In Job chapters 3 and 4 we find Job lamenting his birth and one of his three companions seeks to give consul and help. Have you ever had such a traumatic moment in your life that you felt as if a dark cloud were hanging over your head and all you feel is pain? This is what Job is feeling in chapter three. He wonders if he was born only to have calamity fall upon me, then why be born at all. Is death truly an escape? What is the focus of Job’s feelings and emotions at this point? He is looking inward only and he can not look beyond the pain at this point. “For what I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me. I am not at ease, nor am I quiet, and I am not at rest, but turmoil comes.” Job 3:25,26 How would you endure if you were placed in Job’s position? Would you feel that complete brokenness of your heart? Continue Reading…
One man’s despair is another man’s judgement: Job 3 and 4
Faith developed in communion: 2 Chronicles 11 and 12
It is exciting to read through 2 Chronicles after reading through 1 and 2 Kings because details are drawn out that I didn’t notice. There was preparations for a civil war among the kingdom of Judah and Israel after they split. It amazes me that they so easily lost their focus on God and sought to keep what they deemed their own after the death of Solomon. The idea of civil war in Israel is nothing new because you have the fighting that occurred between the descendants of Saul and David in 2 Samuel and you have the sons of Israel rising up against the tribe of Benjamin in Judges 19 and 20. Why does God prevent the battle among Judah and Israel from occurring? We know that both kingdoms of Judah and Israel are taken away in exile from their homes by reading 2 Kings 25. Are some lessons learned more readily why when we are taken away from everything we know? It will never cease to amaze me how God chooses to sometimes use war while other times he uses exile to remind people they need Him. Continue Reading…
Genealogy in untimely way gives a perfect picture: 1 Chronicles 11 and 12
Why does the book of 1 Chronicles not follow a strict chronological order? The book will follow a chronological order for a few chapters and then details from the future are given and then the story is relayed in chronological order again. The death of Saul was told in 1 Chronicles chapter 10 but in chapter 11 and 12 we go backwards in the timeline to before Saul’s death story to see the men of arms at David’s side. And by the end of chapter 12 we are again at a point after Saul’s death with celebration of David’s kingship. What is the point to all of this jumping around in time? Does the book of 1 Chronicles focus more on the key people and the critical events that occurred in their lives? Continue Reading…
Tears shed in troubled times: 2 Kings 19 and 20
In the moments when your world is crashing down upon you and the outlook for life is bleak how do your reactions and actions portray you? What moments have you faced in life that made your whole world come to a halt? Where did you turn? How did you act? The way we act in the midst of trouble, trial, and tribulation will show who we truly are and what we believe. Do your actions point towards an almighty God who is the wellspring of hope or do your actions lash out against fate and destiny in remorse over your lot in life?
At the end of 2 Kings 18 the Assyrians besiege Judah and Hezekiah the king of Judah found himself in the midst of a moment where he was unsure of the future and hope was dwindling. In the midst of this troubled time Hezekiah seeks out God and He proves himself faithful to Judah by turning away the army of Assyria. Continue Reading…
Abiding in lust becomes a snare and trap: 1 Kings 11 and 12
After reading through 1 Kings 11 and 12 I find that my heart is burdened with sadness. Anytime I read about how people fall away from God after seeing His faithfulness in great and mighty ways I am filled with remorse and grief. These stories of peoples wavering faith reminded me that humanity is destined to a life of unfaithfulness in sin apart from God’s intervention. Our inherent sinfulness as the seed of Adam is consistently luring us away from devotion to and desire for God. I am thankful for the moments like this where I find myself reflecting on am my own inability to make it through life because it exemplifies the truth that I need Jesus Christ. Continue Reading…
Contrasting characters of Joab and David in 2 Samuel 19 and 20
How is true restoration after conflict and disagreement achieved? When the bonds of friendship, family, and love have been strained or torn asunder how do you move on towards reconciliation? In 2 Samuel 19 and 20 this question of restoring trust and fellowship is faced by the people of Israel. Joab and David exhibit strong leadership during the conflict between Absalom but one follows his own way to achieve what he deems best while the other shows a consistent dependance upon God in all ways. Continue Reading…
God’s sovereignty in tribulation instills clarity: 2 Samuel 15 and 16
Who is David? As I have read through 2 Samuel I have been getting a better picture of this great leader of Israel. My initial view of David prior to this time of quiet reflection about his character was built upon what I heard in sunday school, church services, and bible studies. I remember hearing that David was a man after God’s own heart but I never wondered about him in a deeper way beyond the touted characteristics repeatedly presented to me. The picture that we are presented in 2 Samuel shapes David into a man plagued with personal problems, family problems, and problems ruling over Israel but the consistent trait that David displays through out his life is total dependance upon God. Continue Reading…
Choices show the quality of relationship with God: 1 Samuel Summary
The book 1 Samuel in its most simplistic form is the fulfillment of the words spoken by Moses and Joseph to the Israelites encouraging everyone to cling to God and to love Him with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength. The continued lack of regard for God that was evident in the book of Judges is continuing in the book of 1 Samuel with people choosing to whatever they want to the point of rejecting God as king over Israel. The blessing that was bestowed upon Israel has been removed and they are under the curse that God promised would follow if they did not follow all of His statutes. The Philistine occupation of Israel is a direct result of the Israelites inability and lack of desire to drive out the nations from within the promised land. It is critical to remember that 1 Samuel directly ties into the story that is present through out scripture of God working to redeem humanity. Continue Reading…
Abigail’s insightfulness secures her legacy: 1 Samuel 25 and 26
What extent would you seek to correct a wrong deed that you committed? Would you be willing to work to the same extent if the deed was committed by someone else such as a close friend, child, or spouse? How would you react if you are wronged and you did nothing but good to help the offender? Could you forgive and forget? Could you forgive if someone else made amends? 1 Samuel chapter tells the story of David, Nabal, and Abigail where help is rendered, offense is given, peace is restored, and God displays His faithfulness. Continue Reading…
Waiting for deliverance from God refines character: 1 Samuel 23 and 24
How often do you want to take revenge into your own hands because of the wrongs that you have faced? Do you ever feel that when you seek to do what is true and good you only find yourself in moretrials, tribulation, and problems? Does life teeter on a scale of equality and fairness that always need to be balanced out if situations do not seem fair? In 1 Samuel 23 and 24 David seeks to honor God in his choices and actions as he faces problems by seeking out what God would want him to do even if it was contrary to the natural inclination of men. Continue Reading…
