Author: SeekGrowLove

Questions, Questions, Questions

Old Testament: Joel 1

Poetry: Psalm 103

New Testament: 2 Timothy 1

Some days do you feel like you have more questions than answers? Me, too. But, that’s okay. Because, actually, every educator knows that when we can ask and eventually start to answer some really good questions on our own we learn a lot more than if we just read someone else’s answers. So, today, I have NO answers for you. But instead, here’s a whole devotion full of some reflection questions to get us thinking more about Psalm 103, a beautiful psalm of David. In our Bible reading plan we are going to spend today and the next four days reading and re-reading Psalm 103 so today we will just include questions for the first 5 verses but go ahead and read the whole Psalm over and over this week.

So, let’s open up our Bibles and start to look at Psalm 103 verse by verse. Besides thinking about these questions below – what other great questions can you think of?

VERSE 1 – How many times is the word “praise” repeated in this Psalm? What is praise? What does it look like to praise God with “all my inmost being”? How deep does your praise go, or is it more often somewhat shallow? What would be needed to praise the Lord with your inmost being – and do it more regularly? What makes God’s name holy? Do you treat it in a holy manner?

VERSE 2 – What are at least ten (feel free to list more) of the “benefits” God has given you personally? Which ones do you often take for granted? How can we work at not forgetting them – or the God who gave them? What happens when people DO forget what God has done and given to them? What is the relationship between praising and thanking and remembering?

VERSE 3 – Have you asked for and accepted God’s forgiveness for ALL of your sins? How does asking for God’s forgiveness look different now compared to what it looked like when David wrote these words? Why does God want to forgive you of all of your sins? What would it be like to serve a god who loved but never forgave? What diseases (perhaps some physical and some not) has God healed?

VERSE 4 – What does the word “redeem” mean? What pit does God redeem you from? King David says that God “crowns you with love and compassion”. What does it mean to you to be crowned by God – with His unfailing love and compassion? How does it feel? Why do you think He does it? What would it be like to serve a god who forgave but never loved? How would you explain this verse to a kindergartener?

VERSE 5 – What desires have you had that God has already satisfied with good things – perhaps in the way you were imagining, perhaps in another way? What can we learn from David in a similar (but slightly expanded passage) about the desires of our heart – Psalm 37:3-5? What desires are you still waiting for God to satisfy? What do you do while you wait (see Psalm 37)? Might that change what you desire? What might King David be thinking of/imagining/feeling/experiencing when he writes about God satisfying desires, “so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s”? It might depend on what your actual age is, but have you ever felt like God’s blessings were knocking years off your life, renewing you, or just plain, helping you soar? Where would you be without God’s goodness and generosity in your life? How do His blessings renew you?

What can we learn about God in His Word? What can we learn about our relationship with Him?

Thank you for trying something new with us today. Enjoy your time in Psalm 103! Is there someone you can start a conversation with today by asking them a question about Psalm 103?

-Marcia Railton

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The Powerful Speech Before the Big Fight

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 24

Poetry: Psalm 102

New Testament: 1 Timothy 6

When I’m writing these, I find a section or verse that stands out to me.  Today, 1 Timothy 6:11-16 particularly stood out.  I would encourage you all to reread it before reading this article. 

Whenever I read this I can’t help but hear a rallying voice, the type of speech given in a movie right before they enter the final battle for the fate of the universe or something equally important.  It just strikes me in that way.  In a way, that’s what this section is.  It’s written from a leader of the church to a member.   Like how a leader tells his troops an inspiring thing before the battle.  For Timothy and us, every day is a battle.  Paul in verse 12 writes: “Fight the good fight of the faith.” Sounds pretty similar to me.  So, let’s look at this through the lens of an inspiring speech given to us in our daily battles.  I’m gonna go through two verses here.

Do your best here to think about this in an inspiring way.  If you’re feeling ambitious, you could even speak it aloud.  If you’re having trouble imagining it think about an actor in an intense scene, and try to channel that energy.  Verse 11 reads: “But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.” Right here, Paul is writing about what we are to do.  He calls us to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, and love.  These are pretty straightforward things, but we all have room to improve on all accounts, so read each with the gravity they deserve. 

In verse 16, Paul is talking about God here: “who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.” In the idea of a rallying speech, I think this is the best way to end one for a Christian.  It’s giving God the glory; it just feels right.  We learn in the Lord’s Prayer that a fair portion of our prayers should be giving glory and praise to God.  So, in this case, it seems right too.  I also like that this verse ends with ‘amen’.

Let me close this out with a challenge.  On days when you’re maybe a bit tired and are reading your Bible, envision in your mind it as a speech, an inspiring one.  It might not work for every verse, but maybe it’ll give you the energy to focus a bit more on what you’re reading. 

-Philip Kirkpatrick

Reflection Questions

  1. What do you think Paul was preparing Timothy for? What battles are you facing? How can Paul’s words motivate and inspire you to fight the good fight of the faith? What would that look like for you?
  2. What are your favorite verses in 1 Timothy 6?
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I Will

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 22 & 23

Poetry: Psalm 101

New Testament: 1 Timothy 5

If you have the time today I would like you to read through Psalm 101 before reading this and then read it again after. 

Psalm 101 speaks of integrity.  It’s pretty clear-cut, in the ESV version, the Psalm is even called “I will walk with integrity”.  The way it’s put there speaks to me, it isn’t saying “I should”, there is no question in that statement, “I will walk with integrity”.  I’ll wrap back to the part about integrity later.

First, I want to focus on a phrase. Throughout the whole Psalm, the phrase that we read over and over is “I will”.  Throughout the world, and even in myself, I don’t hear that sort of conviction in daily life.  “I will” is substituted for “I might”, “I could”, etc.  These all convey a sense of being able to back out.  Even the term “I can” lacks the certainty that “I will” has.  “I can” can mean that you can but lack the conviction to do it.  And taking it a step further, even the phrase “I will” can lack conviction.  For example “I will go take out the trash” or “I will drive you to school”.  In Psalm 101 it’s a much different form of “I will” from those.  

So we have conviction, but for what? As said before with the heading, integrity.  When I  search for the definition of the word “integrity”, I get this in response, “integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.” I think this definition has been generalized for the public and for the rest of the world.  The word moral can be subjective in exactly what it entails.  I think we as Christians have a great example of what to look for in integrity though, Psalm 101.  It lays out our “moral principles” pretty well throughout it.  Which I think makes it a great thing to read and study. 

 As I said at the start, I would challenge you to read Psalm 101 again.  But this time, focus on the conviction behind it, and look at the integrity it talks about.  Take it one line at a time and dwell on what is said. 

-Philip Kirkpatrick

Reflection Questions

  1. What are you convicted about doing?
  2. What “I will” statements do you find in Psalm 101? Which do you already feel strongly about and would also say, “I will…”? Which seem like wise statements but you could use more conviction in this area to move from “I should” or “I can” to “I will”? Pray about these.
  3. How would you rate your own integrity? What do you admire about people you know with strong moral principles? What is God looking for as far as integrity goes?
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Set an Example

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 21

Poetry: Psalm 100

New Testament: 1 Timothy 4

My name is Philip Kirkpatrick.  I’m 17, live in Minnesota, and attend Pine Grove Bible Church.  Some of you may have met me before and some of you may have no idea who I am.  I share this for two reasons, the first is to give those who don’t know me a little bit of background on who’s writing, and the second is because it relates to what I’m writing about.  As I was reading 1 Timothy 4, one of the verses stuck out to me.  That is verse 12,  the NIV version states:

‘Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.’

Considering my age and youthfulness, this verse stuck out to me.  Reading it over, it seems pretty straightforward to me.  I’m going to break this up into two parts.  The first part simply states that just because of someone’s young age, it doesn’t mean they should be looked down on.  Looking back now, I can think of times that I surprised my parents by having an answer they didn’t expect me to get, or knowing a big word and casually dropping it in the middle of a sentence.  Even today I find myself surprised at times by those younger than me when they find answers I didn’t expect or know things that I don’t.  Something to keep in mind here is that just because someone is young doesn’t mean that person doesn’t have good ideas. 

This also plays into something called a logical fallacy.  A logical fallacy is an illogical argument in its simplest form.  In this case, it’s an Ad Hominem fallacy.  This logical fallacy can be used to state that someone who may typically not have good ideas, someone young and inexperienced in this case, can’t come up with good ideas. The Ad Hominem Fallacy in other words; it is an attack against the person, not the argument or idea they are proposing.  So in the case of someone young, it’s saying you can’t dismiss it simply due to age.

The second part of this verse here tells us that we should set an example for others in 5 ways: speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity.  I’m not going to dig into all those and explain them all.  Overall it can be defined by how we act.  We should act in a manner befitting a Christian.   

To the younger: set an example to the older on how to act. 

To the older: set an example to the younger on how to act. 

And to all, don’t look down on someone because of their age, listen, and consider what they have to say. 

-Philip Kirkpatrick

Reflection Questions

  1. When have you taken notice of a good example set by someone young? Have you ever been guilty of looking down on someone just because of their age?
  2. Consider each of the ways we are to set an example for believers: in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. Think of times when you set an example in each of these areas. Are you strongest in one of those areas? Which ones could you work on more this week?
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Where God Lives

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 20

Poetry: Psalm 99

New Testament: 1 Timothy 3

Did you go on vacation this summer?  Where did you go?  Perhaps you’re planning a late summer getaway before the arrival of Labor Day.

Whether you travel to a new destination or a familiar cabin on a lake, it is good to get away and take a break from work and school.  Time away can be refreshing and often you gain a new perspective on life.

But, vacations don’t last forever.  All too quickly, it’s time to come home.  The closer you get, the faster you want to arrive.  Finally, your home appears.  Carrying suitcases, backpacks, and bags of “stuff”, you walk through the door.  Big exhale!  You’re home!  Oh, it’s so good to be home.

Hopefully, when you think of your home, you think of comfort, security, safety, enjoyment.  It’s where you can be yourself, where you can relax.

Does God feel that way about His home?  Yes, He is in heaven, and yes, someday He will dwell with man on earth.  (Revelation 21:1-3) But, the Bible mentions another HOME for our Father God.  PRAISE.  God is “at home” in our praises. 

Psalm 22:3 KJV says, “But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.”  The NASB version says simply, “Yet You are holy, O You are enthroned upon the praises of Israel.”

Jack R. Taylor says this in The Hallelujah Factor— “Praise is where God lives.  It is his permanent address.  While God is everywhere, he is not everywhere manifested.  He is at home in praise and, being at home, he manifests himself best as God!  When you or I choose to make God at home through praise, we invite him to act ‘at home.’  He is enthroned and liberated to act mightily in praise.”

One of the best examples of this in Scripture is our OT reading for today, II Chronicles 20. 

The sons of Moab and Ammon came to make war against Jehoshaphat, King of Judah.  Jehoshaphat was afraid, and he proclaimed a fast throughout Judah.  Then all of Judah gathered as Jehoshaphat addressed the Lord.  He recounted God’s power and previous protection.  Then Jehoshaphat stated the current problem, (vs 10-11), the powerlessness of the people, (vs 12a), and their concentration on God—“our eyes are on you.”  (vs. 12b)

The Spirit of God, through Jahaziel, gave God’s answer to Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah.  “Don’t fear, the battle is not yours but God’s.  You need not fight.  Stand and see the salvation of the Lord.”

The next morning, singers went out before the army, singing, “Give thanks to the Lord, for his lovingkindness is everlasting.”  WHEN they began singing and praising, the enemy was ambushed by one another.  No one escaped.  Jehoshaphat and his people found goods and garments among the enemies, and it took them 3 days to retrieve it all. 

The people’s praise prompted God to act.  No other recorded military battle compares to the miracle that happened that day. 

Psalm 8:2 says, “Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.”

How marvelous is our God.  He hears us.  He fights for us.  He rewards us.

Did you start your morning in praise to God?  What a difference it can make.  God desires to move in your life, to guide you, to comfort you, to defend and protect you. 

Allow Him to reside each day in your praises.  And discover the joy He has planned for your life.

-Paula Kirkpatrick

Reflection Questions

  1. Is praise a regular part of your prayer life?
  2. Meditate on this phrase from II Chronicles 20:12b—“We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You.”
  3. When things seem insurmountable in your life, will you begin your appeal to God with praise?
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Rules for Life

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 19

Poetry: Psalm 98

New Testament: 1 Timothy 2

Have you ever felt like you don’t know what to do in life? You feel like you need a book of instructions to take with you everywhere you go? Well, there may not be any instruction manuals available, but the Bible as our guide is. In 1 Timothy chapter 2, Paul lists these sets of rules that we should live by, either through worship, or living through daily life.

In 1 Timothy 2, it states: “8 Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing. 9 I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, 10 but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.”

Paul says that God wants us to live peaceably with all people, making prayer and petitions, and thanksgiving amongst everyone, as it pleases Him. He also mentions that God doesn’t want people to be flashy in their worship to Him. In verse 9 he states that he wants women to dress modestly and adorn themselves with good deeds rather than gold or pearls. When we dress for worship, we should dress with good intentions and be pleasing in God’s sight. Also in worship, we should pray for each other. Our family, our friends, church friends, even the people you dislike the most. The point is, even if you feel that you think you’re not going to have an easy life, just remember that you have an incredible book of life to guide you through the tough times, and that these simple rules are things that we should live by. Praying for people and dressing modestly may seem difficult at times, but with God, anything is possible. 

-Hannah Bormes

Reflection Questions

  1. What rules for life do you find in 1 Timothy 2 that you want to live by better and better?
  2. Can you think of a time of anger and disputing when it would have been better to lift up holy hands in prayer? How can you use this method next time?
  3. Why do you think Paul addressed modesty? Do you think it should be addressed today – if so, how?
  4. Who will you pray for today?
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Testimony Time

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 17 & 18

Poetry: Psalm 97

New Testament: 1 Timothy 1

The 2024 Summer Olympics has just been completed in Paris. During the two weeks of competition, there were 32 sports and 329 events across 48 disciplines.   Around 10,500 athletes from 206 National Olympic Committees competed.  Among those athletes, several shared their Christian witness with the media. 

Hezley Rivera, Women’s Gymnastics, was asked how she made the 2024 team. Her first response was to give God credit for her success. Later she posted Philippians 4:13 on her Instagram account under pictures of her with the Olympian team.  In a recent interview, she said, “I’m just enjoying the journey and the process, and I’m so blessed, and I thank God every day.” Hezley won a team Olympic gold medal on July 30th in Paris.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who competes in the Women’s 400 Hurdles, shared her personal testimony in her memoir, Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith.  Her perspective changed from gaging her worth by a perfect run, to being balanced spiritually in her personal life as well as her sport. In January, Sydney told “Women’s Running” this– “My life wasn’t about me. It was about showing the world God’s power, wisdom, kindness, love, and forgiveness.”

McLaughlin-Levrone won her second consecutive Olympic gold medal in the 400-meter hurdles on Aug. 8th, posting another world record time at 50.37.  As the only woman to win the event in two consecutive Olympic Games, she said, “Just grateful for all that has been taking place. God has been good to me.”

In our reading of I Timothy 1 today, Paul begins his letter to Timothy, his son in the faith, by urging him to stay in Ephesus, even though the work might be difficult.  The Ephesians needed to hear God’s truth, and Timothy had been called by God to deliver that truth to them. Then, in a way to encourage Timothy to stay strong, Paul shared HIS PERSONAL TESTIMONY. 

“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. 13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” I Timothy 1:12-17

What a plain, powerful testimony Paul shared with Timothy.  Paul’s past persecution of Christians didn’t make him ineligible to serve God.  Mercy and grace were given to him on the road to Damascus.  He claims to be the worst of sinners, but Jesus saw the potential in Paul to be a mighty missionary for him.  And in verse 17, his one sentence prayer expresses his highest allegiance and worship to Almighty God. 

These heartfelt words were meant to encourage Timothy, who might have felt unworthy to deal with the challenges at Ephesus.  

Paul had a moving testimony, the Olympians above have shared their testimonies.   What is your testimony?

Amy Blanchard, the Christian Education Director for the Pine Grove Bible Church, Brooklyn Park, MN developed a plan for willing adults in the church to share their testimonies with the high school and young adult Sunday School classes. The testimony sharing time takes place every few years over a period of several months—that way each young person growing up in the church eventually hears the Pine Grove members’ stories of their personal calls to follow Jesus. 

Her goals, (in her own words) are as follows;

  • “To allow kids to meet/get to know others in our church and hear their stories and see how they can relate to them (and for you to see how you can relate to our kids)
  • To open the door for the kids to hear that there are many times and ways one can come to the Lord
  • So our kids can hear how others influence us and see that we, in turn, influence others
  • To allow us to share our testimonies – we all have a story.  Sharing our personal story helps us to, ‘…have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.’ “

What a tremendous way to hear conversion experiences, and to show by example that everyone has a story that needs to be told –not only to our brothers and sisters in Christ, but with those we interact with each day.

Paul shared his personal testimony with Timothy to strengthen and embolden him.  But it also encourages us to think about our “call to Christ” and how our lives can impact those around us.

I Peter 3:15 says, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. Do this with gentleness and respect.”

What is your personal testimony?  Pray for opportunities to share it, and you will be blessed in ways you never could have imagined.

-Paula Kirkpatrick


Reflection Questions

  1.  Do you have a personal testimony?  If the answer is no, why not?
  2. Has someone ever encouraged you with their personal testimony?  Have you later told them how it impacted your life?
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Give Credit

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 15 & 16

Poetry: Psalm 96

New Testament: 2 Thessalonians 3

Have you ever heard of the saying, “Give credit where credit is due?”  It is thought the expression was coined by Samuel Adams in a letter dated Oct. 29th, 1777!  That was quite a while ago!  Now, almost two and a half centuries later, “giving credit” has become a whole new ballgame.

Today’s generation has always had easy internet access.  And with that access, has been seemingly limitless information. But, can a person easily find the original source of an idea, trend, or promoted “fact” on social media platforms, where it can be shared multiple times and morph into a whole different idea or supposed “truth”? 

According to a recent survey, only 8% of students always give credit to original creators, 35% of students sometimes do, while 30% never give credit to original trendsetters.  (And who knows if this survey is correct—I found it on the internet!)

The Bible tells us there is only One who is due credit for all the world around us, the beauty, and majesty of His Creation. 

“Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations,
    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
    bring an offering and come into his courts.
9 Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness;
    tremble before him, all the earth.”  Psalm 96: 7-9

Ascribe is an interesting word.  It means acknowledge, attribute, or GIVE CREDIT.  All of the earth trembles before Him as all people consider His mighty strength and unmatched splendor. 

Our praise leads to this acknowledgement of God’s greatness.  In verses 1-3 we are told to sing, proclaim, and tell about His salvation, glory and wonderful deeds. 

As our outward praise is heard and shared, it leads to an inward attitude of worship, basking in the Lord’s presence.  We adore God for who He is.

Not just His people, but ALL of His Creation sings God’s praises.  In verses 11-13, we see this. Have you walked along an ocean beach and HEARD the water’s roar? Have you gazed upon a field of Texas bluebells, multi-colored tulips, or bright yellow sunflowers, their BEAUTY GLORIFYING God’s presence?  Have you wandered through a forest of pine trees, and HEARD their joyful song in the breeze? If you have done one or more of these things, lift up your praise in harmony to Creation’s melodies. 

Acknowledge His presence in your every waking moment.  Savor His warmth and love.  Live a life of worship each day.  Give credit—ALL CREDIT—where credit is due—to the Lord God Almighty. 

-Paula Kirkpatrick

Reflection Questions

  1.  Do you dwell in God’s presence each day?  How better could you do that?
  2. Are praise and thanksgiving a regular part of your prayer life?
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Will You Stand Firm or Topple?

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 13-14

Poetry: Psalm 95

New Testament: 2 Thessalonians 2

            Psalm 95 encourages praise and worship to the LORD with joy and thanksgiving. When I was in upper elementary school, I was challenged to make note of three things I was thankful for every day. I gave the same challenge to those who attended Family Camp at the end of my sermon Sunday night. I challenge you today to find at least three things you are thankful for and lift them up to the LORD in praise. 

            In 2 Chronicles 13 and 14, you read about the reign of Abijah and Asa, kings of Judah. Unlike King Rehoboam who did evil in the eyes of the LORD, these two both pointed the people back to God, but in different ways. Abijah focused on the fact that the Levites were still faithfully serving and teaching in the temple. He recognized the faults of the king of Israel for having false priests who were not faithful to the LORD most high. King Abijah recognized who God was and the implications that had on the people of Judah. King Asa went farther than King Abijah by removing anything that was meant for idol worship. He also commanded the people to seek God and follow His law. Under both these kings, the nation of Judah was prosperous and had great success when defending their land. They recognized and encouraged truth among the nation. 

            2 Thessalonians 2 warns against a man of lawlessness who will say he is higher than God as well as encourage lawlessness and wickedness. This man is not like the kings you read about in 2 Chronicles. He will lead people away from God instead of towards God. Paul writes in verse 15 “So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.” The way to combat this lawlessness is to stand firm in what you have been taught. Abijah stood firm in what he had been taught about God being with the people of Judah. Asa stood firm in what he had been taught by pointing people back to following God’s commands. Both successfully and literally fought off those who were against God. 

            This is going to look different within your own life. Instead of fighting a nation, you are fighting on an individual level. 1 Peter 5:8-9 says “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings” (NIV). Temptation will come your way. Lawlessness approaches. Luckily, the Bible warns against that happening so you can be prepared to stand firm in your faith just like Abijah and Asa. One way you can be prepared to stand firm is doing what I challenged you to do at the beginning of this devotional. Finding the good in life that you can praise God for doing. Recognizing His presence and work within your life helps combat against the negativity of the world.

            Judy Hopps, from the movie Zootopia, is a good example of how your mentality can help you stand firm or be swayed. Judy is a small bunny whose childhood dream was to become a cop. She worked her hardest to pass from the police academy. She continued to work towards her strong desire to do good even when everyone around her didn’t think she could do it. When she ended up as a meter maid, she still tried to keep a positive attitude about her situation to stand firm in her convictions of doing good as a police officer. If you’ve seen in the movie she doesn’t always have that attitude and when she doesn’t, it doesn’t go well for her. Her joy and determination were completely gone so she ended up giving up. Judy lost her strong stance and fell. 

            The same can be true within our own lives. Not only should we know and understand the scripture in order to be firmly rooted in truth, we must also be firmly rooted in thanksgiving and praise. Recognizing God’s work in your life will help you stand firm. Having both knowledge and an attitude of thanksgiving, your foundation will be deeply rooted and ready for whatever comes. Like Paul warned against, a lawless one will come. He will spread lies and try to topple believers. You must stand firm in your faith like the good kings of 2 Chronicles. Knowing what is within the Word will help you stand firm, but having a heart of praise will keep you close to God and your attitude in a positive place. 

-Makenna Landry

Reflection:

1 – What are three things you can praise God for today?

2 – How has thankfulness helped you stand firm when the world seems bleak?

3 – What stood out to you the most in the lives of King Abijah and King Asa? 

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Your Perfect Parent

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 11 & 12

Poetry: Psalm 94

New Testament: 2 Thessalonians 1

Key verses: Psalm 94:18-19 – “If I should say, “My foot has slipped,” Your lovingkindness, O LORD, will hold me up. When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul.”

            Psalm 94 uses some harsh language at the start of the Psalm. To start, the psalmist calls God “God of Vengeance” and is asking God to let His vengeance come down on the wicked. The psalmist also calls upon God to have judgment upon those who are proud. This Psalm calls upon God’s justice against the wicked. It even ends with saying that God will destroy the wicked because of their sin. This paints a rather harsh and commanding picture of God’s character. This is similar to Psalm 7 where it displays that God will sharpen His sword against those who do not repent. In today’s reading from 2 Chronicles, it shows that God sent Egypt to rise up against King Rehoboam due to his sinful ways.  

We like to focus on viewing God as our compassionate father who is loving and overflowing with grace, but in the Psalm you read today and in 2 Chronicles 12 that isn’t the same picture. How can both be true?

You can understand this through the fact that God’s perfect plan for each of us is that we choose to dedicate our life to Him. He desires our hearts and calls us to be faithful to His teachings. God has laid out a clear way of how we can live righteously. In Old Testament prophets, you can see God calling His people to follow Him with their full hearts time and time again. Then again in the New Testament He sent His son to teach us the same lessons of following God with our hearts and our lives. Just like any parent, God has set boundaries for His children to follow. When those boundaries aren’t followed, there will be punishment. You saw that today in 2 Chronicles 12. Rehoboam turned away from God and did evil, so Egypt came as a punishment for the choices Rehoboam made. In Psalm 94, the psalmist calls upon God to judge those who are not following the boundaries God has set for His people. 

As new parents, my husband and I have started to navigate what it means to correct a child when they make the wrong choice or push the boundaries we have set. With a two year old, every day is a constant battle of learning that he can’t be independent like he wants to be and he can’t have his way all of the time. It’s a tough lesson for a two year old to learn! That lesson is taught by Cameron and I as his parents. Sometimes it means gentle reminders while other times he ends up in time out or losing a privilege that was about to happen. We as parents would be failing him if we didn’t stick to our clear boundaries and allowed him to do whatever he wanted. He would end up running into the street, not being buckled in his carseat, or trying to drink vinegar! All of those things would cause him harm and so as parents we must help guide and protect him from that harm. God is doing the same thing with His people. He has set boundaries that will allow people to have the gracious gift of eternal life. His justice is enacting the rules He has put in place like any parent should do for their child. 

You might be wondering why I have the key verses as something seemingly different from the theme of this devotional. Those two verses are the hope we as believers have because God is our gracious and loving father. The psalmist went into what happens when we don’t follow God’s rules and boundaries but there’s hope for those who do. You have someone to run to when times get tough. When it feels like the world is trying to pull you down, you have a great God who is ready to lend you a hand. Yes you should recognize that choosing to not follow God will have bad results, but when you actively dedicate your life to Him, what a great hope you can have. He will be present with you as you walk along in this life and He has promised the return of His son to usher in an eternal and perfect kingdom for you to partake in. 

-Makenna Landry

Reflection:

  1. What do you know about the God of justice and vengeance? What do you know about the God of love? How do these both work together from the same Almighty and Sovereign God?
  2. Describe what you have learned from your parents’ parenting style. Did you have a compassionate father who disciplined? Why would a compassionate Heavenly Father discipline? How did your parents comfort you?
  3. What is one way that God has brought you comfort when the world tries to get you down?
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