Category Archives: Suffering / Adversity

All Knowing, All Powerful / King of All, Anger (unrighteous anger), Arrogance, Bitterness / Resentment, Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Fear / Reverence for God, Obeying God, Seeking God, Submitted / Servant, Through Prophets, Unteachable / Foolish, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Seek the LORD Before Partnering With the Unrighteous

There are some historical records in the Bible that rival any movie plot line today for intrigue, excitement, and plot twists. 2 Chronicles 18 is one of them. For context we must understand that Jehoshaphat is righteous in obeying the LORD and Ahab is not.

There are many angles we could explore in this action packed chapter that are timeless principles to live by. One of them I want to encourage you to focus on is the decision of Jehoshaphat, a righteous king of Judah, to be persuaded to come and fight alongside Ahab, a wicked king of Israel. Was that a wise decision? What did God say about the battle through His prophets? Did Jehoshaphat listen?

2 Chronicles 18

Jehoshaphat Allies with Ahab

      1Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor; and he allied himself by marriage with Ahab. 2Some years later he went down to visit Ahab at Samaria. And Ahab slaughtered many sheep and oxen for him and the people who were with him, and induced him to go up against Ramoth-gilead. 3Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me against Ramoth-gilead?” And he said to him, “I am as you are, and my people as your people, and we will be with you in the battle.”

      4Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.” 5Then the king of Israel assembled the prophets, four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall we go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for God will give it into the hand of the king.” 6But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?” 7The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me but always evil. He is Micaiah, son of Imla.” But Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say so.”

Ahab’s False Prophets Assure Victory

      8Then the king of Israel called an officer and said, “Bring quickly Micaiah, Imla’s son.” 9Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, and they were sitting at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them. 10Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made horns of iron for himself and said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘With these you shall gore the Arameans until they are consumed.’” 11All the prophets were prophesying thus, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and succeed, for the LORD will give it into the hand of the king.”

Micaiah Brings Word from God

      12Then the messenger who went to summon Micaiah spoke to him saying, “Behold, the words of the prophets are uniformly favorable to the king. So please let your word be like one of them and speak favorably.” 13But Micaiah said, “As the LORD lives, what my God says, that I will speak.”

      14When he came to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?” He said, “Go up and succeed, for they will be given into your hand.” 15Then the king said to him, “How many times must I adjure you to speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?”

16So he said,
“I saw all Israel
Scattered on the mountains,
Like sheep which have no shepherd;
And the LORD said,
‘These have no master.
Let each of them return to his house in peace.’”

17Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”

      18Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of the LORD. I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right and on His left. 19“The LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said this while another said that. 20“Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD and said, ‘I will entice him.’ And the LORD said to him, ‘How?’ 21“He said, ‘I will go and be a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ Then He said, ‘You are to entice him and prevail also. Go and do so.’ 22“Now therefore, behold, the LORD has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of these your prophets, for the LORD has proclaimed disaster against you.”

      23Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, “How did the Spirit of the LORD pass from me to speak to you?” 24Micaiah said, “Behold, you will see on that day when you enter an inner room to hide yourself.” 25Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son; 26and say, ‘Thus says the king, “Put this man in prison and feed him sparingly with bread and water until I return safely.”’” 27Micaiah said, “If you indeed return safely, the LORD has not spoken by me.” And he said, “Listen, all you people.”

Ahab’s Defeat and Death

      28So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up against Ramoth-gilead. 29The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you put on your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle. 30Now the king of Aram had commanded the captains of his chariots, saying, “Do not fight with small or great, but with the king of Israel alone.” 31So when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “It is the king of Israel,” and they turned aside to fight against him. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him, and God diverted them from him. 32When the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. 33A certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel in a joint of the armor. So he said to the driver of the chariot, “Turn around and take me out of the fight, for I am severely wounded.” 34The battle raged that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot in front of the Arameans until the evening; and at sunset he died.

The fact is that Jehoshaphat allied himself with Ahab by marriage. That may seem like a good idea to keep the peace between Israel and Judah, but it influenced Jehoshaphat to consider partnering with Ahab when there was not a good reason for him to do so. We should take great care when partnering with those who are not righteous for some earthly task or mission, especially if it is a mission of their choosing and not directed by God.

I do want to give Jehoshaphat some credit. He rightly saw through the false prophets and asked for a prophet of the LORD as a reliable indicator of what they should do. We, too, should ask the LORD to guide us in our major decisions in life and seek His answer. What baffles me though, is that once the prophet of the LORD spoke and indicated defeat, Jehoshaphat still went to battle with Ahab. That was a mistake. It almost cost him his life. The LORD  protected Jehoshaphat because he was righteous before the LORD and cried out for help. That is the LORD’s mercy in action, baling him out of a bad decision.

I suppose one last perspective I will highlight is a reflection on Ahab. He called the prophet Micaiah, a prophet of the LORD. He missed the point that he speaks what the LORD tells him and got angry at the messenger blaming him for prophesying “bad news”. If he would have humbled himself a bit, perhaps he would have remembered the point of the prophet is not to decide victory or defeat, but to tell you what the LORD says. The fact that tried to use deception and disguise to hedge himself against the prophecy and his death is once again telling. He is missing the point that you can’t hide from the LORD. If the LORD says you will die if you attack, you can’t hide in costume and avoid it.

If I were to sum up to a very high level, I would say we  all need to take caution, seek the LORD, and listen to Him before partnering with the unrighteous to accomplish something we think will work in our own eyes. Instead, remain partnered with God Himself and listen to His guidance.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me (and all Your people) to have wisdom in regards to with whom we partner and collaborate. Help lead and guide us. Thank You for Your protection, grace and mercy when we stumble and make mistakes. Thank You for Your blessing as we walk with You. Help us rely on You and You alone rather than the unrighteous men steeped in the ways of the world. Amen.

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Consequences of Sin, Discipline / Guidance From God, Faith / Trusting God, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Protector / Deliverer, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Repenting from Sin, Strong in Our Weakness, Submitted / Servant

Without God, Even When You Win, You Lose

There are some situations in which you end up coming out on what feels like a losing side, even when you accomplished what you set out to do. Even when you win, you lose.

We can read about one such dramatic situation with King Asa in 2 Chronicles 16. As context, remember 2 Chronicles 15:17 tells us despite not being perfect, Asa had a heart toward God.

2 Chronicles 15:17

17But the high places were not removed from Israel; nevertheless Asa’s heart was blameless all his days.

Remember also that Asa had previously experienced help from the LORD leading him to overcome significant military disadvantage. After 35 years as king, most of it in peace, we can see how Asa responded when confronted by the King of Israel.

2 Chronicles 16

Asa Wars against Baasha

      1In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah and fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah. 2Then Asa brought out silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the king’s house, and sent them to Ben-hadad king of Aram, who lived in Damascus, saying, 3“Let there be a treaty between you and me, as between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent you silver and gold; go, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so that he will withdraw from me.” 4So Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, and they conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim and all the store cities of Naphtali. 5When Baasha heard of it, he ceased fortifying Ramah and stopped his work. 6Then King Asa brought all Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber with which Baasha had been building, and with them he fortified Geba and Mizpah.

Asa Imprisons the Prophet

      7At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, “Because you have relied on the king of Aram and have not relied on the LORD your God, therefore the army of the king of Aram has escaped out of your hand. 8“Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubim an immense army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the LORD, He delivered them into your hand. 9“For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars.” 10Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him in prison, for he was enraged at him for this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at the same time.

      11Now, the acts of Asa from first to last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 12In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa became diseased in his feet. His disease was severe, yet even in his disease he did not seek the LORD, but the physicians. 13So Asa slept with his fathers, having died in the forty-first year of his reign. 14They buried him in his own tomb which he had cut out for himself in the city of David, and they laid him in the resting place which he had filled with spices of various kinds blended by the perfumers’ art; and they made a very great fire for him.

Most of us might start out by thinking that Asa was wise. He solved the problem. He won. But ultimately, he lost even when he accomplished what he set out to do. He did not put his trust in the LORD despite previous victories at the LORD’s hand. Instead, he put his trust in man to deliver him. The LORD was not pleased, and Asa and all his people experienced consequence of more war because of it.

A prophet Hanani comes to rebuke Asa. This is where someone like King David would repent and ask forgiveness of the LORD. Asa doubles down and makes another mistake. He imprisons the messenger because he does not like the message. Sounds like pride got the better of him. We should challenge ourselves not to get angry with wise counsel from those seeking the LORD and His word and His will. Let us listen and consider what they say about our actions. If we are wrong, let us repent, not double down in our sin. That is like someone offering to pull you out of a pit and you are angry they are telling you that you are in a pit so you dig deeper and pull them in with you. It does not make sense ultimately. We must admit, however, that it can be hard to admit our mistakes when we have not trusted God, perhaps more so when we accomplished what we set out to do.

We do not find out what happened to the seer after that. How long was he in prison? Likely that strikes most of us as “unfair” for the prophet, however there is no mention of the LORD setting him free. We just don’t know. We are still to trust the LORD. His ways are higher than ours.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please keep me humble before You, even as I may have power or influence in some situations as King Asa clearly did. Please help me to trust in You and not in man for deliverance, even (or perhaps especially) when the odds seem stacked against me. If I put my trust in man and you send someone to open my eyes and rebuke me, please help me to be humble and listen and repent and not double down in my pride or anger to move my heart further from you.  If I am ever to be used as Hanani, please give me courage to bring the message You tell me to, despite potential consequences. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Discipline / Guidance From God, Grace / Forgiveness, Humility, Justice / Judgment, Merciful, Obeying God, Repenting from Sin, Submitted / Servant

Remain Humble and Devoted Before the LORD

Take care not to grow complacent, prideful, or self sufficient (relative to God). There are many examples of people who start out loving the LORD and obeying His commandments, and then when things are going well they drift away from Him, to their own peril. I can think of Solomon for one example. To a lesser extent David also (e.g. Bathsheeba), but he genuinely repented after his sin. Rehoboam, son of Solomon was another example.

Rehoboam started with some foolishness that split the kingdom, but for the first several years, he was pursuing the law of the LORD. It was so much so that the Levites and others who had a heart for Yahweh, left their property behind and moved from Israel to Judah.

 2 Chronicles 11:14-17

Jeroboam Appoints False Priests

      14For the Levites left their pasture lands and their property and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had excluded them from serving as priests to the LORD. 15He set up priests of his own for the high places, for the satyrs and for the calves which he had made. 16Those from all the tribes of Israel who set their hearts on seeking the LORD God of Israel followed them to Jerusalem, to sacrifice to the LORD God of their fathers. 17They strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam the son of Solomon for three years, for they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.

However, after several years, Rehoboam forsook the law of the LORD, and the LORD forsook him in return.

2 Chronicles 12

Shishak of Egypt Invades Judah

      1When the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and strong, he and all Israel with him forsook the law of the LORD. 2And it came about in King Rehoboam’s fifth year, because they had been unfaithful to the LORD, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem 3with 1,200 chariots and 60,000 horsemen. And the people who came with him from Egypt were without number: the Lubim, the Sukkiim and the Ethiopians. 4He captured the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem. 5Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the princes of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and he said to them, “Thus says the LORD, ‘You have forsaken Me, so I also have forsaken you to Shishak.’” 6So the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The LORD is righteous.”

      7When the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, “They have humbled themselves so I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some measure of deliverance, and My wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by means of Shishak. 8“But they will become his slaves so that they may learn the difference between My service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.”

Plunder Impoverishes Judah

      9So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king’s palace. He took everything; he even took the golden shields which Solomon had made. 10Then King Rehoboam made shields of bronze in their place and committed them to the care of the commanders of the guard who guarded the door of the king’s house. 11As often as the king entered the house of the LORD, the guards came and carried them and then brought them back into the guards’ room. 12And when he humbled himself, the anger of the LORD turned away from him, so as not to destroy him completely; and also conditions were good in Judah.

      13So King Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem and reigned. Now Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD had chosen from all the tribes of Israel, to put His name there. And his mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonitess. 14He did evil because he did not set his heart to seek the LORD.

      15Now the acts of Rehoboam, from first to last, are they not written in the records of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer, according to genealogical enrollment? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually. 16And Rehoboam slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David; and his son Abijah became king in his place.

Some will read this and think to themselves, “Why is the LORD so harsh on Rehoboam and the people of Israel?” They start with perhaps their own perspective and then question God’s approach if it differs from their own. We should do the opposite. We should start by assuming God is correct and righteous, and then seek to understand how and why we may not be considering things in the correct perspective if we see it differently. Then we learn and grow closer to God rather than challenge Him and grow farther away from Him.  Remember, our relationship with God is a covenant relationship. That means there are conditions on both sides, such as “If you will be my people and obey my commandments, I will be your God.”

Notice also, that the LORD seems to have waited for a couple years. The scriptures above say they walked in the way of the LORD for 3 years and the punishment came after 5. Sounds like God was patient to me. And when they repented and humbled themselves, He had mercy. Of course we do well to remember that His mercy to no longer scatter them should not be confused with removing all consequences for their sin and disobedience. In fact, God let His people serve under the Egyptian king so that they would gain an appreciation of the difference between serving Him and serving a human king, especially one who is not following the LORD.

We also see again later in the scripture that Rehoboam did not remain with his heart toward the LORD throughout his reign. He did evil in the LORD’s sight.

There is direct application for just about all of this in each of our own lives. Set our heart toward the LORD so that we would be pleasing in His sight and not do evil. Humble ourselves before Him and obey His commandments. Repent genuinely and wholeheartedly when we get off track. It is easy to realize we need the LORD in tough times, but let us take care also in good times not to lose that relationship with Him!

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me remain humble and faithful before You. Help me to set my heart upon You and obey Your commandments. Help me to be devoted to Your ways and not my own or those of my family or culture around me. When I sin, please help me to repent and draw near to You again. Thank You for grace and mercy. Help me to truly appreciate serving You and realize how much better that is than serving myself of the ways of man. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Persecution / Glorifying God, Prophecy, Wickedness / Evil

Mocked, Beaten, and Executed… For Your Sins and Mine

Yeshua willingly laid down His life for us. He humbled Himself as servant to all. He suffered and died on the cross as payment in judgment of our sins, to pay the penalty of sin (death) on our behalf. Let us never overlook the gruesome treatment He suffered for us, that we deserve. He was isolated from His friends. He was beaten, mocked, and ultimately killed in painful fashion. He received no mercy or compassion. Those that loved Him, kept at a distance for the most part. As you read through the scripture… dwell on the fact that Yeshua chose to willingly endure this punishment for your sins and mine.

Mark 15:16-41

Jesus Is Mocked

      16The soldiers took Him away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium), and they called together the whole Roman cohort. 17They dressed Him up in purple, and after twisting a crown of thorns, they put it on Him; 18and they began to acclaim Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19They kept beating His head with a reed, and spitting on Him, and kneeling and bowing before Him. 20After they had mocked Him, they took the purple robe off Him and put His own garments on Him. And they led Him out to crucify Him.

      21They pressed into service a passer-by coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene (the father of Alexander and Rufus), to bear His cross.

The Crucifixion

      22Then they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull. 23They tried to give Him wine mixed with myrrh; but He did not take it. 24And they crucified Him, and divided up His garments among themselves, casting lots for them to decide what each man should take. 25It was the third hour when they crucified Him. 26The inscription of the charge against Him read, “THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

      27They crucified two robbers with Him, one on His right and one on His left. 28[And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And He was numbered with transgressors.”] 29Those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads, and saying, “Ha! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30save Yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes, were mocking Him among themselves and saying, “He saved others; He cannot save Himself. 32“Let this Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, so that we may see and believe!” Those who were crucified with Him were also insulting Him.

      33When the sixth hour came, darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?” which is translated, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?” 35When some of the bystanders heard it, they began saying, “Behold, He is calling for Elijah.” 36Someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink, saying, “Let us see whether Elijah will come to take Him down.” 37And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed His last. 38And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39When the centurion, who was standing right in front of Him, saw the way He breathed His last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

      40There were also some women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses, and Salome. 41When He was in Galilee, they used to follow Him and minister to Him; and there were many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.

Only as they witnessed His death, and Yahweh demonstrated power in tearing the veil of the temple, did some realize that Yeshua was in fact the Son of God. For each of us, as we recognize this fact, we must decide how we are to respond to such an act of selfless love as that of Christ dying for us. We should live our lives in submission to Yeshua and all He taught us. We are to surrender to Him and live accordingly. We are to be a light to others to show them the way to Him as well. We must die to self and rise again to follow Christ. It should be evident in our lives well beyond just the words we say or the church services we attend. Our very lives should be witness to others in good times and bad.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for Yeshua! Thank You for providing a way for me to be reconciled to You despite my sin. Help me never take it for granted. Help me remember that I did not earn or deserve this, but rather forgiveness through Yeshua is offered as a gift. Amen. 

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Devotions by John, Faith / Trusting God, Fear / Reverence for God, Government, Obeying God, Persecution / Glorifying God, Purposeful / Intentional, Submitted / Servant

Will You Live Fully for Yahweh? Or Will You Compromise When Threatened?

There are times when the decisions of those governing our nations have significant impact on our personal lives and may truly test our devotion and commitment to our LORD. It is not hard to see this playing out in our world today. Whether it is related to COVID or the government response to it which threatens personal freedom in many cases across the globe or whether it is persecution in Muslim countries like Iran and Afghanistan or atheistic countries like China, choosing to live boldly a life publicly committed to Christ can cause many to make difficult choices affecting their lives dramatically.

This is not a new situation. We can see an example of this in 2 Chronicles following the split of the kingdom after the death of Solomon. The Levites in Israel were removed by Jeroboam from their God given duties and he appointed his own priests and places of worship. The Levites had to make a choice about whether they would remain in such a situation or not. They would have to decide whether to leave their pasture lands and property behind in pursuit of living for Yahweh or whether they would make excuses to remain in the ungodly situation they found themselves in.

2 Chronicles 11:14-17

Jeroboam Appoints False Priests

      14For the Levites left their pasture lands and their property and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had excluded them from serving as priests to the LORD. 15He set up priests of his own for the high places, for the satyrs and for the calves which he had made. 16Those from all the tribes of Israel who set their hearts on seeking the LORD God of Israel followed them to Jerusalem, to sacrifice to the LORD God of their fathers. 17They strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam the son of Solomon for three years, for they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.

This is not theoretical for people all around the globe today. It is real. Will I choose to live for Yahweh? Will I choose to proclaim Yeshua as the way? or will I go silent? Will I let government and employers determine how I will live because of the persecution that will follow… losing a job or losing one’s life?

I am fortunately not in a situation where my life or that of my family is at stake. I am, however, potentially impacted by government and employer mandates that may conflict with my faith. Most of us have to make a decision about how openly we share our faith in our workplace and what the implications may be. I am trying to prepare myself ahead of time for such a time as I see others experiencing today. I ask God’s help and I decide up front what I will or will not do. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD, even if there are significant ramifications.

I encourage each of you to seek God on this before you find yourself in such a situation. Be prepared. Take steps to get out of debt and live less paycheck to paycheck so you are not so dependent on employers or government. Can you stock up food? Can you save 6 months spending in the bank to give you cushion if you lose your job? Can you start gardening some of your own food? Can you build up your skills to be able to generate income on your own? There are many such steps as these to consider and consider them prayerfully.

I invite you to pray for me:

Father, please help me to prepare for difficult times that may come. Help me to be courageous to live for You and You alone. Let me not be coerced to live differently for fear of losing my job or my life. Help Your people everywhere with this type of situation. Raise up the righteous and be their shield. Strike down the plans of the wicked. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Consequences of Sin, Discipline / Guidance From God, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Obeying God, Repenting from Sin, Submitted / Servant

Sin Separates Us from God and From Each Other as the Body of Christ

When the LORD delivers consequences for sin, we can not overcome it through force of armies. None are more powerful than the LORD. It is sad to see a separation in God’s people, and it weakens them before others that may wish them harm. But this consequence was from the LORD who was angered by Solomon for turning away from him (1 Kings 11) and seemingly easily brought about given the poor choices that Rehoboam made when he became king after Solomon.  Some may want to blame God, but in truth it was the sin of Solomon and the foolishness of Rehoboam that created the divide.

2 Chronicles 11:1-13

Rehoboam Reigns over Judah and Builds Cities

      1Now when Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin, 180,000 chosen men who were warriors, to fight against Israel to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam. 2But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 3“Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, 4‘Thus says the LORD, “You shall not go up or fight against your relatives; return every man to his house, for this thing is from Me.”’” So they listened to the words of the LORD and returned from going against Jeroboam.

      5Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built cities for defense in Judah. 6Thus he built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, 7Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam, 8Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, 9Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, 10Zorah, Aijalon and Hebron, which are fortified cities in Judah and in Benjamin. 11He also strengthened the fortresses and put officers in them and stores of food, oil and wine. 12He put shields and spears in every city and strengthened them greatly. So he held Judah and Benjamin.

      13Moreover, the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel stood with him from all their districts.

When we sin and create separation between ourselves and God or create division within those who follow Him, let us not blame God. Instead, let us look internally and evaluate our hearts and minds. Are we living for the LORD? Are we fully submitted to Him? Are we studying and living out His commandments and instructions? Are we seeking Him genuinely to repent and turn back to Him and away from our sins? That is the path to reconciliation, through Christ.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please grant me a spirit of full submission to You and a desire to study, understand, and live out Your commands and instructions. When we see division in the body of Christ, let us look humbly to Your word and ensure we are not creating the division. If you bring consequences for our sin, let us not blame You, but reflect on our hearts and minds. Amen.

 Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Consequences of Sin, Fear / Reverence for God, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Holy, Justice / Judgment, Obeying God, Submitted / Servant, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

God Is a Consuming Fire

Yahweh is often represented as some kind of pushover or marshmallow who is happy with any who even sort of identify with Him even if they are not really submitted to Him. No one says it as directly as this, but we should reflect on how we compromise with the culture and world around us as an indicator. Yah calls us to be a set apart people, holy, for His purposes. We should not put other gods or focus areas in our lives competing with Him or sharing our priority with Him. This could be work, golf, power, money, sports, and literally accepting other gods as another way to salvation, even if we don’t follow them. It could be putting government on God’s place as our father and provider. It could be many things.

What is more direct is those that outright oppose God. This could be in choices like abortion, taking God out of school and government, persecuting those who do follow Yah and many others.

God is a consuming fire, not a marshmallow. He is not insecure and desperately seeking any type of friendship, even half hearted. He expects all of us!

I am sharing the below article from GotQuestions.org.

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What Does it Mean That God Is a Consuming Fire?

God is first identified as a “consuming fire” in Deuteronomy 4:24 and 9:3. The writer to the Hebrews reiterates, warning the Hebrews to worship God with reverence and awe “for our God is a consuming fire.” There is nothing mysterious about the Hebrew and Greek words translated “consuming fire.” They mean exactly that—a fire that utterly consumes or destroys. How, then, can a loving and merciful God also be a consuming fire that utterly destroys?

In both Deuteronomy passages in which God is called a consuming fire, Moses is speaking first to warn the Israelites against idolatry (Deuteronomy 4:23-25) because God is a “jealous God” and will not share His glory with worthless idols. Idolatry provokes Him to a righteous anger which is justified when His holiness is disrespected. In Deuteronomy 9:3, Moses again refers to God as a consuming (or devouring) fire who would go ahead of the Israelites into the Promised Land, destroying and subduing their enemies before them. Here again we see God’s wrath against those who oppose Him depicted as fire that utterly consumes and destroys anything in His path.

There are several incidents in which God’s wrath, judgment, holiness or power are displayed by fire from heaven. Aaron’s sons Abihu and Nadab were destroyed by fire when they offered a profane sacrifice, “strange fire,” in the tabernacle, a sign of their disregard for the utter holiness of God and the need to honor Him in solemn and holy fear. The confrontation between Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel is another example of consuming fire from God. The prophets of Baal called upon their god all day long to rain fire from heaven to no avail. Then Elijah built an altar of stones, dug a ditch around it, put the sacrifice on the top of wood and called for water to be poured over his sacrifice three times. Elijah called upon God, and God sent fire down from heaven, completely consuming the sacrifice, the wood, and the stones and licked up the water in the ditch. Then His anger turned against the false prophets, and they were all killed. When prophesying the destruction of the Assyrians, who resisted the true and living God and warred against His people, Isaiah refers to the tongue of the Lord as a consuming fire and His “arm coming down with raging anger and consuming fire” (Isaiah 30:27-30).

God’s holiness is the reason for His being a consuming fire, and it burns up anything unholy. The holiness of God is that part of His nature that most separates Him from sinful man. The godless, Isaiah writes, tremble before Him: “Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?” Isaiah answers this by saying that only the righteous can withstand the consuming fire of God’s wrath against sin, because sin is an offense to God’s holiness. But Isaiah also assures us that no amount of our own righteousness is sufficient (Isaiah 64:6).

Fortunately, God has provided the righteousness we need by sending Jesus Christ to die on the cross for the sins of all who would ever believe in Him. In that one act, Christ mitigates God’s wrath, exchanging His perfect righteousness for our sin. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). All the wrath of God was poured out on Jesus, so that those who belong to Him would not have to suffer the same fate as the Assyrians. “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31), but we need not fear the consuming fire of God’s wrath if we are covered by the purifying blood of Christ.

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I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me be fully submitted and devoted to You. Let me not try to be in relationship and submission to You half hearted. I want to be all in. Please forgive me for my sins and failures through the blood of Christ. Thank You for Your Grace and mercy. Amen.

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

 

 

All Knowing, Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, His Timing Not Ours, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Jesus (hearing from God), Justice / Judgment, Persecution / Glorifying God, Prophecy, Prophecy, Study the Word, Teachable, Tribulation, Wickedness / Evil, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

See to It That No One Misleads You

The disciples, like most of us, can easily be drawn to marvel at beautiful creations… especially if they are perceived to have good purpose. It troubled them that Yeshua would indicate the temple being destroyed. Yeshua, on the other hand, was more grieved when He saw lost souls, who had rejected Jehovah rather than buildings.

Yeshua warns His disciples of what is to come. I believe He speaks of what has already come to pass, when the Romans occupied Jerusalem and destroyed the temple to the very foundation in 70 AD. It reconnects with the prophecy in Daniel 9:27. As we continue reading in Mark 13 beyond verse 23 (subject for another post) we see that Yeshua is also foreshadowing His return. Thus Yeshua has combined information about the Romans occupation of Jerusalem in the near future for the disciples and His return in the farther out future, which is still yet to come.

He did this without specifically answering the original question of timing, which was not for the disciples to know. We can also learn from this scripture how we should respond in times of darkness and apply it in our lives today.

Mark 13:1-23

Things to Come

      1As He was going out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” 2And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another which will not be torn down.”

      3As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew were questioning Him privately, 4“Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?” 5And Jesus began to say to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. 6“Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He!’ and will mislead many. 7“When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be frightened; those things must take place; but that is not yet the end. 8“For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will also be famines. These things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.

      9“But be on your guard; for they will deliver you to the courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them. 10“The gospel must first be preached to all the nations. 11“When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit. 12“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. 13“You will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.

      14“But when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. 15“The one who is on the housetop must not go down, or go in to get anything out of his house; 16and the one who is in the field must not turn back to get his coat. 17“But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 18“But pray that it may not happen in the winter. 19“For those days will be a time of tribulation such as has not occurred since the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will. 20“Unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days. 21“And then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ’; or, ‘Behold, He is there’; do not believe him; 22for false Christs and false prophets will arise, and will show signs and wonders, in order to lead astray, if possible, the elect. 23“But take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance.

There is so much information worth studying and praying for wisdom to fully understand, I can’t possibly hope to cover it all in a post. I encourage each of you to prayerfully pursue further study.

Yeshua correctly prophecies about the destruction of the temple, and it seems to tie back to prophecy in Daniel 9:27 as well. God is God. He is aware of what has been, what is, and what will be.

Yeshua warns His disciples to avoid following pretenders, or false prophets, even those who do signs and wonders. We must study the word to recognize and judge good and faithful teachers from false prophets. There are false prophets and we are called to judge who they are! We must reject false doctrine that presumes anyone who says ‘I follow Jesus’ is to be believed or that a teacher who claims to teach the word must not be challenged. Let us judge based on scripture and without hypocrisy.

Do not be surprised that there will be wars and strife. Prepare for it.

Expect to be hated by the world. Expect to be persecuted. It will be hard to be a genuine follower of Christ.

Another common doctrine that many Christians believe is that they will be removed by God before the tribulation. There is no evidence of that in this scripture to be sure. In fact, one might conclude the opposite… that Christians will endure the tribulation. More study is merited on this subject.

20“Unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days.

So after all this dramatic warning to His disciples, what does Yeshua conclude with?

23“But take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance

We are to seek to understand the content of Yeshua’s message and use it to prepare ourselves and others. We are not to ponder endlessly about “when” it will happen. The disciples asked that question and Yeshua avoided answering it, instead giving the information He wanted them to focus on.

Challenge yourself to find another significant aspect of Yeshua’s message to His disciples that I did not highlight in this post. Re-read the scripture here, or click to go to read the full chapter at BibleHub.com by following the green hyperlinks above. You can even read some of the commentaries to help you get started in your study. Of course, web search is always an option as well. The point is… develop the discipline to study the Bible more… so that you can “take heed” as Yeshua calls us to do.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to heed Your word in the Bible. Help me to remain faithful to You even under harsh persecution and death. Please give me the words to say when pressed so that the Holy Spirit would speak through me to point people to You. Let me take care not to follow people simply because they do signs and wonders, as many false prophets will try to lead the elect astray in this manner. Let me not rely solely on what I feel and experience, but help me test everything with discernment against Your word. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Interceding for Others, Justice / Judgment, Merciful, Pride, Repenting from Sin, Satan, Spiritual Warfare, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

A Case Study in Temptation, Sin, Punishment and Repentance

The Bible is anything but boring. There is much excitement, drama, and intrigue. We see the best, and the worst, of people. All seems to be laid bare for us to learn from as we study.

David was a great king and a man after God’s own heart, yet we see where Satan tempted him and led him into prideful sin, angering Yahweh. Following the example of Job, perhaps we must acknowledge also that God allowed Satan to tempt David in this way, perhaps to expose his pride to deal with it. Some of this is a bit of speculation.

As we read 1 Chronicles 21, we may even not fully understand why conducting a census was wrong, but clearly Joab recognized it and counseled David against it. Thus we see David knew better and ultimately made a mistake. It was not that he was acting without the knowledge that this could be displeasing to Yahweh.

1 Chronicles 21

Census Brings Pestilence

      1Then Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel. 2So David said to Joab and to the princes of the people, “Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan, and bring me word that I may know their number.” 3Joab said, “May the LORD add to His people a hundred times as many as they are! But, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? Why does my lord seek this thing? Why should he be a cause of guilt to Israel?” 4Nevertheless, the king’s word prevailed against Joab. Therefore, Joab departed and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem. 5Joab gave the number of the census of all the people to David. And all Israel were 1,100,000 men who drew the sword; and Judah was 470,000 men who drew the sword. 6But he did not number Levi and Benjamin among them, for the king’s command was abhorrent to Joab.

      7God was displeased with this thing, so He struck Israel. 8David said to God, “I have sinned greatly, in that I have done this thing. But now, please take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly.”

      9The LORD spoke to Gad, David’s seer, saying, 10“Go and speak to David, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD, “I offer you three things; choose for yourself one of them, which I will do to you.”’” 11So Gad came to David and said to him, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Take for yourself 12either three years of famine, or three months to be swept away before your foes, while the sword of your enemies overtakes you, or else three days of the sword of the LORD, even pestilence in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the territory of Israel.’ Now, therefore, consider what answer I shall return to Him who sent me.” 13David said to Gad, “I am in great distress; please let me fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are very great. But do not let me fall into the hand of man.”

      14So the LORD sent a pestilence on Israel; 70,000 men of Israel fell. 15And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it; but as he was about to destroy it, the LORD saw and was sorry over the calamity, and said to the destroying angel, “It is enough; now relax your hand.” And the angel of the LORD was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 16Then David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD standing between earth and heaven, with his drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, covered with sackcloth, fell on their faces. 17David said to God, “Is it not I who commanded to count the people? Indeed, I am the one who has sinned and done very wickedly, but these sheep, what have they done? O LORD my God, please let Your hand be against me and my father’s household, but not against Your people that they should be plagued.”

David’s Altar

      18Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 19So David went up at the word of Gad, which he spoke in the name of the LORD. 20Now Ornan turned back and saw the angel, and his four sons who were with him hid themselves. And Ornan was threshing wheat. 21As David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out from the threshing floor and prostrated himself before David with his face to the ground. 22Then David said to Ornan, “Give me the site of this threshing floor, that I may build on it an altar to the LORD; for the full price you shall give it to me, that the plague may be restrained from the people.” 23Ornan said to David, “Take it for yourself; and let my lord the king do what is good in his sight. See, I will give the oxen for burnt offerings and the threshing sledges for wood and the wheat for the grain offering; I will give it all.” 24But King David said to Ornan, “No, but I will surely buy it for the full price; for I will not take what is yours for the LORD, or offer a burnt offering which costs me nothing.” 25So David gave Ornan 600 shekels of gold by weight for the site. 26Then David built an altar to the LORD there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. And he called to the LORD and He answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering. 27The LORD commanded the angel, and he put his sword back in its sheath.

      28At that time, when David saw that the LORD had answered him on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he offered sacrifice there. 29For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were in the high place at Gibeon at that time. 30But David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was terrified by the sword of the angel of the LORD.

We see a case study of Satan leading someone into sin, pride, ignoring the advice of counselor and friend, Yahweh angered and rebukes Israel, and we see David in full and genuine repentance followed by Yahweh’s forgiveness. It is an action packed chapter to be sure and a model for us to study on several accounts.

  • Beware of Satan and his temptations. Spiritual warfare is real. To ignore or underestimate the enemy is to set yourself up to lose battles.
  • Listen carefully to wise counsel from trusted advisors. Truly consider it and not just what you already decided that you want to do.
  • When you have sinned and recognize it, don’t deny it or try to hide it. Come clean and repent before Yahweh, asking forgiveness and mercy. Accept what judgment He decides as consequence.
  • Don’t let someone else pay for your sin. David paid for the property and sacrifices even when offered as a gift from someone else.
  • If your sin has affected others, intercede on their behalf and ask they not be punished due to your guilt.
  • Trust more in the mercy of Yahweh than the mercy of human enemies.
  • Remember that the LORD is righteous and just and He is worthy of fear and reverence. Do not fall into the trap of thinking He is ok with whatever you do and however you live just because He does not strike you down immediately. He let the census take place before bringing consequences.
  • The LORD is not harsh or bad because He punishes us. It is our own sin that is the issue. Don’t blame Him.

If you want to study more about why the census was a sin, consider the following as on perspective on it, Why was God so angry at David for taking the census_ _ GotQuestions.org.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to learn from this case study in temptation, spiritual warfare, sin and repentance. Help me to respect and honor who You are and what You call me to do (and not to do). Help me to draw near to You and live according to Your ways. Help me to stand firm against Satan and his temptations when they come. Amen.

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

 

Consequences of Sin, Discipline / Guidance From God, Dreams, Faith / Trusting God, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Holy Spirit (hearing from God), Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Justice / Judgment, Merciful, Prophecy, Prophecy, Repenting from Sin, Salvation, Through Prophets, Visions, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

The Day Of Judgment Will Come For Each Of Us

The coming day of judgment will be difficult for those that rebel against and do not submit to YHWH now. Of course, some will face judgment when they die, before He returns and their fate is equally grave should they not have submitted to the LORD. Judgment comes for all of us. Each of us should ask ourselves, “Am I prepared? Am I preparing my children? my household?”

The LORD is ever merciful, though and the answer is quite simple. Turn to him. Repent. Consider Joel 2:12-13 below. Remember, the only way to the father is through the son, Yeshua.  (John 14:6)

Joel 2

     1Blow a trumpet in Zion,
And sound an alarm on My holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,
For the day of the LORD is coming;
Surely it is near,

      2A day of darkness and gloom,
A day of clouds and thick darkness.
As the dawn is spread over the mountains,
So there is a great and mighty people;
There has never been anything like it,
Nor will there be again after it
To the years of many generations.

      3A fire consumes before them
And behind them a flame burns.
The land is like the garden of Eden before them
But a desolate wilderness behind them,
And nothing at all escapes them.

      4Their appearance is like the appearance of horses;
And like war horses, so they run.

      5With a noise as of chariots
They leap on the tops of the mountains,
Like the crackling of a flame of fire consuming the stubble,
Like a mighty people arranged for battle.

      6Before them the people are in anguish;
All faces turn pale.

      7They run like mighty men,
They climb the wall like soldiers;
And they each march in line,
Nor do they deviate from their paths.

      8They do not crowd each other,
They march everyone in his path;
When they burst through the defenses,
They do not break ranks.

      9They rush on the city,
They run on the wall;
They climb into the houses,
They enter through the windows like a thief.

      10Before them the earth quakes,
The heavens tremble,
The sun and the moon grow dark
And the stars lose their brightness.

      11The LORD utters His voice before His army;
Surely His camp is very great,
For strong is he who carries out His word.
The day of the LORD is indeed great and very awesome,
And who can endure it?

      12“Yet even now,” declares the LORD,
“Return to Me with all your heart,
And with fasting, weeping and mourning;

      13And rend your heart and not your garments.”
Now return to the LORD your God,
For He is gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness
And relenting of evil.

      14Who knows whether He will not turn and relent
And leave a blessing behind Him,
Even a grain offering and a drink offering
For the LORD your God?

      15Blow a trumpet in Zion,
Consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly,

      16Gather the people, sanctify the congregation,
Assemble the elders,
Gather the children and the nursing infants.
Let the bridegroom come out of his room
And the bride out of her bridal chamber.

      17Let the priests, the LORD’S ministers,
Weep between the porch and the altar,
And let them say, “Spare Your people, O LORD,
And do not make Your inheritance a reproach,
A byword among the nations.
Why should they among the peoples say,
‘Where is their God?’”

Deliverance Promised

18Then the LORD will be zealous for His land
And will have pity on His people.

      19The LORD will answer and say to His people,
“Behold, I am going to send you grain, new wine and oil,
And you will be satisfied in full with them;
And I will never again make you a reproach among the nations.

      20“But I will remove the northern army far from you,
And I will drive it into a parched and desolate land,
And its vanguard into the eastern sea,
And its rear guard into the western sea.
And its stench will arise and its foul smell will come up,
For it has done great things.”

      21Do not fear, O land, rejoice and be glad,
For the LORD has done great things.

      22Do not fear, beasts of the field,
For the pastures of the wilderness have turned green,
For the tree has borne its fruit,
The fig tree and the vine have yielded in full.

      23So rejoice, O sons of Zion,
And be glad in the LORD your God;
For He has given you the early rain for your vindication.
And He has poured down for you the rain,
The early and latter rain as before.

      24The threshing floors will be full of grain,
And the vats will overflow with the new wine and oil.

      25“Then I will make up to you for the years
That the swarming locust has eaten,
The creeping locust, the stripping locust and the gnawing locust,
My great army which I sent among you.

      26“You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied
And praise the name of the LORD your God,
Who has dealt wondrously with you;
Then My people will never be put to shame.

      27“Thus you will know that I am in the midst of Israel,
And that I am the LORD your God,
And there is no other;
And My people will never be put to shame.

The Promise of the Spirit

28“It will come about after this
That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind;
And your sons and daughters will prophesy,
Your old men will dream dreams,
Your young men will see visions.

      29“Even on the male and female servants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

The Day of the LORD

30“I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth,
Blood, fire and columns of smoke.

      31“The sun will be turned into darkness
And the moon into blood
Before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.

      32“And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the LORD
Will be delivered;
For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
There will be those who escape,
As the LORD has said,
Even among the survivors whom the LORD calls.

There is so much more in Joel 2 than just the message of repentance and the LORD’s mercy and forgiveness or His judgment and justice. There is the promise of the Holy Spirit coming to mankind and then also the coming of the LORD in judgment that follows. This is truly a prophetic scripture that is worth reflecting on and rereading multiple times.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please open my eyes to all that Your scriptures entail and help me understand how it should lead and guide my life. Thank You for the Spirit. Thank You for mercy and grace. Thank You for Yeshua who died so I would have a path to redemption and reconciliation with You. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.