Listening to the Word

2 Kings 6-7; 2 Chronicles 20; 1 Timothy 3   “…’A vast army is coming against you…’…Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord;… ’Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.’” 2 Chronicles 20:2-4, 21 Leaders are responsible to frame reality for those they are leading. They can ignore a crisis, or respond. Their response is significant in shaping the perspective of others. Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord and to humble himself before God. Instead of fighting the invading forces, or mustering up an army, Jehoshaphat called a prayer meeting and a fast. As they collectively humbled themselves before God, Judah heard the word of the Lord. They heard God’s perspective on their crisis.   We all hear from the enemy; but, how many of us then humble ourselves and wait to hear from God? Judah’s response was to worship and in the face of the enemy declare, “...

2 Kings 4-5; Psalms 83; 1 Timothy 2   “’…As surely as the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him.’…But Elisha said to him, ‘Was not my Spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to take money, or to accept clothes, olive groves, vineyards, flocks, herds, or menservants and maidservants? 2 Kings 5:20, 26 Elisha’s attendant, Gehazi, used the influence and anointing of God on Elisha to benefit himself materially. He ran after Naaman with hopes of receiving a gift. Using money for influence and manipulation is the way of the world. Jesus calls us to not be anxious for anything, but to seek first his kingdom and all the things we need will be provided for us. Do we believe that? Or are we, like Gehazi, using manipulation to meet our own ‘wants’? It’s ironic that Gehazi said to himself “as surely as the Lord lives” and then acted as if the Lord wasn’t watching his life. Do we behave the same way? What area of provision are we...

2 Kings 1-3; Psalms 82; 1 Timothy 1   “…While the harpist was playing, the hand of the Lord came on Elisha and he said, ‘This is what the Lord says: I will fill this valley full of ditches. For this is what the Lord says: You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink. This is an easy thing in the eyes of the Lord; he will also deliver Moab over to you.” 2 Kings 3:15-18 While facing overwhelming odds in battle and the imminent death of men and animals due to thirst, the kings of Israel, Judah, and Edom sought the Lord. What causes us to seek the Lord? Elisha walked with God. When the kings in their crisis approached him for counsel, Elisha had access to the presence of the Lord. Do we walk with God, or just cry out to him when in crisis? The provision of water in the desert and victory on the battlefield was an “easy thing in the eyes of the Lord”. What challenges are we facing today and how are ...

1 Kings 22; 2 Chronicles 18-19; Colossians 4   “But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, ‘First seek the counsel of the Lord.’…But Jehoshaphat asked, ‘Is there not a prophet of the Lord here whom we can inquire of?’” 1 Kings 22:5, 7 “Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.” Colossians 4:12 Jehoshaphat’s leadership-decisions were guided by prayer. His first priority was to seek the counsel of the Lord. His father-in-law, Ahab, used religion to manipulate people and decisions rather than to seek the Lord’s counsel. Prayer can sometimes be the religious ‘window dressing’ in our meetings rather than our first response in discernment and decision-making. Do we believe the Lord still speaks today through his Word and Spirit? While he was in prison in Rome, Epaphras contributed to the ministry of the church in Colossae through wres...

1 Kings 20-21; 2 Chronicles 17; Colossians 3 “(There was never a man like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife. He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the Lord drove out before Israel.) When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly.” 1 Kings 21:25-27 “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.” Colossians 3:5 At the urging of his wife Jezebel, Ahab sold himself to the powers of darkness. His vile practices included rituals which involved offering sacrifices to demons. When Ahab lusted after Naboth’s vineyard to use as a vegetable garden and then supported a plot to kill Naboth and steal his land, God was grieved. Greed is the same as idolatry. We might not plot to take someone else’s garden plot; but, when money becomes our god, ...

1 Kings 17-19; Colossians 2   “…He gave him to his mother and said, ‘Look your son is alive!’ Then the woman said to Elijah, ‘Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth!’…’Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.’” 1 Kings 17:23, 24; 18:37 Why did God allow the death of the widow of Zarepheth’s son? Why did God allow a famine and no rain in Israel for three years? In these experiences of Elijah, God was turning the hearts of people to him and even back to him. The widow of Zarepheth could only think of sin as the cause of her son’s death. God’s heart toward her was full of mercy and forgiveness. Zarepheth was the birthplace of Jezebel and centre of Baal worship. In that very place God was turning hearts toward himself. The dramatic fire from heaven which consumed the soaked sacrifice at Carmel reminds us of the tongues of fire on the heads...

1 Kings 16; 2 Chronicles 15-16; Colossians 1 “…the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that which you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you. All over the world, this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth.” Colossians 1:5, 6 The gospel Paul proclaimed was focused on the faith, love, and hope found in knowing Jesus Christ. This fruit of the Spirit is evident anywhere and at any time people have responded to the gospel and given their lives to Jesus. If we don’t see the evidence of faith, love, and hope in the lives of people who confess they follow Jesus, we have to ask whether they have truly experienced conversion or are merely cultural Christians. When the DNA of the gospel is clear, the same fruit Paul witnessed two thousand years ago is evident in gospel-transformed lives today. Are we growing ...

1 Kings 15; 2 Chronicles 13-14; Philippians 4 “I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.” Philippians 4:2, 3 Paul called two women who were leaders in the Philippian church “to agree with each other in the Lord”. His call to be “like-minded…Do[ing] nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit” was written for a particular conflict in leadership that he was addressing in his letter (Philippians 2:2, 3). This generous, faithful, persecuted church had conflict, not unlike our own churches today. How are we working to resolve conflict in our own contexts? Paul’s call is to be of one mind in the Lord, not the same mind as each other. If we will humble ourselves before the Lord and each other, the Lord will give us grace to see our conflict from h...

1 Kings 13-14; 2 Chronicles 12; Philippians 3   “He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord.” 2 Chronicles 12:14 “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Philippians 3:10, 11 Rehoboam turned his back on temple worship and seeking the presence of the Lord, and he almost lost everything. After experiencing the humiliation of the king of Egypt looting Jerusalem and all of Solomon’s treasure, Rehoboam humbled himself before God. When we fail to set a daily pattern of seeking the Lord, we will seek wealth, affirmation, and security in other things. What we think about and spend our money and time on, become our gods. Paul’s focus was on Christ - knowing, imitating and pleasing the Lord, Jesus Christ. This was the daily focus and passion of Paul’s life and it can be ours as well. “Lord Jesus, you are my focus...

1 Kings 12; 2 Chronicles 10-11; Philippians 2 “…but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others…And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by and became obedient to death – even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:3, 4, 8 Jesus is our example of humility. He is our leader and the head of the body of Christ. Humility is an essential attitude for unity, the experience of being like-minded in spirit and purpose. If we pursue unity of spirit and purpose with others through negotiating away our differences or focusing on a common denominator, but ignore our heart-attitude of humility, we will not succeed. Humility is expressed in considering or valuing others above or better than ourselves. In humility, we look to and anticipate the interests of others. Humility is expressed in obedience and a willingness to die-to-self, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. This humility is radic...

Song 5-8; Philippians 1   “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ,” Philippians 1:9, 10 What influence should love have on our discernment and capacity to make good decisions? Paul’s prayer for the Philippian church was that they would grow in their capacity and experience of God’s love (agape). This would shape both their discernment and their character. Motives lie hidden in the depths of our heart. It is to this deeper, hidden place that Paul was praying in order for the church to be transformed by God’s love. It is our motives which deeply impact our decisions and ultimately our character. God is love. His motives toward us are always guided by love. As we learn to know God in greater intimacy, we will become more like him. Inviting God to fill us with his love each day will affect how we view others as well as the way ...

Song 1-4; Ephesians 6   “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would Christ…Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.” Ephesians 6:5, 7, 8 Paul used the example of slavery to describe how we are to respond to Christ’s authority in our lives. Do we see Jesus as our owner and boss? Yes, he is our Saviour and Good Shepherd; but, is he also our boss? The attitudes Paul calls for are respect, fear (healthy reverence), sincerity of heart, and wholehearted devotion. For this kind of relationship with Jesus we need to be daily processing our lives with him. We need to be in his presence, listening to his Word. Our obedience to all that he has commanded us to do and to be will be rewarded. Who’s our boss and can others notice? “Lord Jesus, you are my boss and my friend. Your love has transformed me, for ...

Ecclesiastes 10-12; Psalms 94; Ephesians 5   “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.” Ephesians 5:3 In an age of self-indulgence where we are conditioned to believe we deserve a treat, a toy, a pleasure, or even an indiscretion, Paul’s call to avoid even a hint of impurity or greed sounds prophetic. In the aftermath of the Spanish flu global pandemic, the “roaring 20’s” were marked by excess and self-indulgence. Are we currently in that kind of season? How is the Church living any differently? Are we defining ourselves as “God’s holy people”, set apart for his pleasure? When we experience and find our pleasure in the Lord, we find joy, peace, love, and fulfillment in ways that strengthen our lives rather than destroy them. What choices must we make today to guard our heart from even a hint of sinful indulgences? “Lord Jesus, you are my great reward. In you I have fo...

Ecclesiastes 7-9; Ephesians 4   “It is better to go to a house of mourning that go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart…The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.” Ecclesiastes 7:2, 4 In an age where people are trying to look younger and trying to reverse the effects of aging and extend life, Solomon’s words concerning death are a trumpet call. Facing the reality of death and its consequences is wisdom.   In light of our impending death, how then should we live? What changes, new considerations, and priorities should we be taking to heart in light of our unknown date but certain reality of our death? With the many deaths of a pandemic are we becoming wiser as a society regarding our priorities in life? Jesus is the resurrection and the life. He faced and defeated death and offers eternal life now to those who entrust their lives to him. Have we experienced...

Ecclesiastes 4-6; Psalms 18; Ephesians 3   “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power…to know this love that surpasses knowledge…Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine…” Ephesians 3:16-18, 20 Paul’s discipleship and life with God was rooted in the reality of God’s love for him. Through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, Paul knew God’s love. This experiential knowledge transformed his whole being and motivated his doing. Our knowing, being, and doing must also be transformed by the reality of God’s love for us in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. When our knowledge of God remains theoretical and our service for God is based on ritual or duty, we are not being transformed by the living presence of Christ. It is the personal indwelling p...

Ecclesiastes 1-3; Psalms 45; Ephesians 2 “So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” Ecclesiastes 2:17 “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus…For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:6, 10 Solomon’s quest for purpose and meaning in life focused on knowing and doing. He missed the essential quality of being. Although God appeared to Solomon several times in dreams, Solomon didn’t make a relationship with God a priority like his father David. He didn’t find his identity in being loved by God as a son. Rather than finding the joy of God’s throne room, Solomon built his own. Rather than finding the joy of God’s workmanship in his life, Solomon embarked on his own great works. We can be tempted to also search for meaning and purpose in our careers, accomplish...

Proverbs 30-31; Psalms 33; Ephesians 1 “But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you.” Psalm 33:18-22 In the tests of life, where are we looking for help? Where do our eyes turn? David looked up and focused his hope on the Lord. He cultivated a life of worship and prayer so that the presence of the Lord became his confidence. As David looked to the Lord he found God’s eyes were on him. God’s eyes are on those who fear him, who reverence his name, and who trust in his unfailing love in their lives. Are we placing our trust in our government, employment, education, or influence with others, to save us? Where and to whom are we looking today? Will we look to the Lord in worship and surre...

Proverbs 28-29; Psalms 60; Romans 16   “Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” Romans 16:19, 20 To be innocent of what is evil is not to be naïve; but rather, it is to be separated from evil by choice. To be wise about what is good is to choose the good. We are to think about “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure…” (Philippians 4:8). Satan is our enemy whom Christ has defeated and it is under Christ’s authority that we resist temptation, sin, and that which is evil. In Christ we can declare today that which is evil is under our feet.   Why would we stoop to entertain evil when we have been given authority to rule and reign with Christ? Jesus instructed his disciples to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16). These words were spoken to the disciples as they l...

Proverbs 25-27; Romans 15   “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 Hope is an elusive quality in our day when our health, finances, and way of life are at risk. Paul invited the Church in Rome – and us - to lift our eyes off of our circumstances and look to a more secure source of hope. For those who ask, the God of hope promises to fill us with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Rome was known for its power, glory, and honor. Yet, Rome could not give Christ-followers the hope they needed to sustain themselves. Hope is the living expectation of something promised. Hope of eternity transforms the cost of our current reality into something much smaller. Hope rooted in God’s nature and character marks the lives of those who know him. He indwells us and he is hope. “Father God, thank you for your hope. Renew and fill me with the power of your hope through the Hol...

Proverbs 22-24; Romans 14 “Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters…who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand…You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.” Romans 14:1, 4, 10 Why are we not to judge other Christ-followers on disputable matters such as political affiliation, alcohol, or denominational distinctives? Each Christ-follower is accountable to the Lord and will one day stand before his throne of judgment. When we judge others on disputable matters, we place ourselves in the position of judge. Paul used the example of servants or slaves who served another master. It would be unacceptable to judge someone else’s servant.   However, do we have the humility to realize we ourselves are servants or slaves of Christ? Without humility, we will easily fall into...