Category: obey God

Is Paul Disobedient to God???

Acts 20:4-23:35

The next few days we are going to read the record of Paul’s journey to Jerusalem and then in the end to Rome and imprisonment.  The story is one of great believing but also a cautionary story to us about listening to the voice of God in every situation.  The apostle Paul is most responsible for the revelation of the mystery of the church of the body of Christ being given by God to us.  He proclaims in Galatians:

Galatians 1:11-12(NLT) Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning. 12 I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ.

Paul is the person chosen by God and equipped to do the ministry to the Gentiles and the formation of churches all over the known world at that time.  There are no other so central to this ministry and growth of the body of Christ.  Try to read the book of Acts records with this perspective in mind.  Also that most of the Gentile church looks to Paul as their father in the Word.  

Is the apostle Paul really susceptible to disobeying God???

Acts 20:22-24(NKJV)  And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. 24 But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

Bold speech Paul.  I go bound in the spirit and don’t count the cost of my decision.  Is this the best that Paul can do in this situation?  I appreciate his desire to go back to Jerusalem and to try to convince his countrymen of the same truth of the Word of God he has preached all over the known world.  But early Christianity in Jerusalem has many persons that have accepted Jesus as Messiah but continue to promote the doing of the whole law of the scribes and Pharisees also.  These persons are not doing the will of God as God has revealed to Paul in his letters.  Read Galatians in concert with Acts for more perspective on both.  Then even revelation is given to other believers to warn Paul of the consequences of going to Jerusalem.

Acts 21:10-13(NKJV) And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 When he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’ ”
12 Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, “What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

Paul is not moved by anyone’s advice.  He is determined to do what he has decided to do.  

How are we like Paul in our lives?

Acts 21:27-30(NKJV) Now when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, 28 crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place; and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” 29 (For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)
  30 And all the city was disturbed; and the people ran together, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple; and immediately the doors were shut.

Acts 23:11(NKJV) But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.”

God goes with Paul’s decision but then shows him what will happen.  Going to Rome ad imprisonment is not part of Paul’s plan but God will give it help  to make it the best outcome for Paul and also for the church.

Acts 23:31-35(NLT) So that night, as ordered, the soldiers took Paul as far as Antipatris. 32 They returned to the fortress the next morning, while the mounted troops took him on to Caesarea. 33 When they arrived in Caesarea, they presented Paul and the letter to Governor Felix. 34 He read it and then asked Paul what province he was from. “Cilicia,” Paul answered.
35 “I will hear your case myself when your accusers arrive,” the governor told him. Then the governor ordered him kept in the prison at Herod’s headquarters.

Stay tuned for the  next episode of the Adventures of Paul Going to Rome tomorrow.

Love in Christ, Tom Siderius

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Ominous Lines

Acts 7-8

Devotion by Rachel Cain (Ohio)

“Marley was dead, to begin with.”

These ominous lines commence the first stave of Charles Dicken’s classic novella, A Christmas Carol, which my children and I read together for the first time last year. Such chilling inaugural language sets the tone for the serious nature of the story. The tale delves deep into the meaning of life and Ebeneezer Scrooge’s radical transformation before concluding the final stave with these hopeful words: “And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless us, everyone!” 

As I read Acts 8, I was struck by the similarity between the forbidding opening phrases of A Christmas Carol and this sinister introduction to Saul: 

“And Saul gave approval to his murder” (8:1). 

Saul, a devout pharisee who kept every letter of the law and then some, was complicit in the death of the first martyr. But he didn’t stop there: Saul made it his mission to destroy the church by going house to house, imprisoning people who followed the ways of this Jesus guy. Saul thought he was working passionately for God by persecuting the followers of this heretic Jesus who claimed to be the Messiah. 

I always wonder how such heinous acts can be justified in the name of God. Did pride take over his heart? Was Saul so wallowing in his prideful Pharisee ways that he could not understand the grace and love that Jesus had shown and that his people were demonstrating? Was he blind to the prophecies that were fulfilled in Jesus? (Spoiler: In Acts 26, Saul gives some insight into his thoughts during that time, but ultimately he realizes that he was for sure NOT doing the work of God by persecuting his church.)

This is a good reminder that just because we claim to follow God doesn’t mean that everything we feel so strongly about is correct or God’s way. We can be sincere and still be sincerely wrong. Since it can be difficult to distinguish God’s voice from the myriad of opinions we hear constantly, it is important to be regularly grounded in the Word and prayer, truly seeking God’s desires more than our own preconceived notions or cultural norms. 

Just like with Scrooge’s interactions with the three spirits, all it took was one encounter with Jesus to turn everything on its head, transforming Saul’s heart and ultimately leaving us with many hopeful words in the New Testament. But you’ll just have to come back here tomorrow to read more of that story!

Reflections: 

Think about your life before vs. after you decided to fully live for God. What would be the opening line to your “before” chapter? 

What do you want the closing line of your chapter of life to be (like your epitaph)? Write it out as a guide and inspiration to keep you focused on what truly matters. 

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Ordinary People – Who Have Been with Jesus

Acts 4-6

Devotion by Rachel Cain (Ohio)

Abraham Lincoln (president), Charles Dickens (author), Steve Jobs (Apple creator), Dave Thomas (founder of Wendy’s), and Ingvar Kamprad (IKEA originator) seem like an unlikely bunch to be grouped into a similar category, but they all have this in common: each one either had little formal training or dropped out of school early, and yet became very successful. Our protagonists in Acts 4, Peter and John, also fit among this list. 

“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13, ESV) Though Peter and John lacked formal training, their time of hands-on learning with Jesus probably equated to an advanced doctorate degree! Their accusers probably recognized that they had been taught by Jesus because their teaching styles and tones so closely matched that of their Rabbi. 

We, too, are disciples! We are called to share the gospel to a hurting world, following closely to the way of our Rabbi, Jesus. So remember your mission! Here are some tips from this text to help us be more like the early church. 

Share Jesus Boldly and Without Shame

Word about Jesus’ resurrection power spread, people were healed in Jesus’ name, and the number of followers was growing exponentially. The jealous religious leaders, however, did not appreciate this threat to their authority. So the council – likely the same one that condemned Jesus to death – tried to silence the ragtag bunch and ordered them to keep quiet. The disciples’ bold response? “We can’t keep quiet about what we have seen and heard!” (Acts 4:20). Their lives had been totally changed, and they just had to spread the word! 

Humans haven’t changed much – we still can’t keep quiet about the good stuff! If you compliment a woman’s new dress, she will tell you three things about it: where she purchased it, how inexpensive it was, and that it has pockets! She is just so excited that she can’t keep it to herself! Likewise, if you visit a fantastic new restaurant and they’re offering a ton of great deals, you’ll probably tell all your friends so that they can get in on it, too. We love to spread good news to other people, so why do we shy away from sharing Jesus with the same zeal? (I’m preaching to myself here. I long to have that kind of boldness that I just can’t keep quiet about all things Jesus, don’t you?) Pray for boldness to share with others how Jesus has changed your life. 

Obey Only God 

When the religious leaders tried to shut them up again, the disciples replied, “We must obey God, not men.” (Acts 5:29) It’s always been so easy for us to slowly assimilate to the culture around us and begin to obey the gods of this world or match the expectations of the people around us. The Israelites did this chapter after chapter in the Old Testament, and we still stray today. Romans 12:2 warns us about getting too conformed with the world. Though it would eventually cost many of them their very lives, the disciples in Acts were compelled to continue sharing the hope of Jesus with everyone. Jesus had cautioned: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28) Pray that we – the global Church – would stay faithful until the end. 

Maybe you’re like me – never been to Bible college, don’t know an ounce of Greek or Hebrew, just living an uneventful, mundane life. God can use us still! Even without special training, we can be bold lights in a dark world. God can, and will, use you right where you are to make a difference for Him! 

Reflections: 

Your prayer prompts are within the text. Take a moment to pray over those.

  1. How do you spend time with Jesus? Can others tell that you do? What can you do to spend more quality time with Jesus?
  2. How can you lovingly, humbly, courageously show the world (including, but not limited to your family, your church, your neighbors, your “enemies”, the disadvantaged, the other side of the world, etc…) what you have seen and heard and learned from Jesus?
  3. When/how have you fallen into the trap of obeying men rather than God? What can that look like? What can you do to strengthen your resolve to Obey Only God?
  4. What courageous task will you do today to obey God?

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Ask Not for Justice, but for Forgiveness

Nehemiah 13 and Malachi 1-4

Devotion by Telva Elwell (SC)

Oh, how Nehemiah must have wished for a happy ending.  Jerusalem seemed to have been on the right track. The people were singing songs of praise and worship as they marched on the newly rebuilt wall of Jerusalem.  Joy filled the streets of Jerusalem and the hearts and souls of the people.  Fast forward to the future by about 11 or 12 years, and during that time the people had jumped off the wall and were up to their eyeballs in the filth of sin and rebellion to God and His laws.  Nehemiah had gone back to Shushan to his previous position, but when he heard the news of the sad state of affairs in Jerusalem, he returned to Jerusalem once again.  How could things have gone so terribly wrong?

If Nehemiah had prepared a list of things the people were doing wrong, it would have looked something like this.

Things you are doing wrong:
Nehemiah 13
  1.  You are mixing it up with outsiders like the Ammonites, and Moabites, who are enemies.
  2. You are allowing Tobiah to live in a large room in the temple.  Eliashib, a high priest, has given him a room because one of his relatives was married to Sanballat’s daughter, and Sanballat and Tobiah were friends.  (I know, it’s a bit confusing.  But we all know who Sanballat and Tobiah are, and this just can’t be good.)
  3. Tobiah is literally living in a room of the temple dedicated to the storing of the offerings used by the Levites.  (Umm, not good.  Where are the offerings kept now?)
  4. Where ARE the offerings?
  5. You are allowing your daughters and sons to marry people from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab, which you promised NOT to do.  Many of their children even speak foreign languages.
  6. You have stopped paying taxes!  You have stopped giving tithes and offerings to the priests and can’t even provide wood for the altar. (13:32-39). (Guess that is why “room” previously used for storage and offerings had opened up for Tobiah in the temple.)
  7. You are working and selling on the Sabbath, which you promised not to do! (10:31).
  8. Need I continue?
Signed:  Nehemiah

Sounds like Nehemiah had his work cut out for him.  Apparently so did Malachi, the prophet.  Malachi’s words against the people of Israel sounded hauntingly similar to Nehemiah’s words when describing the sins of the people of Israel.

Things you are doing wrong:
  1. You doubt the love of God (Mal 1:1-5) (see also Deut. 6:4,5).
  2. The priests are cheaters who offer polluted, lame, sick and blemished offerings to God (1:6-14).
  3. You divorce your wives then marry pagans (2:1-16).
  4. “You have wearied God with your words saying, everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and He delights in them” (2:17-3:6).
  5. You are thieves.  You are keeping your tithes and offerings (3:1-8).
  6. “You have spoken against God by saying that it is vain to serve Him, and what is the profit of keeping His commandments? You call the arrogant blessed” and say that “evildoers prosper”. (3:13-15)
  7. You ask, “Where is the God of justice?” (2:17)
        Signed:  Malachi, the Prophet

What Israel did not realize was that they did not need justice as much as they needed forgiveness.

Whereas Nehemiah took a more hands on approach to the problems, even to the point of throwing furniture, hitting and cursing certain men, and pulling hair from their heads (Neh 13:25), Malachi would debate them, beginning with an accusation, then Israel would dispute that accusation, but in the end, God would have the final word. 

Israel demanded to know “Where is the God of justice?”  What they wanted was justice for their wicked enemies and they wanted it now. They claimed that “everyone that doeth evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and He is pleased with them” (2:17). How can a just God do such things?

And so, God Almighty responded! “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come. (3:1) He then asked a question: “Who can endure the day of His coming, and who can stand when He appears?” (3:2) For “He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver” (3:2,3) “So I will come to put YOU on trial…says the Lord Almighty.” (3:5).

This is not where Israel expected the debate to go. They wanted God to deal with their enemies now. Instead, Malachi is telling them that they need to be cleansed and purified now.

 “Return to Me, and I will return to you.” (3:7) Will they accept that cleansing?   Will they return to Him?  Will they accept His forgiveness? Oh, how Nehemiah and Malachi must have longed for the people to return to God, and “to assemble with fasting, and with sackcloth and earth upon them.  And for the seed of Israel to separate themselves from all strangers, and stand and confess their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers”, as they did when the wall was rebuilt. (9:1-2).

Hope and a Promise

God, the God of Justice, assured them that He will take care of the evil ones.  “Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them.  But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays.  And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves.  Then you will trample on the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act,”’ says the Lord Almighty. (4:1-3) But for Israel it depended upon them deciding now which group they belonged to—the arrogant and evildoers, or those who revere His name.

 “Return to Me”, He pleads.

 He then ends with this promise: “I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.  And he will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents” (4:5).

 As for us, just like Israel, it all depends upon taking accountability and confessing our sins because He is faithful and just and will forgive. (1John 1:9)

Reflection Questions

  1. Did jealousy play a role in the sins of Israel?  If so, does it still play a role in our lives and sin today?
  2. Why do you think it was so easy for Israel to fall back into sin repeatedly?  Were they sincere when they walked the wall of Jerusalem singing praise and thanksgiving?
  3. Do you find it difficult to stay away from sin?  Why?  Can you relate to Paul’s struggles in Romans 7:7-25? In what ways?
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Amazing Grace

Nehemiah 8-10

Devotion by Telva Elwell (South Carolina)

This chapter, Nehemiah 9, contains the longest prayer in the Bible.  No, prayer is not a contest, but sometimes it takes a lot of words to get things off your chest.  Other times it only takes a few words to speak your heart to God.  When Jesus hung on the cross, he only needed 10 words— “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”  But in Nehemiah’s day in Jerusalem, it took a lot of words to get everything out so that God’s people could express their forgiveness and experience restoration.

And so, they prayed.

Sometimes we need to express our heart in different ways.  In Nehemiah 9 it is written that the people expressed their sin, their shame, and their remorse in many ways.  They fasted; they wore sackcloth and ashes.  They threw handfuls of dirt on their heads; they separated themselves from others; they confessed their sins along with the sins of their ancestors. They even signed a binding contract promising obedience to God.  All of these things were important, but it was what they expressed from their hearts that was probably the most meaningful. Often those feelings are expressed without words, but with tears. Peter remembered Jesus’ prophesy, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times,” and after his third denial, Peter “went out and wept bitterly” (Matt 26:75). (See also Rom. 8:26). Tears speak a language our tongues cannot.  Nehemiah understood.

When Nehemiah received the report from his brother, Hanani, that the Jewish remnant was in “great trouble and disgrace” and that “the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates have been burned with fire…he sat down and wept…” (1:3.4)

And then he prayed:

“I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family have committed against You. We have acted very wickedly toward You. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws You gave your servant Moses.” (1:6,7)

As I read this prayer, I noticed that these people acknowledged failing their God six times, by disobeying and betraying Him.

  •  “Our fathers acted presumptuously and stiffened their neck and did not obey your commandments. (9:16)
  • “They had made for themselves a golden calf and said, “This is your God…” (9:18)
  • “They were disobedient and rebelled against You and cast your law behind their back and killed your prophets…and they committed great blasphemes.” (9:26)
  • “They did evil again before You.” (9:28)
  • “Yet they acted presumptuously and did not obey your commandments but sinned against your commandments.” (9:29)
  • “Even in their own kingdom, and amid your great goodness that You gave them, and in the large and rich land that You set before them, they did not serve You or turn from their wicked works.” (9:35)

And six times they came crawling back, probably wrapped in their sackcloth and covered with dirt and grime.  Each time they acknowledged the goodness and greatness of God!

  • “But You are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them.” (v17)
  • “You in your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness.” (v19)
  • “Forty years You sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing.” (v21)
  • “According to your great mercies You gave them saviors who saved them from the hand of their enemies.” (v27)
  • “Many times, You delivered them according to your mercies.” (v28)
  • “Nevertheless, in your great mercies You did not make an end of them or forsake them, for You are a gracious and merciful God.” (v31)

He did not forsake them.

 But when will He despair of their sins and wickedness?  When will God decide He has had enough?  When will He turn His back on His people?  When will He turn His back on ME?  When will He stop listening to MY prayers of confession?  Never.  Because that is who He is! He is “a forgiving God, slow to anger and abounding in love.” (9:17) “Nevertheless, in your great mercies You did not make an end of them or forsake them for You are a gracious and merciful God.” (9:31).

“For He will never leave you or forsake you,” (Duet.31:8) NEVER. So, every time that you mess up and dishonor God, pray.  Because God forgives.

 Every time.  

Reflection Questions:

  1. The people choose to fast when they prayed.  Have you ever fasted when you prayed?  Did it ever change the experience for you?  If you have, what kind of occasions do you think are appropriate for fasting and praying? 
  2. Why do you think the Jews acknowledged God’s greatness and mercy in their prayer of forgiveness? 
  3. Remember Judas’ sin of betrayal of Jesus and later his suicide?  Did he show signs of regret?  If so, was that the same as confession?  Do you think the outcome would have been different if he had confessed, as the Jews did, and then acknowledged the mercies of God?  Or was he just too depraved?  Did he feel he was beyond being forgiven? Was he too ashamed?  Have you ever felt that way?
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Are You Ready?

Zechariah 6-9

Devotion by Carla Hardy (Michigan)

When was the last time you were faced with the question of readiness? Ready to make a career change, get married, have a baby, retire, begin a new ministry? When, if ever, are we 100% ready? If we’re honest, I’d say almost never. We can make the decision, though, to prepare ourselves and make progress every day towards that next step. Will we make mistakes? Yes. Will we stumble? Of course. But, if we commit our hearts, relying on God to guide us in the journey, we can trust that He will equip us for all we need. Like Paul reminds us in Romans, God works for the good of us in all things, as long as we are living for His purposes. 

So today brings us again to Zechariah, and a similar question he asks the Israelites on behalf of God. He asks them if they are ready to be the kind of people ready to receive God’s Kingdom. The Lord says, “These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; do not plot evil against each other, and do not love to swear falsely…” (Zech 8:16-17)

Like asking ourselves if we are ready for the next step in this earthly life, Zechariah’s question is one we can ask ourselves today regarding our Kingdom life. Are we ready to be the kind of people ready to receive God’s new Kingdom here on earth? Our hearts should be thankful for His guidance and pure in our intentions, desiring to obey God’s word and striving to be the kind of people He calls us to be. 

Reflection Questions:

  1. Are you ready to be ready for the Kingdom to come? Check your heart.
  2. What can you do today to become more ready than you were yesterday?
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Our Heart Matters

Haggai 1-2

Devotion by Carla Hardy (Michigan)

Haggai is a short, two chapter book, but it packs a lot. Haggai was a minor prophet who urged the Israelites to do four things – reflect on their priorities, work in hope during hard circumstances, be humble and pure in their intentions and actions, and remain faithful for the coming kingdom. 

Have you ever been in the midst of tackling a massive project? Perhaps a work, home improvement or church project? Sometimes these endeavors can feel so tedious, can’t they? Like you will never ever be done with the task and the finished product is hard to even fathom, a pinprick of light at the end of a long tunnel. In the midst of it all you’re likely very weary. You’re even considering taking some shortcuts just to get the thing done! If you’re solely relying on your human limits, you’re not seeing past the long days to the end result, which sounded so promising in earlier days. 

The Israelites felt the same. Before they even began rebuilding the temple, they weren’t focusing on what God wanted from them, instead zeroing in on selfish endeavors. When they decided to rebuild, with Haggai’s prompting, it was a major undertaking. They felt like their efforts were fruitless and the days were difficult. They gave little effort to what they were told God wanted for them. They weren’t choosing to humbly submit to God and make the daily choice of obedience to Him. They just didn’t feel His vision anymore. 

What Haggai is driving at is this – God has so much for us. But we need to do our part, too. Furthermore, our choices really do matter. Our heart matters. God doesn’t just want us to blindly “do,” He wants us to want to obey His word. That’s how His work is done in the world. We are His hands & feet, working in humility and obedience to our Father to establish His perfect Kingdom. 

Reflection questions:

  1. What are you doing for God right now, or what is He calling you to do? What is your attitude about it? 
  2. What is one way that you can recast your vision for what God has in store? What can you do today to be obedient to Him?
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Making Choices

Daniel 1-3

Devotion by John Tullis (Ohio)

Part of walking with God involves making choices.  Sometimes, these choices are very hard when you must decide between what you know is right and what is comfortable or easy.  Often, through the power of His Holy Spirit, we often know what we need to do to please God (John 16:13).  However, we live in a world that is against everything that God desires for His people (1 John 2:15-16).  How do we continue to please God in compromising situations that challenge our devotion to our Father in heaven? 

Often the land of the Bible found itself in conflict.  When Daniel was a young man, Judah, the southern kingdom of the Hebrew people, was struggling under the leadership of King Jehoiakim.  Judah had denied God and allowed foreign nations to pollute their devotion to God.   Judah began to welcome idol worship (false gods) and began to lose faith and obedience to God.  As punishment, God allowed the kingdom of Babylon to destroy Judah and enslave the people.  The Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar believed in integrating conquered nations into the Babylonian empire.  He ordered that some of the more cultured Judean youths be captured and moved to his own palace in the city of Babylon.  There they would be assimilated into Babylonian culture.  Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, all of the tribe of Judah (Daniel 1:6). 

Daniel and his friends were boys who dared to worship and follow God despite the culture they lived in.  Even before they were captured by the Babylonians, Daniel and his friends resisted the cultural changes and influence of the Judean culture.  Instead of bowing to foreign gods and worshipping idols, they chose to submit and follow the one true God.  When their kingdom was punished and destroyed and they found themselves being hauled off to Babylon, they relied on the God who had always sustained them (Psalm 55:22). 

In order to begin assimilating the captured youths into Babylonian society, Daniel and his friends were ordered to eat the king’s food and drink his wine (Daniel 1:5).  Many times in the ancient world, the food that a king ate was food that had been offered to pagan gods.  These foods would violate God’s law (Lev 1:1).  Daniel resolved (“purposed in his heart” – Proverbs 4:23) that he would not compromise his devotion to God.  As a result, God ensured that Daniel would receive favorable treatment among the heathen leaders of Babylon.   

Daniel and his friends grew in influence, knowledge, and even physical fitness.  They had clearly become the favorites of Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 1:20).  God had recognized their faithfulness and their obedience to His word.  He blessed them with learning and skill in literature and wisdom (1:17).  Instead of bending their beliefs to impress their new masters, Daniel and his friends continued to remain devoted and obedient to God. 

Daniel’s friends (now renamed Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednago) would once again be thrown into a situation in which they were forced to choose to obey God or Nebuchadnezzar.  Challenged to bow down and worship a golden image of Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel’s friends choose to obey God (Daniel 3:17-18).  They understand that this choice could result in their deaths, but they had resolved long before to honor God – no matter what the cost.    As they were thrown into the fiery furnace, God demonstrated his faithfulness as no one was consumed by the flame.  In fact, in the midst of the struggle, God sent His angel to walk with them – inside the flames (Daniel 3:25-27).  We are never truly alone.  Amid our own “fiery furnace”, God faithfully cares for us. 

As Daniel teaches us, obeying God and being devoted to Him is much easier when we decide in advance to obey Him.  As Daniel resolved to follow God, we too should resolve to follow God whenever compromising situations come along.  It is not easy to remain faithful to God in every situation.  Jesus promised to give us a “Helper” to help us live lives of devotion to God (John 15:26; 16:7).  Through the power of the Holy Spirit, which is given to each of us who believe, God will help us to overcome sticky situations.  It may not “feel” good at the time, but ultimately God will walk with us because of our obedience.  Just as he walked with and helped Daniel, God will walk with and strengthen you.  Resolve in your own heart to follow God today! 

Questions for Discussion: 

  1. Have you “resolved” in your own heart to follow God in every situation? 
  1. Who is the Helper promised by Jesus?  Do you rely on God’s power to sustain you during sticky situations? 
  1. Besides rewarding Daniel for his faithfulness, what other motives would God have to reward those who are faithful? 
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Consequences for Evil Overflow

Ezekiel 18-20

Devotion by Pastor Jeff Fletcher – originally posted for SeekGrowLove on March 24, 2017, for Ezekiel 20-21.

In Ezekiel 20 God reviews Israel’s history.  Over and over God provided for His people, over and over He warned them to get rid of their idols, keep His commands and observe His Sabbaths.  Over and over Israel failed to obey God and experienced the consequences.  Over and over God was compassionate and loving and forgave His people and restored them to blessings.

Israel has repeated this history again.  They failed to get rid of idols, they failed to keep his commands and observe his Sabbaths, and now they were about to experience the consequences of their sins.  God would once again treat them with mercy, not as their sins deserved and restore them to their land.

Ezekiel juxtaposes God’s promise to be merciful and restore His people with the threat that His judgment is coming and that both the evil and the good will be cut off from the land and the city and the temple.  Yes, everyone will suffer the consequences of the evil behavior of some.

There is tension throughout Ezekiel.  The wicked will suffer for their sins and the righteous will not suffer, except that at first they will suffer for the sins of others.  Sometimes when God brings his judgment designed to bring people to repentance there is collateral damage.  Good people suffer when bad people sin.  It’s how it was then, it’s still how it is today.  God’s salvation is coming, earth will one day be restored and made whole and good, but in the meantime, good people will suffer alongside the wicked.  Christians are martyred in places like Pakistan and Syria.  Christians sometimes suffer persecution in the United States.  Trials may come to God’s people during times of judgment, but those who trust God and repent of their sins will be saved.

Reflection Questions

  1. How often do we fall into the same cycle of disobedience that the Israelites followed for generations? What can be done to help break the cycle for you personally?
  2. How does God’s mercy and justice coexist throughout Ezekiel and today?
  3. What trials are you willing to persevere to avoid disobedience to God?
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Has God Left the Building?

Ezekiel 9-12

Devotion by Pastor Jeff Fletcher – originally posted for SeekGrowLove on March 21, 2017, for Ezekiel 10-13.

“Elvis has left the building.”   That’s what they used to say to the throngs of screaming fans after one of Elvis Presley’s concerts back in the day.  They would rush Elvis out the back door into his waiting car or bus and whisk him off to safety.  Hopefully, the fans would calm down after they knew he was no longer there… there would be no more encores for this performance.

In Ezekiel ten- YHWH has left the building.  The building in question was the Temple of Jerusalem.  Since the time of Moses and Aaron in the wilderness when Israel worshipped in the Tabernacle, to the time of Solomon and beyond, when they worshipped YHWH in the Temple of Jerusalem, YHWH was present with His people.  They knew that there, in the holy of holies, the shekhinah glory of God was present with his people.  Yes, there was a veil which separated the holy of holies from the rest of the temple, and only the high priest was permitted to enter into the presence of YHWH once a year to atone for the sins of the people, yet they could always look up to the tabernacle or later Temple atop Mt. Zion and know that God was with them.  But no longer.  Ezekiel saw a vision of God’s glory leaving the Temple.  Because of their extreme disobedience and their worship of idols, God could no longer remain among his people.  It was a time for judgment, and God had to leave.  How sad that must have been for Ezekiel, to watch God leaving.

In Ezekiel eleven, judgment is proclaimed against Israel’s leaders.  “You haven’t obeyed my laws” YHWH complains.  “You’ve conformed to the standards of the nations around you.”

God is gracious, even in the midst of judgment, he promises to bring some of them back from exile and give them back the land which he had given to their forefathers.  God promises to bring about change in their hearts.  vs. 19 “I will remove their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.”  God still loves His people and offers them hope in the midst of judgment.  Ezekiel shared this vision with the exiles so that they would understand the consequences of their sins.

In Ezekiel twelve,  God warns that even their ruler would be forced into exile.  They kept hoping that this would happen in the distant future, but God assures them that judgment is coming soon.

In chapter thirteen, God turns his judgment from the leaders to the false prophets.  These people told lies in the name of YHWH.  They said “thus saith the Lord” when God didn’t say it.  God condemns them for leading their people astray.  They “whitewashed” over the truth about God’s coming judgment against sin and substituted their lies about a false peace.  “you encouraged the wicked not to repent”.  He blames the false prophets for the sins of the people, therefore, they will come under God’s harsh judgment.

Israel had a wonderful building in which to worship, they had clear rules to follow, they had leaders to teach them, they had priests to offer sacrifices, they had prophets to bring them words from God- and yet that wasn’t enough.  They were not content to live as God’s holy and separate people and act as a witness to the rest of the nations around them.  Instead, they worshipped the false gods of their neighbors, they ignored God’s laws, their prophets failed to warn them for their sins and assured them of false peace when God was preparing to bring his judgment.  It seems not much has changed.  One would be tempted to see the same kinds of things going on today.  How many buildings today allow idolatry and false gods to be worshipped?  How many people falsely claim to be speaking God’s word when they are instead peddling the words of men?  Some days we might even wonder “has God left the building” when we follow the sinful standards of the world rather than remaining faithful to God’s holy word?  We’d like to think judgment is far away just as they thought then… but perhaps it’s much closer than you might think.

Reflection Questions

  1. Has there been a time when you have felt that God’s presence and glory has left?
  2. Have you ever conformed too much to the standards of people around you?
  3. According to Ezekiel 11, who qualifies to receive the heart transplant from stone to flesh, and who does not? What is the purpose and the result of this heart transplant?
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