Category Archives: Obeying God

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Do Right in the Sight of the LORD

Good things happen when we do “good and right in the sight of the LORD”. Our LORD can provide peace and success over challenges and enemies that we could not otherwise achieve. This principle applies in our personal lives today as it did thousands of years ago regarding war.

2 Chronicles 14

Asa Succeeds Abijah in Judah

      1So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David, and his son Asa became king in his place. The land was undisturbed for ten years during his days.

      2Asa did good and right in the sight of the LORD his God, 3for he removed the foreign altars and high places, tore down the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherim, 4and commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers and to observe the law and the commandment. 5He also removed the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah. And the kingdom was undisturbed under him. 6He built fortified cities in Judah, since the land was undisturbed, and there was no one at war with him during those years, because the LORD had given him rest. 7For he said to Judah, “Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours because we have sought the LORD our God; we have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered. 8Now Asa had an army of 300,000 from Judah, bearing large shields and spears, and 280,000 from Benjamin, bearing shields and wielding bows; all of them were valiant warriors.

      9Now Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and 300 chariots, and he came to Mareshah. 10So Asa went out to meet him, and they drew up in battle formation in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. 11Then Asa called to the LORD his God and said, “LORD, there is no one besides You to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength; so help us, O LORD our God, for we trust in You, and in Your name have come against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God; let not man prevail against You.” 12So the LORD routed the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. 13Asa and the people who were with him pursued them as far as Gerar; and so many Ethiopians fell that they could not recover, for they were shattered before the LORD and before His army. And they carried away very much plunder. 14They destroyed all the cities around Gerar, for the dread of the LORD had fallen on them; and they despoiled all the cities, for there was much plunder in them. 15They also struck down those who owned livestock, and they carried away large numbers of sheep and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.

If we pull apart the events in this chapter of scripture a bit, we can highlight some key principles we should consider personally applying in our own lives.

1- Asa did right in the sight of the LORD before there was a war, before there was a direct challenge in front of him.

Don’t assume taking down the altars and false places of worship was without difficulty. People cling to their family and cultural traditions. There would have been resistance and disruption in this change. Asa did what was right anyway. I can point to some significant disruption in my life just pivoting away from celebrations based on pagan roots like Christmas and Easter to God’s holy days, or Moedim. It stirs up resistance to lead others through this change. It takes courage of conviction to proceed. It is not the easy path.  The easy path is to rationalize that these ungodly things are “ok” or focus on “what they mean to me” instead of what they mean to God. It can be hard to step away from family and cultural traditions in favor of what God wants us to do.

2- Asa was diligent in making preparations for defense before there was a battle. He did not just say, “God will provide”, and then do nothing. He trusted God but also prepared with purpose. He recognized that God was providing Him the peace and He should take advantage of it.

3- Asa called upon the LORD in His time of need, giving glory and honor to God as the one who can deliver them.

4- Asa waged war, even engaging in a conflict which by human eyes he should expect to lose. This action was evidence of his faith. His army fought and God blessed them. They did not all have a picnic and wait for God to disperse the enemy. One example of how we may apply this today could be that we pray against abortion, but we also organize, protest, communicate and engage with others around us, actively engage politicians and challenge them to support our views, vote based on what we say we believe… without rationalizing or compromising. Obviously this can apply to many things. Abortion is just one example today.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to trust in You fully, in peace and in conflict. Help give me wisdom for the decision I should make to have success in both peace and conflict. Please raise up the righteous and protect us as Your people. Defeat the wicked. Bring us peace that glorifies Your name. 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, Faith / Trusting God, Faithful, Learning To Pray Effectively, Obeying God, Protector / Deliverer, Seeking God, Strong in Our Weakness, Submitted / Servant

Do Not Overlook Your Relationship with God in Preparing for Battle

It is good that we prepare for the challenges we expect to face, and also for some surprises we may not anticipate. That said, ultimately our faith and relationship in Yahweh (through Yeshua) is what will be the deciding factor in many situations. We may feel like we face mountains that we can not overcome. However, with Yahweh, all things are possible.  As we read today’s scripture we will see an example of the importance of a righteous and obedient walk with the LORD as part of preparation for calling upon Him in our need. Of course we should not do it just to get his protection… that is selfish. We obey His law and live His way out of love for Him for what He has already done for us (e.g. creation, life, salvation, blessings, etc.)

2 Chronicles 12

Abijah Succeeds Rehoboam

      1In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king over Judah. 2He reigned three years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah.
Now there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3Abijah began the battle with an army of valiant warriors, 400,000 chosen men, while Jeroboam drew up in battle formation against him with 800,000 chosen men who were valiant warriors.

Civil War

      4Then Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, “Listen to me, Jeroboam and all Israel: 5“Do you not know that the LORD God of Israel gave the rule over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt? 6“Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his master, 7and worthless men gathered about him, scoundrels, who proved too strong for Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, when he was young and timid and could not hold his own against them.

      8“So now you intend to resist the kingdom of the LORD through the sons of David, being a great multitude and having with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made for gods for you. 9“Have you not driven out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron and the Levites, and made for yourselves priests like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams, even he may become a priest of what are no gods. 10“But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken Him; and the sons of Aaron are ministering to the LORD as priests, and the Levites attend to their work. 11“Every morning and evening they burn to the LORD burnt offerings and fragrant incense, and the showbread is set on the clean table, and the golden lampstand with its lamps is ready to light every evening; for we keep the charge of the LORD our God, but you have forsaken Him. 12“Now behold, God is with us at our head and His priests with the signal trumpets to sound the alarm against you. O sons of Israel, do not fight against the LORD God of your fathers, for you will not succeed.”

      13But Jeroboam had set an ambush to come from the rear, so that Israel was in front of Judah and the ambush was behind them. 14When Judah turned around, behold, they were attacked both front and rear; so they cried to the LORD, and the priests blew the trumpets. 15Then the men of Judah raised a war cry, and when the men of Judah raised the war cry, then it was that God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 16When the sons of Israel fled before Judah, God gave them into their hand. 17Abijah and his people defeated them with a great slaughter, so that 500,000 chosen men of Israel fell slain. 18Thus the sons of Israel were subdued at that time, and the sons of Judah conquered because they trusted in the LORD, the God of their fathers. 19Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured from him several cities, Bethel with its villages, Jeshanah with its villages and Ephron with its villages.

Death of Jeroboam

      20Jeroboam did not again recover strength in the days of Abijah; and the LORD struck him and he died.

      21But Abijah became powerful; and took fourteen wives to himself, and became the father of twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. 22Now the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways and his words are written in the treatise of the prophet Iddo.

Do not wait until you are desperately needing Him to turn toward Him and build relationship with Him. Do that now and do not stop. Then when you are in difficult situations, you can lean on Him and cry out for His help. Of course, even if you are already in a bad spot, you can still repent and turn toward Him and cry out to Him for mercy and help.

What are some situations you have faced in your life that were very hard? Did you cry out to Yahweh? Did you recognize His answer? Ask Him prayerfully to show you anything in your relationship with Him that you need to change.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, help me to seek Your face now, even before I face adversity or difficult challenges. Help Your people around the world to live righteously and bring honor and glory to Your name. Thank You for Your help when we face trials from the enemy and from those who are against You. 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.

All Knowing, Blessed, Creation, Guide, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Loving / Kind, Obeying God, Peace / Rest

Sabbath Observed Even During Busy Times

If there is any doubt that Yahweh is serious about Sabbath, let us take note how even the most foundational and important moments in all of time are paused for rest on the Sabbath. Most of us are very familiar with the creation story, in which Yahweh rested on the 7th day… Sabbath.

Genesis 2:1-3

      1Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. 2By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

Think about that for awhile. Even when creating everything, the Creator of the universe, and all that is in it, took time out to rest… not because He was tired, but to set an example to His people for all time that Sabbath and Sabbath rest is important. He did not rest on the first day of the week. He rested on the seventh day of the week. He has instructed us to do likewise.

Now let us jump forward in time several thousand years. A dramatic and defining moment for creation… the death and resurrection of Yeshua. All of history documented in the Old Testament points forward to it. All of history afterwards looks back on it for salvation and forgiveness. It is central in our ability to relate to our holy Father and come into His presence, in this life and after.

Yeshua died more quickly than most who perished from crucifixion. Yahweh timed it so that the scriptures would be fulfilled and the Romans would not break His legs to hasten His death. So too, the timing is such that Yeshua’s death precedes a Sabbath and His followers were able to provide a burial before the sun set to mark the beginning of Sabbath.

Then, everything in the chain of events takes a break for the duration of the Sabbath. Not until after Sabbath is over, does Yeshua rise from the now empty tomb and reveal Himself to His followers.

Mark 15:42-47

Jesus Is Buried

      42When evening had already come, because it was the preparation day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God; and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. 44Pilate wondered if He was dead by this time, and summoning the centurion, he questioned him as to whether He was already dead. 45And ascertaining this from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. 46Joseph bought a linen cloth, took Him down, wrapped Him in the linen cloth and laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. 47Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were looking on to see where He was laid.

Let’s give credit to Joseph. He demonstrated courage to honor Yeshua by providing a burial rather than leaving Him to hang on the cross longer.

We should also take time to pray and think about the importance of Sabbath to our Father. In two of the most incredible moments in all history, time is taken to rest and honor the Sabbath. What could we possibly be doing in our weekly activities that would be more important than these events? If we choose to follow Yeshua, why would we choose not to obey the Father in regards to obeying the Sabbath?

On a personal note, since we started observing Sabbath as a day of rest, my family has found it very rewarding. It is so much beyond just obeying the Father, which is by itself very important. But in pursuing obedience I have found that I now have more time set aside for family and rest. It helps me to be a better husband and father throughout the week. What can I say? Yahweh has some great ideas! He knows how we are built and knows what is best for us to find peace and joy in this life. After all, He provides Sabbath for man, not man for Sabbath.

Mark 2:27

 27Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.

Join me in putting aside the Sabbath as a day of rest. It feels odd at first and you will likely find many excuses to stray. But if you stick with it long enough to form a new habit, it actually just fits perfectly even in busy times. Sometimes that is when we need it the most.

A small bonus assignment, for those who really want to follow after Christ in our Creator’s ways…  they rested on the 7th day of the week, not the first. If we wish to be consistent with the Creator’s calendar, we should observe Sabbath from Friday night at sundown to Saturday night at sundown. This is different from the commonly accepted Sunday timing in our society today. We should ask ourselves, can we find any clear scripture in the Bible that says to change from 7th day to 1st day of the week? (hint: The answer is “no”.) Does scripture give indication that the disciples continued to observe Sabbath on the 7th day after the death of Christ? (hint: The answer is “yes”.)

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to have a curious and open mind, hungry to seek the truth of Your word even as study of Your word reveals truth to me that is different than what most around me believe. Help me to have courage to change where I should to follow Your ways instead of the ways accepted by men, including many churches. I follow You and Your word is the light unto my feet. I do not follow the ways of men.

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.

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.

Blessed, Compassionate, Faith / Trusting God, Healer, Help / Serve Others, Interceding for Others, Obeying God, Submitted / Servant

Allow Yourself to Challenge Your Understanding of Scripture

On the surface, today’s scripture documents an amazing set of miracles. But there is much more going on here as well. I am sure I will not unpack it all in this post, but hopefully stimulate some curiosity for for each of us to study more. I have a few questions to ask after you read the scripture.

2 Kings 4:8-37

The Shunammite Woman

      8Now there came a day when Elisha passed over to Shunem, where there was a prominent woman, and she persuaded him to eat food. And so it was, as often as he passed by, he turned in there to eat food. 9She said to her husband, “Behold now, I perceive that this is a holy man of God passing by us continually. 10“Please, let us make a little walled upper chamber and let us set a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; and it shall be, when he comes to us, that he can turn in there.”

      11One day he came there and turned in to the upper chamber and rested. 12Then he said to Gehazi his servant, “Call this Shunammite.” And when he had called her, she stood before him. 13He said to him, “Say now to her, ‘Behold, you have been careful for us with all this care; what can I do for you? Would you be spoken for to the king or to the captain of the army?’” And she answered, “I live among my own people.” 14So he said, “What then is to be done for her?” And Gehazi answered, “Truly she has no son and her husband is old.” 15He said, “Call her.” When he had called her, she stood in the doorway. 16Then he said, “At this season next year you will embrace a son.” And she said, “No, my lord, O man of God, do not lie to your maidservant.”

      17The woman conceived and bore a son at that season the next year, as Elisha had said to her.

The Shunammite’s Son

      18When the child was grown, the day came that he went out to his father to the reapers. 19He said to his father, “My head, my head.” And he said to his servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 20When he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her lap until noon, and then died. 21She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door behind him and went out. 22Then she called to her husband and said, “Please send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, that I may run to the man of God and return.” 23He said, “Why will you go to him today? It is neither new moon nor sabbath.” And she said, “It will be well.” 24Then she saddled a donkey and said to her servant, “Drive and go forward; do not slow down the pace for me unless I tell you.” 25So she went and came to the man of God to Mount Carmel.
When the man of God saw her at a distance, he said to Gehazi his servant, “Behold, there is the Shunammite. 26“Please run now to meet her and say to her, ‘Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?’” And she answered, “It is well.” 27When she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught hold of his feet. And Gehazi came near to push her away; but the man of God said, “Let her alone, for her soul is troubled within her; and the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me.” 28Then she said, “Did I ask for a son from my lord? Did I not say, ‘Do not deceive me’?”

      29Then he said to Gehazi, “Gird up your loins and take my staff in your hand, and go your way; if you meet any man, do not salute him, and if anyone salutes you, do not answer him; and lay my staff on the lad’s face.” 30The mother of the lad said, “As the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” And he arose and followed her. 31Then Gehazi passed on before them and laid the staff on the lad’s face, but there was no sound or response. So he returned to meet him and told him, “The lad has not awakened.”

      32When Elisha came into the house, behold the lad was dead and laid on his bed. 33So he entered and shut the door behind them both and prayed to the LORD. 34And he went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth and his eyes on his eyes and his hands on his hands, and he stretched himself on him; and the flesh of the child became warm. 35Then he returned and walked in the house once back and forth, and went up and stretched himself on him; and the lad sneezed seven times and the lad opened his eyes. 36He called Gehazi and said, “Call this Shunammite.” So he called her. And when she came in to him, he said, “Take up your son.” 37Then she went in and fell at his feet and bowed herself to the ground, and she took up her son and went out.

Is it wrong that Elisha blessed this family in part because they blessed him first? I think sometimes people get the impression that Yahweh is not supposed to have “favorites” and is supposed to treat everyone the same. Where does the Bible say that? In fact, this family saw an opportunity to minister to a man of God and asked nothing in return. Why should they not be greatly blessed in return?

I include one example from Psalm 119 which speaks to who will be blessed (and by difference, who will not).

1How blessed are those whose way is blameless,
Who walk in the law of the LORD.

      2How blessed are those who observe His testimonies,
Who seek Him with all their heart.

      3They also do no unrighteousness;
They walk in His ways.

There are many more, such as Luke 11:28.

 28But He said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”

Another question 2 Kings 4 raises for me is in regards to how the power of the prophets works. I have at times thought that they were only a conduit between man and God, but this scripture is one example of many where we see the prophet seemingly act on his own. He decides to bless the woman with a child and heal the child. There is no reference to consulting with God. Yet at the same time, he does not have absolute and full understanding of all things. He says that God has not revealed to Him why the woman was coming to him. Also, the servant with the staff at Elisha’s command to heal the boy did not work. Does that make him a false prophet? I don’t think so. This was not prophecy spoken on behalf of the LORD. This was his attempt to cure someone.

I hope we allow ourselves to ask questions and not have to immediately convince ourselves of the answers. Go to the LORD in prayer. Study the word, including commentaries, for additional insight. Allow yourself to ask questions and challenge things in scripture, even if you can’t immediately explain them a different way.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to have a spirit of humility and a desire to adapt my understanding of scripture as You open up the scriptures more to me to apply in my life. Help me not be prideful and stubborn, refusing to learn or change what I have been taught if it was wrong. Help me test everything against Your scriptures, and accept that I will not understand everything and some things may make me uncomfortable… but that does not mean they are incorrect. Your holy word is correct and true. My understanding and that taught by men, often is not true. 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.

Faith / Trusting God, Obeying God, Peace / Rest, Prayer

How Can I Remain Calm and Focused In Adversity?

It is too easy to speed read the familiar story in scripture about our Lord, Yeshua, being taken into custody in Gethsemane. Take time and dwell on it. Study and reflect on His attitude and actions and demeanor. He remains calm throughout as He is betrayed and taken into custody to be executed. He continues to speak truth with authority. He does not panic or resist, because He already knows the Father has ordained this series of events and Yeshua is fully committed to obey the Father, despite any negative impact on Himself. By contrast, His followers mostly panic and eventually all flee.

Mark 14:43-51

Betrayal and Arrest

      43Immediately while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, came up accompanied by a crowd with swords and clubs, who were from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. 44Now he who was betraying Him had given them a signal, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him and lead Him away under guard.” 45After coming, Judas immediately went to Him, saying, “Rabbi!” and kissed Him. 46They laid hands on Him and seized Him. 47But one of those who stood by drew his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear. 48And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me, as you would against a robber? 49“Every day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me; but this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures.” 50And they all left Him and fled.

      51A young man was following Him, wearing nothing but a linen sheet over his naked body; and they seized him. 52But he pulled free of the linen sheet and escaped naked.

How is it that Yeshua remained so calm and confident? He had just finished spending time before the Father in prayer (Mark 14:32-42) immediately before being confronted and seized by the Romans. Yeshua found peace, calm and confidence in aligning with the Father. We should learn and apply in our lives to do the same.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, help me to draw near to You in prayer and experience peace and calm even during storms in my life. Please help me to lean on and rely on You, even when I may not understand fully. Please help me to be stronger in my faith and to clearly understand Your will for me. 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.

Faith / Trusting God, Father / Yahweh, Help / Serve Others, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Learning To Pray Effectively, Loving / Kind, Obeying God

To Whom Should We Turn in Grief?

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We all experience pain and grief. Where do we turn in these times? Who may let us down and who will never let us down? Looking to Yeshua, we see that when he was “grieved to the point of death” He turned in prayer to the Father and He asked for support from His closest friends. His friends wanted to help Him. They tried to support Him, but though “the spirit is willing”, “the flesh is weak”.  The Father, however, is always available and wanting to listen to our prayers.

Mark 14:32-42

Jesus in Gethsemane

      32They came to a place named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here until I have prayed.” 33And He took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be very distressed and troubled. 34And He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch.” 35And He went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by. 36And He was saying, “Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.” 37And He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? 38“Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 39Again He went away and prayed, saying the same words. 40And again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him. 41And He came the third time, and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough; the hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42“Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!”

Yeshua knew He was going to be taken into custody, beaten, and crucified. He knew why and when. He knew what it would feel like. He even knew that His friends would fall away and deny Him and He would be alone. No wonder He was grieved to the point of death. He was honest enough in His relationship with the Father to come before Him and ask for the suffering to be removed, but faithful and obedient enough to trust the Father to decide and to obey.

Let us seek to follow Yeshua’s example as we experience difficulty. It is hard to imagine what we could face that could be worse than what He faced on our behalf. Pray for help from the Father. Share openly and honestly with Him your feelings and emotions. Pray for His will to be done and then accept it.

Sometimes we find ourselves in the position of supporting someone who is going through difficulty, as the disciples found themselves in as Yeshua prayed. Truly pray for the Father to help. Sometimes we need His help even to just be the support that our friends and family need. Yes, our flesh is weak. Pray for strength and endurance.

As a final thought, some say it is wrong to pray “if it be Your will…” when bringing our supplications and requests before the Father. They say it is double minded and lacking faith, that instead we should essentially demand our way and expect it when coming before the LORD. We can see from today’s scripture that this logic is flat out wrong. Yeshua prayed for the father’s will over His own. It was not weak in faith or double minded. It was being submitted to the Father.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me be submitted to You fully, even when Your plans are not my plans. Please help me comfort those who are in need and guide them to You. Please help me to turn to You when I am in difficulty and trust You completely. 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.