Exodus 31 and 32 are full of some pretty exciting stuff. There seems to be good reason why Moses is a recurring character in children’s lessons and why illustrations of these stories made the cut for one of the rare colored pictures inserted into the old Children’s Bibles of my day!
In this story, while the Israelites were busy stripping off their valuable gold to fashion it into a false god, Moses was busy encountering the LORD. Unfortunately, not only were the Israelites just doing the handicraft work of sculpting calves with gold, we also see in Exodus 32:8,
“. . .they have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt”
Umm, excuse me, who brought them out of Egypt?? The only God. The one true God. The LORD who was busy inscribing tablets for His people at this same time. God was writing. At a time where writing wasn’t something you did with a stylus on magic screens, when you didn’t highlight or color code or copy and paste. . .writing itself was more rare and precious. And while they were spouting lies and whining, God was inscribing His words in stone for them anyway.
As an occupational therapist, one thing I get to do quite a bit is assess how people write, how I might be able to make it easier, less painful, help children develop writing skills, etc. So, while I read this chapter, I couldn’t help but get intrigued wondering how He was doing it and how it looked. Is God right handed or left? Was He pointing with an index finger? Does He have an index finger? Were there any pink sparkles involved? Basically, I got distracted thinking about things through my filter and what I know. While these chapters don’t share this detail, Deuteronomy and later in Exodus tell us that these tablets were written by “the finger of God”. That is some handwriting action I would LOVE to observe! But most importantly, given the God who parted the Red Sea for this crew to miraculously flee Egypt, was writing with His finger on stone for His people, one would assume these words were treasures. But. . .
How heartbreaking to see two vastly different things going on at Mount Sinai at the same time. A God who loves His people and knows them best writing a message for them. A people who claims to be His in one breath, yet lifting a golden cow as their god in another, all the while clueless to what the true God is busy doing for them. Surely we can relate before we throw stones. We live in a world of gold, cows, false gods, lies, distractions, and people telling us other things are gods constantly. We also live in a world created by the one true God with a beautiful plan for renewal in the coming kingdom. Maybe one day we can see God write, but until then, we have His living word, His spirit, and His love available to us. Let us purge our golden idols and seek to focus our attention on Him even if it means being patient, obedient in tough things, and focused on the promised land.
Reflection Questions:
What can you learn and apply from the characters on the top and bottom of Mount Sinai in today’s story?
What can you do today to treasure God’s word?
Prayer:
Dear God, You are the one true God worthy of all our praise. Thank You for loving us through all our faults. Help us remember to seek You first and cast aside any idols we have. Amen.
In Matthew 18 we learned that Jesus cares for the lost sheep. In Matthew 19 – we see him calling his disciples to be more like children and making the statement “many who are first will be last and many who are last will be first.” It seems like throughout his teachings, this chapter included, Jesus defines success and portrays the goal of life to be different than what the world is feeding us. Sometimes what the world is forcing upon us.
Psychology Today released an article in 2024 revealing that over the last decade, more Americans polled wanted to be rich than before, more believed that they would be wealthy in their lifetime, and 6 out of 10 interviewed thought they would like to be a billionaire. Granted, the study was also saying wealth does not increase psychological well-being or happiness, but most people still want to be rich. So, that’s us. Then there is Jesus who tells us in such a vivid metaphor that it will be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. So, it will be really really really hard for a rich person to be on the path for eternal life, and that is the only thing that truly matters if we obtain or not. With the vast amount of wealth and material possessions our country has, I think Jesus’ words should make us consider things.
In the opening to Matthew 19, I was struck by some other teachings that are in contrast to what the world teaches us. While reminding the Pharisees that the only reason there even were these “permits to divorce” was because of the hardness of human hearts, Jesus also mentions some significant truths. A man will marry a woman. Period. And “at the beginning, the Creator made them male and female.” (Matthew 19:4). Period. Immediately following these verses Jesus is laying hands on and praying for the children (no thanks to his disciples!). If I ever need reminded to pray for youth, five minutes in a library children’s department (don’t even get me started on the adult or teen!), looking at TV programming targeting youth, social media, the news, literally anything involving technology or a screen, and reading any statistical research on professed Christians and trending beliefs along these subject lines. . . and I am easily reminded to pray. Children are being targeted with agendas of sexualization from a very young age, and it matters. It matters for our churches, our families, our schools, our society, our mental and physical health, and so much more. Unfortunately, I have worked with teen and young adult patients dealing with side effects of interventions associated with this confusion that modern society has allowed. I pray that as we all make decisions on use of time, what we read, watch, laugh at, support, ignore, and how we navigate a very broken world while loving those around us the way Jesus loves. . . that we would continue to seek God’s wisdom and His word for our decisions and how we interact with others.
Jesus assumes the Pharisees were familiar with God’s word, and challenged them saying “Haven’t you read. . .” Today, we live in a world with access to the Bible easier than ever before, but many people simply have not read enough to have conceptualized what God says on topics. Beyond discerning truth, the Bible is so helpful in softening and penetrating our hearts, teaching, encouraging, and enlightening. Before we spout opinions or get riled up by others, before we like, snap, tweet, chat, tick, tock or whatever we do on any of the abundant divisive and confusing subjects in the world. . . let’s make sure we’ve read the words from the author who knows it all and loves us most.
Reflection Questions:
Have you ever felt like a camel trying to get your hump through the eye of a needle? Consider Jesus’s words about what is harder than that.
Why is it hard to be last now even with the hope of being first later? What can help us through those difficulties?
Have you read?. . .
Prayer:
Dear God, thank you for providing easy access to the Bible and the truth written in Your Word. Help us to learn from the teachings of the Bible and practice it daily. Thank you for all you have given us and let us be content with what we have and seek You first above anything else the world offers. Amen.
I want you to know that my parents are amazing, wonderful, spirit-filled, and God-led people, who have strove their entire lives to live in a manner pleasing to God, and to instill in me that same holiness and humility. That being said, I want you to know that I was a truly terrible person, rebellious and narcissistic, and largely ignoring everything they said until God grabbed me and my attention. Today as a devotion, I am going to give you just a small portion of my personal testimony. This will be the “highly edited” version and summarization, but please know that I was a truly terrible person, despite my awesome parents, and my awesome God. As a spoiler alert, know also that God saved me with a mighty and miraculous hand.
Psalms 3:1-2 (LSB): “O Yahweh, how my adversaries have become many! Many are rising up against me. Many are saying of my soul, “There is no salvation for him in God.””
When I was between the ages of 18-25 I was basically a career criminal, and that is far more a reflection of my own stupidity than my parents efforts. I found that the easy way was…well…easier, so I took it. Then I kept on taking it. I was doing lots of drugs, and drinking too much, and doing things I shouldn’t. Mom and Dad could see that I was drifting away and prayed for me constantly, which is likely why I am alive. I became involved with bad people, doing bad things, for bad reasons. Then as I moved deeper into those circles, I became privvy to information that I shouldn’t have, and as a result I found myself in mortal peril. Those people I’d thought of as my friends began to seek my life. Things got dark and ugly. People that I knew and loved died. It was a hot mess, and in a moment of desperation I called Mom and Dad.
Psalms 3: 3-4 (LSB): “But You, O Yahweh, are a shield about me. My glory, and the One who lifts my head. I was calling to Yahweh with my voice, and He answered me from his holy mountain.”
Miraculously quickly, my parents sent me a plane ticket in another young man’s name, who had just cancelled a trip but not the ticket yet. This was before 9/11 so you could get away with those types of shenanigans. I escaped and moved in with them in Atlanta, where dad was teaching at the Atlanta Bible College. I was expecting to die at any moment, and so I threw myself wholeheartedly into scripture, looking for God to save me, which He did. I was the only kid in history, to my knowledge, to go to the Atlanta Bible College with a mohawk (but nicely done up in a pony tail, usually). I met some great people there, TRUE friends, who loved God and lived in a manner that was pleasing to Him. I immediately stopped doing all of the bad things I’d been doing, and started to study up on scriptures. I was really trying to seek God.
When you’ve lived immersed in a sewer for a long time, though, it’s hard to keep yourself from stinking. When I took up a professional (legitimate) career, I started to get puffed up with myself, and some of the bad habits I’d had started to look appealing to me again. Does this sound familiar, from the stories in Exodus? Even though I’d been miraculously saved, from overwhelming odds and contrary to all worldly sense, I soon began to do some of the things that I had before: namely drinking and smoking various things in my case. The issue was not what I was doing, necessarily, but that in my heart I had determined that I could decide, not God but me. I began to be what I call a CINO, a Christian in Name Only. I was living for myself, seeking advantage for myself, taking care of myself…but I’d still check all the boxes to be considered a “Christian”.
I’d still go to church (check), still pray before meals (check), sing when I was at church (check), and had a bible at the house (check)…but I forgot in my heart about the God who had saved me miraculously and without my deserving to be saved, and started trying to make my own decisions again, instead of listening to God.
Psalms 3:5 (LSB): “Then I lay down and slept: I awoke, for Yahweh sustains me.”
Then, on Feb 14, 2022, I died. I’m not saying this metaphorically, I am saying I died, for a bit over 5 minutes. Specifically, I had a widowmaker heart attack with a 100% blockage (“Wot? I got better!”-Monty Python). In retrospect, this was God tapping me on the shoulder to remind me. Any sane person would have recognized it for what it was, but me? Nope: I got up, kept checking the boxes, and kept on being stupid.
Psalms 3:8 (LSB): “Salvation belongs to Yahweh…“
About a year later, my dad went blind. Now, I knew I wasn’t a good guy…but my dad, my dad was a righteous man, who had tried his entire life to live in a manner pleasing to God, with better succcess in this endeavor than most men. Not perfect, by any means, but he REALLY TRIED. It affected me in a way that my own death did not. I got on my hands and knees and started praying and fasting, asking God to heal dad. About 3 days into a hard fast, I realized through scripture that God would not listen to the prayers of an unrighteous man, so I began to systematically get rid of everything in my life that led to unrighteousness. I burned the things keeping me from God in a fire, and said I was sorry. Then I kept fasting, and praying. I talked to God a lot. A while later, He started talking back.
So now it’s been almost 2 years since I’ve fully submitted myself to God’s will. I’m almost 58 now, but some fools are just slow learners. There have been hills and valleys in my walk, but God has taken me by the hand and leads me. Why? I don’t know, I absolutely don’t deserve it, probably because my parents never stopped praying for me. I have seen miracles. God has spoken to me. Crazy things have happened, too many to detail to you without you thinking I was absolutely insane. So many miracles that I started keeping a journal. I’m not talking about “oh, it was a miracle that I got that job” miracles, I’m talking about “oh look, the Red Sea just parted so we could go through” miracles.
Jeremiah 29:13 says “You will seek me and find me when you search with your whole heart.”Let me just tell you this with absolute sincerity and conviction: God absolutely exists and He still intercedes miraculously for those who seek Him with their whole heart. This is not a knowledge attained from books, this is an experiential knowledge that I am sharing with you, with 100% conviction. My dad is still blind, but God is opening up other things for him (and me) that we wouldn’t have suspected or expected. I live in a state of awe and wonder. I am humbled and amazed that God would seek me out, of all the terrible sheep who have gone astray…but He did.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
Have you ever made a conscious decision to do something different than you knew God wanted you to do? If so, why, and how did that work out?
Has God ever saved you? Was it miraculously? Are you sure?
Have you ever tried completely submitting yourself to God, to praying and fasting intently, to speaking to Him almost every moment in awe and worship and love? If you did, did you witness miracles too? If you haven’t tried yet, why not?
PRAYER:
Lord God, Father, I have failed you more times than I can count, but you have been kind and faithful to me despite my foolishness. Please God, forgive me! Help me to be the servant who pleases you. Teach me your ways, and circumcise my heart. Whisper to me the way in which I should go, and lead me by the hand. May the lips of all your creation offer you the praise you deserve, thank you God! In Jesus name, Amen.
Today our reading is from Psalm 137 and Ezra 4-6. I will start with Psalm 137 because it shows the depth of depression that the Jewish people were feeling after being taken into captivity. Imagine a foreign country coming in and destroying your homeland, with thousands killed and thousands exiled to foreign lands. Psalm 137:1 says: “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and wept.” They also desire to see justice on the Babylonians.
As Ezra 3 ended it seemed like things were going well for the Jews. The foundation had been laid and there was great rejoicing. Then the enemies of the Jews who wanted to stop what they were doing started causing trouble. First they asked if they could join them because they were also seeking their God. Of course, this was a lie, they wanted to find a way to stop them by whatever means they could. But the heads of the households of Judah and Benjamin refused this offer. The people of the land scared them into stopping the project. During the reign of Ahasuerus and Artaxerxes the rebuilding was put on hold because the enemies convinced those kings that the Jewish people would rebel against them if they allowed them to build their temple.
It was stopped until the second year of the reign of King Darius. In Ezra 5, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah enter the picture. Two men, Zerubbabel and Jeshua, answered the call and started to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. Tattenai, the governor of the province, asked by whose authority were they rebuilding the temple. The Jewish people said they were going to keep on building until they heard from King Darius. They continued to do the work under the watchful eye of God, who was with them during this time. When asked who gave them the authority to rebuild, they said, Ezra 5:11b-12 “We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished. But because our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, He gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon.”
King Darius found the scroll from King Cyrus in Ecbatana and sent this decree in Ezra 6:7 “Leave this work on the house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this temple of God on its site.” And it will be paid by the royal treasury. Ezra 6:12 says: “May the God who has caused His name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who attempts to change it, so as to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued this decree, let it be carried out with all diligence!”They finished in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. The Jewish people had not celebrated the Passover feast for around 70 years but they celebrated this event once again when the completion of the work was done on the second temple. Ezra 6:21 “The sons of Israel who returned from exile and all those who had separated themselves from the impurity of the nations of the land to join them, to seek the LORD God of Israel, ate the Passover.”
Jeremiah 29:13 has always been one of my favorite verse: And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” This verse was written during the time of the exiles but it is still relevant for us today. If you ever played Hide and Seek as a kid, the game wasn’t a lot of fun if the one searching leaves, causing the person in hiding to keep waiting. When we seek God, we never want to give up and walk away. We must continually seek Him, and we will find him when we search with our whole heart! He tells us that and we know his promises are sure.
Reflection Questions
Have you ever faced outside opposition when you were working on a project for God? What does it take to continue serving God when others want you to stop?
What did the ‘God seekers’ do right?
Do you seek God with your whole heart? Is there a part of your heart that is not committed to seeking God? Are there times when you give up the search?
Recently, I was involved in a discussion about parasites. (Old people, right?) One person was telling how their house became infested with bed bugs after buying a used car. Exterminators had to come and use equipment that heated up the ENTIRE house to 135 degrees fahrenheit! All plastics, foods, and other meltable items had to be removed from the home and it cost thousands of dollars. But it was the only way to completely get rid of every one of those little buggers! This story popped into my head while spending time in today’s reading.
Chapter 4 starts out almost hopeful. Jeremiah tells the people of Judah that if they just turn to God, God will forgive them and they will live free. That hopefulness lasts for about 4 verses. Then, Jeremiah warns of destruction from the north (Babylon). The rest of our reading is pretty dire. In chapter 5, Jeremiah lists their sins, the reasons the Lord is so displeased with them. His chosen people were being cruel to each other, getting rich through exploitation of the poor, and rebellious towards His decrees. Even the priest and prophets were proven to be cheats and liars and no one seems to notice or care (5:31).
So God promises destruction, similar to what the exterminators have to do to get rid of bedbugs. In 4:11, Jeremiah speaks of a scorching wind that will come and bring ruin to the land, followed by the army from a distant land. While God promises not to destroy it completely, it will be enough that the earth will mourn its loss (4:28).
Jeremiah ends today’s reading by comparing Judah with metal. As a blacksmith tests metal to determine its strength, God has tested the people but finds they are like tin foil (6:28-30).
Or maybe they are like all the plastic that had to be removed before my friend’s house had to be heated up to the extreme to destroy the bugs. They would not be able to survive God’s judgment without his mercy. We will read more about that later.
As we consider these passages today, let’s reflect on the fact that we would be in the same position as the people of Judah without the sacrificial grace we have received through Jesus Christ. Like a plastic popcorn bowl, Jesus has taken us out of the house before the coming heat.. In this case, the second death (Revelation 20:14-15).
Prayer:
Dear Lord,
While the judgement of Your people may be hard to hear, we must so that we can learn from their sins and so that we can also more greatly appreciate the importance of the grace we have received through the blood of Jesus Christ. Let us be aware of the ways the world is trying to turn us to rebellion. Thank you for your promises of peace in this life and everlasting time with You in the next.
In your Son’s name, Amen
-Maria Knowlton
Reflection Questions
What are some of the world’s thoughts on God’s judgment? What does God tell Jeremiah about His judgment?
Who gets God’s judgment? Who gets God’s mercy? What does Jeremiah say?
Do not be like the rest of society, not obeying, not trusting, and not drawing near to the Lord (3:2) Instead, seek out the Lord, do what He commands, and seek righteousness and humility (2:3)
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” This quote by philosopher George Santayana has famously been reiterated by Winston Churchill and probably every history teacher you’ve ever had. It just makes sense, right? We can avoid so many problems if we learn from the mistakes of others, whether it’s personally or corporately. Unfortunately, as Santayana noted, even those who DO learn history repeat it.
Sadly, as a society, we’re not doing any better than the people of Israel in the book of Zephaniah.
In the very short book of Zephaniah (we’re going to call him Zeph for short), Zeph is giving a warning to the people of Judah to turn from idols, stop their violence and evil, and most importantly, TRUST the LORD! In my short amount of google research, it seems most Biblical scholars believe Zeph was a cousin and possibly a friend of King Josiah. Zeph was most likely preparing the people for the coming revival of faith and obedience brought by King Josiah.
Not to spoil it, but Judah does turn from their wicked ways and turn to the Lord! Yay!
But, not remembering the warnings and history, they forget and are later captured by Babylon. Sigh.
But are we any better? Zeph prophesies to the people way back in 640 BC. One of the major problems Zeph preached against were those who knew God exists but that He “will not do good, nor will He do evil.” (1:12) This is ambivalence.
This ambivalence continued into the Roman Empire. In 1776, Edwin Gibbon wrote in his book, “The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire” about the religious attitudes in the last day of the Roman Empire around 476 AD.
-The people regarded all religions as equally true.
-The philosophers regarded all religions as equally false.
-The politicians regarded all religions as equally useful.
(Enduringword.com)
These were the attitudes of the people of Judah some 1100 years before. And they are exactly the same attitudes of our society 1550 years later! We do not learn. Even with history laid out before us.
However, as Zeph wrote in his book, there were those in Judah who did not go along with everyone else and they will be rewarded. We need to be like that “remnant of Judah” (2:7).
We may not live in a society that learns from its history, but we certainly can be individuals and a church that does.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, please open our minds to allow us to not only learn history, but to avoid actions we have seen that lead to destruction. Please let us be a light to those who know you exist but deny your goodness in their lives. Thank you for allowing us to come before you to seek righteousness and humility.
In Christ’s name, Amen
-Maria Knowlton
Reflection Questions
What similarities do you see between the people of Judah in Zephaniah’s day and the people of your world today? Any differences?
What is the problem with being ambivalent toward God? What could/would/will you say to someone who is ambivalent toward God?
If you were to write a letter of warning to the people today what do you think God would want you to say?
I was rushed out of the room, carrying a kid in each arm, and taken to the recovery room to wait for the return of my wife. The twins were here, and I had no idea what to do. There was a bassinet nearby, but I honestly couldn’t figure out the logistics of laying down one newborn without compromising my grip on the other. “That’s okay,” I thought. “My wife will be here soon, and she’ll help me sort it all out.” So I waited. I nervously held onto them in a football hold as the minutes crept by. But then the minutes became longer than expected, and my confidence started to fray. I waited with my little ones—without information, without control, and without a clue. In that intermission, I did the only thing I could think to do: I sang. Out of praise, to stave off fear, and to quiet the echoing newborn cries, I sang:
“From my mother’s womb, you have chosen me, love has called my name,”
and “You’re perfect in all of your ways… perfect in all of your ways to us.”
Waiting isn’t for the faint of heart. To be patient is to fight our innate desire for safety and certainty. It reminds us that we are not in control—that our desires are only a small variable in any given situation. If we’re looking for holy ground—a place where our striving ends and God’s sovereignty begins—look no further than the weight of waiting.
As the northern kingdom of Israel spiraled under a succession of corrupt kings, Jehoshaphat began his reign in Judah. He watched the pendulum swing wildly in the wrong direction. But instead of rushing to react, Jehoshaphat paused. He sought the Lord. He devoted his heart to God’s way first, building his faith and fortifying the kingdom—not through conquest or alliances, but by spreading the Word and Law of the Lord and strengthening what already belonged to Judah.
There were no flashy political plays. No dramatic battles or self-promoting power grabs—all of which might have benefited a new king eager for approval. In contrast to war-beaten, idol-chasing, anxious Israel, Judah found peace—politically and spiritually—by halting, reflecting, focusing, and waiting on the Lord to move.
“The fear of the Lord fell on all the kingdoms of the lands surrounding Judah…”
(2 Chronicles 17:10)
Waiting made Israel restless. But it made Judah rooted. Israel scrambled. Judah stood still.
So how do we wait in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord when life is beyond our control—when answers are delayed or the enemy seems to be advancing? We fortify what’s already been entrusted to us. We hold our families, will continue using our gifts in ministry, and give consistently with our tithes. We don’t chase what we don’t yet have—we deepen what God has already given. We also choose worship over worry. Worry imagines every possible outcome.
Worship reminds us who holds them all. Even if God is silent, He is moving. Commit to the wait. Trust in the Lord. He will act.
– Aaron Winner
Reflection Questions
How well do you wait? How much do you worry? Can you think of a time where your waiting increased your peace?
What is wise to do while waiting? What is foolish to do while waiting?
What do you appreciate from Aaron’s list of waiting activity – halting, reflecting, focusing, and waiting on the Lord to move?
In the book of Proverbs, we find a treasure trove of wisdom that has the power to transform our lives. Chapter 16 is no exception, offering profound insights that speak directly to our hearts and the way we navigate this world. Today, let us take a closer look at verse 3, which encourages us to commit our work to the Lord, knowing that He is the one who establishes our plans.
In a society driven by achievement and self-reliance, it is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that success is solely dependent on our own abilities and strategies. We may spend countless hours meticulously crafting our plans and pursuing our goals, forgetting that we are called to acknowledge God’s sovereignty and seek His guidance in all that we do. However, Proverbs reminds us that true success comes from surrendering our efforts to the Lord.
Committing our work to the Lord involves recognizing that He is the ultimate authority and the source of all wisdom and understanding. It requires us to approach our tasks, aspirations, and dreams with an attitude of humility, acknowledging that apart from Him, we can do nothing of lasting significance. We are called to submit our plans to His will, seeking His guidance and trusting that He will align our desires with His purposes.
By entrusting our work to God, we are liberated from the burden of self-reliance and the anxiety that often accompanies it. We can rest in the assurance that the Lord, in His infinite wisdom and love, will establish our plans. This does not mean that we will be exempt from challenges or difficulties along the way, but it does mean that God will faithfully guide us, direct our steps, and use our efforts for His glory.
When we commit our work to the Lord, we invite Him to be an active participant in every aspect of our lives. We open ourselves up to His guidance and leading, allowing Him to shape our plans according to His perfect will. Our work becomes an opportunity to partner with God, to be instruments through which His purposes are fulfilled in this world.
As we reflect on Proverbs chapter 16, may we be encouraged to surrender our ambitions, our dreams, and our work to the Lord. Let us seek His wisdom, trust in His guidance, and find peace in knowing that He is the one who establishes our plans. By entrusting ourselves to Him, we embark on a journey of purpose and fulfillment, where our lives become a testament to His grace and faithfulness.
-Austin Kizer
(originally posted for Seek GrowLove on May 16, 2023)
Reflection Questions
In what areas of your life would it be wise to surrender your plans to the Lord? What does that look like? What thoughts and feelings does it create? Pray for help in doing so.
What does true success look like? Is it possible apart from God and His plans?
What will God reveal to you about Himself in your Bible reading today?
2 Samuel 6 is one of those stories in the Bible that never sat well with me in my youth. Here, we have a scene of a joyful celebration as the ark of the Lord Almighty is brought to its rightful home in Jerusalem. We’re singing, we’re dancing, we’re having a grand time. Suddenly, the oxen stumbles, and the ark begins to fall. Here, we have Uzzah, who reaches out to steady the ark to keep it from falling. See, to me, that seems like a noble thing to do. After all, we’d hate for the ark to fall to the ground, wouldn’t we? Yet, God strikes him dead for this act. Come on…the guy was just doing the best he could do! It always seemed to me that God acted unfairly to someone who seemed like they were trying to do a good thing.
You know, now that I think of it, I tend to have that same attitude toward acts of disobedience in my life. Sure, I know that sometimes I do wrong things, but if my intentions are good, isn’t it ok? I know that God doesn’t want me to lie, but if my lie has a good outcome, wouldn’t God say that’s ok? I know I’m not supposed to touch the ark, but if I keep it from falling, wouldn’t that be ok? Unfortunately, that’s not the way it works.
If you’ve been following along with the Bible readings, you’ll remember that in 1 Samuel 15, we learn that to God, “it is more important to obey than to sacrifice.” God prefers faithful adherence to His commands more than grand gestures performed according to our own understanding. I think God would rather have had Uzzah follow his commands, treating his instructions with respect and reverence than try to do what was right in his own eyes.
And another thing, the disobedience didn’t start with him reaching to steady the ark. Uzzah wasn’t even supposed to be one of the men transporting the ark as he wasn’t a Kohathite (the Levites specifically instructed by God to be in charge of this task). Not only that, but they weren’t even transporting it the right way. They made a cart for the ark, but God gave specific instructions for how to carry this thing around, and a cart was not part of the deal! Things could have been so different if only they had done things the way God said.
What we learn from Uzzah and the mistake that he made is to pursue obedience even when our own understanding leads us a different way. In this life, you will be drawn toward doing things that go against God’s teachings. Even if it doesn’t make sense, God’s way is always the best.
-Hope Fletcher
Reflection Questions
How do we avoid getting caught up in doing things our own way instead of God’s way? How do we learn what God’s way is? What are the differences between my way and God’s way?
How does Uzzah show us our need for a Savior? How important is Jesus’s death – and resurrection?
This week we are choosing past devotions to repost, but I had a hard time choosing just one – so here are 3 for you! SeekGrowLove today!
ON PSALM 27 –
(from 2021) You may have noticed that the SeekGrowLove blog features a key verse: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” from Jeremiah 29:13. The LORD confirms that our seeking is worth it, because ultimately, we will find Him. However, there is an important requirement; we need to seek with all our heart. What does this phrase “with all our heart” really look like? How can we seek “with all our heart”? Perhaps “with all our heart” seeking is completely and sincerely devoted. Maybe determined and enthusiastic. This type of seeking is relentless, full of passion for what is right. It can’t be stopped. Psalm 27:4 states, “The one thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.” Verse 8 continues, “My heart says of you, ‘Seek His face!’ Your face, Lord, I will seek.’” You can hear the determination in that statement. The writer wants to be in the presence of the LORD. They are completely and sincerely devoted. Enthusiastic for the presence of the LORD. They are pursuing him ‘with all their heart.’
This is what the LORD desires for us. “The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.” (Psalm 14:2) He wants us to seek him wholeheartedly. Passionately. Relentlessly. In life, we can be distracted with many pursuits, desires, and distractions. However, we can choose to refocus on the one who matters. We can choose to seek “with all our heart.” The benefits of this type of “with all our heart” seeking is great. Matthew 6:33 says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” This desire to be close to God will be rewarded. We are rewarded today with our close loving relationship with God and later when we see Him face to face. So, if you start to feel discouraged or distracted, remember who our seeking will lead to: “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:3,4)
-Rebecca Dauksas (originally posted February 25, 2021 for SeekGrowLove)
ON PSALM 34 –
In yesterday’s lesson, I neglected to point out a story from 1 Samuel 21 that is relevant to today’s reading. When David ran away from Saul, he escaped to Gath (enemy territory) so Saul wouldn’t keep chasing him. The king’s servants pointed out that David was the man about which they sang, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.”
David took these words to heart and was very much afraid, so he pretended he was insane – scratching on the doors, and letting his saliva run down his beard. When the king saw this, he thought David was crazy, and sent him away.
David wrote Psalm 34 after this experience. Here are some verses that stand out to me.
V 3, “Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together.”
V 4, “I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.”
V 6, “This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.”
V 7, “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.”
V 8, “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.”
V 12-14, “Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.”
V 15, “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry;”
V 19, “A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all’
We need to be quick to praise God for whatever he does for us, just like David did. It’s easy to cry out to God when times are tough, but sometimes it’s harder to remember to praise Him and let others know what He has done for us. This is important too.
What I really like about this chapter are the multiple times that David points out that we will experience difficult times, but God sees us through those times. I like the image conveyed by verse 7. When I’m going through a hard time, it’s comforting to imagine God sending an angel to protect me. This doesn’t mean I won’t have difficulties, but God sees me through. God is attentive to the righteous.
In verse 8, I picture David saying, “I’ve been through some hard times, but I’ve remained faithful to God, and God has pulled me through. I want to encourage you to develop a close relationship with the Lord. Once you experience that relationship and experience His helping you through those difficulties, then you too can understand how good God is.”
I have to echo David’s words, because I’ve been there. So I encourage you too, “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.”
–Steve Mattison (originally posted April 14, 2020 for SeekGrowLove)
ON PSALM 52 –
For the Christian it is considered a “no brainer” that our trust is supposed to be found in God. But so often the stresses and worries of the world come against us, and we may forget that we serve a mighty God who cares deeply for us.
Here in Psalm 52 we are shown a great contrast between David here and his enemy. David wrote this Psalm during the time when he was constantly on the run from Saul, who was chasing him down to kill him, out of jealousy. David lost many years of his life running from Saul but he never lost his trust in God. At this time David had amassed a group of strong men who were ready to fight for him, but Saul, having the armies of Israel behind him, had the greater strength. David had support from people who gave him food and supplies as he ran from place to place, but Saul had all the riches of Israel behind him. But the important thing is that David had God with him, and God had promised him the throne of Israel that Saul currently sat on.
David was able to stay strong in his faith because he had seen God help him against overwhelming odds again and again, the most notable time was when he took on the nine foot tall giant, Goliath all on his own. There were actually two times during David’s years of running, that we are told about, where David had the chance to rely on his own strength to defeat Saul. Once was when Saul went to relieve himself in a cave, not knowing that David was hiding in the cave. The other time, the Bible says that God caused the entire army that was with Saul to go into a deep sleep and David was able to sneak right up next to Saul. Both times the man who was with David encouraged him to kill Saul and take the throne. But each time David refused, saying that he would not harm the Lord’s anointed. It would have been so easy for David to trust in his own strength in that moment, and no longer have to keep running for his life, but just like when David faced Goliath, David put his trust in God and not in himself. And because David did trust God, he never had to draw his sword against Saul or anyone in his family. In one single battle, Saul and all of his sons were taken out by the Philistines. God provided David the throne without David having to shed blood. David’s faith in what probably seemed like the hopeless situation of being relentlessly chased down by King Saul, paid off in the end. Years later after David had become king, he penned another Psalm, in which he said, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” I hope and pray each day to have the kind of faith and trust in God like David had, and I hope you do as well.
-Jonny Smith (originally posted February 22, 2023 for SeekGrowLove)
Reflection Questions
Is there a time you have trusted in God through a tough situation? What was the result? Who have you seen trust God through a tough situation and emerge with an even stronger faith in God?
What do you sometimes put your trust in instead? How does that work? Why?
What has God shown about Himself in your reading today?
Seek Grow Love 