2 Kings – Seek Grow Love

The Man of God

-Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)

There is so much going on in our 2 Kings reading today that it’s unlikely that we’ll have the chance to adequately cover it all. Of particular note, there are some hidden gems, or “easter eggs” as the kids say, strewn about that you have to be looking for carefully or you’ll miss (*An Easter egg is a message, image, or feature hidden in various forms of media). These were some of my favorite bible books to read as a child just because there was so much excitement and adventure going on, but looking closely you’ll find that there are quite a few nuggets of wisdom, but you have to dig for them sometimes. Some are laying right on the surface, though.

The first part of 2Ki 23:1-25 is detailing some of the things Josiah did as king. Keeping in mind that he was only 8 years old when he took office (2Ki 22:1), I was wondering how old he was when he realized that his father Manasseh had led the nation astray and started working to correct it. The closest I could come in the book of 2 Kings to finding that answer is in 2Ki 23:23 where it says “But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was celebrated to Yahweh in Jerusalem” (LSB), for the first time since the time of the judges (back in v22). So, is that in the 18^th year of his life, or the 18^th year of his reign? I found the answer over in 2 Chronicles 34&35, which states that in the 8^th year of his reign he started to seek the Lord, and that in the 18^th year of his reign (after significant reforms had already been made) they celebrated the Passover for the first time since the time of the judges. So, for you bible nerds out there, he became king at 8, was about 16 years old when he started seeking God, and was about 26 when he reinstated the Passover feast.

Oh, and in case you were wondering if grandpa Manasseh was really such a bad guy, the biblical writers remind us again and again whose fault it is in 2Ki 23:26 and also 24:3, squarely blaming all of the misfortunes about to befall them during this time on him. You know, in case you forgot, because apparently they did not: EVER. Keep in mind, this is an epic time in history; the Assyrian kingdom was in decline, Egypt was still a force to be reckoned with, and the Babylonian kingdom is on the ascension. Up until the time of the Babylonian exile, the ancient Jews had a real problem with idolatry (you’ll recall that’s #1 in the list of ‘thou shalt not’s). After the time of the Babylonian exile, you never hear about idolatry again in the land of Israel (at least on a national level). Think about that: just like when you got a spanking from your father as a child, God generally performs punitive actions to correct behavior. This time it absolutely worked, check it out if you don’t believe me: the Israelites never again returned to idolatry once they returned from Babylon (at least on a national level).

Here’s one “Easter egg” I found when doing a deep dive into this reading: I’d always assumed that the “idolatrous priests” (2Ki23:5) referred to, you know: priests who worshipped false idols or pagan deities. Reading closely in v5,6,8, and 9 however we can see that some of these were kohanim, Aaronite priests of God, particularly in v9 where it states “…but they ate unleavened bread among their brothers.” (LSB). We can infer from these passages that even if you’re the right guy, serving the right God, if you’re doing it in the wrong way or in the wrong place: you might be idolatrous. I’ve got a note in my bible that reads: “priests of God, but serving in the wrong place?”. Just a little food for thought, something to consider.

Do you like finding “Easter eggs” as much as I do? Well, lucky day, here’s another one: read carefully 2Ki 23:15-18, about the grave of the “man of God”. This is a great story, but to get the full scope of it, after you read the above verses, you’ll need to flip backwards over to 1 Ki 13. We sadly never get to know the name of the man of God, we do however get to learn a valuable life lesson: listen to God if He’s talking, and absolutely ignore men if they are saying something different.

A quick summary of the story is as follows: God sends a man, a prophet, to deliver a message to the king, which he does. This prophet is commanded to “eat no bread, nor drink water, nor return by the way which you came”. Then another prophet chases after him and says “uh, so God told me you’re supposed to come eat with me”, and he does. Then the prophet who invited the first one to eat then says “why have you rebelled against God?” and tells the guy he’s going to die, which he does shortly after he leaves (by a lion).

Then, to add insult to injury, when the second prophet realizes that the “man of God” has been killed (and while accepting absolutely no personal responsibility in this series of events as possibly overstepping by telling the first prophet that God had told him he should eat), he has him buried and mourns him saying “alas, my brother!”. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, this second prophet then tells his kids “When I die, bury me with that guy, because he was a prophet.” (paraphrased and summarised, but accurate, go and read it: 1 Ki 13)!? As a result, when all the other graves are defiled later on, the second prophet who misled and (indirectly?) caused the “man of God” to be killed was also left undisturbed when Josiah left the grave alone in 2 Ki 23:18. Ironic, isn’t it? The moral of that story is: ignore men, listen to God.

Now remember as we continue on, Manasseh was a really bad guy. So bad that even when Josiah did what was right in God’s eyes, God’s promise to Josiah was not that he would relent from His (righteous) wrath on the nation, but that Josiah would die before it happened so that he “would not see all the evil which I will bring on this place” (LSB, 2 Ki 22:20). This happens in 2Ki 23:29, when Pharaoh Neco (AKA Necho II, @610-595 BC) puts him to death at Megiddo. Does the name of that place sound familiar? It should, in Rev 16:16 the “final battle” prophesied is to take place in what is translated as “Armegeddon”, which is literally “Har Megiddo”, or the “hill” of Megiddo (an ancient city). Same place (insert dramatic sound effect here).

In 2 Ki 24, we see the beginning of the rise of Nebuchadnezzar and the ascension of the kingdom of Babylon. Later on in this chapter (v10) Judah goes into exile, and then in chapter 25 we see the fall of the last stronghold in Judah, Jerusalem. It is notably at this point that the temple is burned, Solomon’s temple, one of the grandest architectural structures of the time. The people had begun to think of themselves as untouchable, since they had the temple in their midst, even though idolatry was running rampant (See Jer 7:4 for the popular view of “the temple” at this time). This effectively ended the “First Temple” period, considered to be the “golden age” of Jewish prosperity and centralized worship.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

Can you think of a time in your life when it felt like God was punishing you? Upon reflection and with the passing of time, were you able to see the lesson that was being taught? (I sure did.)
Has there ever been a time in your life when even if you were trying to do the right thing, you realized you were in the wrong place? Reflect on this quietly for a few moments, I can think of at least 3 personally (and I wasn’t even always trying to do the right thing). How could you have had a better outcome?
Why are we inclined to listen to men over God, sometimes?

PRAYER

Father God, please place me in the right spot. Purify my heart, and give me strength so that when I am there, I can do your will. Please let my ears hear Your whispering over the shouting of men, and guide my feet onto the path that leads directly to Your kingdom. Thank you most of all for sending Jesus to teach us and to be a role model. In his name we pray, Amen.

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Tingling Ears

*2 Kings 21-22

Psalm 69

2 Corinthians 12

-Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)

Today, we’re going to first examine an inconvenient truth, and then together examine a template for navigating back onto the proper path when we get lost. First, the inconvenient truth: just because you come from good stock doesn’t mean you’re good. I can speak for this directly first hand because while my parents were absolutely wonderful, fantastic, God-fearing, loving, and wise people; I took a hard turn off the proper path in my youth and kept running in that direction for most of my life (See 2/6 devotional for details). So here’s the thing, and I want you to memorize this because it’s really important: there is no corporate entry into the kingdom of God.

To elaborate on that statement: we are each held accountable for our own actions. Many of you know Dr. Joe Martin, my father. Understand well that in the day of judgment, when I am standing before the throne that if my defense of my actions is “But wait…You know Joe? He’s my dad, so…you know, *wink wink* I’ll just go ahead in and pick out one of the rooms…” I’m pretty sure the response would be along the lines of “Joe? Oh yea, we know him well, he’s a great guy. Let’s talk about YOU for a moment though…“. When you read that above bit of farce, you’ll probably chuckle a little bit, but stop for a moment and think about it seriously and with some trembling because there is no corporate entry into the kingdom of God.

Even if you go to an awesome church that not only feeds the homeless regularly but gives solid scriptural truths that are deeply insightful and applicable, even if your pastor is spirit filled and heals the sick with a touch and a prayer, even if there’s a lady in your church who you KNOW is an active and living prophet of the Most High God: what does that have to do with you? There is no corporate entry into the kingdom of God, you’re not going to slide into the kingdom on their coat tails. Some of the ancient Jewish folks were thinking exactly in that manner, when John the baptist explained to them in Matt 3:9 “and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.” (LSB). We will each be judged according to our own actions: by our faith, by our love, and by our fruit. I pray to God that each of our names is found in the book of Life but understand fully that if it is, it’s not because of who you’re related to or which church you went to. There is no corporate entry into the kingdom of God.

For a good case in point of this very topic, let’s take a hard look at Manasseh and check off some of the boxes. Manasseh was not only a Jewish lad (check), but the son of Hezekiah (check) who is probably the most attested biblical figure in history (counting not only scripture but extra-biblical accounts of his reign). We know that God loved Hezekiah, just go back and read 2Ki 18-20, he’s blessed and highly favored. So Manasseh should have been an easy pick for being awesome, but that’s not at all what happened. We see in 2Ki 21:1-3 that Manasseh became king when he was 12, ruled for 55 years, and “did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh” (LSB). Keep in mind that dad (Hezekiah), did a lot of really good stuff: he tore down the false gods and altars, redirected the people to worship God, and humbly sought after and clung to the God who had rescued his fathers.

Manasseh, conversely, sounds like a bit of a jerk. All of the good things his father had done, he undid. In 2Ki 21:5-9 it gives an excruciatingly painful laundry list of offenses that Manasseh did, including setting up false idols in the actual temple, sacrificing his own son to a pagan deity, and then leading the entire nation astray to do more evil than the nations before. In v16 it says that in addition to all of this, he “shed very much innocent blood”.

At this point, God has had enough, and I’d like you to listen to the wording of 2 Ki 21:12: “therefore thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am bringing such calamity on Jerusalem and Judah, that whoever hears of it, both his ears will tingle.’ ” (LSB). This should be terrifying, these are not the words of one who is ‘a little upset’, but a potential extinction level event of anger from the Most High God. We can see from this example that it doesn’t matter who you’re related to or what group you belong to, but rather your own path, in the eyes of God.

Now let’s look at how to navigate back onto the proper path, if we ever get lost or go astray. Enter Josiah (2 Ki 22). Keep in mind that he’s the third generation in a line of truly terrible and evil kings, who “did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh” (see 2Ki 21 for details on Manasseh and Amon, grandpa and dad respectively). He’s just a kid when he takes office, 8 years old, but right away he starts back toward the right path. He sends Shaphan to the temple and makes arrangements for it’s restoration (2 Ki 22 3-7). Remember that wild idolatry and debauchery has been going on for two full generations, the temple itself has been defiled, and the people have been going in the wrong direction for 57 years.

Now it came about as the temple was being cleaned out and restored, that Hilkiah the high priest found the book of the law. It had been lost for a long time. Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and Shaphan took the book back and read it to King Josiah (2 Ki 22:8-10). Pay close attention here, because this is the turning point: “Now it happened that when the king heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his clothes” (2Ki 22:11, LSB). In ancient Israel, this is how people exhibited deep regret or sorrow publicly. He sent people to “inquire of Yahweh” and seek what might be done (2Ki 22:12-20). He basically humbled himself, and sought the will of God.

God’s response to this honest sorrow and humility defines our template for returning: “because your heart was soft and you humbled yourself before Yahweh when you heard what I spoke against this place and against it’s inhabitants that they should become an object of horror, and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before me, I truly have heard you“, declares Yahweh.” (2Ki22:18), and He then relents.

According to the above template, I would suggest the following if your path has led you astray: First, find the book of the law (the Bible), and read it. Then, when you have realized how far off path you have become, inquire of God. Repent, soften you heart, and weep before God. Clean out the temple (you are the temple 1 Cor 3:16), remove the idols (anything can be an idol) you’ve placed there, and do the work to restore God’s temple. Clean it out, purify it, and rededicate it to God. If you do this with honesty and dedication, God will truly hear you (See Jer 29:13 for verification).

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

Examine yourself deeply and honestly, because we all probably have some: What idols have you built inside the temple of your heart, and why?

Considering the above question, what is the best way to remove them? Being honest, do you want to remove them? Why or why not?

How often do we honestly inquire of God His will, as opposed to handing him a list of our demands when we pray?

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, thank you for all of the blessings you’ve given to us. Thank you for sending your son to instruct us. Please forgive us of the many times we fall short, and help us to become servants who please their master. Lead us and guide us, Father, and teach us the way you would have us go. In Jesus name, amen.

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In which the reward for humbly trusting in God is clearly revealed, even against and despite seemingly overwhelming odds, and we consider the power of the Most High God.

*2 Kings 19-20

*Psalm 68

2 Corinthians 11

– Devotion by Jeremy Martin

The beginning of our 2Ki 19-20 reading today finds our hero Hezekiah fiercely beset by a vastly superior armed force. Please take a moment to read 2Ki 18:13-37 to refresh yourself of the specifics. If you recall, back in chapter 17, Judah’s sister nation Israel has already been taken captive previously and forced into exile. In 2Ki 18: 1-13, we see that Hezekiah the king of Judah was spared this fate because he trusted God, he clung to God, he didn’t turn away from following God and obeying His commandments. So he’s still in power but right now there’s a massive army surrounding him that has already conquered everyone else around, gathered en masse outside the gates hurling taunts at the city, and they seem prepared to hurl much more dangerous bits as well.

First, let’s get an idea of the scale of things. This large, technologically advanced force was at the time part of the most dominant military power in the near east. Aggadah literature describes the army as composed of “45,000 ‘princes’ in golden chariots, 80,000 armored warriors, 60,000 swordsmen, and numerous cavalry”, in the rabbinic tradition. So far in the campaign, Sennacherib has conquered 46 other fortified cities. This estimate of forces is also backed scripturally and apocryphally in 2 Ki 9:35, Judith 14:11-12, and Is 37:36. Conversely, the population of Jerusalem (per wikipedia) during Hezekiah’s time was a whopping “up to about 25000” people, total.

So on one hand you’ve got a city with (around) 25,000 men, women, and children in it, and on the other hand an advanced army of armored warriors and cavalry numbering well over 185,000 (not counting camp followers). Things are looking, not to put too fine a point on things, “bad” for our heroes. With this picture in mind, now add the leader of these forces shouting up to the nervous inhabitants the taunting insults detailed in 2Ki 18:13-37. We would probably be hearing a much different historical account if not for a couple tiny little details: firstly, the commander shouting up at the walls insulted God. Secondly, Hezekiah was a man who trusted God, who clung to God, who loved God and God loved him back.

It should be noted that according to the events listed in 2Ki 19:2-8 that it appears as if God miraculously diverts the first attempted attack and causes the army to go home, but that then after an unspecified (but probably short) time has passed, the commander sends threatening letters back to Hezekiah and heads back with his troops to “finish business”.

At this point, Hezekiah “tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and entered the House of Yahweh” (19:1, LSB) and then prayed one of the most beautiful and humble prayers in scripture. Beginning in 2Ki 19: 14-19 (LSB translation): “Then Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it, and he went up to the house of Yahweh and spread it out before Yahweh…and said “O Yahweh, the God of Israel, who is enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Incline Your ear, O Yahweh, and hear; open Your eyes, O Yahweh, and see; and listen to the words of Sennacherib, who sent them to reproach the living God. Truly, O Yahweh, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands and have put their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. So they have destroyed them. But now, O Yahweh our God, I pray, save us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, O Yahweh, are God“.

In our reading today of Ps 68, we see in v17 that “The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands…” (LSB). Rev 5:11 states that (concerning angels) “the numbering of them was myriads upon myriads, and thousands of thousands“. We don’t really have an accurate number of how many angels serve God, but a very conservative guesstimate would be “lots and lots”. If today’s reading of 2Ki 19:35 has been transmitted and understood accurately, God sent 1 (one) of these innumerable angels to the enemy camp and that angel killed 185,000 men. Pause, digest, consider. One angel, and he wiped out almost an entire army, the most powerful of the time. One angel out a large force of angels (out of Millions? Billions? we really have no idea, just “myriads upon myriads”). Just one angel.

**An interesting side note is that Hezekiah is described as “the best-attested figure in biblical history,” due to the extensive documentation of his reign in biblical texts and external sources (notably Assyrian inscriptions), per Wikipedia. This entire story is documented both biblically and through a number of extra-biblical sources. There’s a wonderfully deep hole full of information on that you can fall down into if you’re interested in that sort of thing. I did, but for our intents and purposes it is only important to note that although in agreement in general about the number of men killed, some of the sources do give different accounts of the manner that the men actually died (but in all fairness it never said how the angel of Yahweh killed them, just that he had).

This bible story has always fascinated me. What a fantastic, miraculous, wonderful thing. It happened so long ago though, and that sort of thing doesn’t happen these days, right? Wrong. Reports from the Yom Kippur war in 1973 describe an incident on the Golan Heights where a Syrian tank commander reportedly told Israeli interrogators that his forces were halted by a vision of a whole host of white angels standing on the missile line, accompanied by a white hand from heaven commanding them to stop. This encounter allegedly occurred during the “Valley of Tears” battle, where a small Israeli force held off a much larger Syrian advance. According to the account, the Syrian commander said he could not proceed due to the supernatural presence, which instilled fear and caused his troops to retreat. This story is cited in multiple sources, including religious and historical commentary, as a supernatural turning point in the war. Look it up.

As humans, our senses are finite and limited. God is not. In 2 Ki 6:16-17 we see another example of this when Elisha tells his servant not to worry, that those with them outnumbered those that were against them, and then “Elisha prayed and said, “O Yahweh, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” And Yahweh opened the eyes of the young man and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around …” (LSB). We often forget that our God, the God Most High, the Creator of the heavens and the earth is the most powerful being that exists. Myriads upon myriads of beings far more powerful than humans serve him currently, and just one of His angels can wipe out an entire army. This is not a weak king; this is the creator, ruler, and owner of the universe who will bring about his willed purpose no matter what, and He is awesome. This makes it all the more humbling when we realize how ferociously He loves you, and all that He has done for YOU specifically, and what price He paid for your redemption. A very high price indeed.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

Do you constantly keep in the forefront of your mind the incredible, unstoppable power of the Most High God, or have you allowed yourself to be deceived by your limited senses?
Have you considered how silly pride is on our part, when we consider the magnititude of God?
Have you seen, or felt, divine intervention directly in your life? When?
Why do we worry, when we consider all of the above?

PRAYER

Lord God Most High, Mighty God, I humble myself before You. Forgive me, teach me, and open my eyes so that I can see. Open my ears so that I can hear You. Circumcise my heart and teach me to love you as fiercely as you have loved me, in Jesus name, Amen.

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In which the rebellious children of Israel sin against God, and receive instruction as a result.

*2 Kings 17-18

Psalm 68

2 Corinthians 10

-Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)

In the beginning of today’s reading we are in an extremely tumultuous time in the history of Israel. The kingdoms of Israel and Judah have split apart from each other and throughout the books of Kings they give a recounting of each nation separately. Starting out today in 2 Kings 17, we begin in the nation of Israel, and in verse 6 we see that “the king of Assyria captured Samaria and took Israel away into exile”. I’m sure some of the people back then were asking the age old question, “why would God let something like this happen?!”. Well, as we read on, we’re told exactly why, and if we’re being honest we can probably apply that same answer to when this question is asked even now.

In 2Ki 17: 7-18, it explains: “Now this happened because the sons of Israel had sinned against Yahweh their God (v7)…And the sons of Israel did things secretly which were not right against Yahweh their God (v9)…and they did evil things provoking Yahweh to anger (v10b)…So Yahweh was very angry with Israel and caused them to depart from His presence…(v18a)” (The LSB translation is used throughout this devotional, unless otherwise noted). In between the lines of the above, scriptures give a pretty long laundry list of their offenses as well, including some pretty pronounced idolatry (which you may recall as being the first of the “Thou shalt not”s listed in Exodus 20, so… probably a pretty big deal). They forsook the commandments of Yahweh (v16), sacrificed their children to other gods (passed through the fire refers to human sacrifice to a specific pagan god), and practiced sorcery (v17), among other things.

Can you imagine the pain, as a Father, of your children acting in this manner towards you? Especially considering that He had done so much for them, and saved them miraculously from their oppression in Egypt, feeding and caring for them as they went, performing miracles and signs and wonders. Over and over. I can imagine it, I’m a father now. I was also that wicked, rebellious child who acted the same way towards my own father when I was younger. I’m sorry Dad, and I’m sorry Father God. My dad was a rock, he was faithful and true even when I wasn’t, and kept on loving me. Just like my heavenly Father. What can I say, words alone cannot express my sorrow or regret. I hang my head in shame and weep, I repent of my foolishness; but just like my dad, my heavenly Father came running towards me when I began to come home. It is heartbreakingly humbling, and still brings me to tears.

All of this rebellion was in spite of the fact that our loving Father, the most merciful, the most gracious, continued to reach out to his children Israel. In 2Ki 17:13-15 we see that even though Israel continued to be wicked and rebellious toward Yahweh God, He continues to reach out to them and warn them”by the hand of all of His prophets and every seer, saying “Turn from your evil ways and keep My commandments…“”, “However, they did not listen, but stiffened their neck like their fathers, who did not believe in Yahweh their God…”. How much foolishness can be tolerated, though? We see in v18 God has finally had enough, and “kicks them out of the house” essentially.

In 2Ki 17: 24-28 there’s a great little sub-plot to the main story. When God kicks the Israelites out, the king of assyria moves some new tenants in. I absolutely love the very tongue-in-cheek start of v25: “Now it happened at the beginning of their settlement there, that they did not fear Yahweh…” (LSB), and then, lions. Eventually an Israelite priest was sent back to teach the new residents “how they should fear Yahweh“(v28b) but the lions had already given them a pretty good start, it sounds like. God is holy, and freely (and sometimes painfully) offers instruction to His children when they forget Him. I like the phrasing of Ps 50:22 on this topic, it’s (not) subtle.

Meanwhile, back in the nation of Judah…A king is born who pleases God

Enter Hezekiah, king of Judah, who “did what was right in the sight of Yahweh” (2Ki 18:3). It goes on in the reading to list some of the good that he did, including a very interesting note in v4b, “…And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel were burning incense to it: and it was called Nehushtan“. Wait, what?! Stop for a moment and go read Nu 21: 4-9, it’s one of those little sub plots that passes by so quick that if you’re not paying attention, you’ll miss it entirely. Then read that (2Ki 18:4) again.

Here’s what to extrapolate from this: anything can become an idol to us, if we let it. The bronze snake which once was a tool for salvation to the Israelites became an idol, an implement of destruction instead which led many astray. I’m sure it even seemed right at the time. Shema (Listen up, pay attention), ecclesia (church)! Our prayers, our rituals, our practices, our doctrines, our holy days, our fasts, our scriptural readings, even the things which may have once saved us, all of these things are just tools to help us attain our true purpose: the unconditional and overwhelming love towards the Father that He deserves. Use the tools you have to fulfill your purpose, but do not let them become the purpose.

Here are some phrases that are used to describe Hezekiah: “He trusted in Yahweh…(v5), So he clung to Yahweh; he did not turn away from following Him, but kept His commandments…(v6), And Yahweh was with him…(v7)”. This trust and seeking after God is what saves him, coming up in the next chapter, because God loves him back. If you read 2Ki 18:13-37 you can see the situation setting itself up. I don’t want to give any spoiler alerts from tomorrow’s reading, but in the next chapter is one of the most beautiful and humble prayers in the Bible (2Ki 19:15-19) and (spoiler alert) God saves him, and (spoiler alert) again in the next chapter. The reason that God intervenes on his behalf is because he trusted in God. He clung to God. He didn’t turn away, but kept the commandments of God. This is the description of a man trying to love God with his whole heart, as stated in Deut 6:4-5 and quoted in Matt 12:29-32 as the primary of all the commandments.

We have one job: to love the Father with everything we’ve got. When we do this, and understand, then we will also love our neighbor (our fellow creation) as ourself. Everything else will follow. We will trust Him. We will cling to Him. We will follow and obey Him. If the things that you are doing are helping you to achieve that goal, God is good, give glory to God! If not, consider your ways and where they are leading. We often in our arrogance and pride remove God from throne of our heart and sit there in His place. That’s not your spot (as I often tell my giant dogs when they try to sit on the couch). He has shown you, O man, what is good… (Mic 6:8). He has “spread out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, Who walk in the way which is not good, following their own thoughts” (Is 65:2). Isn’t it time, like a small child wanting to be held, to hold out our hands toward our Father, and cling to Him?

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

What are some practical steps we can take to trust God more, and ourselves less?

What things can we do differently to please our Father?

Is there an idol in your heart that you have clung to?

If yes to the above, what is it, and why have you kept clinging to it?

PRAYER

Father God, please forgive me for my many shortcomings. Help to trust in You completely, to cling to You above all else, and to model the love that You have shown me to all of Your creation in order to honor You. May the lips of all of Your creation offer You the praise You deserve. Please instruct me, discipline me when I err, and guide me along the path that leads to Your kingdom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Refined Like Silver

2 Kings 9-10

Psalm 66

2 Corinthians 6

-Devotion by Tom Siderius (MI)

Psalms 66:8-10(NKJV)

Oh, bless our God, you peoples!

And make the voice of His praise to be heard,

9 Who keeps our soul among the living,

And does not allow our feet to be moved.

10 For You, O God, have tested us;

You have refined us as silver is refined.

There is a theme going through all the sections we are reading today. We are slaves to sin before we receive Christ, but then after, we can walk with righteous new life before our Father. Our hearts need to become like the heart of Christ and not the heart of disobedience which is what we had before we became children of God. Silver is refined by heat, a process carried out multiple times. Our heart needs continual refining towards the goal of becoming like Christ. We don’t start out that way and the lifetime fight with the deceitful heart is something all of us will have with our walk with God.

Genesis 8:21(NLT) And the LORD was pleased with the aroma of the sacrifice and said to himself, “I will never again curse the ground because of the human race, even though everything they think or imagine is bent toward evil from childhood. I will never again destroy all living things.

The nation of Israel had as king Ahab and the queen his wife Jezebel who led their nation into a continual and total worship of Baal. This was the time of Elijah and then Elisha. Remember the contest on the mountain between the prophets of Baal and the prophet of God Elijah? This became a time of such idolatry in the 10 tribes’ nation of Israel that God calls out and then sends Jehu, one of the commanders in Ahab’s army, to settle the situation. God has the prophet tell Jehu that he will be king, but he must kill Ahab and all his family. He also was directed to destroy all the temples and prophets of Baal.

2 Kings 10:25-31(NLT) Then Jehu’s men went into the innermost fortress of the temple of Baal. ²⁶ They dragged out the sacred pillar used in the worship of Baal and burned it. ²⁷ They smashed the sacred pillar and wrecked the temple of Baal, converting it into a public toilet, as it remains to this day.

²⁸ In this way, Jehu destroyed every trace of Baal worship from Israel. ²⁹ He did not, however, destroy the gold calves at Bethel and Dan, with which Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to sin.

³⁰ Nonetheless the LORD said to Jehu, “You have done well in following my instructions to destroy the family of Ahab. Therefore, your descendants will be kings of Israel down to the fourth generation.” ³¹ But Jehu did not obey the Law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He refused to turn from the sins that Jeroboam had led Israel to commit.

Many questions come to mind as I read the passage. Why does God choose Jehu to become king when God knows that Jehu will not settle the issue of the golden calf worship that was started by Jeroboam. This was after Solomon died and the nation split. The refining mission of Jehu on the nation of Israel is partial but not complete. The true worship of Yahweh would include going to the temple at Jerusalem three times per year and apparently Jehu did not want to let the people go there. Instead, he kept the worship of the calves which the people were told that they should do instead of going to the feasts at the temple. His desire to control the people outweighed a decision to follow God’s law. Further refinement will be on the way for the nation of Israel.

Also, why does the whole family, children and servants of Ahab and Jezebel have to die in the process? Worship of Baal and the Astaroth was a fertility worship that included a great deal of activities that would be shocking to us even to today. (Or maybe not.) When the king of Israel led the people to do evil continually the smell of their sacrifices and altars was so putrefying to God that He sent the ultimate judgement against their whole family. By eliminating the many sons of Ahab there would be no palace intrigue against Jehu and his sons as kings in Israel. The deaths of so many that did evil is truly a refining process.

It was a bloody, violent and gruesome ending for them and especially Jezebel who ends up crushed and eaten by dogs to leave only a few of her bones. The pit they dug for others is where they died.

Psalms 9:15-16(NLT) The nations have fallen into the pit they dug for others.

Their own feet have been caught in the trap they set.

¹⁶ The LORD is known for his justice.

The wicked are trapped by their own deeds.

Why does God execute such judgement against people in the Old Testament time?

Should we look for this judgement today against those that do evil?

The New Testament brings us the teaching of Jesus and the apostles and prophets of the early church. Now we are admonished to love our enemies, to turn our cheek, and to give grace to all we meet. Sometimes this is used by Christians to justify a completely pacifist view. Certainly, Jesus does not call or lead us to dominate our world by military power or war. But the viewpoint we should have should be to see that sometimes evil is so great that God will lift his hand of protection against those people and the destruction of war and violence will come from this time of unbelief. They will be refined by falling into their own pit that they have dug, and captured by the net they have set. Unbelief and greed coming from evil leaders is certainly the source of most conflicts in history and in the world today. Evil and deceit come from the heart of man to do evil continuously and leaders who lead from this deceit are responsible for most misery and war.

We have no promise of peace in this administration of grace but are admonished by God not to be the cause of the disharmony or conflict. We are to be light in the world showing others the way to Christ and God. If our country and leaders lead us into wars which are based on greed and deceit there may be Christians caught up in these conflicts. The records of the Word show many times the strength of warriors who do righteous battle for nations and we are certainly not immune from war today.

In Hebrews 11 we find a list of men who battled for their nation from the weakness of being the hand of the army of God. They include David, Gideon, Barak, and others. These are armies which depend on the living God to help them to victory and show us a pattern of righteous action. Not armies dependent on their own strength.

What is it to fight from weakness and how does that work?

Our 2 Corinthian reading also shows us further refining the silver of our lives. Yokes of livestock need to be closely matched in order to get the best effort for their work. You can pair a small horse with a large ox, but the results will be a very crooked plowing path. In the same way God tells us to look to our family in the church for those to be paired up in our work. We will be both pulling in the same way in the same direction. Our efforts will work together for righteousness,

2 Corinthians 6:11-16(NKJV) O Corinthians! We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open. 12 You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections. 13 Now in return for the same (I speak as to children), you also be open. 14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

“I will dwell in them

And walk among them.

I will be their God,

And they shall be My people.”

Leviticus 26:12-13(NLT) I will walk among you; I will be your God, and you will be my people. ¹³ I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt so you would no longer be their slaves. I broke the yoke of slavery from your neck so you can walk with your heads held high.

Do you see yourself and the church today as the chosen people of God?

Our warfare as the church today, we pray, will not be with the weapons of this world, but our national identity is the true people of God and our weapons are spiritual. Our authority is established with God as our Father and leader and any state mandated statues must be subservient to this authority. God calls for us to not be unequally yoked with the unbeliever. We should not be yoked to the sin and passion of this world. We need to support and strengthen each other in our spiritual family and relationships. God has not delivered us from the slavery to sin of this world for us to willingly go back to its authority. We cannot change the world’s violence in every situation but rather we teach and preach Christ the prince of peace to all we meet. God continues to refine us as silver in our thoughts and actions when we trust Him.

Reflection Questions – see above and …

Has this discussion changed your view of the conflicts of this world?

Prayer

Father God, we lift all our people that may be involved in the conflicts of this world. We ask Your protection for all of us from the evil that is so pervasive. Continue to refine our lives to become like Christ and help us to act from our new hearts. Give us today the bread of our need and deliver us from the pit others have dug for us. Thank you Father for all that Your do to protect and keep us in every way. In the precious name of Jesus Christ, we pray this day.

SGL.2026.Calendar Download

Who Speaks For Your God?

2 Kings 5-6

Psalm 65

2 Corinthians 4

-Devotion by Tom Siderius (MI)

The records of scripture we are reading today include the story of Naaman and his leprosy. This record is familiar to many, but never loses relevance for us as we read. The Word of God is sharper than a two-edged sword and is able to separate the physical world we live in from the spiritual truth that surrounds this world.

What is important to you? Then what is important to God?

2 Kings 5:1-8(NLT) The king of Aram had great admiration for Naaman, the commander of his army, because through him the LORD had given Aram great victories. But though Naaman was a mighty warrior, he suffered from leprosy. ² At this time Aramean raiders had invaded the land of Israel, and among their captives was a young girl who had been given to Naaman’s wife as a maid. ³ One day the girl said to her mistress, “I wish my master would go to see the prophet in Samaria. He would heal him of his leprosy.” ⁴ So Naaman told the king what the young girl from Israel had said. ⁵ “Go and visit the prophet,” the king of Aram told him. “I will send a letter of introduction for you to take to the king of Israel.” So Naaman started out, carrying as gifts 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and ten sets of clothing. ⁶ The letter to the king of Israel said: “With this letter I present my servant Naaman. I want you to heal him of his leprosy.” ⁷ When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes in dismay and said, “Am I God, that I can give life and take it away? Why is this man asking me to heal someone with leprosy? I can see that he’s just trying to pick a fight with me.” ⁸ But when Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes in dismay, he sent this message to him: “Why are you so upset? Send Naaman to me, and he will learn that there is a true prophet here in Israel.”

A prophet is one who speaks for God. He or she speaks out the truths that God shows them to say to the people in that moment of time and place. These truths are seldom predictions of the future, which is the popular viewpoint of many. But rather most of prophecy is speaking the firmly established truths of the Word of God applied at the right place, right time.

There are also many people that think that there are no more prophets today. This is a reaction I think to the claims of religions such as Mormonism or Islam, for example, that base their authority on the speaking of a self-proclaimed prophet. It is easier to just say that there are no prophets today after the 1st century of the church then to see that there were many false prophets then and many false prophets now.

It is not for the prophet’s own power or position that words of knowledge and wisdom are given to the prophet, but for the building up of the body of Christ. The words spoken by representatives of God in a true relationship with our Father God will be the words that are rightly spoken. This will be in a way that builds confidence in God and Christ, not tearing people down from condemnation. There may be a firm correction given by the prophet to the people but it will build up, not tear down.

Proverbs 25:11(NKJV) A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold In settings of silver.

2 Kings 5 :9-15(NLT) So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and waited at the door of Elisha’s house. ¹⁰ But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.” ¹¹ But Naaman became angry and stalked away. “I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said. “I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the LORD his God and heal me! ¹² Aren’t the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn’t I wash in them and be healed?” So Naaman turned and went away in a rage. ¹³ But his officers tried to reason with him and said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’” ¹⁴ So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child, and he was healed! ¹⁵ Then Naaman and his entire party went back to find the man of God. They stood before him, and Naaman said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel.

The words of a true prophet are established to be true and faithful to our God. God gives us the words of truth and when we speak on His behalf to the powers of this world God will give those words the power to do His good and intent. We are not responsible for the content of God’s Word, but we are responsible for the telling of it to others. God’s message, our speech.

2 Corinthians 4:1-2(NLT) Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never give up. ² We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this. ³ If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. ⁴ Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

What are the truths that God has given you to speak and reveal to others?

When you speak for God are you fulfilling the ministry of a prophet? (Hmmm…)

2 Corinthians 4:5-7(NLT) You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. ⁶ For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. ⁷ We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

Whose power are you empowered with today?

What is the light (knowledge) that you can shine into the darkness of this world?

Why did God choose you?

Our message is not about ourselves but about the God who has saved us. What is the purpose of the saving grace of God for your life if not to serve Him and speak for Him? It isn’t religious rules and statues that God calls us to speak but the message of that saving grace of God which you have received.

2 Corinthians 4:13-18(NLT) But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.” ¹⁴ We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. ¹⁵ All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory…..¹⁸ So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever

Fix your eyes upon Jesus, look full into his wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim….

Reflect On Questions above in bold font.

Prayer

Father God, we pray to You today to empower our lives with Your Word and wisdom. The power that we have is from You alone, and we can only speak truth with Your words. Give us the confidence to speak for You, and Your love to see others as You do. Thank you in the name of Jesus Christ for all Your care and help in our time of need.

SGL.2026.Calendar Download

What Can I Do to Help You?

2 Kings 3-4

Psalm 64

2 Corinthians 3

-devotion by Tom Siderius (MI)

Today we start a week with so many inspiring scriptures to read and meditate on. The first section today is from 2 Kings 4 where the familiar story of Elisha and the olive oil is recorded. Elisha is speaking for God and asks the widow “What can I do to help you?” The theme of the week of readings is our God who is always asking us that question. The Good News is that God is also willing and powerful to help us in every way if we put our trust and faith in Him. What He has done for us is to redeem us, sanctify us, reconcile us, and give meaning and purpose to our walk with Him in our lives. Reading from our section of Kings today:

2 Kings 4:2-7(NLT) “What can I do to help you?” Elisha asked.

“Tell me, what do you have in the house?”“Nothing at all, except a flask of olive oil,” she replied.
³ And Elisha said, “Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors. ⁴ Then go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you. Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting each one aside when it is filled.”
⁵ So she did as she was told. Her sons kept bringing jars to her, and she filled one after another. ⁶ Soon every container was full to the brim!
“Bring me another jar,” she said to one of her sons.
“There aren’t any more!” he told her. And then the olive oil stopped flowing.
⁷ When she told the man of God what had happened, he said to her, “Now sell the olive oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on what is left over.”

If you combine Basil, Parmesan, Pinenuts and Olive Oil you get Pesto. What do you get when you mix Olive Oil, Spinach and Sweet Peas? You get the cartoon classic Popeye.

Oh well it was a good try. But you know why Our God is so strong? He is strong to the finish!! (famous quote).

The story of Elisha and his walk with twice the spiritual power of Elijah is such an important record for us to read and appreciate. All through these chapters of Kings we see God giving people the things that are needed, continually rewarding faithful followers with what is important in their lives. Elisha walks and talks with God daily and has the voice of God in his spiritual ear all the time.

Can we hear words of knowledge and wisdom from God today like Elisha did?

If we believe that this is true, why do we doubt God’s presence so often?

2 Kings 4:13-17(NLT) Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tell her, ‘We appreciate the kind concern you have shown us. What can we do for you? Can we put in a good word for you to the king or to the commander of the army?’”“No,” she replied, “my family takes good care of me.”¹⁴ Later Elisha asked Gehazi, “What can we do for her?”Gehazi replied, “She doesn’t have a son, and her husband is an old man.”¹⁵ “Call her back again,” Elisha told him. When the woman returned, Elisha said to her as she stood in the doorway, ¹⁶ “Next year at this time you will be holding a son in your arms!”“No, my lord!” she cried. “O man of God, don’t deceive me and get my hopes up like that.”¹⁷ But sure enough, the woman soon became pregnant. And at that time the following year she had a son, just as Elisha had said.

Once again, the question “what can God do for her?” And then we read how Elisha raises the child from the dead in a most thrilling story of deliverance. Wow!

How do we change our perspective to “what can we do for others?” in our walks?

How do you think that would affect our lives and ministries?

Now let’s look at what Paul writes in 2 Corinthians where he is working to help their church to become united, strong, and productive. They were divided in their church body, and were accepting and promoting wrong teaching in many areas of Christian living and worship. The books of 1-2 Corinthians are reproof and correction to help them (and us) to get back to the correct path of righteous living, believing and actions.

2 Corinthians 3:1-6(NLT) Are we beginning to praise ourselves again? Are we like others, who need to bring you letters of recommendation, or who ask you to write such letters on their behalf? Surely not! ² The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves. Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you. ³ Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.
⁴ We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ. ⁵ It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. ⁶ He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.

Paul is the apostle to the Gentiles who should be the most exalted and powerful leader of the early church, especially amongst the Gentiles. Instead, he comes to the Corinthians showing them that the attitude of leadership and service in the church body is one of true humility and deliverance. All leadership is based on trust in God and Jesus Christ. He is the example of what true humility is, for Christian living and leadership for them and for us.

2 Corinthians 3:12-18(NLT) Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. ¹³ We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away. ¹⁴ But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. ¹⁵ Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand.
¹⁶ But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. ¹⁷ For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸ So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

The more that we read, study and meditate on the Word, and follow the examples of Christ and all the leaders that are recorded in the Bible, the more we will become like Christ. The walk of fellowship with the Father and His Son will be reflected in our faces and from our lives. I am sure that you have seen this from believers that you fellowship with.

REflection Questions:

Why is the veil of uncertainty done away with when we follow Christ?

What can we do daily to improve our walks of believing in spiritual power?

PRAYER:

Father God, we look to You today and are thankful for all that you do in every way in our lives. You have saved us, built us up and sustained us through the challenges of life. Father, we look to you to talk to us and give us the confidence to do what You ask us to do. We are weak in ourselves but strong with Christ in us. Thank you for being part of all we do. Give us your help today. In Jesus’ name we pray.

SGL.2026.Calendar Download

Bold Obedience

2 Kings 22-23
2 Chronicles 34-35

Ah, finally we get to a humble, obedient, and faithful king! King Josiah was only eight years old when he became king & perhaps his childlike faith, characterized by an unwavering trust in God, was partially responsible for his complete devotion to the One True God. According to 2 Kings 22:2, “He did right in the sight of the Lord and walked in all the way of his father David, nor did he turn aside to the right or to the left.”

King Josiah stands out as one of the most faithful and courageous leaders in all of Israel’s history. From a young age, he set his heart on God, and as he matured, his devotion bore fruit through sweeping reforms and bold obedience. When the long-lost Book of the Law, the Torah, was discovered during temple repairs, Josiah didn’t dismiss its warnings or delay its commands. Instead, he tore his clothes in humility and led the nation of Judah in heartfelt repentance.

Josiah’s leadership was marked by deep reverence for God’s Word, active obedience, and massive reform. He didn’t just believe privately, he acted publicly. He removed idols, tore down altars to false gods, and restored worship as God intended. Josiah renewed the covenant between God and his people, and led a national Passover celebration unlike any since the time of Samuel.

Despite the sins of previous generations, Josiah believed it wasn’t too late to return to God. His story reminds us that genuine faith leads to repentance and action. His life models how one heart, fully surrendered to God, can impact others – even an entire nation!

Even though Josiah didn’t live to see all of the long-term fruit of his efforts, God honored his humility and faithfulness. His legacy encourages us to lead with courage and humility, obey with conviction, and seek the Lord with passionate, undivided hearts.

Prayer:

Father God, we thank You for children of faith who grow up to be men and women of faith! May our hearts be renewed as we study Your Word and learn to have unwavering faith and obedience, like that of King Josiah. Thank You for giving us Your Word and examples of the righteous who have come before us. We humbly ask that you fill us with your power to lead this generation and the next back to you!

Reflection Questions:

1. What can Josiah’s immediate response to God’s Word teach us about how we respond to truth and correction?

2. In what areas of your life might God be calling you to remove “idols” or restore rightful worship?

3. How can you use your influence, big or small, to lead others in faithful obedience to God?

-Beth Osborn

SGL.2025.JulyFullPage Download

Big Trouble Brewing

2 Kings 20-21

In 2 Kings 20, we see King Hezekiah, a ruler who (mostly) honored the Lord and brought reform to Judah. When he fell ill, he prayed earnestly, and God mercifully extended his life by fifteen years. Yet even this godly king displayed flaws and selfish pride, especially during the end of his rule. After his recovery, he proudly showed off his treasures and bragged to the Babylons, failing to seek God’s wisdom instead. This prideful act led to Isaiah’s sobering prophecy and indeed Babylon would one day carry all of his riches away. Hezekiah also showed a lack of care or concern for the people who would come after him. He was pleased just to know that the Lord’s wrath wouldn’t fall upon Jerusalem during his lifetime. He did not set up future generations for success.

In chapter 21, we meet Hezekiah’s son, Manasseh, who reigned for 55 years. Unlike his father, Manasseh rejected the Lord completely! He rebuilt pagan altars, was engaged in every form of occultism, including black magic, fortune-telling, demon contacts, and even child sacrifice. Manasseh led Judah deeper into sin than the nations God had driven out before them. The history of God’s people was a history of disobedience toward the Lord. With the reign of Manasseh, the sin of God’s people climaxed, God’s patience was withdrawn, and the judgement of exile became inevitable.

The contrast is striking: King Hezekiah sought God yet stumbled in pride; King Manasseh abandoned God altogether. This contrast reminds us that faith must be personal, it cannot be inherited. Hezekiah’s faith didn’t guarantee Manasseh’s obedience. Likewise, partial obedience or past faithfulness doesn’t excuse compromise. God calls each of us to a life of daily trust and surrender.

Prayer:

Lord, help me walk humbly before You, not resting in yesterday’s faith, but living in daily obedience. Keep me from pride and arrogance and please lead my heart to fully trust in You and Your precious son, Jesus. In his name we pray, Amen.

Reflection Questions:

• Where might you be relying on past spiritual victories, rather than seeking renewed dependence on God today?

• Are there areas in your life where pride or compromise have crept in?

• Are there “treasures” that you show off, revealing misplaced confidence?

• What legacy of faith are you building for those who come after you?

-Beth Osborn

SGL.2025.JulyFullPage Download

He’s a Leper!

2 Kings 16 & 2 Chronicles 26

In our house, we’re movie nerds, and one of our go-to movies is “The Lorax,” based on the story by Dr. Seuss. In the movie, the Lorax is an orange furry mythical creature who tries to protect a forest full of adorable animals from a character called the Once-ler. Now, the Once-ler is a young man who is full of dreams. He wants to do good things, find success, and make his family proud. At first, he does just that! He has a successful start to his business, and things are looking great. However, in his arrogance, he goes back on his promise not to destroy the forest and begins chopping down trees, all while singing a very catchy song called “How Bad Can I Be?” The Once-ler is so blinded by his ambition that he can’t see the wrong he is doing.

The Once-ler and King Uzziah have a lot in common. He became king at a young age and sought out God’s wisdom to establish his reign. He fought to give his kingdom success, and he made his people proud. He even gained fame beyond his borders for his strength and valor. However, this fame and strength went to his head and corrupted his heart. He became proud and arrogant and dismissed the law. In 2 Chronicles 26:16, we see him enter the temple of God and burn incense on the altar of incense. It was not his right or place, even as a king, to do this. In verse 18, Azariah and eighty of his fellow priests enter the temple and rebuke him for these actions. And yet, Uzziah did not listen and repent. Instead, he was enraged and defiant, so God struck him with leprosy on his forehead. Only then did King Uzziah rush to leave God’s temple.

King Uzziah, much like other kings we have read about, started with great intentions and ambitions. Yet because of his pride, he lived the rest of his life in a separate house infected with leprosy, while his son Jotham took over running his house. Don’t follow the Once-ler and don’t follow King Uzziah. Seek and listen to wisdom.

-Lacey Dunn

Reflection:

• If you’ve never seen it, check out “The Lorax” and see if you think King Uzziah and the Once-ler led a similar life.

• Imagine you are one of the priests confronting King Uzziah. Close your eyes and picture the temple around you and breathe in the scent of incense. How does it feel to confront the king? Do you have the courage to stay and rebuke the king as Azariah did?

SGL.2025.JuneFullPage Download

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

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Reflection Questions – see above and …

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Reflect On Questions above in bold font.

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