Category: humility

Battles and God’s Will

2 Chronicles 13-14

Psalm 79

Colossians 4

-Devotion by Juliet Taylor (TN)

In the Old Testament passages we read today, I pondered a lot. I wondered if Abijah actually sought God’s wisdom about starting the civil war against his brethren or if he took his own initiative. He slighted his father for not being aggressive and starting the battle during his reign. We know through scripture that his father refrained on account of God’s will.

What is evident in the passage is that when Abijah called upon the name of the LORD in times of war, he and his kingdom were saved in miraculous ways during each battle. Because they called out to God in their distress, God acted on their behalf. God acts as they humble themselves before him.

Another thought I pondered was God’s heart when it came to hearing his children brag about him, and how they kept his commandments and served him. This bragging seemed to be a part of Abijah’s decision to begin a civil war because it made the people proud. Though it ended victoriously, it led to the slaughter of thousands of Abijah’s own bloodline. 

This is where Jesus and the New Covenant direct my thoughts. We should absolutely strive to keep God’s commandments and serve him through Jesus, and we should be proud if we are able to do that, but we should brag about how we were able to do it with the help of Jesus. We should not brag about our works on account of ourselves, lest it puffs us up and leads us into battle against our brother or sister (whatever “battle” that may be). 

Though God led Abijah to victory, I don’t think it was God’s will for him to start a war in the first place. But since he acted, got himself into trouble, then humbled himself, God acted on his behalf. I don’t think it was the boasting that led God to work on his behalf, it was his/his people’s humility in their distress.

If we are going to boast, we should boast in Jesus. Boast that you died and were buried with him, then raised to life, so that you can live like him, loving as he loved, to help another conquer like he conquered. If we let love drive us, maybe there won’t be a need for victories to be won—at least not victories conquering our opponents.

Our victories will be measured by the way we loved our “opponents.” Colossians gives us a few examples of how to love our “opponents” in our everyday lives with the relationships we have.

Most of us will never be a master of slaves. But we do have relationships that need cultivating, like that of an employee to an employer, husband to wife, child to parent, apostle to church goer, etc., that we can respect and behave in with wisdom, working for the good of both parties like Jesus would, with the same endgame; save others. And if we mess up, we have a God we can seek in the name of Jesus, who will look on the humble who cry out to him for help.  

How do we cultivate good in these relationships, rather than going to war in them? Colossians 4 gives us some wisdom about this. Devote yourselves to prayer and thanksgiving, especially for those who have the opportunity to meet others, for a door to be opened to share the gospel. We should conduct ourselves with wisdom towards outsiders (by asking for it), so that our speech towards them will be seasoned with salt, so that we’ll gain more wisdom about how to speak life to them. 

It is good for those doing the Lord’s work to talk about it with the churches, so that we can be encouraged and join in the fight for lives, and provide for those in the trenches. We must remember their labor, especially when we’re comfortable in our more stationary position in the body of Christ, without much hardship. Remember those imprisoned for Christ’s sake. 

QUESTIONS:

1.      How many times do you think God answers your distress call after you’ve messed up?

2.      Kings who do what is good and right in the sight of the LORD often receive such a title by doing what?

3.      What wisdom do you get from reading Colossians 4 that can help you in your “battle” with one of your relationships?

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father – I need Your wisdom to walk in Your will. Help me come before You seeking direction to do only what is pleasing to You. Give me a humble spirit and strength to do what You want me to do – in the way You want me to do it. Help me be a wise witness of You and Your son in all of my interactions with outsiders, “opponents”, brothers and sister. In Your Son’s name I pray, Amen

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Examining Your Work and Way

2 Chronicles 11-12

Psalm 79

Colossians 3

-Devotion by Juliet Taylor (TN)

In the previous chapters, I concluded that Rehoboam was wrong in dividing the kingdom of Israel in two, because he followed the advice of his young friends over the elders, whom I assume advised him to listen to God’s will in the matter, as they are often more inclined to adhere to the word of God than youth, having gained wisdom in their years. But now we read that God says that the dividing of the kingdom of God was from him, and that Rehoboam should not fight against his relatives to restore the one kingdom.

This is what I think is going on:  God allows us to make our own decisions. If we make a bad choice about what’s good for us without his wisdom about it, he decides the next move, not necessarily that he planned everything out the way it goes. And accordingly, we have the chance again to seek his will and choose to follow it or not. He moves as we move, though we should strive to move as he moves. We’ll see more of this happening in today’s readings. 

This time, Rehoboam listens to God’s words (his wisdom about what to do). His choice to listen to God yields to the creating of many notable fortified cities and prosperity in gaining his kingdom food, oil, and wine. Perhaps most importantly, the priests and the levities who were in all of Israel came to serve God with Rehoboam – at least for 3 years.

There is so much going on in Rehoboam’s reign that I think relates to this present age. It is after being established and strong that Rehoboam (and likewise most) forsook the law of the LORD again. Think about that. When we’re weak and in need, we tend to call upon the LORD. But when we’re healthy, strong, established, wealthy, etc., we forsake the Lord and his laws by going our own way (seeking our own will/wisdom about what we should do).

Why? The bible talks about this often. When we rely on our own wealth/power/established state, we forget God and all that he’s done for us.

In response, the LORD brings word that since Rehoboam forsook God, he’ll forsake him (and his kingdom which God gave him). This time, their response was good, though their repentance wasn’t without punishment. God sent an army against them. But because they humbled themselves, instead of allowing them to perish, he allows them to become slaves, “so that they may learn the difference between My service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.” (2 Chron. 12:8).

Though it may sound harsh, it is good to realize how good we’ve got it when we are in service to the LORD, rather than in service, or a slave, to another. God’s wisdom about this is also all throughout scripture. We must learn to understand that punishment is good for us, when it is ordained by God. It can humble us.

Now read Psalm 79 and ponder upon the humility displayed from those who are God’s who have been downcast. Now read Colossians chapter 3.

This life in Christ is supposed to be one wherein we live as Christ lived, not how those whom we read about in the past lived. They should have continuously looked to God’s laws and been thankful for them, so that they could do them and live well.

We have more wisdom than they I think, to be able to do God’s will, because we are in Christ. The “how to” though often finds a way to baffle us.

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul talks as if the things we need to do come naturally to those of us in Christ – at least that’s how it has been perceived by me when preached.

I find myself more inclined to think that the things Paul writes about affect me much in the same way they affected Rehoboam and Jeroboam, though in Christ, I received the spirit of Christ, urging me to follow him. Every act I make is a decision to let God be the judge of what’s right and to do accordingly, or to let myself, my flesh, be the judge and act foolishly.

But by remembering Christ, what he did, God’s plan of salvation through him, and who I am in him, I can be prudent to humble myself in good times and in bad and walk as he walked. This takes prayer. It takes the reading of God’s word. It takes much action from me.

My actions may be to make my days routine full of what it says we should be doing in Colossians 3 by reading God’s word, by discussing it with my brothers and sisters in Christ, by allowing myself to be taught and admonished by them and vice versa; to sing with them and gush with thankfulness to God in unity.

I can be a wife subject to my husband as unto the Lord (and he thus to me, both with love for each other). I can raise my children to be obedient but without causing them to lose heart, teaching them the love of Christ and why it is so good to desire that he rules over us, admonishing them when they miss the mark. It is all a part of God’s plan of salvation, which is so good for us.

I can think of the things I decide to do in word or in deed as actions I take for the Lord Jesus, thanking God our father through him. I can decide to work heartily for the Lord, and not merely for men when in my job, as an employee to my boss, doing my best to please my Lord (I liken this to a slave working for her master in Paul’s time). And I can do it all with a mindset that I want all whom I come across to be affected by my behavior, acting in such a manner to win others to Christ because it is so good for them.

QUESTIONS:

1.      Do you think that under the New Covenant we’ve entered into that God will forsake us if we forsake him? What does that even mean?

2.      Do you think that under the New Covenant we’ve entered into that God allows us to be slaves to sin when we follow the urging of the flesh instead of the urging of the spirit to do what is right so that we may learn the difference between his service in Christ and the service to sin again?

3.      Paul gives the Colossians a lot of instruction regarding what they should do in Christ. However, it doesn’t read as if he’s giving them laws to follow under the New Covenant like that of the Old Covenant. To me it sounds like he gives them a lot of great wisdom relating to their lives that they can adhere to or not. What do you think?

PRAYER:

Dear God of wisdom and might – I want to follow You well all of my days. May I abide by your will with a heart of humility, eagerly doing the work You have for me to do. Help me to show the world that You are a good God and that there is great joy in serving Your Son Jesus Christ. In his name I pray, Amen.

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I Am NOT More Significant

2 Chronicles 1-2

Psalm 76

Philippians 2

-Devotion by JJ Fletcher (MN)

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

(Philippians 2:3 ESV)

Be humble. Paul says to count others as more important than yourselves. Selfish ambition and conceit have no place in a life of faith. Jesus doesn’t try to bypass God’s will and establish the Kingdom in his own timing; rather, he understands God’s redemption plan and the need for his sacrifice. He puts the lives of his friends and the future of the church ahead of his desire to escape pain. Succinctly put, he counted others as more important than himself. Contemplate what putting this into practice looks like day by day.

Don’t grumble. This may be hard to grasp, but grumbling and complaining are not spiritual gifts. I jest (kind of…), but if you have been around people for any length of time, even in the church, you have heard someone complain. Some people seemingly enjoy complaining or feel like it is their duty to point out everything that is “wrong” (maybe they were never taught how to channel those thoughts in a constructive way).

Sometimes we grumble and complain when things are tough and unpleasant, but other times we complain because we don’t like the way something is done. Maybe it’s due to our preferences, or maybe it’s because we think we could have done better (i.e., pride). Whatever the case may be, we should not be going through life with our default being set to complain about everything that does not go our way.  

There are tons of things that I don’t like. I don’t like Mondays; I don’t like it to be over 72 degrees outside, and I am not enamored by the chorus “As the Deer”. Whether it is the weather, the way we feel about starting our work week (also, what is a weekend?), or our worship preferences, we are responsible for how we conduct ourselves: our attitudes, our actions, our responses to all stimuli. I can choose to roll my eyes or be grumpy, or I can choose to have a good attitude. 

One mind. Paul’s desire is for the body to be of one mind. Being of one mind, Paul wants us to have the same mindset as Jesus. As we strive to work, worship, and live in unity, we should be following his examples of humility and conduct.

Fear and trembling. Paul says to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. All parts of our lives should be evaluated under this primary question: “Does this honor and glorify God?” This should impact our theology, our church structure, and our conduct toward others. There are lots of ways to live out our faith; some ways are correct, and some are not, but some are just flat out different than others and are equally useful for bringing God glory. 

Reflection Questions:

How does my behavior reflect my faith?

What message does grumbling and complaining send?

How can we effectively navigate disagreements in churches and in other areas of our lives?

What does having one mind look like in practical terms?

Prayer

Dear God – You have so much You could complain about me. Forgive me for the times I am proud, selfish and complaining. I want to have the mind of Christ. Help me see myself and others as You want me to. Help me catch when I am going in the wrong direction and make the changes necessary to be pleasing to You in my attitude, words and actions.

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Godly Sorrow Works Repentance

2 Kings 11-12  
Psalm 66            
2 Corinthians 7

-Devotion by Tom Siderius (MI)

Join us together today reading tough history lessons from 2 Kings and the letter to the 2 Corinthians that is a corrective epistle.  The book of Romans is mostly doctrinal and is telling us how to believe correctly in Christ.  The epistle of 1 Corinthians is correction and in it Paul does many corrections of the wrong believing that the church there had, which caused the wrong actions that they had done.  The second epistle of Corinthians is a follow up to the first one, and Paul gives them additional correction that they are ready to hear now.  He continues to give them guidance on how to apply what they have learned from him and other teachers that have instructed their church.  

2 Corinthians 7:8-13(NLT) I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while. 9 Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way. 10 For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death. 11 Just see what this godly sorrow produced in you! Such earnestness, such concern to clear yourselves, such indignation, such alarm, such longing to see me, such zeal, and such a readiness to punish wrong. You showed that you have done everything necessary to make things right. 12 My purpose, then, was not to write about who did the wrong or who was wronged. I wrote to you so that in the sight of God you could see for yourselves how loyal you are to us. 13 We have been greatly encouraged by this.

This section from 2 Corinthians 7 is very instructional for all of us.  Paul shows us how to relate to each other when sin is involved.  Then he gives us insight into how to change to become more like Christ.  I know for sure that I have had several instances in my walk with God where this section of scripture has applied (like 5000, maybe more).  When we are corrected by the Word of God and the ministers of it, it at first will not be comfortable or palatable.  Our first human reaction is to reject the correction because I am sure that it is wrong and certainly does not apply to me.  

Then as we contemplate and meditate on what is written our minds will become convicted by the truth.  Repentance is the motivation to change our ways and comes from learning what is correct believing and correct behavior.  It will lead us away from our wrong thoughts and behavior giving us a new perspective and new thinking.  Maybe a renewing of our minds (any idea where that came from?) to the truth.  

We need to learn how to believe in Christ correctly, but life is filled with opportunities to do it God’s way or our own way.  Making Christ lord in our lives must include the humility to let the truth change our thinking into the thoughts of God.

Get rid of stinking thinking!!  Crude but effective comment.  

If there is no brother or sister in Christ willing and able to show us the wrong direction of our ways, then we will continue to be living without fellowship with God and His Son.  We all have strengths in different areas of our lives, and together we replace the absent Christ as the church of his body.  You may be able to help me to see the correct path in a given situation for what I need to do.  But if you are not willing to correct me, I am the loser.  In the same way I need to see the actions and behavior of others through the lens of scripture.  If correction is needed, then we should do it with gentleness and care for others.  It is not a hammer to be wielded on others but a pointing to the truth with firmness and strength of truth.   

2 Timothy 2:25-26(NLT) Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. 26 Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.

Reflection Questions

Does this section of 2 Corinthians help you to see the path of righteous living?

Are you willing to be the leader in Christ that this is calling us to be?

How should we handle these situations with others in the church?

Prayer

Father God, we have failed you so many times. Thank you for bringing us back to You through godly teaching and leadership. Help us to be the child You desire us to be and to repent of our shortcomings and failure. Thank you Father for the forgiveness of our sin in every part of our lives. All praise to You on high, You are our Father and we love You so much. In the name of our lord and savior Jesus Christ.

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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.

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Wisdom is More than Intelligence

1 Kings 3–4

Psalm 59

1 Corinthians 8

-Devotion by Brian Froehlich (IL)

When Solomon became king, God gave him an incredible opportunity.

He could ask for anything.

Power.
Riches.
Military victory.
Long life.

Instead, Solomon asked for wisdom.

That request pleased God because Solomon recognized something many people never do: leadership without wisdom is dangerous.

1 Kings chapter 3 shows a young king who understood his own limitations. Solomon did not pretend to know everything. He admitted that he needed God’s help to govern rightly.

And that humility mattered.

One of the most famous moments in Solomon’s life came shortly afterward when two women came before him, both claiming the same baby as their own. Solomon’s shocking proposal revealed the true mother because real love was willing to sacrifice personal rights to preserve life.

True wisdom does more than impress people.
It reveals the heart.

That is still true today.

Our world often confuses wisdom with education, confidence, or internet knowledge. But biblical wisdom is deeper than information. Wisdom is the ability to see situations through God’s perspective and respond in ways that reflect His character.

A person can be highly educated and still make foolish decisions.
A person can speak confidently and still be spiritually blind.

Wisdom begins with recognizing our dependence upon God.

But there is also a warning quietly woven into these chapters.

Even while Solomon loved God, cracks were already forming beneath the surface. The text mentions that he married Pharaoh’s daughter and that the people were still sacrificing at the high places.

At first glance, those details may seem minor. But small compromises often become major disasters later.

Very few people wake up one morning and decide to destroy their lives. Usually, hearts drift slowly.

One tolerated compromise at a time.
One rationalization at a time.
One neglected prayer at a time.

That is why wisdom is not merely knowing what is right. Wisdom is continually choosing what is right.

Solomon’s kingdom experienced peace, prosperity, and influence unlike almost anything Israel had ever seen. Yet even the greatest earthly kingdom could not fully satisfy the human heart or permanently solve the problem of sin and death.

Like David before him, Solomon’s story ultimately points beyond himself.

The Bible’s hope is not merely that humanity would someday produce a wise king. The hope is that God would provide the perfect King — one greater than Solomon — who would rule with complete righteousness forever.

And that future kingdom still lies ahead.

Three Things to Remember

  1. Wisdom begins with humility.

Solomon became wise when he admitted he needed God’s help.

  1. Small compromises matter.

The seeds of future failure are often planted long before anyone notices them.

  1. Earthly success is never the final answer.

Even Solomon’s glorious kingdom could not replace humanity’s need for resurrection, restoration, and God’s coming Kingdom.

We live in a world overflowing with information but starving for wisdom.

So before asking God for more influence, more money, or more success, perhaps we should begin where Solomon did:

“Lord, give me wisdom.”

Reflection Questions

  1. Are you humble enough to seek and ask for wisdom?
  2. Consider this definition – “Wisdom is the ability to see situations through God’s perspective and respond in ways that reflect His character.” Choose a situation you have been in recently. What might wisdom see? How might wisdom respond?
  3. How can we learn more about God’s perspective and His character so we can more often follow in God’s wise way rather than our own often foolish way?
  4. What should we do, where should we be, who should we be with, while asking God for wisdom?
  5. What do you think is a wise judgment/decision/action you made? What is a foolish one ? What made it foolish? Were there any small compromises that led up to this foolishness?

Prayer

Dear God – I pray for wisdom. You are the wise and all-knowing, always righteous God and I need You. Help me see Your perspective and reflect Your character in both big and small decisions, judgments and actions in my life. Show me what is right and what is wrong and give me perseverance to do, think, say, choose what is right. Show me where small compromises are leading me astray.

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Forgiven and Grieving, but Still Moving

2 Samuel 19–20

Psalm 57

1 Corinthians 4

-Devotion by Melissa New (AR)

Absalom is dead, but David is not celebrating.

The rebellion has been stopped. The army has won. David’s throne has been preserved. But the king is weeping over the son who tried to take his kingdom from him.

“O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!” (2 Samuel 19:4)

To Joab and the army, Absalom was a traitor. He had stolen the hearts of the people, taken Jerusalem, and forced David to flee for his life. He was dangerous and his rebellion had to be stopped. But David did not see Absalom only as a rebel. He saw him as his son.

We cannot say exactly what was in David’s mind, but we do know what was in David’s past. In 2 Samuel 12, Nathan had told David that his sin with Bathsheba and Uriah would bring consequences into his house. The sword would not depart from his house, calamity would come out of his own household, his wives would be given to someone close to him in broad daylight, and the child born to Bathsheba would die.

David repented and was forgiven. Nathan told him plainly, “The LORD has taken away your sin.” But forgiveness didn’t mean that every consequence disappeared.

By 2 Samuel 19, David is mourning the death of another son. The child born to Bathsheba had died. Amnon had been murdered by his brother, Absalom. Now Absalom has been killed by Joab. (Later, Adonijah would also die during the struggle surrounding Solomon’s throne.) The calamity in David’s household was no longer a warning. It had become a painful reality.

David had replied to the prophet Nathan’s parable that the guilty man should pay “four times over.” Whether we count the consequences by Nathan’s words or by the sons David lost, the shadow over David’s house is hard to miss. This is what makes David’s grief so complicated. He was not just grieving a son. He was grieving as a father, as a king, and as a man who knew that his own sin helped bring sorrow into his house.

David had already shown a humbled spirit when he fled Jerusalem. When Zadok brought the ark of God, David sent it back. He would not presume that God would go with him. Then Shimei came out cursing him and throwing stones. Abishai wanted to kill him, but David stopped him. David wondered if perhaps the Lord had allowed even that humiliation.

This is not the attitude of a man who thinks he has done nothing wrong. David knows he has been forgiven, but he also knows he is living in the wreckage of his own failure. Can we relate to this struggle?

We believe God forgives sin. We believe the blood of Christ is enough. We believe God removes guilt from the repentant heart. But what happens when the consequences remain?

What happens when the relationship is still damaged?
What happens when the trust is still broken?
What happens when the family still feels the effects?
What happens when we are forgiven before God, but still have to walk through the results of what we did?

Sometimes guilt and grief can make us passive. We do not know when to speak, when to act, when to defend ourselves, or when to accept the humiliation. David seems almost frozen at times. He wants Absalom spared. He mourns so deeply that the men who saved him feel ashamed. He forgives Shimei. He appoints Amasa, the commander of Absalom’s army, over his own army. He is trying to heal the kingdom, but everything is still unstable and such a mess.

There is humility and mercy in David, but there is also hesitation.

Joab saw the danger in David sitting too long in his grief and hesitation. He was a man of action who saw a threat and dealt with it quickly. He killed Absalom even though David didn’t want this to happen. He murdered his cousin Amasa after Amasa delayed in gathering the army against Sheba’s rebellion. Then he took charge of David’s army and pursued Sheba until the rebellion was crushed. Joab may have helped preserve David’s kingdom, but he did it with blood on his hands. And because he was David’s nephew, Joab’s violence was another painful reminder that this trouble, too, was coming from close to home.

David and Joab show two different dangers. David’s guilt and grief made it hard for him to act decisively.
Joab had no such hesitation, but his boldness was not always righteous. One man hesitated under the weight of sorrow. The other pushed forward without enough fear of God.

Forgiveness does not mean we will always know exactly how to act when consequences stand in front of us. Sometimes we will feel humbled. Sometimes ashamed. Sometimes unsure whether to speak or stay silent. Sometimes we will want to fix everything quickly, but the damage will take longer than we hoped.

When the consequences of sin remain, we still have to do the next right thing. We humble ourselves. We accept what God allows. We make peace where peace can be made. We lead where we are called to lead. We refuse revenge. We refuse despair. We refuse to believe that because the storm is still blowing, God is no longer with us. And even while we are grieving, we keep moving.

David had once prayed in Psalm 57:1, “Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.” That psalm came from another season of trouble, but the words fit David’s life here too. He needed mercy while the storm was still raging. He needed God while the consequences were still unfolding.

And so do we.

Reflection Questions

Do shame and guilt sometimes grip your heart and make it hard for you to know what to do?

Do you feel lost to the consequences of sin and like an outsider watching your life with no power to control it?

Does grief keep you frozen and feeling unable to act as a faithful follower of God?

If so, these are all feelings that David probably experienced too. Most likely, many Christians feel this way at times. David is a great example for us because no matter how bad things got for him, he always put his trust in God. He shows us how to turn our focus from ourselves back to the God who loves us. David said, “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.” Psalm 57:11

Prayer

Dear Great & Mighty God of Mercy and Justice – help me to fear You, and love and adore You to keep me from evil and serve You well. When I fail You, thank You for Your forgiveness. In humility, help me seek to do the next right thing and trust You more and more.

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Strange Fire

*Leviticus 10-11

Psalm 10

Matthew 23


Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)

            There are a number of cautionary tales in the bible.  Whenever I see a few specific characters, I mentally always add “The cautionary tale of….” and that character’s name to remind me that while every single one of us has a purpose, sometimes that purpose is just to be an example to others of what not to do.  The cautionary tale of Queen Vashti is one of my favorites (See the book of Esther), about privilege and responsibility.  Today’s reading is one of those, “The cautionary tale of Nadab and Abihu”, and it’s always intrigued me as well, primarily because I’ve always wondered what “strange fire” was.

            First, a little background.  Aaron and his descendants were designated (by God, see Leviticus 8 for details on their ordaining) to be the priests of Israel, the men who would stand before God and offer propitiation for the sins of the nation.  Aaron had 4 sons by his wife Elisheba (Ex 6:23), and Nadab and Abihu were the two oldest.  Aaron was the “High Priest”, and had some specific duties that only he was supposed to carry out, and his sons were all  priests.  All of his descendants are priests as well, but it should be noted that Nadab and Abihu did not have any children so their younger brothers stepped up to fill their role after the events in today’s reading (Eleazar and Ithamar, as noted in Num 4:4 and later in Lev 10).

            Keep in mind also that these newly appointed priests were just freshly put in the position, back in Lev 8.  We then have to go back a chapter from today’s reading to get the pattern of what a normal ritual should look like, going back and reading from Lev 9:1-23 for the particulars, and culminating in Lev 9:24 when “Then fire came out from before Yahweh and consumed the portions of fat on the altar.  And all the people saw it and shouted out and fell on their faces.” (LSB) .  I think I’d fall on my face too, it’s a pretty amazing scene.  It’s also pretty important to note that Aaron as the high priest was the one who was supposed to offer the sacrifices for the nation, as noted in Lev 9:6-10 and Ex 30:7-8.

            So, seemingly immediately after the miraculous fire coming out from before Yahweh and all of the people falling on their face, enter Nadab and Abihu, who “took their respective firepans and put fire in them.  Then they placed incense on it and offered strange fire before Yahweh, which He had not commanded.” (Lev 10:1, LSB)..  Then, as before, “fire came out from before Yahweh” but instead of burning up the offering, it burned up Nadab and Abihu.

            So what is strange fire?  I’ve honestly always wondered.  Carefully dissecting today’s reading,  there were probably a couple factors in their unfortunate demise.  First off, it was presumptuous of Nadab and Abihu to offer the incense before God, since that was the job of the High Priest.  Secondly, they used their own fire on the incense (Lev 10:1) instead of the “fire which came forth from Yahweh”.  The word that we translate as “strange” fire could also be equally accurately translated as “profane” fire, by the way.  This seems like a pretty cavalier attitude from a couple guys who just spent an entire week (Lev 8) preparing spiritually to enter the priesthood.  Then Moses says to Aaron “It is what Yahweh spoke, saying, by those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, and before all the people I will be glorified.” (Lev 10:3, LSB).

            While this was a bit presumptuous on Nadab and Abihu’s part, read on in Lev 10:8-11: “Yahweh then spoke…saying, “do not drink wine or strong drink…when you come into the tent of meeting, so that you will not die…so as to separate between the holy and the profane…” (LSB).  It doesn’t seem likely that this was a random statement given the circumstances, but more likely a bit of preventative education from God  for future priests.  This seems to indicate that maybe they were impaired with alcohol as well, which might help to explain the (extremely poor) decision to offer “strange fire” on their own.  There was more than one thing going on, it looks like.

            What’s strangest to me in this story is that just prior to these events, both Nadab and Abihu were present with the 70 elders when God appeared to them in Ex 24:3-8.  These are men that should have had an extremely healthy respect for the most high God.  These are men that should have known with every fiber of their being that the Lord God Almighty is Qodesh (Holy, Set Apart, Seperated), and had seen with their own eyes the awesome and fearful power of the living God.  These are men that were likely in line to be High Priests themselves, but because they did not separate in their minds and actions between the holy and the profane, the clean and the unclean, they died in a fire.  They should have known better.

            When we approach our God, we need to make sure that we are not offering strange fire.  We should be sober (1 Pet 1:13) and focused.  We need to separate in our mind between the clean and the unclean, the holy and the profane, before we approach the altar.  We need to purify ourselves.  Consider for a moment a tiny ant, and your relationship with it comparatively.  Our role before our Creator is infinitesmally smaller than that, comparatively.  When we pray, when we seek God, we need to understand that this is the most important and critical moment in our existence, every time, and not a casual conversation: we are approaching the Lord God Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, the master of all life who sustains us with His breath (Job 34:14-15) and we should tremble.   Approaching the Lord God Most High is not something that is to be taken casually or lightly, but with awe and reverence.

            Since God has sent us his Christ, we no longer need to make ritual sacrifices, the sacrifice has been made once and for all.   The sacrifices that we need to make, the sacrifices that our God desires from us are righteousness (which can also be translated as “equity”), and obedience (1 Sam 15:22). We need to reflect the amazing and awesome character of our God, and love Him with our whole heart, as well as loving the rest of His creation as much as we do ourselves (Mark 12:29-31), just like He has loved us. Jer 29:13 says “You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.”  (LSB).  If you go seeking inappropriately and offering strange fire, be very aware that instead of finding God, God might find you.  Don’t become a cautionary tale.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

  1. Lots of times when we pray, we basically just present God with our “to do” list.  Do you pause for a few moments and consider the level of interaction between a single tiny human and the omnipotent Creator of all things in the universe before you pray?  Every time?
  2. When you open your Bible to read it, do you pause for a few moments to wonder at the amazing grace and love of the Lord God most high who has given you His words as a guide, tiny human?
  3. Do you seek fully to know your God with the attitude of an unworthy servant seeking their hardest to please their master? All the time, or just on church days?
  4. Consider for just a moment, every day, what am amazing God we have.  It should melt your heart.   He sent His own son as a sin offering, to cut a covenant with us.  What are you going to do to show God how much you love Him back, today?

PRAYER

Father God, my Master and my Creator, forgive me, heal me, and teach me.  I am an unworthy servant.  You are wonderful and beautiful, and greater than all.  Help me to be a servant who pleases his master.  I was not worth the price You paid for me, have mercy on me Lord God.  Help me to love as You love.  Grant me your spirit, and teach me wisdom so that I can please you.  Thank you heavenly Father, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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What Does God Require of Us?

Leviticus 8-9     

Psalm 9                

Matthew 23

Devotion by Tom Siderius (MI)

Religious practice is exactly what is said.  It is our habitual practices that we bring to our walk with God and make rules for our lives.  These practices are not necessarily good or evil but become the habits that we follow as people in our daily life.  We also build habits that govern our time together as the body of Christ at church or fellowship.  Once again, these practices are neither good or evil but are the way that we have decided to fellowship together.

The law of Moses covered almost every aspect of life for the nation of Israel and gave instruction in how to do righteous actions and have righteous thoughts.  As we read in Leviticus these instructions can be very complex and to our culture maybe not very understandable. 

In our reading in Matthew, we are at almost the end of Jesus’ life here on earth and he is at the temple. He has many debates with the leaders there and also spends time teaching the people. He throws out the moneychangers and vendors and then has many interactions with them that are maybe not the most decorous from their viewpoint.

Matthew 23:1-13(NLT) Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. 3 So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach. 4 They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.
5 “Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels. 6 And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues. 7 They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi.’
8 “Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters. 9 And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your Father. 10 And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you must be a servant. 12 But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
13 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either.

Jesus gives us a compact instruction on how we are to practice our religious life in these short verses. 

  • We are to obey the true Word of God which does not fall
  • We should not add rules and conditions of man to the Word of God
  • We need to worship and practice with humility to God and His instructions to us.
  • Bring people into the kingdom of God not draw lines to exclude them

In Micah God reminds us of what is important to Him and what we really need to do to live out the life of compassion and grace that He has called us to. 

Micah 6:6-8)NLT) What can we bring to the LORD?
Should we bring him burnt offerings?
Should we bow before God Most High
with offerings of yearling calves?
7 Should we offer him thousands of rams
and ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Should we sacrifice our firstborn children
to pay for our sins?
8 No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good,
and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God.

Why does this judge our hearts so well?

We must be careful every day not to start to exalt our minds against God by patting ourselves on our backs for the great works of righteousness for Him that we do.  Just doing religious practices and ignoring the grace that God has given us is the way to go down the wrong road (that’s when the pat on the back needs to be down lower).  If our religious practices bring us closer to God through prayer, praise, love for others, and Christian service then we are building our relationship with God. 

This is what He truly desires from us, not a showy religious practice.  Contrast this with what so much of Christianity does today and the consequences of religious practice become immediately evident.  Our God wants us to have the heart of grace and mercy towards this fallen world and people that He has.  He has built the way to life through His Son Jesus Christ, and he is who we are to become like.

Galatians 2:16(NLT) Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”

God’s grace is the important thing to bring to every part of life and practice.  It is so human and wrong to be judgmental of people based on how I think they should act or think.  I am offended in my mind by their lack of doing of the things that I think they ought to be doing.

Is this the mind of Christ towards others?

Titus 2:11-15a (NLT) For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. 12 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, 13 while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. 14 He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. 15 You must teach these things and encourage the believers to do them

Hope of life with God and Christ in the kingdom to come is the guiding light for everything that we should be doing.  When our motivations and intents of our hearts towards others is right with God then our actions will be godly and good.  Our religious practices will become pleasing to God. 

How can we examine our hearts in light of this understanding?

Romans 14:10-11(NLT) So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. 11 For the Scriptures say,
“‘As surely as I live,’ says the LORD,
‘every knee will bend to me,
and every tongue will declare allegiance to God.’”

Ultimately the motives of our hearts will be examined before all the creation and we will be judged at the “bema” for our actions and thoughts.  It is not in the actions but our hearts that God sees as important to Him.  To renew our minds is to change to become like Christ and do the true instruction of God in this world.

Matthew 23:37-39(NLT) “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. 38 And now, look, your house is abandoned and desolate. 39 For I tell you this, you will never see me again until you say, ‘Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD!’”

Reflection Questions

See questions in bold above.

Prayer:

Dear God, Thank you for the gifts of Your Word and Your Son where we see what You desire and the perfect example of loving and pleasing You. Forgive me for the times I have had a Pharisee’s heart. I want instead the mind of Christ. Help me see myself and others with Your eyes and remembering Your grace humbly respond as You want me to.

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Not Me, but God

*Genesis 41-42

Proverbs 21

Matthew 9

Devotion by Marcia Railton (IN)

Have you ever been stuck in a difficult place? Feeling forgotten? Waiting for justice that doesn’t come?

That’s where Joseph was – again. The favored, pampered son of Jacob had been thrown into a pit by his brothers. Then sold by same said brothers. He becomes a slave in Egypt, far from home. Then falsely accused and thrown into prison. He had received a glimmer of hope of being remembered and saved, but two years later he was still a prisoner. Stuck. Forgotten. Unfair.

And then comes the call. Pharaoh is calling for the prisoner! Quick. Clean-up. Shave. Change clothes. Enter – Joseph.

I wonder if Joseph had played a similar scene in his mind many times over as he was waiting. Did he have dreams of being remembered? Was he still remembering his childhood dreams of his family bowing down to him, and wondering? Was this now finally his long awaited chance to shine? Would he be angry and resentful over the way he had been mistreated again and again? Would he lash out at the world?

Pharaoh explains to Joseph why he was called up out of prison. Can Joseph interpret the dream that no one else can? I love his reply: “So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, ‘It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.'” (Genesis 41:16 NKJV) I don’t hear even a hint of anger, self-righteousness, resentment or giving up. Just humble truth. Not me, but God. Still relying on God. Not me, but God.

God was with him in his father’s house. God was with him in the pit. God was with him in his master’s home. God was with him in the prison. God was with him in the Pharaoh’s palace. God was with Joseph. Joseph was not forgotten. And Joseph did not forget God.

When you are stuck and feeling forgotten. Don’t forget God. It might take some time. Your circumstances might not change how or when you want or expect. You might face the pit or prison or both, and it won’t be fair. But you won’t be alone. It is recorded that just before Joseph was thrown into the pit he was 17 years old. When he stood before Pharaoh he was 30 years old. Those weren’t lost times in between. God was with Joseph. And Joseph did not forget God.

Reflection Questions

  1. What characteristics do you see in Joseph that you would like to see in yourself?
  2. In what difficult times have you experienced God with you?
  3. When and how can you respond, “Not me, but God will…”?

Prayer

Dear Almighty, I thank you for not forgetting me. Thank you for being with me – on what looks like great days and what looks like difficult days. Help me to see You and Your loving care through each and every day. Thank you for using people to do things they could never do without you. Show me what you want me to say and do with Your knowledge, wisdom and words. Give me a faithful, patient, humble, true heart that gives all honor and credit and praise to You.

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