Listening to the Word

Isaiah 40-42; 1 Peter 3   “And this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also – not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand – with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.” 1 Peter 3:21, 22 Baptism symbolizes our death to sin and our resurrected new life through Christ. In baptism we pledge to maintain a good conscience toward God as we listen to and obey God’s Word and Spirit. In baptism we declare that Christ’s resurrection-life and power are now given to us through the Holy Spirit. We, too, are seated with Christ in heavenly places, above angels, authorities, and spiritual powers. We do not have to fear the attacks of Satan or the temptations of the world as long as we remain in Christ. Baptism is much more than a pledge to join a church. In baptism, we pledge our lives to Christ. We are now his. We represent Christ an...

2 Kings 20; Isaiah 38,39; Psalms 75; 1 Peter 2   “But what can I say? He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this. I will walk humbly all my years because of this anguish of my soul. Lord, by such things men live; and my spirit finds life in them too. You restored me to health and let me live. Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back.” Isaiah 38:15-17 There are few things that get our attention more than life-threatening illness. King Hezekiah had the clarity to know only God could heal him. As he cried out to the Lord in the bitter anguish of knowing his life was about to end, Hezekiah found new depths of God’s love and mercy toward him. That intense fiery trial was a lesson in humility and Hezekiah realized it was for his benefit not his destruction. Wealth, power, and success in life can become significant distractions to walking humbly with God and others. ...

Isaiah 36,37; Psalms 76; 1 Peter 1   “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” 1 Peter 1:6, 7 In the context of intense persecution under Nero’s rule, Peter answered the question of why trials, tests, and persecution afflict the lives of Christians. God allows tests to prove the genuine-ness of our faith in him and to bring glory to him through how we respond. While we value gold, God values faith. Just as gold is refined, so God uses the testing of fiery trials to purge the impurities of self, sin, and pride from our lives. When we choose what is eternal over what is temporal, our faith is strengthened. What tests is the Lord using in this season of our lives to refine our faith and bring him glory throug...

2 Kings 18,19; 2 Chronicles 32; James 5   “After all that Hezekiah had so faithfully done, Sennacherib King of Assyria came and invaded Judah…He succeeded in everything he undertook. But when envoys were sent by the rulers of Babylon to ask him about the miraculous sign that had occurred in the land, God left him to test him and to know everything that was in his heart.” 2 Chronicles 32:1, 30, 31 After years of faithfully serving the Lord and experiencing success in our lives, we might be tempted to believe our success came from our own efforts and that we deserve some of the blessings we have received. King Hezekiah was invaded by Assyria despite faithfully serving God. His humble, desperate cry to the Lord and his testimony of deliverance became another opportunity to bring glory to God. However, when envoys from Babylon came to flatter him and hear his stories, Hezekiah’s pride became his undoing. He showed his visitors all his treasures. We all receive tests from the Lord to kn...

2 Chronicles 29-31; James 4   “Nevertheless, some men from Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and went to Jerusalem. Also in Judah the hand of God was on the people to give them unity of mind to carry out what the king and his officials had order, following the word of the Lord.” 2 Chronicles 30:11, 12 “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” James 4:10 Some leaders from the northern tribes of Israel humbled themselves and went to Jerusalem, the rival city to Samaria. In traveling to Jerusalem, they acknowledged that God’s word and ways were right. In Jerusalem they experienced the hand of God on his people, giving them unity of mind. We might want both the hand of God on our lives and unity with other leaders; but, unless we are willing to humble ourselves, we might not experience what we are praying for. When we humble ourselves before the Lord and repent of pride, stubbornness, and rebellion, we receive the grace of God, and we find the hand of G...

2 Kings 17; 2 Chronicles 28; Psalms 46; James 3 “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh and salt water flow from the same spring?” James 3:9-11 Why is our speech so important to God? What we say reveals our heart. Just as fresh and salt water cannot flow from the same spring, so blessing and cursing cannot come from a pure heart of wisdom. If we curse others, our heart is not yet surrendered to God and filled with his love. In the same way we evaluate the quality of the water we drink, we should be listening for what the words we hear reveal about the heart. When words are salty, the heart is not pure, and our claims to spiritual maturity are disingenuous. Will we reflect on our speech over the past week and invite the Holy Spirit to reveal our heart? The Lord invites us to give him our heart, repent for attitudes which a...