Tag: Cayce Fletcher

The Loving Character of God

Old Testament: 1 & 2 Chron Introduction (See below)

Poetry: Ps. 139

New Testament: Philippians 4

In the midst of all of our discussions of punishment for sin and idolatry, it can paint a picture of a harsh, just God. We know that God is doing the right thing, but it seems like the right thing is also cruel. Today’s scripture brings into focus another aspect of God that proves how loving and truly kind God is. Psalm 139 is a famous scripture and for good reason. Here are some truths we can learn about God from this beautiful and comforting Psalm. 

  1. God knows who we truly are. We cannot hide from God, and we don’t need to feel like we have to. The Psalm begins, “O Lord, you have searched me and known me! […] Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether” (v. 1, 4). We can find great comfort in that all the ugly, messed up parts of ourselves is already known to God. We don’t need to try to “flee from [his] presence” (v. 7) because he is already there. This shouldn’t make us feel afraid. Instead, we should feel like we can bring everything we are to God and lay it at his feet. He already knows anyway. 
  2. God’s boundaries are good boundaries. Verse 5 says, “You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.” When we think of God’s law, we can think of it as the rules that keep us safe. It reminds me of the baby gates in my house. My little girl is just starting to crawl. The one place in the house that she always wants to get to is the stairs. She has no idea how to go down them though! The baby gates in my house protect her from the thing that she wants to do. It is a boundary, a law, of protection that turns out to be provision for her. 
  3. God knows our days. We can find great comfort in the sovereignty of God. As we face trials and uncertainties, we know that “Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them” (v. 16). We believe that God is a good God, and we know that he has good things in store for us. It may not always work out like we hope. But, it will be something that works out for the glory of God. And ultimately, that is the best good. 

As we consider the punishment that God gives, its always important to center that conversation on the never-changing character of God. Exodus 34:6-7 describes the character of God in this way, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and fourth generations.” We see here the story of Israel played out. Yes, God punished a few generations of children because of the iniquity of the Israelites. But, before that, God was faithful and stood by the Israelites. Not only that, after the Israelites were in exile for a few generations, God brought them back. He remembered them and brought them home to the Promised Land. Truly how “Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well” (Ps. 139:14). 

~ Cayce Fletcher

Reflection Questions: 

  1. How does reading about the punishment for idolatry make you feel? Does reading about the character of God change those feelings?   
  2. Read Ps. 139:7-12. What does it mean to you that God’s presence is everywhere? How does that change the way you live?   
  3. Pray over verses 23 and 24. Bring to God any of the areas of your life that you feel like a “grevious” to him.   

1 & 2 Chronicles Introduction

The word chronicles means “a factual written account of important or historical events in the order of their occurrence.”  The books of 1 & 2 Chronicles list two such important pieces of information for post-exilic Jews.  

The first is the list of genealogies recorded in the first 9 chapters of 1 Chronicles.  This was important for Jews after the exile to be able to trace their lineage to God’s promised people, and therefore to the promises God made to Abraham.  

The second reason for the name “Chronicles” is that 1 & 2 Chronicles retells the story that was originally told in 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 & 2 Kings.  The difference is that 1 & 2 Chronicles gives only information on the kings of the Southern Kingdon (King David and his descendants).  

These books were written after the fall of the Southern Kingdom to Nebuchadnezzar’s army around 587 BC.  And since the last chapter also includes information about the edict of Cyrus – allowing the Jews to return to Israel –, which took place in 539 BC, these books were likely written in or shortly after 539 BC.

While 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 & 2 Kings share much of the same historical narrative as 1 & 2 Chronicles, Samuel and Kings point out that Israel is being punished for her sins.  Chronicles was written to inspire hope and faith in God.  

Another example of the difference is that Chronicles shows the kings in a more favorable light, including evil king Manasseh, who 2 Chronicles records as repenting of his sins – a fact not recorded in 2 Kings.

Finally, Chronicles shows more cause and effect within a king’s lifetime for his decision to follow or forsake God.  

As you read through 1 & 2 Chronicles, may you too recognize the results of not only the kings’ life choices but also the consequences of your own life choices.  And may you also experience the hope Chronicles tries to convey.  And may you be among those people God is referring to when he said, in 2 Chronicles 7:14, “if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

–Steve

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Where is your citizenship?

Old Testament: 2 Kings 23-25

Poetry: Ps. 138

New Testament: Philippians 3

The place where we live is so central to who we are as people. It truly is one of the most important parts of our identity. It changes everything: from the foods we like, the music we listen to, the political parties we vote for, our priorities… basically everything. I’m from the south, and I remember going to our national church camp, FUEL, in the summer and being teased for the way we talk, the types of drinks we like (Who doesn’t like sweet tea? Oh right, all you northerners.), and the music we listen to. Before going to these camps, none of those things even struck me as weird. It was just the way everyone around me lived. Where we live can define us. But, we have a more important citizenship – a more important place of belonging – than just our physical address. 

Today, we read about the final demise of the Israelite nation. From the beginning, when God called Abraham out of the future land of Babylon and into the promised land of Canaan – the future land of Israel, there was a beacon of hope and assurance that God was for the Israelite people and would come to their aid. They were his people. 

Even though Josiah instituted reforms to bring his people back to God, the evil the people of Judah had done was so great that God promised, “I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and I will cast off this city that I have chosen, Jerusalem, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there” (2 Kings 23: 27). The devastating consequence of sin is the removal of belonging with God. This meant that the people of Judah – the last remnant of the Israelites who had settled in Canaan – could no longer find their citizenship in the Promised Land. Instead, they were taken captive by the Babylonians and returned to the land that God had called them out of. This is a harsh statement of rejection of the Israelite people. The one whom God had said, ‘I called you out of Egypt to be my chosen possession’ had been returned to the places of captivity. 

Citizenship, rejection. Freedom, captivity. These opposite poles of human existence that the Israelites could choose based on how obedient they were to God’s commands. Because they rejected God’s commands, he rejected them. The freedom they would have in submitting to God and setting boundaries on their freedom based on his law became captivity under other rulers due to their desire to do whatever they pleased.

We have the same promise and warning today. The same choice is set before us. We can choose for our citizenship – our place of belonging – to be in heaven (Phil. 3:20-21) or to be enemies of Christ (v. 18). Phil. 3:19 describes these enemies in the following way: “Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame.” This statement could have been written for the people in Judah and Israel. And it could be written to those today who choose to do whatever is right in their eyes rather than follow God’s word. 

To be citizens of heaven, we must follow Paul’s example. I “press on to make it [the resurrection of the dead, aka the Kingdom Life we are promised] my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead. I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (v. 12-14). Hold fast to God, and obey his commands! Choose to be a citizen of God’s Kingdom! 

~ Cayce Fletcher

Reflection Questions: 

  1. How does the place where you live affect who you are as a person?   
  2. How would a citizen of the Kingdom act differently than those of the world? Where do you find your citizenship?   
  3. There’s a glimmer of hope in 2 Kings 25:27-30. Jehoiachin is able to “put off his prison garments. Every day of his life he dined regularly at the king’s table.” How do you put off your prison garments of sin and dine at the table of the King in your everyday life?   

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Shine like Stars

Old Testament: 2 Kings 21-22

Poetry: Ps. 137

New Testament: Philippians 2

My son, Jonah, is afraid of the dark. For a while, after we would read him a bedtime story and sing “Silent Night” as a lullaby, we would close the door to a dark, quiet room. And, a few moments later, we would hear the pitter-patter of feet as he would get out of his toddler bed, go over to the lamp in his room, and click it on. One day while he was playing, he told me that he had to turn his light on because he doesn’t like the dark because there are monsters in the dark. 

Even though I am grown, I can empathize with his fears. I remember – and I bet you do too – those moments of fear when the lights go out. I remember begging my parents to leave the closet light on because I was unsure what was lurking out there in the dark past my bed. It seems only natural to be a little afraid of the dark, those places you can’t see. It’s a built-in defense mechanism that humans have to navigate nighttime in our world. 

The Bible is full of themes that occur from beginning to end. You could trace the way water is used as a symbol of chaos and cleansing or the way trees represent a strong, godly life. One theme that occurs from beginning to end is the contrast between dark and light. Darkness is always connected with sin and evil, whereas light is connected with righteousness and God himself. 

This is a quick overview of the way this theme is used in scripture. In the beginning, God created the light and called it good (Gen. 1:4). After the fall, the world is described as being in darkness. God is constantly beckoning his people to be a light to the surrounding nations (Gen. 15:5), but Israel repeatedly chose darkness. Jesus is the true light that shines out into the dark world – and his light “gives light to everyone” (John 1:9). We are now the torchbearers that continue to shine a light in the world. We are called to “shine as lights in the world” (Phil. 2:15). We “cast off our works of darkness and put on the armor of light” (Rom. 13:12, see also Eph. 5:7-14). 

We see an example of being a light to the world in Judah’s king Josiah. After two dark, wicked kings of Judah, Josiah repairs the temple. He becomes a light to the nation calling them back to worship God and obey him after over half a century of disobedience. He repairs the temple and shares the law with Judah. The people were in darkness because of the evil kings, but Josiah was being a light pointing them back toward God. Just like the nation of Judah, we also have a tendency to pull toward darkness. In fact, sometimes we seem to like darkness; we prefer it over having our deeds exposed in the light. However, since we are in Christ, we need to put aside those worldly desires and choose to follow God completely. God is light and there is no darkness in him (1 John 1:5). We cannot do the deeds of darkness and follow God at the same time. Let’s be like King Josiah, and be a leader of light to those around us. 

~ Cayce Fletcher

Reflection Questions: 

  1. Why do you think that the Bible uses the imagery of light and darkness to represent good and evil?   
  2. How was King Josiah a light to his country?   
  3. How can you be a light that represents Jesus to others today? What are some actions you could take?   

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When You Don’t Know What Else to Do

Old Testament: 2 Kings 19-20

Poetry: Ps. 136

New Testament: Philippians 1

Yesterday, we learned about the exile of the nation of Israel because of the idolatry that they practiced. 2 Kings 17:34 describes the Israelites who lived in Samaria: “To this day they do according to the former manner [fearing God but also serving the gods of the surrounding nations]. They do not fear the LORD, and they do not follow the statutes or the rules or the law of the commandments the LORD commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel.” The nation of Israel had spiraled down the dark, deep hole of sin that ended in exile. 

There is a glimmer of hope in 2 Kings 18, as we read about Hezekiah the good king of the neighboring nation, Judah. “He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him. For he held fast to the LORD. He did not depart from following him but kept the commandments that the LORD commanded Moses” (v.5-6). 

A little over halfway through his reign, Hezekiah is faced with a terrible situation. The king of Assyria attacks Judah and forces Judah to pay him tribute. Things even got so bad that Hezekiah stripped the gold off the temple doors and gives it to the Assyrian king. The Assyrians mock God and swear that God has forsaken Judah. This is where chapter 19 picks up. 

When faced with a terrible situation, what does Hezekiah do? Hezekiah humbles himself, goes to God, and listens. Hezekiah sent people to Isaiah to pray in the nation’s behalf (v. 4). This proves to be exactly the right course of action. 

We can learn so much from the reign of Hezekiah, but I think it’s so important to look at how he handled these difficult situations. You can follow the example of Hezekiah in doing the following: 

  1. Humble yourself. Hezekiah tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth. He didn’t try to appear to have his life together. He recognized the severity of the situation and knew he could not save himself without God. 
  2. Go to God. Hezekiah went to the house of the Lord immediately. He knew where to turn with the situation got tough. 
  3. Seek counsel and comfort from godly people. Hezekiah gathered up a few trusted servants and priests to go to Isaiah, the prophet for help. 
  4. Recognize that you have a mediator who knows your needs. Hezekiah turned to Isaiah to be a mediator between God and him. He asks Isaiah to pray for him. We don’t have to turn to men to pray for us. Instead, we can go to God ourselves because we have a mediator in Jesus. 

At the end of this chapter, Isaiah gives some reassuring news. The Assyrian king would not destroy Judah. In fact, he would fall by his own sword. Verse 35-37 goes on to say, “That night the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when the people arose early in the morning, behold these were all dead bodies. Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went home and lived at Nineveh. And as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, struck him down with the sword.” God’s promises are true. Praise God that we can go to him in all of our sufferings. 

~ Cayce Fletcher

Reflection Questions: 

  1. What difficult situation are you facing today? What strikes fear in your heart? Makes you despair? Bring this situation to God. 
  2. Who are some people you can turn to in difficult situations that can help to point you to Christ?   
  3. How is prayer different from the Old Testament to the New Testament because of Christ?   

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Consequences of Idolatry

Old Testament: 2 Kings 17, 18

Poetry: Ps. 135

New Testament: Philippians Introduction Below

The school year has just ended in SC, and I am thoroughly enjoying summertime. After teaching for 5 years (and being in public school/college all those years before it), summer has become a beautiful time of rest, relaxation, and lots of swimming and sunshine. Summer is one of the perks of being a teacher, but it is definitely a time that feels earned. After a year of pushing students to be better learners and better people, I need a break. 

One of the most challenging things about being a teacher is the constant redirection and discipline that are required to make sure a classroom runs smoothly. If everyone is always doing what they want – whether that’s blurting out, going to the bathroom (as soon as we start taking notes!), or playing on the iPad – not much learning is happening. One of my jobs as a teacher is to set up a structure for my classroom that involves rules so that students know how to overcome doing what they want so that they can do what they need in order to learn. Sometimes students are happy to follow these rules. But, sometimes they are not. When they don’t follow rules, there is a system of warnings and consequences to try to get them back on track. Lunch detention, emails home, you know the drill. Occasionally, a student will not listen, and that is when the big punishment happens: ISS or OSS. Any public school kids know about this place of detention. The purposes of ISS, or in-school suspension, are two-fold: (1) By taking them out of the classroom, they miss out on the fun and good things we do as well. Normally, they don’t want to be away from the class because of this. (2) It also removes the student from the learning environment so they don’t pull everyone else down with them. 

In our reading today, we see the punishment the Israelites received that reminds me quite a bit of ISS, except much more severe and far-reaching. The Israelites were exiled from their land as a consequence of their sin. We read in 2 Kings 17:1-23 about how the Israelite king, Hoshen, continued to follow the pattern of doing evil in God’s sight. This caused the king of Assyria to invade the land and ‘carry the Israelites away to Assyria and place them’ throughout the land of Assyria (v. 6). Verse 7-8 says, “And this occurred because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of the Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods, and walked in the customs of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel, and in the customs that the kings of Israel had practiced.” Verses 9-23 go on to describe the Israelites’ descent into sin from the time they entered the promised land with Joshua until the present time. In Deuteronomy 28, we read the promised consequences for the sin of disobedience and see these consequences given after the Israelites choose repeatedly not to listen to what God has told them to do. Despite knowing these consequences, the Israelites still pursued other gods and idols. When God would try to call them out of their sin and draw them back to him, they would not listen. 

Ps. 135 describes the difference between God and idols. Calling back to the deliverance from Egypt, it states the great works of God and praises him because “For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel as his own possession” (v. 4). In contrast, the idols are the work of human hands that cannot speak, see, hear, or breathe. “Those who make them become like them, so do all who trust in them” (v. 18). It’s chilling to read this Psalm after seeing the demise of the state of Israel. Because the Israelites trusted in their idols, they either died or were forced to live in captivity where their “life shall hand in doubt before them. Night and day they shall be in dread and have no assurance of their life” (Deut. 28:66). Instead of Israel being God’s chosen possession, God “rejected all the descendants of Israel and afflicted them and gave them into the hand of plunderers, until he had cast them out of his sight” (2 Kings 17:20). 

This is a harsh consequence, but like the punishment of ISS, it is twofold in purpose. The descent into sin needed to be stopped. This was God’s boundary line, stating that if they continued to act like this they would not be allowed to remain with him. It also removed Israel from close proximity to Judah, the nation that still remained in the Promised Land. At this point, Judah was not too far gone, so God didn’t want Judah to be brought down further into sin by Israel. 

God takes idolatry seriously, and there are severe consequences for it. We cannot be God’s chosen people if we choose to pursue idols. Idols look different than in the Israelites’ time, but they are all around us: Beauty, Money, Sex, Work, Family, Political Beliefs, Identity, Alcohol, Drugs, Social Media, Image. These are the intangible idols. We can’t hold them in our hands like idols of the olden days, but we may worship them all the same, giving offerings of our time, money, and relationships – sometimes sacrificing our parents, children, spouses, or friends on the altar of their worship. We will be exiled from his presence if we choose to pursue idolatry if we choose these things over God. It is not too late to turn back to him! Cast down your idols today. 

~ Cayce Fletcher

Reflection Questions: 

  1. What are some of the idols that you see in your life or the life of the people around you?  
  2. Why does God give such harsh consequences for idolatry? What is the danger of idolatry?  
  3. What does exile look like in a modern day context? Do you think God punishes people in the present day, or is it just a future consequence (aka a lake of fire punishment)?

Philippians Introduction

Paul wrote the book of Philippians to the Christians in Philippi, which was the first church Paul established in Europe.  Despite the fact that Paul wrote this letter while he was a prisoner in Rome, Paul repeatedly talked about joy – showing that he could be content in any circumstance (4:11).

Paul reminded the Philippians to conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ (1:27), despite the persecution they were suffering (1:29-30).  He pointed to Jesus as the ultimate example of humility and submission, and reminded the Philippians that they should have the same attitude as that of Jesus (2:3-11).

In chapter 3, Paul reminded the Philippians that even Paul didn’t earn his righteousness from following the law, even though he was a model Jew.  Instead, all of us receive righteousness that comes from God and is by faith in Christ.

I particularly like Paul’s admonition in 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present our requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

I also like Paul’s reminder in 4:13, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”

May we be able to say like Paul in 4:9, “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put into practice.  And the God of peace will be with you.”

–Steve

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Changed by Jesus

Old Testament: Judges 1 & 2

Poetry: Psalm 107

* New Testament: Luke 7

God had given Jesus the ability to perform miracles and the capability to be the “one Teacher” (Matt.23:8) who revealed important messages from Him. In his teachings, we learn the Great Commandment of loving God with all that we are, among other truths of loving our neighbor as ourselves, going into the world to preach the gospel, and so much more. And he didn’t just want us to be aware of these commands, he wanted us to put them into practice. His teachings were to be the foundation on which we build our lives.

The miracles and teaching were attracting a crowd. In Luke 7, we see that people were seeking out Jesus. Each person was very different from the other, but they shared a common need that Jesus could fill. A centurion is seeking healing for his servant, a widow needs resurrection power for her son, a prophet needs reassurance that Jesus is the one, and a sinful woman needs to be assured that her sins are forgiven. But even beyond the glaring needs presented to Jesus, we can see how those in Christ’s presence are being changed.  Just think about all the lives that are influenced and thus transformed because of interactions with those who have interacted with Jesus.

 I imagine that the elders of the Jews were praising God when their plea for healing was granted along with the centurion’s friends and the crowd that followed Jesus. The crowd along with a large funeral procession are awestruck and praised God for resurrecting the widow’s son. What a scene that was! Going from mourning to praise. And of course, I imagine the disciples of John would never forget the message they were given. “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” We can only guess at the large amount of people that were strengthened in the faith because of the imprisonment and execution of John. This event still impacts followers today. Encouraging us to show others our love for Christ even in the middle of some of life’s dismal circumstances.  

And last, we look at Simon the Pharisee. I would imagine that he was forever changed by having dinner with Jesus and by the interruption of the sinful woman. He learned that those who are aware of their great need for forgiveness have a great appreciation for the forgiveness they have received. Being truly forgiven, makes us want to express our thankfulness and love.

When these people entered into his presence, their minds, hearts, and lives are ultimately changed to reflect him more fully. When we enter into the presence of Jesus, we can expect that our lives will be changed, too. Sometimes our desires may be fulfilled, but even more than that, we will have our hearts changed to desire what God has for us.

Enter into his presence today and experience the change that comes from spending time with Jesus. May this change create a ripple effect that will transform your family, friends, coworkers, and community. 

-Rebecca Dauksas and Cayce Fletcher

Reflection Questions

  1. Has your life been changed by Jesus? If so, how? If not, why?
  2. Of the people Jesus interacted with in Luke 7, which one are you most like? What do you share in common? What do you think this person would have told their friends, family, coworkers, community about Jesus following the events of Luke 7? What do you have to tell about Jesus?
  3. What does God reveal about Himself and about His Son in our Bible reading today?
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Numbers 19-20, Psalm 51-52

Moses and the Israelites’ wilderness wanderings continue on in Numbers 19-20. In previous chapters as we’ve seen, God faithfully shows up for Moses, choosing him and the Levites as the priesthood to be the leaders and go-betweens between God and the Israelite people. In Numbers 20, Moses has to deal with the Israelites’ rebellious spirit again. They came fighting against Moses saying, “If only we had perished when our brothers perished before the Lord. Why have you brought the Lord’s assembly into this wilderness for us and our livestock to die here? Why have you led us up from Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It’s not a place of grain, figs, vines, and pomegranates, and there is no water to drink!” (Numb. 20:3-5).

Even though God continued to provide for the Israelites time and time again, the Israelites had yet to learn to trust in him. They questioned God’s purpose for them and even stated that they wished they had died with the Israelites who had been killed in the plague after Korah’s rebellion. One rebellion had just been resolved with the blossoming of Aaron’s branch, but the people were again questioning Moses’ leadership because of their circumstances in the wilderness. 

Moses responds as he normally does – by falling face down before God to beg God for help. God responds to Moses and Aaron and gives them specific instructions to follow: take your staff and speak to a rock. Then, water will flow out. However, Moses, heated in the moment, rashly gathers the assembly and says to them, “Listen, you rebels! Must we bring water out of this rock for you?” Then, he struck the rock twice and water gushed out (Numb. 20:9-11). In this pivotal moment of Moses’ leadership, he does not respond with level-headed humility. Instead, he responds rebelliously towards God because of his frustration with the people. By forcefully striking the rock and saying that it was him – Moses – who brought the water out, he took the glory away from God and placed it on himself. Moses decided that he was going to be the one to save the Israelites, and he forcefully showed them what he could do. 

I totally can identify and sympathize with Moses in this moment. He loved God. He loved the people. And, he truly wanted what was best for the people. But, he got frustrated. He was tired and probably thirsty. He was overwhelmed. Because of this, he made a mistake with dire consequences; he would not lead the people into the promised land. He got caught up in the feelings of the moment, the seeming impossibility of shepherding the Israelite people into a trusting, righteous way of living and into the promised land. When he looked at his situation, he may have felt trapped, may have felt hopeless, or may have just felt mad. The one thing he forgot to do was to view those feelings in light of the character of God. He forgot to trust in who God was – to remember that despite what the Israelites were saying, God was always in Moses’ corner. 

We all have times where the circumstances we are in cause us to be blinded by the feelings we have. We may feel stuck, tired, hopeless, mad. Maybe we feel like we just want to hit something. Or we just want to give up. But remember – God is in our corner. When we face those difficult times, we can trust that he will always come through. 

~ Cayce Fletcher

Read or listen to today’s Bible reading at Biblegateway.com: Job 1-2 and 2 Corinthians 2 .

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Numbers 17-18, Psalm 49-50

Yesterday, we witnessed the rebellion of the Israelites against Moses. At this point, the Israelites had refused to enter into the promised land after focusing on the battles they would face rather than the rewards they would reap with God’s help. After that, the Israelites continued to not trust God when they spoke out against Moses. They didn’t realize that in doing so, they were – in effect – not trusting God. The rebellion that Korah instigated ended for the most part when he died. In Numbers 16, we see God choose Aaron and the tribe of the Levites as his priesthood. The twelve tribes all brought their staff to the temple to represent them. Aaron’s staff – which represented the Levites – sprouted, formed buds, blossomed, and produced almonds (Numb. 16:8). Interestingly, this isn’t the first time that almond branches and almond blossoms make their appearance in relation to the temple and the priesthood. In Ex. 25:31-40, the lampstand that was to be kept continually burning on the altar was supposed to be shaped like almond blossoms. This was the light that the priesthood was in charge of day and night. In the miracle of Aaron’s rod, God showed clearly which group of people he wanted as his priesthood, and he chose the Levites. 

Numbers 18 continues on with laws and requirements for the priesthood along with ways that the priesthood could be provided for by the Israelites people. Nestled in these verses is such an important truth for us today. Numbers 18:5-7 says, “You are to guard the sanctuary and the altar so that wrath may not fall on the Israelites again. Look, I have selected your fellow Levites from the Israelites as a gift for you, assigned by the Lord to work at the tent of meeting. But you and your sons will carry out your priestly responsibilities for everything concerning the altar and for what is inside the veil, and you will do that work. I am giving you the work of the priesthood as a gift.” 

Moses was clear in the last chapter that the laws and responsibilities given to him by God were not things that he was doing out of his own will. In this chapter, God is clear about his intentions to give as a gift the work of the priesthood. Yes, the ministry that they had would be challenging. They would face opposition from the people, and they would have to work hard in the temple. Some of their responsibilities included doing animal sacrifices, staying up all night to tend the lamps, dealing with skin diseases, and more. But, this work was a gift. A special provision and reward to be the light to the Israelites as they entered the promised land. 

In Christian circles, we talk often of the gift of Salvation. That is the first wonderful gift that we receive in our Christian walk, and we should always be grateful for that amazing grace. But, that is only the first of the many gifts that we receive as a believer in Christ. We are also given the gift of the priesthood, the gift of being a light to others. We will face the same opposition from others at times. And we will have to also take part in the grueling work of ministry. But, that is the work – the priestly responsibilities – that we have been assigned to do. 

As we head into another week, ask yourself: What is the ministry that you have been called to? Are you treating this ministry as a gift? 

Praise God that we can be partners in his work!

~ Cayce Fletcher

Read or listen to today’s Bible reading at Biblegateway.com: Job 1-2 and 2 Corinthians 2 .

download the seekgrowlove 2021 Bible reading plan

Stuck

Genesis 19-21

Genesis 19 16

Have you ever gotten your car stuck before? Growing up, my brothers and I often went over to our grandparents’ farm. In high school, I started helping out with keeping up around the place. I would load up in the old beat up farm truck and head to the places that need to be looked after, which sometimes took me down into the swampy parts of the property. Some days, I could maneuver just fine through the trees and brush, but on others, I would begin to sink. If the truck got into a place where the tires couldn’t get traction, then they would start to spin, sinking the truck even deeper into the muck.

 

Lot has got himself stuck in a similar situation. In Genesis 13, Lot chose the edenic land close to the evil cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, while Abram moved further away from him. Abraham, through his prayers and his concern for his nephew Lot, convinced God to relent in destroying the city in chapter 18. But, even so, we see the depth of the evil of the city in chapter 19, where the angels could not even find 10 righteous people. Because of this, the destruction God had planned was set to occur. God was going to destroy the city with burning sulfur (Gen. 19:23-26), an epic and troubling display of God’s wrath.

 

In the midst of these verses, filled with despicable actions and God’s judgment of them, we also see the tender portrayal of God’s forgiveness and compassion. While getting ready to destroy the city, the angels, who God had sent, grabbed Lot’s hand and pulled him out of the city. This was done “because of the Lord’s compassion for him” (Gen. 19:16). Lot was stuck in his ways, stuck in the lifestyle of sin created by the place he was living in. He was stuck in the filth and mud. God however loved Lot too much to leave him in this place. He grabbed Lot and brought him out of his former life.

 

So often, we are like Lot. We thought we chose the best path for ourselves when we survey the options in front of us. Sometimes though, what looks best to us may lead us too close to the lifestyle of sin. We get into that swampy place and spin our tires – stuck even if we wanted to get out. It’s in these moments that God reaches in and pulls us out. It may be painful, but it is so so worth it to leave behind those sinful places and follow God out of what is destined to be destroyed.

 

Do you feel like you are stuck in sin? Pray for God’s salvation today.

 

-Cayce Fletcher
Read or listen to today’s Bible reading here – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+19-21&version=NIV
Tomorrow’s reading will be Genesis 22-24 as we continue the 2020 Chronological Bible Reading Plan

To Trust God

Genesis 16-18

Genesis 17 1 NIV

In chapter 12, we met Abram and the covenant story of the Bible began. God expands on that covenant in chapter 15 when he promises that Abram, who was childless, would have a son who would be the father of nations. Genesis 15:6 says, “Abram believed the LORD, and He credited it to him as righteousness.”

 

Many of us wonder how we can be righteous, and some of us may feel like, to be righteous, we need to live a perfect, sinless life. However, we can learn from the life and attitude of Abram that righteous living is not only about right actions. Righteous living also centers around our belief. What does it mean to believe in God? Many assume that this belief is just to acknowledge that God exists. However, James says that even the demons know that God exists and shudder (James 2:19). Belief that produces righteousness is not simply that. Instead, belief is trusting in God and letting that trust influence our actions. Through belief, we do end up living a righteous life, but that is because we know that God’s plan for our life is trustworthy- it is the best way to live.

 

To trust God is not a one time choice that we make. It takes a lifetime to learn how to truly trust God, and many times it seems like we are taking one step forward and two steps back on our trust journey. Abram certainly experienced this. In chapter 15, he believed in God’s promises and trusted him. But, in chapter 16, he tries to build a family in a way that was not God’s plan through his servant, Hagar. Then, in chapter 17, he shows his commitment to the covenant through circumcision. Our lives will often mirror this. When we feel like God is delaying in his promises, we may stop trusting him and try to fulfill those promises ourselves, falling prey to the lie the serpent spoke in Genesis 3 when he said, “Did God really say…?” We have to remember that God’s timing is the perfect timing and be assured of his faithfulness.

 

Where do you need to trust God today? What steps do you need to take in faith to show that trust?

~ Cayce Fletcher
To read or listen to today’s Bible passage check out https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis+16-18&version=NIV
Tomorrow’s reading will be Genesis 19-21 as we continue on the 2020 Chronological Bible Reading Plan