Category: faith

Being Refined

Old Testament: Job 22-24

Poetry: Psalm 41

New Testament: John 21

The process of refining gold or silver is very long and tedious, as they, when mined, are found with many impurities. To get rid of these impurities, these metals are heated to the extreme temperatures of the metal’s melting point. This allows the impurities to rise to the surface of the gold or silver, as the impurities are much less dense than the actual metal. The impurities can then be removed from the metal to the best of the ability of the refiner. After doing so, this process is restarted to continue trying to get rid of even more impurities that remain within the gold or silver.


Throughout the Bible, the testing of people’s faith is constantly compared to the refinement of metals, such as gold or silver. We all face many trials within our lives as we try to live out a life of faith. In James 1:2-4, it says, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James tells us all that we must take joy in knowing that our trials and testing of faith produce a good result in us. For these difficult times create endurance, and endurance creates in you perfection and completion. Note that James did not say that we were going to encounter a singular trial to produce endurance, but instead stated that we would encounter various trials to achieve the result of perfection and completion.


Job knew the same thing that James did. He knew that the trials that he was facing were going to bring him forth to be more perfect and complete from his endurance. While we do not know the exact length of time Job suffered, we do know that he must have had great endurance to face all of his trials. In Job 23:10, he said, “But He knows the way I take; When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” Job knew that he was going through a process of refinement. He was being made more perfect and complete, becoming a piece of gold with fewer impurities. Knowing that he was going through refinement didn’t make any of the trials less for Job, but it did give him hope for the end of them at which he would be a refined person, more like God.


Job is not the only human who has and will face refinement of their faith. Each and every one of us will go through trials that test our faith. In Isaiah 48:10, it says, “Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.” Job was not put in an actual furnace of fire to be refined, and neither will we. But, we will all face the furnace of affliction in a way to refine our faith. Job was confident in the end result of his refinement by suffering. Are you as confident as Job that when the trials come you will stand in the end as a piece of refined gold?

-Kaitlyn Hamilton

Reflection Questions

  1. Is there a trial you have emerged from more “refined” than you were before? What did you gain through the difficult process? Can remembering that process and result help give you joy when you encounter the next trial?
  2. Sometimes, rather than being refined in a trial, people just melt, or the impurities seem to multiply. What makes the difference? How can you work towards using difficult times to improve and become more godly?
  3. What role does God take in your refining process?
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Restoration in God’s Time

Old Testament: Job 19-21

Poetry: Psalm 40

New Testament: John 20

There is an expression about starting a family that has passed down from one generation to the next that goes something like this: “If you wait to start having children until you’re ready, you will never have them.”  There is much truth in this.  While you can prepare for being a parent by accumulating wealth, knowledge, and supplies, no one can really be prepared to take care of a tiny, fragile human 24 hours a day without on-the-job training.  Being that my wife and I’s first experience of inexperience was with twins, we felt conservatively confident that we could manage it when we found out child three was going to be a singleton birth.  However, I wasn’t ready for what would happen prior to Violet being born.

As I mentioned in the first blog in this series, my health spiraled out of control a couple months ago, which culminated in a scary visit to the ER.  Out of all the doubts and worries that penetrated my mind, I wondered how I would be an effective father when my heart was beating rapidly and I couldn’t catch my breath putting my children in their car seats. God, why now? My Heavenly Father and I talked a lot about it, and He gave me peace in my restlessness. How I see it now.  He placed me there to deliver me.  He broke me then to prepare me for my present. He worked through the people around me to heal me for my growing family. His timing is always perfect, and I wish I always saw it this clearly.

“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.” – Psalm 40:1,3

Throughout the course of this week, we have focused on Trusting God’s plan. He will most certainly take us where we need to go to align our steps closer to His.  It is possible we need to spend time in the desert to clearly focus on what God is calling us to. Sometimes, we need a season of mourning to remember His promise of the life to come. It could be that we need our possessions removed to see every good and perfect gift. God makes it clear He will deliver us, but He sets the schedule. He does not hang healing over our heads so we learn a lesson.  He helps us to see Him more clearly, and He uses both our struggle and restoration as a testimony to Him.  The words of Job ring true with this when he states, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand on the earth. Yet in my flesh I will see God.” (Job 19:25-27)  While this speaks of a promise to come, literal restored men and women being with their God, we can also see God as He works in us in the seasons of feast and famine.

“‘Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?’… Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni!'” – John 20: 11, 16

God has promised to hear our cry, so why are we bemoaning? Why are we crying?  We don’t grieve like those who have no hope.  There is nothing that can be taken away that God cannot restore one-hundred-fold. Our Rabboni, Jesus Christ, is the firstfruits, and we will be restored like Him at the hour the Father has set.  We cannot accumulate enough wealth, knowledge, or supplies to be prepared  for every downfall or pitfall set before us, but in our dire circumstances, we can wait on the Lord for He will renew our strength in his perfect time.

-Aaron Winner

Reflection Questions

  1. As part of your personal testimony, can you tell of a time God has used both your struggle and your restoration to draw you closer to Him?
  2. What does waiting patiently on the Lord look and sound like?
  3. From God’s word and/or from your own life, what have you learned about God’s timing?
  4. What has God shown you about Himself in your Bible reading today?
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Holding Fast to Hope

Old Testament: Job 17 & 18

Poetry: Psalm 39

New Testament: John 19

The world is filled with a great deal of uncertainty and challenges, much like a battlefield.  At many times, life is so filled with ambushes and snares that we should abide by the military mantra, “expect the unexpected.”  Consequently, if we live our lives dodging bullets and treating everyone like they are the enemy, we may survive but we aren’t following orders.  You can desert God’s plan and work on one of your own but the glory of God cannot be yours without taking his marching orders.  Whatever unforeseen opposition comes our way, we shouldn’t change our battle plan.  We have to expect the expected, meaning what we hope for does not change by any circumstance that is thrown our way.  Our hope only grows closer in these circumstances, and our faith brings clarity in tumultuous times.

“Nevertheless, the righteous will hold to their ways, and those with clean hands will grow stronger.” – Job 17.9

In the midst of Job’s trials and sufferings, Job speaks that the righteous are true to their pledge.  The same hope exists in times of peace and times of war.   However, when we are battle-tested and endure, our faith is made stronger, much like tree roots that dig deeper into the soil during a storm. There will be waves of doubt and despair that will combat our hope, but when we are firmly planted in the ground with a source of Living Water, there is nothing that can make us shakeable, to lose the fruit of the Spirit that we bear.

“But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you.” – Psalm 39:7

Conversely, in the fog of war, there is confusion.  The next step can seem unclear. In the midst of doing ministry, fighting off sin, or disciplining your children, we must look to the Lord. His solutions are not based in our fleeting circumstances.  His answers are not temporary solutions to momentarily cover our wounds. His resolution will be based in eternity.  Our hope is in the one whose hands hold the world. We are secure in seeking Him because He is unchanging.  He clears the fog and leads us by our faith and not our sight.

“When he had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” – John 19:30

We must always bear in mind that Jesus Christ completes this hope.  He believed, he hoped that His death on the cross would not only lead to resurrection for himself, but resurrection for us all who put our faith in Him.  He fulfilled the hope of so many who were looking for a Messiah in the Old Testament, and he completes the hope of us all who desperately need a Savior.  What a great hope is this that while we still struggle with our sins, Christ has already died for us as an offering, so we can be in His kingdom.  The cross defeats addiction.  The cross defeats abuse.  The cross defeats poverty.  The cross defeats shame.  The cross defeats sin.  The cross defeats every power in this age, including the enemy of death.  It is in the power of the cross that we have a hope, so we can march on with our banner held high proclaiming the hope that we have and instilling fear in our enemies.

-Aaron Winner

Reflection Questions

  1. Where do you put your hope? How would you describe it to an unbelieving neighbor?
  2. What can someone who feels they are in a hopeless situation learn from Job, David and Jesus?
  3. What do you learn about God from today’s passages?
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Transcendental Wisdom

Old Testament: Job 9 & 10

Poetry: Psalm 35

New Testament: John 15

I have never been mechanically minded.  I really don’t have a clue how engines or electronics work.  I know gas goes into a car and electricity goes to a TV, but I don’t really know what happens after that.  Inevitably, as a lower middle class family, something is bound to stop, break, and make a questionable noise. In these moments, I really don’t have a clue on where to begin. Thankfully, I live in the information age.  Some saints out there have encountered the same problem and recorded a video of him/herself repairing it.  Time and time again, I follow their instructions step by step, and, with a pretty good success rate, I make the repair without truly understanding every element along the way.

“He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.” – Job 9:10

“How then can I dispute with him? How can I find words to argue with him? Though I were innocent, I could not answer him; I could only plead with my Judge for mercy.” – Job 9:14-15

God makes it clear that we neither have the capacity nor the clearance to know all the inner workings of what is to come.  Job comes to this realization turned revelation that he isn’t, nor can he be, on the same level as God.  God not only created the universe and its governances, but also actively works in it, ordaining His will upon man. His work is endless, infinite, and interconnected through the story of salvation. So when we are faced with trials, decisions, and repair, He alone is the expert that we turn to.  Through His scriptures or through petition in prayer, God offers insight into a wisdom that transcends all others.If we want to know more, we, the branches, must stay connected to the vine, Jesus Christ. He has already given us revelation in the Gospels and through John, detailing the events leading up to the return of Christ.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” – John 15:5

“So my soul shall rejoice in the Lord; it shall rejoice in His salvation. All my bones will say, “Lord, who is like You, who rescues the afflicted from one who is too strong for him, and the afflicted and the poor from one who robs him?” – Psalm 35:9-10

Conversely, we don’t have to understand it all.  We can’t, at least not right now on this side of the Kingdom of God.  We have to follow the Fixer in faith, knowing that picking up the correct part number and knowing the specific function are less important than the repair that needs to take place in our hearts to get us back up and running.  In Psalm 35, David demonstrates this to us by calling upon the promises of God to sustain him and defeat his enemy.  He doesn’t ask to know how to move the pieces, He only wants to know the Mover better.

He knows what is on the other side of the mountain, therefore the steps He chooses for us lead us to His Kingdom. If we never received a new revelation and if God never revealed His specific will for us, we already have access to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, alongside the prescription to live a life for Him. This is eternal, transcendental wisdom, and thank you God for revealing it to us.

-Aaron Winner

Reflection Questions

  1. Do you spend enough time contemplating the majesty and greatness of God? What wonders and miracles can you thank Him for today?
  2. How often do you try to raise yourself to God’s level – or lower God to yours? What are the dangers of each?
  3. What wisdom has God already shared with you and how? What is currently beyond your capacity and clearance? Praise God for being who He alone is.
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The Illusion of Control

*Old Testament: Job 7 & 8

*Poetry: Psalm 34

*New Testament: John 14

It is not unusual for me to carry around a Ziploc bag full of fruits and vegetables as I meander across the cafeteria crunching through school lunch. A few years ago, I made changes for the sake of my health, improving my diet and exercising regularly.  I dropped some weight, I felt better, and I was healthier in my late 30s than in the whole of my 20s.  I had finally mastered my body once and for all; however, this control was an illusion.

Early this summer I experienced significant changes to my health.  My heart was beating out of control.  I went from marathon running to huffing and puffing up the short flight of stairs at my house.  I was sweaty, panicked, and dropping pounds no matter what I ate. I was heading, as I now know, full-throttle into a thyroid storm and quickly losing the gains that I had worked so hard to maintain. It was then I was given this sobering reminder: I’m not in control; not even a little bit.

Throughout the course of this week, my goal is to focus on trusting God’s plan.  The rain equally falls on the just and the unjust, but we often fix our gaze on our wet shoes in the puddles and mud. This is where we find Job in Chapter 7.  He ponders the calamities that befall him, and even torment him in his sleep.  He is looking for a reason that God has placed him in this circumstance and even “targeted” him (v.20), removing his wealth, health, and happiness.  In what looks like an ironic spin of Psalm 8, Job asks “What is mankind, that you make so much of them? That you give them so much attention?”  It is a fair question.  Why would God place so much attention on my life, seemingly ruining it, especially when I have put in so much time, effort, and energy into making something good?

We find our focus in the lens of eternity. When we surrender our lives to Christ, our possessions, our status, our health, and the whole of our lives are assets of the Gospel message.  There is profound peace in the perfect plan of our Heavenly Father, but it requires us to relax the white knuckle grip we have over the course of our life.  We must surrender in faith, fully trusting that our storm, our season, our suffering is for the glory of God.   Psalm 34 states when we seek the Lord, our fears are quelled (v. 4) and in His time, he will deliver us (v. 6, 17, 19, & 22). While it is hard not to let our hearts be troubled (John 14:1), God is still good in our struggle, and for many of us, more present to taste and see it, when we are broken, poor, ill, hungry, or in peril.

When things seem out of control, we have to realize they were never in our hands.  Thinking we have the power to redeem or fix our struggle alone means we are intoxicated with our own glory, one that will ultimately fail.  Conversely, if we hand our lives over to Christ, declaring our lives are forfeit for His glory in faith, God will use us in a way that will infinitely diminish what we can accomplish by ourselves.  Thank God, I am not in control, and His perfect will can redeem us all.

“I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.” – Psalm 34:1-2

-Aaron Winner

Reflection Questions

  1. What do you think and feel when you hear you are not in control?
  2. What evidence do you have to prove you are, or are not, in control?
  3. How can you bring glory to God, even if your feet are in (or have been in) a muddy puddle?
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He Sees

You Can, Too.

Old Testament: Esther 8-10

Poetry: Psalm 29

*New Testament: John 9

John 9 recounts a story of Jesus healing a man born blind, and how those in his community respond to his being healed. Through this account, we see not only the heart that Jesus had, but also areas for our own spiritual growth.

As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 9:1

From the start, we can find assurance in the notion that Jesus notices the least of us. We’re later told that this man had been a beggar. He may have been begging as Jesus and the disciples passed by. For anyone who feels overlooked at times, isn’t it comforting to know that Jesus notices us?

So he went and washed and came back seeing. 9:7b

We also see in this man how obedience and faith work together. Believing that Jesus could heal him would not have sealed the deal, action was required. Results are nice. And most often they don’t come without some action on our part. This man could not have been healed without Jesus intervening. But even with Jesus’ intervention, his healing required his own participation.

Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.  9:40

Self-righteousness blinds us. And these blind spots are roadblocks on our journey to spiritual maturity.

Have you ever been reading when the light outside is growing dim? You don’t need the lights inside the house on yet and so they are not on. But an hour later, the room is getting darker and darker and you do not even realize it. Someone may come in and ask if you need the light on. Suddenly you look around and realize how dark it is. You didn’t know you needed the light, you hadn’t recognized you were in the dark. This is the problem Jesus is identifying. The light of the world is here for those that know they need it/him. But many think they can see when actually they are sitting in the dark.

And if, when reading that, your mind immediately went to ‘those people’ who are in the dark…you’re missing the point. You’re ‘those people.’ We’re all ‘those people.’

What a great place to start today… asking for him to reveal blind spots we may have, trusting that he sees and cares for us, with a willingness to act on what he reveals in us.

-Susan Landry

Reflection Questions

  1. How do faith and obedience work together? Why are both required? Do you feel stronger in one than the other? How can you work on growing the other?
  2. When have you found yourself sitting in the dark? How can you draw closer to the light of the world to take advantage of the light he gives?
  3. After reading John 9 how would you describe Jesus.
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Your Trials

THEME WEEK – PETER: 1 Peter 1

Old Testament: Nehemiah 1 & 2

Poetry: Psalm 19

This week at FUEL we focused on the life of Peter. Peter is an amazing character in the Bible. His life was full of ups and downs. His faith was high and it was low. Yet, Peter was used to do great works for God. I find a lot of parallels between Peter’s life and ours as believers.  Today’s devotion is not as much focused on Peter’s life, but rather how he uses what he learned from his life experiences.

1 Peter 1 starts by proclaiming the good news and our hope in Christ. He says in verse three, that through mercy we have been given a new birth through the resurrection of Jesus. Now Peter continues this by saying that even though we have our hope in Jesus we will have a lot of grief and many trials. This is true for our lives as well, most of us have gone through something that is incredibly challenging. Life can really beat us down or we build sandcastles on false beliefs. But when you have a living hope through Jesus Christ, you have a strong foundation to rely on during the waves of life.

 Peter also faces many trials in his life such as when he was called out on the water by Jesus, he took his eyes off of Jesus and began to sink because of his lack of faith. Peter also denies Jesus three times. He is ashamed and scared because of what might happen to him so he turns his back on Jesus. But even through all of these difficulties and trials Jesus calls him back. I know that I have taken my eyes off from Christ and maybe even have denied my faith. But he continues to call me back and offers grace.

Peter uses his life experiences to help strengthen fellow believers. He says in verse six and seven that trials come and that “these have come so that your faith … may be  proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” Even when we face trials and setbacks in our life, we can still return to Christ. Or as Amber shared on Monday night, we all need a comeback. So the next time you find yourself sinking, think about Peter and remember that if he can be pulled out of the water, so can you!  Peter reminds us in verse 23 “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.”

-Camden Bormes

If you would like to hear Amber speaking on comebacks, check out the FUEL 2023 Monday Evening General Session on youtube (where you can also find all the other general sessions as well). Amber starts speaking, with sound, at 36 minutes.

Reflection Questions

  1. What trials have you already been through? Have they helped to prove the worth of your faith? If so, how?
  2. Are you currently in need of a comeback (has a trial beaten you down)? What steps could be useful in the process of a comeback? How might the living and enduring word of God play a part?
  3. What can we learn from Peter about faith? About Jesus? About God?
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The Purpose of Jesus

THEME WEEK – PETER – John 18

Old Testament: Ezra 6-8

Poetry: Psalm 16

This morning we read John chapter 18 – an emotional chapter that covers the arrest and trial of our Messiah, the King of the Jews. 

While the events we read about in this chapter and the next are completely unjust and cruel, they had to happen. Jesus knew what he was born for; he knew for what purpose he was sent to the world by God. He had already revealed his future several times in the gospels leading up to the crucifixion. Not only did Jesus predict his own death, but his life, ministry, and death was also prophesied in the Old Testament, beginning approximately 2000 years before his birth. This was God’s plan from the very beginning, and it was never supposed to be easy. 

God set his perfect plan in place long before Jesus was on earth, and when his time came he knew by whom he was sent and for what purpose, and he was determined to fulfill it, faith unwavering through every trial until death. He had many opportunities to walk away, and we know a part of him wished he could (Matthew 26:39), but our good and perfect Savior put his trust fully in God, and obeyed until the very end. This was no easy task. Though he remained without sin, Jesus of Nazareth was a human, just like us. He encountered countless trials that most anyone else would crumble under the weight of, and ultimately faced a gruesome death that most would run away from. 

We needed the sacrifice of a perfect human man to be saved. Through Christ we are redeemed. Without his tragic death, a sacrifice made both by God and by his Son, our fallen world would be doomed to live apart from God in sin and brokenness forever. But because we have a genius God who came up with the most perfect plan on our side, and because one man had unbreakable faith and steadfast love for the God he served and the world he was sent to save, we have the promise of a beautiful future – a kingdom not of this world (John 18:36). 

Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”

John 18:37

-Isabella Osborn

Reflection Questions

  1. Have there been times in your life that you were scared to do what you knew God was calling you to do? 
  2. What can we learn and apply to our own lives from the ultimate display of love and faithfulness in Jesus’ sacrifice?
  3. What are some reasons you think the Jews were so adamant that the savior sent to them by their God should be put to death? What do you think you would have done in that situation? What are some ways we can guard our hearts from the lies of this world that lead us away from God’s will for us?  
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On the Water

THEME WEEK – PETER: Matthew 14

Old Testament: Ezra 1-3

Poetry: Psalm 14

Today’s passage of Matthew 14 has a lot to unpack. There is much to learn from each story there, but my focus for this passage has always been the last portion: walking on water. Because while John’s death was tragic, and the feeding of the 5,000 is wondrous, the story of Peter stepping out of the boat has always been one of mixed emotions for me. 

Starting in verse 22 we read:

22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

29 “Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Jesus has performed miracles before this story. It should be no surprise that he could walk on water, but it truly must have been a sight to see. Coming through wind and darkness and waves, it was enough to make the disciples proclaim him to be a ghost. But Jesus calls through the wind and the lapping of the waves and over the creaking of the boat to reassure his followers. And Peter’s immediate response is one that I’ve always found commendable. He asked Jesus to call him out. 

He wants Jesus to call him out on to dark water to do something terrifying that he knows he’s completely incapable of doing on his own. He is fully aware that only Jesus, using the power and authority given to him by God alone, can help him do this great thing. 

So he asks him to call him out. How often do we ask to be called out into dangerous waters? Usually my request is, “Lord, keep me safe. Keep my family safe. Keep my life simple.” It’s not “Lord, send me out into water well over my head.” 

Peter asked to be called out because he knew that Jesus would help him. And I feel like he should get credit for this. And yet as we read further we see Jesus tell him he has little faith. 

But Jesus! He was the only disciple who stepped out of the boat! 

Poor Peter. He boldly trusts Jesus and goes out on the water but he loses focus. Rather than keeping his eyes on Christ he starts seeing the waves and winds and realizes just the sort of situation he’s in. He’s standing over deep water and the sea is not calm. This is no peaceful frolic. This is scarier and bigger than he expected, and suddenly the danger and the risk is all he can see. Christ is forgotten. 

If we are called to do big things for Christ, we cannot expect it to be simple and peaceful. We live in a world of sin, full of wind and waves, and he is calling us into it to do his work. But he’s right there. He is giving us the authority and the power to do great things. Unfortunately, sometimes all we can see is the danger. 

It takes great faith to step out onto the water, but having faith for a moment isn’t enough. Continuing on in faith despite obstacles and fear is what we are actually called to do. We cannot just step out of the boat. We must go forth as we are called. Keep your eyes on Jesus. 

Some things to think about:

What waters do you feel called on to? 

What do your winds and waves look like? 

What are some practical things that can help you focus less on your obstacles, and more on Jesus? (Maybe it’s deepening your prayer life. Maybe it’s getting a fellow Christian to go alongside you.)

How can you pray bigger prayers and in what areas of your life can you ask Jesus to call you out over deeper water?

My prayer for you today is that you are bold in your faith. I pray that you are able to see Jesus in areas in your life and that you hear his calling. I pray that you not only step out of the boat but that you also continue on toward him, trusting him to keep you above the water. 

-Jenn Haynes

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Living Godly Lives in a Godless Age

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 34-36

Poetry: Psalm 12

New Testament: 2 Timothy 3-4

            During this week’s readings we’ve seen examples of many ways and reasons that people turn away from God.  We’ve also seen how people can be a complicated mixture of both faithful and obedient to God but also can lose their grip on faith and obedience through pride or greed and lose their intimate connection to God.

            Throughout scripture, God shows himself to be merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in love and forgiveness.  He is a God of second chances (and 3rd, 4th, and 5th chances).  Yet he is also a holy and just God and brings down the rod of discipline upon the people he loves to correct their corrupt ways when they refuse to repent.

            On this final day of the week, these Scriptures show us some pretty remarkable things about God’s patience and mercy, and also the dangers to neglecting the Word of God.

            Josiah began to reign as King of Judah at the tender age of 8.  When he was a young lad of 16 he began seeking God.  He decisively began to rid Judah of idols.  He arranged to have the temple repaired.  As the workers were working in the temple, cleaning out the relics in the back halls and storage units they came across a dusty old book.  It looked old and probably hadn’t been read for centuries.  It turns out that the dusty old book was the Bible, as it was constituted at the time of Moses.  It contained the teaching and laws that Moses recorded based on what he received from God along with the history of God’s people going back to creation.  King Josiah asked that it be read aloud to him.  As he listened to God’s word being read, he was overcome with horror.  He tore his robes.  As he heard God’s word being read he realized how far astray they had gone from doing God’s will. 

            Josiah called for a prophet of God to come and tell them what God was going to do.  He was going to bring his judgment against the people of Judah, there would be a disaster that was unprecedented.  However, King Josiah would be spared because of his love and faithful obedience to God.  God said: “Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard:  Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before me and tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the Lord.  Now I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place and on those who live here.’” (2 Chronicles 34:26-28)

            Josiah led the people to renew the Covenant.  He led them in celebrating the Feast of Passover which had not been celebrated since the time of Samuel.  He continued to purge the nation of its idols.  Josiah was rewarded for his humility and faithful obedience to God’s covenant. He was permitted to live out his life with the nation in peace.  In this instance, God is both gracious to Josiah for his humble and repentant heart, but he is also just and requires that Judah suffer the consequences for their disobedience.

            After Josiah died, there was a rapid succession of kings, who each “did evil in the eyes of the Lord.”  God continued to send prophets to warn his people to repent, but they would not listen. “Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful, following all the detestable practices of the nations and defiling the temple of the Lord, which he had consecrated in Jerusalem.  The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy.” (2 Chronicles 36:14-16)

            God gave second and third and fourth and fifth chances, but finally they were so hardened and disobedient that he had no choice but to let them be taken away into exile.

            Josiah was a man of God living in a broken and sinful world.  He did his best to lead others toward faithfulness and trust in God, but ultimately they rejected God and faced the consequences.  God showed mercy to Josiah for the sake of his humility and faithfulness.

            Like Josiah, we can be men and woman of God living faithfully in a broken and sinful world.  We can take heart, God sees our faithfulness and humility as we repent of our sins and turn to Jesus Christ and walk in obedience to Christ.  We have no guarantee that life will be easy as we live godly lives in a godless age.  In fact, we are warned that it will be hard.

            “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it,  and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” -2 Timothy 3:12-17.

            Sadly, in Josiah’s day, the Bible was lost for hundreds of years in the back of the temple.  We are blessed, we have access to God’s word to read and study and obey…. But do we?

-Jeff Fletcher

Reflection Questions

  1.  How do you suppose God’s people completely lost God’s word for hundreds of years?  Could that happen again in our age?
  2. Josiah humbled himself and repented. In what areas of your life do you need to humble yourself and repent?
  3.  As a result of this week’s devotions, what one change are you committed to making in your life?
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