In the 23rd chapter, from the book of 2 Kings, Josiah, distressed by what his ancestors had done with the money to repair the Lord's temple, made a covenant with God. All of his people and him would keep God's commandments, within their heart and soul.
To go one step further, king Josiah removed from the temples all artifacts of the false gods, to remove all temptation to worship them. It was one thing for him to say he was going to keep God's covenant. He did it through the deeds of removing from sight all other gods--false gods, mind you. He completely destroyed all remnants, even going so far as to kill the priests who may cause others to follow them instead of the One True God.
Know what tempts you to turn away from the Lord. Read the Bible daily. Do what the Good Book says, His Word. And remove all temptation to go against His Word.
Sunday, March 31, 2019
Friday, March 29, 2019
The Lord heals your suffering
Psalm 38 starts with a pleading to God about not punishing us in His anger. The Lord has the ability to punish all who sin--and no one is above even the simplest sin. But does He?
Our sins are like festering wounds all over our body, a constant burden we bear. Nothing is hidden from the Mighty Lord, be it thought, word, or deed.
Despite this, we still put our hope in God. We confess our sins and He is there to heal us. Remember, the Lord will never abandon you.
Our sins are like festering wounds all over our body, a constant burden we bear. Nothing is hidden from the Mighty Lord, be it thought, word, or deed.
Despite this, we still put our hope in God. We confess our sins and He is there to heal us. Remember, the Lord will never abandon you.
Wednesday, March 27, 2019
Tithe your time (and your money)
Tithe. A tenth. First fruits. Giving the best pieces to God.
This is how tithing has been described in the Bible. Let's look back to the days of Cain and Abel. Abel gave the first portion, the best portion, as a sacrifice to God. Cain just gave some, not necessarily the first and/or the best. Hence the reason God chose Abel as a loyal follower.
Everyone seems to be busy nowadays. Which, honestly, isn't true at all. Everyone has always been busy and devote their time toward their desired tasks. If someone wanted to sit down each night and watch hour after hour of mindless news media, or consume hour after hour of social media, that is their choice.
Try a different mindset. Tithe your time as well as your money. Give the best parts to God.
Because it is all His anyway. Your time is God's time. Your money is God's money. We're God's stewards of our time and money. No one seems to talk about tithing our time. Give it a try. Devote time each and every day to Him. Set it in stone.
Make it time for His Word.
This is how tithing has been described in the Bible. Let's look back to the days of Cain and Abel. Abel gave the first portion, the best portion, as a sacrifice to God. Cain just gave some, not necessarily the first and/or the best. Hence the reason God chose Abel as a loyal follower.
Everyone seems to be busy nowadays. Which, honestly, isn't true at all. Everyone has always been busy and devote their time toward their desired tasks. If someone wanted to sit down each night and watch hour after hour of mindless news media, or consume hour after hour of social media, that is their choice.
Try a different mindset. Tithe your time as well as your money. Give the best parts to God.
Because it is all His anyway. Your time is God's time. Your money is God's money. We're God's stewards of our time and money. No one seems to talk about tithing our time. Give it a try. Devote time each and every day to Him. Set it in stone.
Make it time for His Word.
Sunday, March 24, 2019
Josiah saves his people
In the book of 2 Kings, chapter 22, Josiah was only eight when he became king of Jerusalem. He had a deep faith in God and did right in the Lord's eyes.
By the eighteenth year of his thirty-one year reign, he ordered the priests to give the money collected for the Temple to be entrusted with the workers who were rebuilding it. Also, since he trusted the workers, he did not request an accounting of their work.
However, it was then discovered that the money had been taken long ago. Josiah was both furious and afraid. He was fearful of what the Lord had trusted the people of Jerusalem to do. The Temple was unable to be completed.
Josiah pleaded with God. God then said He had planned to bring about disaster on their place, but because of his loyalty, the people would be spared until the day came for his death.
By the eighteenth year of his thirty-one year reign, he ordered the priests to give the money collected for the Temple to be entrusted with the workers who were rebuilding it. Also, since he trusted the workers, he did not request an accounting of their work.
However, it was then discovered that the money had been taken long ago. Josiah was both furious and afraid. He was fearful of what the Lord had trusted the people of Jerusalem to do. The Temple was unable to be completed.
Josiah pleaded with God. God then said He had planned to bring about disaster on their place, but because of his loyalty, the people would be spared until the day came for his death.
Friday, March 22, 2019
Taking delight in the Lord
Psalm 37:4 has an amazing verse: "Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart's desires."
Psalm 37 is long but interesting. Throughout the Psalm, David talks about those who may appear successful, but are wicked evildoers at heart and will not last long.
We must also trust completely in the Lord.
David describes those who are wicked, how they cut corners and take out debts they have no intention of ever repaying. He also describes those who are righteous, how they are always giving and gracious.
Those who are evil will fade away.
Those who stand with the Lord will reap abundance and will always have God's grace.
Psalm 37 is long but interesting. Throughout the Psalm, David talks about those who may appear successful, but are wicked evildoers at heart and will not last long.
We must also trust completely in the Lord.
David describes those who are wicked, how they cut corners and take out debts they have no intention of ever repaying. He also describes those who are righteous, how they are always giving and gracious.
Those who are evil will fade away.
Those who stand with the Lord will reap abundance and will always have God's grace.
Wednesday, March 20, 2019
God is patient
For the past several months, we've explored the reigns of kings in the books of 1 Kings and 2 Kings. Especially in 2 Kings I have noted time and again where kings have constantly done evil in the sight of the Lord.
Even in the book of Exodus, as the Israelites escaped from Egypt and traveled back to their Promised Land, they turned away from God. Even after Moses's stern warning not to do so, they ignored him.
After all this, God is patient with His people. Despite their constant sinning (evil deeds), He is still patient with them, giving them multiples changes--seven times seven, in other words.
Remember that in your own life. Now, that doesn't give you an excuse to purposefully do something bad, do something immoral. One should still live their life by His Word. But, like a wandering sheep, God and his Holy Son Jesus will be there to bring you back, to comfort you.
God still loves His people. He is gracious. And He is patient.
Amen.
Even in the book of Exodus, as the Israelites escaped from Egypt and traveled back to their Promised Land, they turned away from God. Even after Moses's stern warning not to do so, they ignored him.
After all this, God is patient with His people. Despite their constant sinning (evil deeds), He is still patient with them, giving them multiples changes--seven times seven, in other words.
Remember that in your own life. Now, that doesn't give you an excuse to purposefully do something bad, do something immoral. One should still live their life by His Word. But, like a wandering sheep, God and his Holy Son Jesus will be there to bring you back, to comfort you.
God still loves His people. He is gracious. And He is patient.
Amen.
Sunday, March 17, 2019
Two more kings go bad
In the 21st chapter of 2 Kings, we find Manasseh. He became king of Jerusalem when he was only twelve years old. And he reigned for fifty-five years. And, as you guessed by the title of this post, he did evil in the sight of the Lord. He reversed all of the things his father had done by rebuilding the places of worship for many pagans, and on top of it worshiped all of the stars in the sky.
Manasseh even sacrificed his own son to a pagan god (false god).
By the end of his evil reign, God told His prophets that, because of Manasseh's evil deeds and repulsiveness toward God, He would bring a great catastrophe upon Jerusalem.
And it was done. Amon, his son, took his father's place and he only reigned for two short years. He, too, continued in his father's evil ways. He was killed two years into his reign by his own servants.
Manasseh even sacrificed his own son to a pagan god (false god).
By the end of his evil reign, God told His prophets that, because of Manasseh's evil deeds and repulsiveness toward God, He would bring a great catastrophe upon Jerusalem.
And it was done. Amon, his son, took his father's place and he only reigned for two short years. He, too, continued in his father's evil ways. He was killed two years into his reign by his own servants.
Friday, March 15, 2019
Protection from the Lord
Last week, it appears that I skipped Psalm 35. My bad. Here it is . . .
The psalm starts with a prayer, asking the Lord to fight against those who are against us, to battle beside us and give us victory. There will be others who wish to disgrace and humiliate us, but the Lord will blow them away like chaff in the wind.
In verse 7, it spells out that we did them no wrong yet they were still against us. So make sure to do no wrong and trust in the Lord to protect you.
In verse 11, one may be accused of crimes they didn't do and malicious people wish to testify falsely against them.
The Lord God will protect you from fierce attacks. Even if one is innocent and falsely accused, pray to Him that He declare us not guilty. Praise God and he will grant justice.
The psalm starts with a prayer, asking the Lord to fight against those who are against us, to battle beside us and give us victory. There will be others who wish to disgrace and humiliate us, but the Lord will blow them away like chaff in the wind.
In verse 7, it spells out that we did them no wrong yet they were still against us. So make sure to do no wrong and trust in the Lord to protect you.
In verse 11, one may be accused of crimes they didn't do and malicious people wish to testify falsely against them.
The Lord God will protect you from fierce attacks. Even if one is innocent and falsely accused, pray to Him that He declare us not guilty. Praise God and he will grant justice.
Wednesday, March 13, 2019
Father knows best
In the 20th chapter of 2 Kings, we find Hezekiah on the verge of death from an illness.
But Hezekiah didn't want to face death. Not yet. He prayed to the Lord, pleading that he was a faithful servant to God and that he always did what He told him.
The prophet Isaiah received a message from the Lord, telling Hezekiah that He heard his prayer and that he would add 15 years onto his life. Also, He would rescue him from the Assyrians.
Hezekiah was joyful. Then, one day, the son of the Babylonian king had heard of Hezekiah's illness and wanted to give his wishes. Hezekiah gave the envoy a tour of his houses, showing them all of his riches.
After they left, Isaiah asked why he had done such a thing. Then, he told him another message from the Lord, saying that because he showed all of his treasures the Babylonians would take all of their belongings, including some of his sons.
But Hezekiah didn't want to face death. Not yet. He prayed to the Lord, pleading that he was a faithful servant to God and that he always did what He told him.
The prophet Isaiah received a message from the Lord, telling Hezekiah that He heard his prayer and that he would add 15 years onto his life. Also, He would rescue him from the Assyrians.
Hezekiah was joyful. Then, one day, the son of the Babylonian king had heard of Hezekiah's illness and wanted to give his wishes. Hezekiah gave the envoy a tour of his houses, showing them all of his riches.
After they left, Isaiah asked why he had done such a thing. Then, he told him another message from the Lord, saying that because he showed all of his treasures the Babylonians would take all of their belongings, including some of his sons.
Sunday, March 10, 2019
Hezekiah faces adversity and his trust in the Lord is tested
In the latter part of the 18th chapter from the book of 2 Kings, Hezekiah is questioned by a servant to the Assyrian king, asking why he is so confident when the might of the Assyrian military is strong? It was suggested that they not lean on the help of Egypt, for the Egyptian Pharaoh is unreliable.
Hezekiah was mocked for his trust in the Lord, when it was Hezekiah who tore down the temples in Judah.
Then, as a last ditch effort, the servant offered 2,000 horses to ride against Assyrian, knowing that even with that much of a head start, they could not win.
The Assyrian servant told the people of Judah not to rely on Hezekiah, for he was trying to deceive them. But the people of Judah did not answer him, for Hezekiah told them not to, for the Lord would protect them.
The insults continued in chapter 19. Hezekiah delivered a message to Isaiah, who then informed the king not to listen to the blasphemy. The Lord would help him. In the end, after much back and forth with other allied nations, an angel of the Lord killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers, driving them back to their own lands.
Then, as a final act, the Assyrian king was assassinated by two of his own sons, and another son took his place.
Hezekiah was mocked for his trust in the Lord, when it was Hezekiah who tore down the temples in Judah.
Then, as a last ditch effort, the servant offered 2,000 horses to ride against Assyrian, knowing that even with that much of a head start, they could not win.
The Assyrian servant told the people of Judah not to rely on Hezekiah, for he was trying to deceive them. But the people of Judah did not answer him, for Hezekiah told them not to, for the Lord would protect them.
The insults continued in chapter 19. Hezekiah delivered a message to Isaiah, who then informed the king not to listen to the blasphemy. The Lord would help him. In the end, after much back and forth with other allied nations, an angel of the Lord killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers, driving them back to their own lands.
Then, as a final act, the Assyrian king was assassinated by two of his own sons, and another son took his place.
Friday, March 8, 2019
The arrogance of the wicked
In Psalm 36, it starts with the character of those who are arrogant. They think so highly of themselves that they do not see the wickedness that they do. They only look to themselves, plotting any way to get ahead, even if it's against the Lord's wishes.
Starting in verse 5, the Lord takes the faithful and leads the way for them. The faithful takes refuge in God and is filled with the fountain of everlasting life.
In verse 11, it reads: "May the foot of the proud not come against me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away." Those who are sinful will try to wedge themselves in the faithful, to drive them from their love of God. But those who are faithful, keeping His love, will be shielded by His glory.
Wednesday, March 6, 2019
God's tests make one stronger
It was January 2011. A few months prior, my wife and I finished a popular financial planning course. I won't mention the name of it, for even though the course was fantastic and the message Godly, we seemed to be so far downhill in our finances that we really needed a spiritual intervention to help us out. At the time, I was just promoted to a supervisor position, which did come with a small raise.
We were majorly behind on bills, including both our house and van payments. Within two days, we watched our van being towed away and our home was foreclosed upon. Fast forward two weeks, we got the van back. Then, we set to work on getting the house back as well.
With a lot of prayer and the help from our parents, we did it. We were on a strict budget, my in-laws helped with food, and we were on a plan to get our lives back in order.
Then, my wife started to get sick. We knew things weren't right. By April 14, 2011, she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia and spent the rest of 2011 in Rochester, MN, at the Mayo Clinic.
On May 19th, the small town where we lived (and still do) had a benefit and raised quite a bit of money for expenses, both in travel for myself and our three kids as well as my wife. If what he had experienced earlier in the year hadn't happened, we might not have been prepared for the sudden influx of money. We used it frugally to last the rest of the year.
You see, we believe it was God testing us, blessing us by having both our van and house taken away. We didn't know it at the time, however, but nowadays we're thankful for Him. Like when the Lord tested the Israelites after fleeing Egypt, he tested them over and over again, to build up their strength. If we didn't experience the financial hardship, we not have used the money as frugally as we would have liked.
How does God test you? Be open for it. Be thankful for it.
We were majorly behind on bills, including both our house and van payments. Within two days, we watched our van being towed away and our home was foreclosed upon. Fast forward two weeks, we got the van back. Then, we set to work on getting the house back as well.
With a lot of prayer and the help from our parents, we did it. We were on a strict budget, my in-laws helped with food, and we were on a plan to get our lives back in order.
Then, my wife started to get sick. We knew things weren't right. By April 14, 2011, she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia and spent the rest of 2011 in Rochester, MN, at the Mayo Clinic.
On May 19th, the small town where we lived (and still do) had a benefit and raised quite a bit of money for expenses, both in travel for myself and our three kids as well as my wife. If what he had experienced earlier in the year hadn't happened, we might not have been prepared for the sudden influx of money. We used it frugally to last the rest of the year.
You see, we believe it was God testing us, blessing us by having both our van and house taken away. We didn't know it at the time, however, but nowadays we're thankful for Him. Like when the Lord tested the Israelites after fleeing Egypt, he tested them over and over again, to build up their strength. If we didn't experience the financial hardship, we not have used the money as frugally as we would have liked.
How does God test you? Be open for it. Be thankful for it.
Sunday, March 3, 2019
Hezekiah, the king who finally did the right thing
In the book of 2 Kings, chapter 18, we find the king of Judah Hezekiah.
As the title of this post states, we finally have a king who did right in the sight of the Lord. He had all of the pagan images removed and destroyed. Hezekiah trusted in AND relied confidently in the Lord, God of Israel. Because of this, there was no other king before or after him that was like him. He kept all of His commandments.
Because of his divine faith, Hezekiah was successful. He rebelled against the Assyrian king and refused to serve him.
You see, he was willing to part with all of the objects that would cause him to drive his mind away from the Lord. No one at this point had done this, and apparently no one had done it since.
As the title of this post states, we finally have a king who did right in the sight of the Lord. He had all of the pagan images removed and destroyed. Hezekiah trusted in AND relied confidently in the Lord, God of Israel. Because of this, there was no other king before or after him that was like him. He kept all of His commandments.
Because of his divine faith, Hezekiah was successful. He rebelled against the Assyrian king and refused to serve him.
You see, he was willing to part with all of the objects that would cause him to drive his mind away from the Lord. No one at this point had done this, and apparently no one had done it since.
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