible Dictionary defines God's sovereignty as His "absolute right to do all things according to his own good pleasure." In this case, the division of the kingdom looked like a tragedy, but it was part of God’s plan for His people.

Because God is sovereign, we must learn to submit to His will.  The Bible is pretty clear, teaching that God sovereignly directs people, circumstances and events. “All the people of the earth are nothing compared to Him. He has the power to do as He pleases among the angels of heaven and with those who live on earth. No one can stop Him or challenge Him, saying, ‘What do You mean by doing these things?’” (Daniel 4:35)

There are times when God brings about a turn of affairs that is to our liking. Perhaps we get that promotion we’ve been praying for. Or, found out that our “crush” is interested in us. Or, when a neighbor we have hurt offers forgiveness and reconciliation. We rejoice in these types of turn of events. But we must always remember that difficulties and adversity are tools in God’s sovereign hands with which He shapes us into the image of Jesus Christ. He can (and does) bring about a turn of events in our lives that we dislike or don’t understand. In those moments, we must submit to His will and trust that what seems like a tragedy to us is just the unfolding of His plan.

Be encouraged: Your loving God is still in control, and He is sovereignly directing your life. And though you may not fully understand, be assured that He will work all things together for your good. (Romans 8:28)

Today's Reading - 1 Kings 14

 

Jerusalem!

Jerusalem! The very name evokes an emotional response. It seems that no one is indifferent to Jerusalem—one loves her, hates her, or is fascinated by her. Jerusalem is found 881 times in the Bible. Even people who have never walked her streets call Jerusalem the “Holy City,” situated in the midst of the “Holy Land!” 

Jerusalem is a BIG DEAL in God’s Word. In 2 Chronicles 6:6, the Lord said, “I have chosen Jerusalem that my name may be there, and I have chosen David to be over my people Israel.” Jerusalem is one of the oldest cities in the world and has been at the center of humanity’s existence since the beginning of recorded history. The first mention of Jerusalem, or the city of peace, is in Genesis 14:18, which states: “Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was a priest of the God Most High.” The final mention of Jerusalem is in Revelation 21, where the Apostle John says, “And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”

But, why did the Lord choose Jerusalem as His city? Why would God choose to place His name in such a place? Why is the “City of David” so important to God? The simple answer is – He chose Jerusalem because He wanted to. It must have pleased Him to do so. In reality, the Lord had a story to tell to the world. He decided that Jerusalem would be the “stage” for telling humanity that story. It is the story of God’s love for mankind and His eternal plan to send a Savior into the world to rescue us from our sin. There was something God wanted us to see and He used Jerusalem to help us see it.

Not only is Jerusalem God’s city, it is also His timepiece. Jerusalem is God’s countdown clock for humanity’s survival. As you follow the events taking place in and around Jerusalem, you can see God’s clock ticking toward fulfillment of Biblical prophecy. The final events of world history will culminate there with the glorious return of Jesus Christ to the Mount of Olives. Jerusalem can be called the City of God, the City of David, the City of Zion, or simply, Zion, but there is a greater Jerusalem coming, and it is all brand new and more glorious than anyone can describe.