Category: Daily Thought

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Finish the Race

Daily Reading

2Kings 20-22

Daily Thought

That Hezekiah enjoyed prosperity was obvious. An envoy of visitors bearing gifts sent by the king of Babylon became an excuse to show off. “Hezekiah welcomed them, and he showed them all his treasure house, the silver, the gold, the spices, the precious oil, his armory, all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his house or in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them” (2Kings 20:13). Babylon would visit again someday, to make this treasure their own, but this was of little concern to Hezekiah as long as there was “peace and security in my days” (2Kings 20:19).

Hezekiah had begun beautifully. “The Lord was with him; wherever he went out, he prospered” (2Kings 18:7), but success became too much a good thing. You would hope that one who trusted God with his life would trust God with his death, but that was not the case for Hezekiah. When Isaiah the prophet came to him and said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die'” (2Kings 20:1), Hezekiah pleaded with God and wept bitterly, and fifteen years were added to his life.

We pray for results and God answers with opportunities. Hezekiah was given longer life, so he did not bother ordering his house. He would finish badly. He had another son and named him Manasseh, “and Manasseh led them astray to do more evil than the nations had done whom the Lord destroyed before the people of Israel” (2Kings 21:9).

Better to say, as the apostle Paul said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing” (2Timothy 4:7-8).

Daily Prayer

My Lord, my God, Your commandments will be upon my heart, because they are good for life, my life, and my children’s and their children’s. I will impress them on my children, talk about them when I sit at home and when I walk along the road, when I lie down and when I get up. I will not only teach them, I will live them.

God, bless my household. May my family, my spouse and children, follow You all the days of our lives. As for me and my house, we will serve You.

Amen

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First Things First

Daily Reading

2Kings 18-19

Daily Thought

How many times has it been written of the king, “he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, except the high places were not taken down”? The high places were set on hills near cities where people could worship and bring offerings, often to foreign gods, sometimes to the true God. Kings Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joash, Amaziah, Azariah, and Jotham each did right, but left the high places. Hezekiah removed the high places. God desired the gathering of his people in one place for worship, his Temple. 

The Temple was due for some repairs and in the first year of Hezekiah’s reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them. He said to them, “Hear me, Levites! Now consecrate yourselves, and consecrate the house of the Lord.” They began to consecrate on the first day of the first month (2Chronicles 29:3, 5, 17). 

Genesis 4:4, “Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering.” Exodus 23:19, “The best of the firstfruits of your ground you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God.” Matthew 6:33, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Romans 1:8, “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. 2Corinthians 8:5, “They gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. Revelation 2:4-5, “You have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first.

First Things First.

Hezekiah got it right. 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. And the Lord was with him; wherever he went out, he prospered (2Kings 18:5-7).

Daily Prayer

My Lord and My God, I worship You and love You with all that I am. Which makes sense, since all that I am was created by You. You had an idea for me before I was born, and You formed me and watched me grow. I live best, Father, when I remember from Whom I came and to Whom I am going. 

You are the First and, also, the Last. The Beginning and the End, Alpha and Omega, A and Z. You are before all things, and in You all things hold together. There is no life without You. Why would I even think of living my life without You. You are my God. May I wake each morning and think first of You, beginning each day with anticipation. You are God, One and only, first in all things, first in my heart. 

Amen

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I Choo Choo Choose You

Daily Reading

2Kings 15-17

Daily Thought

They were the vows of a wedding, a wedding between God and his people. The Lord spoke to Moses, “I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob” (Exodus 6:7-8). This was the covenant God made with Israel.

She had selected his wedding band. That part was easy. Now to choose an engraving. The jeweler suggested, “I choo choo choose you.” Not a chance. “Today, I married my best friend.” A little sappy. “August 16, 2020.” It would help him remember your anniversary…  No. ”Two hearts, one soul?” I don’t think so. “Eternally Yours.” Boring. “Today, Tomorrow, Forever,” “My Dream Came True,” “This Day And Always” – No, No, No! On the wedding night, he pulled off his ring and looked inside to discover the engraving she had selected: “Put it back on.”

Zechariah the son of Jeroboam reigned over Israel in Samaria six months. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord (2Kings 15:8-9). “Put it back on.” Menahem the son of Gadi began to reign over Israel, and he reigned ten years in Samaria. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord (vv 17-18). “Put it back on.” Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned two years. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord (vv 23-24). “Put it back on.” Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned twenty years. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord (vv 27-28). “Put it back on.” Hoshea the son of Elah began to reign in Samaria over Israel, and he reigned nine years. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord (2Kings 17:1-2). Israel kept taking it off.

“You shall not forget the covenant that I have made with you,” God commanded (2Kings 17:38). But they did, again and again, and one last time. Then, in 722BC, “in the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria, and he carried the Israelites away” (2Kings 17:6). Sometimes God lets us go so we will realize how much we need him.

Daily Prayer

Loving God, You sought me out and rescued me from the darkness I was in. You paid the price of my redemption. You spilled blood for my salvation. You gave Your life for me. I love You back. I promise.

I will not seek other ways, other ideas, other gods. You did not need to seek me, You desired to. I, on the other hand, need to seek You. I pray, my God, that You will be and will always be my one desire, my full desire.

Amen

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Move Mountains

Daily Reading

2Kings 12-14

Daily Thought

Elisha was old and sick and would soon die, and Joash king of Israel rushed to his side. King’s don’t run to anyone, but this was the prophet of God. “My father, my father!” cried Joash, “The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” (2Kings 13:14). It seemed a strange utterance, but it had been said before by Elisha when his mentor Elijah was caught up by whirlwind into heaven (2Kings 2:11-12). Joash borrowed Elisha’s words to sum up Elisha’s life as the worthy heir of God’s great prophet; but there was more. Kings count their strength in chariots and horsemen, but this king was proclaiming the strength of Israel is the God of Elijah and Elisha.

Elisha instructed Joash to take a bow and arrow, and then he laid his hands on the hands of Joash and together they drew the bow eastward toward Syria, God guiding the king. “Shoot,” and he shot. And Elisha said, “The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Syria! For you shall fight the Syrians in Aphek until you have made an end of them” (2Kings 13:17). The prophet would die, but God would still guide Israel.

“Take the arrows,” said Elisha, and Joash took them. “Strike the ground with them.” It was an invitation to raise the bar, to reach the heavens, to embrace the power of God Almighty, “the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” (2Kings 13:14), but instead Joash tapped three times and stopped, too soon, too timid. Elisha was angry at his small action, “You should have struck more!” God is looking to see how far we will go, how much fight we have. Joash could have and should have pummeled the ground and moved mountains.

“Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.” ~Mark 11:23

Daily Prayer

My God, You have created such an incredible world. It displays Your handiwork, Your wisdom, Your majesty. You placed me in this world to rule it, subdue it, master it, and care for it. You are the giver of all good things. May my heart never stray, my thoughts never delight in other things, my eyes never wander. I will cast aside all things that could distract me from my devotion to You.

What amazes me, God, is that when I seek You first and only, all that I truly desire is mine. I lose nothing and gain eternity. But if I take my eyes off You and chase the world, I gain nothing and lose my soul. Pursuing Your delights leads to an abundant life, overflowing with goodness. I am more than a conqueror when I trust fully in my Creator, the God of the heavens and the earth. May I trust in You fully and find satisfaction in following You. Jesus, may my love for You never falter. I know Your love for me never has.

Amen

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God Means What He Says

Daily Reading

2Kings 9-11

Daily Thought

God spoke through his prophet Elijah against evil King Ahab, “Because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the Lord, behold, I will bring disaster upon you. I will utterly burn you up, and will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel” (1Kings 21:20-21). Time passes, Ahab passes, and Israel has a new king, Jehu. “Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria” (2Kings 10:1 ). Jehu did what kings do and eliminated the competition. “They took the king’s sons and slaughtered them, seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel” (2Kings 10:7). 

God means what he says and his judgment teaches one thing, at least–we should take God seriously because he takes us seriously, for evil or good. There were good kings, as well, and God had spoken through his prophet Nathan to the righteous King David, “Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever” (2Samuel 7:16). While Jehu ruled in Israel, Athaliah reigned in Judah, and she attempted to destroy the house of David, but one newborn, Joash (also called Jehoash) was hidden away for six years in a bedroom in the house of the Lord. Athaliah would not find him there because she did not go there–she worshipped in the house of Baal. Her reign was evil and ended terribly and “Jehoash was seven years old when he began to reign” (2Kings 11:21). The throne of David continued. We live history, but we do not create it for it is written by God.

Daily Prayer

My God, You are King of kings and Lord of lords. My kings sit on earthly thrones, while You sit on the throne of heaven. I pledge my allegiance to You and Your kingdom forever. Your will be done as it has always been.

I serve at Your pleasure and for Your pleasure, God. May the desires of my heart be shaped by You, so that I will seek after what is righteous and good, pure and holy. May I delight in following You and may You be praised by my works and my words. May all that I do declare that You are my King. 

Amen

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A Beginning

Daily Reading

2Kings 6-8

Daily Thought

Blaise Pascal, 17th-Century French philosopher, proposed that at the very least belief in God is a good bet. God cannot be proved or disproved rationally, he argued. If God is, there is great gain in believing in him and great loss in not. If God is not, then neither matters. It is most reasonable, therefore, to believe, since it is the only course that provides an advantage. This is not a strong faith, but it is a beginning.

Ben-hadad, the king of Syria, led his entire army and laid siege to Samaria, and a great famine ensued. Four lepers, starving outside the gates of the city of Samaria, reasoned, “If we say, ‘Let us enter the city,’ the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. So now come, let us go over to the camp of the Syrians. If they spare our lives we shall live, and if they kill us we shall but die” (2Kings 7:4). Like Pascal’s good bet, there was only one choice with an advantage, so they went to the Syrian camp and discovered a mighty work of God. The Lord had made the army of the Syrians hear the sound of chariots and of horses, the sound of a great army (v 6), so the Syrians fled and left behind food and drink, silver and gold, clothing, horses, and tents. The siege of Israel was ended. God had saved them.

It was not a strong faith, but it was a beginning, and the beginning of faith changed the hearts of the lepers. For a time they feast on God’s goodness, but then realized, “We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news” (2Kings 7:9). It must be shared. They called to the gatekeepers, and the gatekeepers called to the king and his household, and the king cried out to the city, and the city feasted.

You don’t light a fire. You light a match and that starts the fire. “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches” (Matthew 13:31-32).

Daily Prayer

My God, Your grace calls me to You. It is good and it satisfying. May I taste of Your goodness and share it with others. You have given me life, a life so abundant that I dare not keep silent.

Lord God, in You I find life. I know why I am here and what I am to do. Your love is great, and though I first came hesitantly, I now follow fully. You are everything to me, and I give You my heart, my soul, my mind, and my strength. May my life overflow and may Your glory be evident in all that I do.

Amen

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The Deadlier Disease

Daily Reading

2Kings 4-5

Daily Thought

Naaman, commander of the army of Aram, showed up at the door of Elisha with power. Horses and chariots, silver and gold. He also showed up with leprosy. Naaman thought himself a great man and should be treated as such. God, however, is not impressed with power and Elisha, the prophet of God, instead treated the leper, not the great man, “Go, wash yourself in the river.” Naaman went away angry. Naaman was a hero and expected a hero’s cure, something flashy in keeping with his stature. “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper” (2Kings 5:11). Naaman thought his problem was leprosy. Elisha treated a deadlier disease called pride.

A Roman centurion, a great man and mighty warrior, showed up at the door of Jesus with his servant who was paralyzed and suffering. “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed” (Matthew 8:8). God is not impressed with power, but delights in humility and faith. Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment (Matthew 8:13).

I come to God to fix my problems, my illnesses, my finances, my enemies. Instead, God treats the deadlier disease, my pride, my greed, my lust. That’s the miracle. 

Daily Prayer

Heavenly Father, why do I try to impress You with what I can do? As if I can bring anything to You that You need. You created all things, You own the cattle on a thousand hills. It’s not because You have any need that You delight in my company. You simply delight in my company. I don’t understand that, but I’m thrilled.

God, thank you for healing my heart. I bring nothing to You except my faith, my devotion, my obedience, and my love.

Amen

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Under God

Daily Reading

2Kings 1-3

Daily Thought

Elijah, the classic prophet of God, was nearing the end of his mission. “Do you know,” Elijah said to Elisha, “that today the Lord will take away your master from over you?” (2Kings 2:3). Elisha would be his successor.

Three times Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay put,” to test him, and three times Elisha did not stay put, but followed. Elisha had set his mind, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you” (2Kings 2:2, 4, 6). At the very end, fifty sons of the prophets watched Elijah part the Jordan River, then walk across on dry land with Elisha. Some time later, the fifty watched Elisha, like Elijah, part the Jordan River and return alone. The mantle of the prophet had passed to the next generation. 

Two miracles followed. The first was simple and basic. The water of Jericho was bad, literally “evil.” Spend time in a third-world country and you know what evil water can do to you. It could not be drunk and it would not nourish crops. Symbolically, Elisha threw salt in the water, but what healed the evil was “the word that Elisha spoke” (2Kings 2:22). Elisha wore the mantle of Elijah.

The second miracle was of an odd sort. Elisha came out of Bethel, and “some small boys jeered at him, saying, ‘Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!'” (2Kings 2:23). Small boys may be better translated young men, and there was at least 42 of the them. “Go up, you baldhead!” would be an insult today, and it was meant to be then. “Go up” means “Keep on going,” and so this gang of youth was telling Elisha he was not welcome in Bethel. “Get out of town, Baldy!” They wanted nothing to do with a prophet. They wanted nothing to do with the word of the Lord.

“Can the liberties of a nation be sure when we remove their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are a gift from God?” ~Thomas Jefferson, 1782

“God governs in the affairs of man. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?” ~Benjamin Franklin, Constitutional Convention of 1787

“Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly implore His protection and favor.” ~George Washington, October 3, 1789

“In God We Trust” ~still the National Motto of the United States of America. But must be more than a motto.

Elisha cursed them and two female bears tore into the boys. His name is Elisha, heir of the prophet Elijah, and he speaks the word of God. Listen to him.

Daily Prayer

My Lord and Creator, I believe fully in You, loving You with all of my being. I will stand for You and confess You before men. You are King of kings and Lord of lords. I pray, God, that I will be a bright light, that my faith will not be hidden, but will shine in the darkness. That by all my actions people will know that You are God.

May I live the way all should live, under God, knowing and proclaiming that you are the source of all of life and all that is good. God, I pray that the land in which I live will acknowledge You and trust in You. I pray that we will be a good people under a great God.

Amen

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Ties and Lies

Daily Reading

1Kings 21-22

Daily Thought

Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, and Ahab, king of Israel, went to war together against the Syrians. Before the battle, however, Jehoshaphat insisted on hearing from God. Ahab called his 400 prophets who always told him what he wanted to hear, and they did as they always do, “Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king” (1Kings 22:6).

I coached my son’s T-ball team. The parents in charge decided not to keep score in this league. Every game would end in a tie. It will make the kids happy, they said. We played a game and we tied (they said). On the way home in the car, my son frowned, “We lost 8-3.” He knew the score. Every kid knew the score. Of every game. (So did the parents.) “So, why did they tell us we tied?” You know what made him sad? The lie, not the score.

Jehoshaphat knew the score. He knew the king’s prophets wanted the king happy. “Is there not here another prophet of the Lord of whom we may inquire?” “Micaiah,” Ahab admitted, “but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but evil.” (1Kings 22:7-8). He was correct, “The Lord has declared disaster for you,” declared Micaiah (1Kings 22:23). When you hear the truth and it is not to your liking, you have two choices: change the truth or change your plans. Ahab preferred to change the truth, but he knew the score, so he decided, “I will disguise myself and go into battle” (1Kings 22:30). Ahab believed the word of the Lord enough to disguise himself, but not enough to change his plans. At evening he died (1Kings 22:35).

Daily Prayer

My Lord and Savior, the Truth is I am a sinner and I need a Savior. I need You. You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The world does not like the truth, preferring darkness over light, preferring to hear what they want to hear. We would rather hear that I’m okay and you’re okay. That everything will work out in the end. But it won’t. Telling the Truth is dangerous. You told it anyway, and You were crucified.

But death cannot stop the Truth. You rose again, and offered salvation to all who follow You. The Truth sets me free from the power of sin and death. May I love Your Truth, stand for the Truth, desire Truth and share Truth.  I know the score. I am a sinner and I deserve death. I need a Savior. That is the Truth.

Amen

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Limping Along

Daily Reading

1Kings 18-20

Daily Thought

The prophet Elijah chides the people of Israel, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him” (1Kings 18:21). The people had no answer. Many secretly believed in the Lord, but there was public advantage in Baal worship. Sin always comes with benefits. Most, however, simply saw no difference. Why could not the Lord be God, and Baal, also. Two paths up the same mountain. 

Why must I choose? Because God is true, Baal is a lie, and King Ahab would have Israel follow a lie. Because the truth brings life, and a lie leads to destruction and death. The Lord warned Israel through Elijah, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word” (1Kings 17:1). The true God holds the rain, so he chides Israel, if you would follow Baal, ask him for water. Now, three dry years later, Elijah calls the question, “How long will you go limping?” This wishy-washy way of compromise and indecision must end.

One foggy night at sea the captain of a ship saw what looked like the lights of another ship heading toward him. He signaled the ship, “Change your course ten degrees to the south.” The reply, “No. You change your course ten degrees north.” “I am a captain in this navy,” he insisted, “so you change course ten degrees south.” Answered the light, “I am a seaman first class. Change your course north.” Infuriated, the captain blustered, “I am a battleship. Change your course immediately!” The final response came, “I am a lighthouse. Your call, captain.” It is important to know what you are up against.

It was time to decide, so Elijah clarified the choices. 450 prophets placed a bull on the altar and cried to Baal for fire. From morning until noon they pleaded, but they knew inside they were calling to nobody. For three minutes or three hours or three days they could beg, but nothing comes from nothing and there is no god in Baal. Elijah prepared his bull, adding dramatic touches, such as drenching the altar with water, for effect. He spoke to God, but only once, because his God was there. Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench (1Kings 18:38).

Your call, Israel.

Daily Prayer

My God, I am glad to boast in You. Truth that You declare, I speak with confidence. When You say something will happen, I know it is as true as if it had already occurred. What you say will happen, happens. I trust in You and You alone.

Let the truth I know become the praise I declare. I stand by this, that I know the God of Creation, who exercises justice and kindness and righteousness on this earth. That I know Jesus Christ, my Savior and Lord. That I know the Truth and the Truth has set me free to live a life of wonder and worship.

Amen