June 28 Early Beginnings of Captivity

We begin to read today that parts of Israel are already being taken captive by Assyria. In today's short reading, this verse stood out:

These were the heads of their families: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah and Jahdiel. They were brave warriors, famous men, and heads of their families. But they were unfaithful to the God of their fathers and prostituted themselves to the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria (that is, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria), who took the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile. (1 Chronicles 5:24-26)

The first two sentences seem to elevate these men, but only to set up the contrast for their failure described in the next two. It looks to me like a drawn contrast between success defined by people and success defined by God. By their social standards, these men looked successful: they were leaders, respected warriors and they had fame. But, there is a 'but' - they were unfaithful to God! They bowed to false gods; they worshiped something else than God. The result was their fall in captivity. I don't think success itself was their problem. God had raised kings before to great success. But the question is: when success was given to those men, who did they glorify: themselves or God? Or better yet: successful or not, were they faithful to God? Again, as Steve wrote yesterday: “God desires the heart, not the outward signs.” Where was their heart?

So despite our outward success, or even seemingly a lack of one, are we faithful to God? Do we feel like we can talk to God as best friends, faithful and unashamed. And if not, what needs to change? What is it that we need forgiveness for and a new start for? God is our best friend and as such He forgives us. He wants for us a successful relationship with Him and only He can enable us for it.

Questions:

1. Do you seem to be doing great in one area, but you are unfaithful to God in another? How is this affecting your relationship with Him?

2. What things might be hard for you to talk about openly with God?

June 27: Micah's Third Discourse

Today's passage continues Micah's prophesies. Among discussion of Judah's waywardness, Micah offers two snippets of direction and hope for the people:


1. God desires the heart, not the outward signs.
"With what shall I come before the LORD
and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God." (6:6-8)
　
Pastor Scott has often asked us to consider our "mission statement" in life, arguing that knowing our purpose will encourage us to live intentionally and in a way that pleases the Lord. Another way of thinking about mission statements is to think forward to what we might wish people to inscribe on our tombstones (epitaphs). Or, more directly, how would people remember your life to date?

Micah's words offer a concise, three-part charge for life: "to act justly"; "to love mercy"; and "to walk humbly." None of these actions comes naturally to us; without God's intervention, we will not seek any of these three. All three actions slap our natural pride in the face. Yet, as we have discussed during our Sunday morning teachings, the ways of the Kingdom stand in stark contrast to the ways of the world.
　

2. His mercy will surely come to those whose hearts have turned toward Him.

"Who is a God like you,
who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever
but delight to show mercy.
You will again have compassion on us;
you will tread our sins underfoot
and hurl our iniquities into the depths of the sea.
You will be true to Jacob,
and show mercy to Abraham,
as you pledged on oath to our fathers
in days long ago." (7:18-20)
　
If only Judah would rend their hearts to the Lord! Indeed, a remnant will, and God's lovingkindness will shine through for them. For those who have trusted in the sacrifical work of Christ, we do experience God's "compassion"; He has "hurl[ed] our iniquities into the depths of the seas." We could never earn these victories on our own, but we trust in God's promises.
　
　
QUESTIONS

1. How well does your life reflect the three-part charge in Micah 6:8?

2. To which of God's promises do you cling today?

June 26

The Hope of the World

Micah 5:2-4 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.... and he will be their peace."

The bad news first: the nation is going to be destroyed and they are going to be in exile in Babylon. You can’t get any worse news than that!!! The good news: a deliverer is coming and he will bring peace to the world. He will bring a standard of righteousness that will allow him to judge all peoples of the world. There will come a time of universal peace when swords will be beaten into plowshares. The time is coming when men will be able to sit under their own fig tree (this fig tree will not be owned by the government) and all nations will worship the Lord. There is coming a time when terror will vanish, a time when we will not fear the craziness of Iran, the Taliban, or North Korean missiles anymore.

How is this going to happen? Is the UN finally going to get its act together? Is President Obama going to be able to talk world leaders into a peace proposal? The hope of the world lies in a promised, coming king. As the prophet looked down the corridor of history, he saw a hero arising from an obscure town of Bethlehem. God’s plan for world peace centers on ONE person. When the wise men came looking for the King of the Jews, the prophets turned to this verse to explain his birth location. Everyone knew the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, a small town of about 300 at the time of Christ’s birth. Do you know how many other messiahs have claimed to have been born in Bethlehem? ZERO, yet the world continues to overlook Jesus.

A few facts about these verses:
1. He will come “for” God…. He is sent on a mission by God the father.
2. He will rule over Israel…. He will have a throne.
3. He is eternal God… for his origins are from old, from ancient times. Literally “from the days of eternity.”
Jesus stepped out of eternity into human history.
4. He will shepherd his flock… he will care for us.
5. He is the answer to the world’s problems. He will be their peace.

“World Peace” is a frequent answer that beauty pageant contestants give during the Q & A time, but who would have ever considered that the hope of the planet rests on a small baby born in the tiny village of Bethlehem?

Tolkien used this same theme in the Lord of the Rings. The basic story line flows out of the idea that an evil, dark lord seeks to gain absolute power over the world at any cost. And despite his seemingly all-seeing “eye,” a true hero slips in under the radar, raised in the small, backwater region of the Shire. There, Frodo
Baggins would grow up, little knowing that he would become a hero of mythic proportions. For he would carry the instrument of the evil one’s destruction, a ring of power, right into the very heart of darkness in order to destroy it. And this one, who was least likely to accomplish such a feat, would win the victory for all in a virtuous and heroic fashion. Frodo although the hero is physically the frailest.

Jesus wasn’t born in the Shire… he was born in the backwater of Bethlehem yet he is the hope of the world. He would set his face toward Jerusalem, be falsely accused, tried, and found guilty. And when nailed to a Roman cross, He would then surrender his life as a perfect sacrifice. This sacrifice would become the instrument of destruction for Satan and the only hope for our salvation and world peace.

This will be my last blog until October. I will be praying that each of you is faithful to spend time with the Lord. You can go to http://gracebiblereaders.blogspot.com/ to view last year’s journal entries on any day. May God continue to speak to us this summer.

June 25

Micah 1:5 All this is because of Jacob's transgression, because of the sins of the house of Israel.
What is Jacob's transgression? Is it not Samaria? What is Judah's high place? Is it not Jerusalem?

There are three types of people in the world: Pagan people, Religious people, and Fully Devoted Followers of Jesus.

Micah nails the religious people of his day. It was obvious that the religion of the northern kingdom was idolatrous with its worship of the golden calves at Bethel. But what is surprising, was his condemnation of Judah’s religious people. The use of the two words “high place” is a label for idolatrous worship. What is shocking in Micah’s words is that the very city of Jerusalem had become a “high place.” It is so easy for us to move from the spiritual worship of Jesus to the forms of religion, going to temple, reading the Torah, saying rote prayers and acting religious.

The great danger of the human heart is that rather than focus on a growing personal relationship with the living God, we often fasten ourselves to the externals of worship. Our hearts then substitute the external for the internal, and when we do this, then we have created a “high place” in our own hearts. It is amazing to see what people attach to as “high places” in their hearts, and don’t even realize they have done it.

Terry Fullam tells the story of a small town church in upstate New York. They had a pastor who served for thirty five years and he was loved by the church and the community. After he retired, he was replaced by a young pastor. It was his first church and he had a great desire to do well. He had been at the church several weeks when he began to perceive that the people were upset at him. He was troubled and eventually called aside one of the lay leaders. He asked him about the disconnection and the man confirmed his suspicions.
The man said, “I hate to say it, but it’s the way you do the Communion service.”
“The way I do the Communion service? What do you mean?”
“Well, it’s not so much what you do as what you leave out.”
“I don’t leave out anything from the Communion service.”
“Oh yes, you do. Just before our previous pastor administered the cup to the people, he’s always do over and touch the radiator, and then, he would – “
“Touch the radiator? I never heard of that liturgical tradition.”
So the younger man called the former pastor. He said, “I haven’t been here a month, and I’m in trouble.”
“In trouble? Why?”
“Well, it’s something to do with touching the radiator. Could that be possible? Did you do that?”
“Oh yes, I did. Always before I administered the cup to the people, I touched the radiator to discharge the static electricity so I wouldn’t shock them.”
For over thirty five years, the untutored people of his congregation had thought that was a part of the holy tradition. Now the church has gained the nick name, “The Church of the Holy Radiator.”

That is a ludicrous example, but it is amazing how many times we mix up the external with the internal. And, when the traditions of men conflicts with the Word of God many times the traditions win the battle. Beware of making “Jerusalem” or any other religious tradition your God.

Today is accountability day. Send me a quick email and let me know where you are on the journey, we are almost at the half way point.

June 24

Mission and Finishing Strong

What a sad ending to the life of Uzziah. This guy was “Man of the Year” in his day. He had achieved rock star status in his life time. He was king, general, designer, gardener, inventor yet the epitaph for his life “he had leprosy.” A reminder of how difficult it is to finish the race well. And the reason he came down with leprosy was he forgot his mission and was filled with pride. In the year that King Uzziah died Isaiah received his mission. There is a three step process to his mission and ours.

1. To see the Lord. We must have a face to face encounter with God. Isaiah had a physical encounter with the Lord. For most of history this is extremely rare. But we can have a face to face with God’s Word every day. The purpose of this encounter is to see the character of God. To know what he is like so that we can trust him.

2. Transformation. Isaiah realizes that he is a man of unclean lips and he is transformed by having his guilt taken away. A changed life is the second step of our mission. But it is not the final step.

3. The final step is “GOING.” Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? And I said, “Here am I, send me!” Going and proclaiming the gospel is the third step of our mission. Who are you mentoring and discipling?

So the questions for us on June 24th...... have you seen the Lord today? Are you being changed? Who are you going to tell?

A Personal Note: I will be working on my own “finishing strong” strategy this summer. I have scheduled a sabbatical for the next 13 weeks. I ask for your prayers as I leave to work on these three steps in my own life. Saturday will be my last blog until October.

You can go to http://gracebiblereaders.blogspot.com/ to view last year’s journal entries on any day. Steve, Galya and Apryl will continue to share their insights weekly.

May God continue to speak to us, transform our lives and clarify our mission.

June 23

Isaiah 5:20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil,
who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.

Isaiah comes to grips with two of the most basic questions of life and human existence. First, is there real good and evil, light and darkness (objective moral standards), the kind that does not depend on anyone’s view or opinion? Second, if there are such standards, why? How can there be? What is their foundation? This might be the most pressing issue that confronts our post modern world.

We live in a culture where 75% of adults and 90% of teens do not believe in absolute good and evil. My question is this; can you live life this way?

As Christ followers, we believe there is good and evil. We believe that only God can determine what that is. In a world without God, evolutionary philosophy would be the only way to live. The survival of the fittest, the strongest, and the most ruthless.

It there are no absolutes, (no God) can life have any meaning? If there is no God, then we are all cosmic orphans. Without God, our lives only have relative meaning. But, we can never answer the questions, why? who am I? why am I here? Without God, the only future for us is death. If that is true, then our lives can only have relative impact, but we can never do anything of ultimate significance. From a scientific point of view,what is the difference if the big bang had occurred or had not? In the end,it makes no difference. Mankind is no more significant than a swarm of mosquitoes or a pack of rats, for our end is the same. The same blind cosmic process that coughed us up in the first place will eventually swallow us up again. Each person's life is therefore without ultimate significance. And because our lives are ultimately meaningless, the activities we fill our lives with are also meaningless. The long hours spent at the university, our families, our jobs, our interests, our friendships, trying to be loving, treating people with respect - all these are, in the final analysis, utterly meaningless. This is the horror of modern man: because he ends in nothing, he is nothing.

In a world without God, there can be no absolute standard of right and wrong. All we are confronted with is, in Jean-Paul Sartre’s words, “The bare, valueless fact of existence.” In a world without God,who is to weigh values are good and which are evil? Who is to judge that the values of Adolf Hitler are inferior to those of Mother Theresa? The concept of morality loses all meaning in a universe without God. There can be no right and wrong. This means that it is impossible to condemn war, oppression, or crime as evil. Nor can one praise brotherhood, equality, and love as good. For a universe without God, good and evil do not exist - there is only the bare valueless fact of existence, and there is no one to say you are right and I am wrong.

If God does not exist,there is no good and evil, there is no meaning to life,and there is no hope for the future. Is this a world we want to pass along to our children?

May God give us strength and courage to join with Isaiah and call evil - evil and good - good.

June 22

Amos 7
2 Kings 14, 15

No one wants to hear bad news. No one wants to hear that they are doing something wrong. Unfortunately, that's a part of life that all of us have to learn how to handle graciously.

In Amos 7, Amaziah the priest did not appreciate the message that Amos was delivering to Israel. He accused Amos of conspiring against them and told him to get out of Israel. Amos replied by saying that he was not a prophet, but a simple shepherd. But when the Lord called him to declared the truth to Israel, he had no choice except to obey. He told Amaziah that he would lose everything that Israel would be taken from their land.

It's so easy to fall into a pattern of defensiveness when our mistakes and faults are pointed out. We shut our ears and hearts to any kind of criticism because we don't want to be wrong about anything. Amaziah reacted like many of us may have. He wanted the "negative" message to disappear.

We cannot change the fact that we will make mistakes and people will point them out to us. We cannot change the fact that we will receive bad news at times. What we can change is how we respond. Think about the people in Nineveh that Jonah prophesied to. When they heard that God was going to destroy their city, they immediately responded by repenting of their sins and begging God to forgive them. They turned their hearts to God in a time of trouble. And because they repented, God spared them from destruction. What if the people of Israel had reacted the same way when they heard Amos' message? It's possible God may have spared them too.

Ask God to help you respond to correction and bad news in a more gracious way. It maybe God trying to teach you something important.

June 21

God's spoke through Amos of the injustice which was spread out through the northern kingdom of Israel, of the prosperity which was making the people complacent and proud. God spoke of hating their empty religious practices on the background of the oppression and corruption they promoted. God was straightforward with them about the consequences: there would be an exile and captivity. They would no longer be spared. God would not forget anything they had done.

And then the warning that surprised me most: there would be a famine of hearing God's word. People would be desperate to hear from the Lord but won't. Considering their spiritual state at the time, you would think people wouldn't care for God's word, but God knew them better. He knew that when punishment would be upon them, they would cry out to Him. However, the prophecy about the famine of God's word suggests that it would be too late for many of them to hear from God.

It can happen to us too at times- not hearing from God, but I pray that it dos not turn into a famine. God has put this team of Bible readers together to encourage us to read His word and hear Him speak to us through it daily and I'm thankful for it! Wherever we are at in our walk with God, He speaks to each one of us through the Bible text.

June 20: The Prophecies of Amos

Today's reading covers the first four chapters of Amos, which records the prophecies of a humble shepherd sent primarily to share God's words with Israel. As the introduction notes, Israel had become prosperous and complacent during the reign of Jeroboam II, whose military successes had created a self-confident culture. While his focus is not exclusively on Israel, his harshest criticism falls there, urging the people to prepare for a coming "Day of the Lord," much in the way that Joel had and other prophets will. The commentator explains that Amos did not attack the people's idolatrous worship so much as their ritualized and "dead" worship, which did not call them away from their mistreatment of the poor and oppressed.
Amos rebukes Judah, for whom God will not wilhold his wrath:
"Because they have rejected the law of the LORD
and have not kept his decrees,
Because they have been led astray by false gods,
the gods their ancestors followed,
I will send fire upon Judah
that will consume the fortresses of Jerusalem." (2:4,5)
　
Interestingly, the NIV notes point out that "false gods" may also be translated "lies." Instead of cherishing the Truth that God had revealed through Moses and the prophets, the people had chosen to live according to lies. The lies promised short-term comfort, but they were ultimately powerless. Even after seeing or hearing the clear demonstration of God's power through Elijah and his triumph over the Baal worshippers, the idolatry continued. The preceding nations receive condemnation largely because of their violence, but Judah will endure judgment because of its wayward heart.
Throughout his complaint against Israel, God highlights His interaction with the people. Their relationship has been a close one, and God implies that His hand and actions should have been eminently clear to the people. What charges does God have against the people?
1. "They sell the righteous for silver,/ and the needy for a pair of sandals."
2. "They trample on the heads of the poor/ as upon the dust of the ground/ and deny justice to the oppressed."
3. "Father and son use the same girl/ and so profane my holy name."
4. "They lie down beside every altar/ on garmens taken in pledge."
5. "In the house of their god/ they drink wine taken as fines."
6. "They do not know how to do right,... who hoard plunder and loot in their fortresses."
　
Despite God's intervention for Israel against the Amorites and Egyptians and His sending of prophets and Nazirites, the people have not listened. God will now send an "enemy" over the land, and only a remnant will escape. There will be a board captivity of the people with fishooks! This vow of destruction comes most harshly against the wealthy and self-satisfied, who have both winter and summer houses.
The people's religious formalism had taught them a liturgical plan, but it had only cemented pride in their hearts. They "boast" about their fulfillment of these actions, but their hearts remain unchanged. Even after receiving signs of God's displeasure -- through hunger, a withholding of rain, locusts, plagues, and military defeat -- the people were unreceptive to God's voice. They must now "prepare to meet your God, O Israel."
Why does this "Day of the Lord" come? Some might claim that God appears fickle, but He is rightly acting upon His holiness. He wishes to reveal His character to the people, and the religious and civil leaders have obscured this Truth behind their faulty thinking and actions. This judgment will ultimately be about exalting God's character:
"He who forms the mountains,
creates the wind,
and reveals his thoughts to man,
he who turns dawn to darkness
and treads the high places of the earth --
the LORD God Almighty is his name."
　
QUESTIONS

1. What areas of complacency do you have in your life? What could you do to reverse course?
2. Please reflect on a time in which God's discipline helped you to grow. What happened, and how did you benefit from the correction?

June 19

The WOW of God’s Love

Hosea 11:8 "How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel?
How can I treat you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboiim?
My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused.

This is one of the most astonishing verses found in the entire Bible. Why? It deals with a huge philosophical issue. How is it possible for an infinite being to be hurt by finite beings? How can God, the uncaused cause, the necessary being, creator of heaven and earth so identify with us that his heart breaks?
In this verse we see God crying. The word “changed” is a word that was used to describe a city that was overthrown or destroyed by an enemy. God’s heart is thrown into chaos, torn to pieces; broken, crushed when we reject his love and go after other lovers on earth. His heart is so changed that his compassion then is displayed in tears of sorrow.

I speaking with an unbeliever who said, “I don’t think God cares about me.” Her idea is that God is sitting in a lazy boy chair in heaven, sipping iced tea, and watching TV while we suffer on this planet. That is not what the Bible says about God. The Bible says that God so identified with us that his heart is broken even when ours isn’t.

Why did God have Hosea marry Gomer? Couldn’t God have said, Hosea, go give Gomer counseling and perform an intervention in her life. The reason Hosea had to marry her is “involvement.” If he was just her counselor he would have remained at arms length and not connected with her brokenness. Hosea had to marry her to have his heart united to hers, just as God’s heart is united to ours. God was saying, unless you are married to a completely broken person you will never understand my heartache for you.

This is a WOW moment. Just think about it. The creator of heaven and earth, the one who spun the galaxies out into space, the one who worked on quantum physics and black hole development in kindergarten, this vast, awesome God is married to us. He ties himself to us and united himself to our brokenness.

If that doesn’t produce a WOW moment nothing will.

What is an appropriate response to a God who unites himself to us this way? Unite ourselves back to him, to make him King and Lord, to marry him, to have his kingdom and his agenda as our prime directive in life.
Nothing less than a total surrender to him is demanded.

We are planning a dinner on Monday, June 21st 7:00 at my house. We are almost half way through our journey.

June 18

The Cause of Global Catastrophes

The executives of BP were on the hot spot this week as they tried to explain the worst environmental event in US history. At the same time tornados, floods and earthquakes are rumbling at all points of the planet. And who is the cause of all of this environmental wackiness? It is you and me, the common person. Part of the blame must be shouldered by man’s arrogance and hypocrisy (we take short cuts to save money, governments are incredible inept) but that is not the only cause. Hosea brings one more cause into play.... sin.

In Hosea 4 the prophet levels the charge....

The Lord brings a charge against the people living in the land;
“There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgement of God in the land.
There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery;
They break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. “
WOW if that doesn’t sound just like the USA.

Here is the result, the consequence of the sin. “Because of this the land mourns!!!!”

With God there is a connection between the spiritual and the physical. The land suffers when a nation departs from God. If we continue to read, we see this connection.

“Because of this the land mourns, and all who live in it waste away;
the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the fish of the sea are dying.”

Verse 6 gives us our hope and our mission... “my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.”

It is the knowledge of God that is the only hope for our future. That is why your commitment to reading the Bible every day is the best hope for America. As we read, we grow in the knowledge of God and the healing of the land. The message that we bring to the discussion of the environment is that we need more than a SMART car to win this battle. We need to live SMART lives, lives that are centered on God and his Word.

So the next time the wackiness of the environment comes up in a conversation, be sure to ask the person to join you in prayer for God to intervene in this crisis and our hearts to be turned back to him.

Friday .... accountability day is here.
RSVP to the Monday dinner.

June 17

Hosea and the amazing love story

There are few pains in life that exceed adultery. Over the years I have had several couples in my office talking about unfaithfulness and it is heart wrenching to see the pain in the eyes of the betrayed spouse.
Today our reading is about a prophet who was called by God to intentionally enter into this pain. God is asking Hosea to become a living parable. And in essence what God is saying is that both God and Hosea are going to love someone who will reject them. They are going to spend their time, energy, money and their lives giving love to someone who is going to be unfaithful. Hosea must experience this heartache of rejection so that he will understand how the heart of God breaks when we reject his love.

A few highlights or lowlights of our reading.
1. By the third child Hosea realizes that Gomer is sleeping with other men because he names his child .. “not my people.” This is something right off the latest Jerry Springer show. Who is the real father of my child?
2. As Gomer leaves the home she ends up with a pimp that doesn’t even care for her. Yet in chapter two Hosea goes and gives grain, new wine and oil behind the scenes, just to take care of her. God does the same with us. Even when we walk away from him he supplies us with air to breath, food on our tables and grace we don’t deserve.
3. Go and show love to your wife again ... this is a command and not a feeling. So Hosea goes and purchases Gomer off the auction block of slavery and rather than punish her, scold her, or seek revenge, he brings her back as his wife.
4. We are never told the end of the story. This is to help us focus on always showing God’s love regardless of the outcome.
5. Why such extreme measures in this story? Because God’s love is so far beyond our language and our human experience that he must create this wild situation. God’s love is completely different than human love. His ability to forgive is so much greater than human forgiveness and the only way to communicate the depth of his love is to use such an intense analogy.

If we don’t say WOW after this story we will never get it.

Take a moment and thank God for purchasing us off the slave market of sin and treating us so graciously even though we have committed adultery against him.

Next Monday, June 21st is our summer Bible Reading Dinner. 7:00 at my house. R.S.V.P. so I know how much food to prepare.

June 16

Jonah the Running Man

Nicholas Sparks seems to have a way to touch our hearts with his stories. Very few people know that the inspiration for his book A Walk to Remember was the death of his sister Danielle Sparks Lewis, who died of cancer in 2000. In a speech he gave after her death, Nicholas admits that "In many ways, Jamie Sullivan was my younger sister." The plot was inspired by her life. I am not a great Nicholas Sparks fan, but I do appreciate what he did in the movie. Actually the movie was the first time I heard girls sobbing in a public movie theater. But what I found so encouraging in the movie was the positive light given a woman of faith. Jamie Sullivan is a young woman who has a relationship with God. And from that relationship, she forms her identity. She is confident, poised and highly motivated. Her identity is tested just about every day she stepped foot on her high school. Because of her old fashioned values and ideals, she faced a hostile crowd.
This identity was also tested wth a relationship with the rebellious Landon Carter, a popular but rebellious student. Both Jamie and Landon participate in tutoring disadvantaged children and performing in the drama. Jamie does it out of her heart, Landon does it because of a court order. It’s a very interesting character development, because Jamie and Landon are exact opposites. These two individuals are worlds apart. Their world views are complete opposites. Jamie is secure in her identity and she is single minded, she has spent her life running towards God. Landon is also running, but he is running from the pain, responsibility, and ultimately running from God.

Today we meet another runner, the prophet Jonah. The book of Jonah is famous because it is has a story about a big fish. But the book is really about forming an identity. Jonah hears very specific instructions from God, but he doesn’t want the identity that God wants to give him so he starts running.
He decides it is better to forge his identity by himself, since the instructions from God seem so difficult.

The same is true for us every day on this Bible reading journey. When I am not pleased with God’s instructions for the day I pick up and start to run away from him. I have convinced myself that I am a better architect of a life than God. When I say this in my heart I too become a “runner.” In reality, running is the worst reaction I have to God’s instructions. Running will only compound the problems of life. The only way to have a secure identity is to follow the word of God. Regardless of how impossible and how dangerous it appears to be.

So the running question of today is this... are you running towards God or running from God?

If you are running from God, it is time to stop and return.

June 15

2 Kings 12, 13, 14
2 Chronicles 25

How big is your God?

In today's reading, Amaziah king of Judah is planning a campaign against Edom. He is able to recruit 300,000 men from Judah. He also decided to pay 100,000 mercenaries from Israel to join the fight. Then Amaziah was visited by a prophet who had a message for him from God. He told the king to send the hired Israelite soldiers home. He said, "O king, these troops from Israel must not march with you, for the Lord is not with Israel... Even if you go and fight courageously in battle, God will overthrow you before the enemy, for God has the power to help or to overthrow." The message was very simple: Judah would lose the fight if they brought with them troops who were not on the Lord's side.

Amaziah had a very typical human response. He worried about the money he had paid the mercenaries! He had paid them 100 talents (which according to Scott's devotional from last year, equals about 4 tons of silver!) and he wanted to know what would happen with his money. It would be easy to criticize Amaziah in this situation, but I think he reacted in a way that a lot of us would have. Often times when we face a challenge, we get caught up on a detail that's small and insignificant when compared with the big picture. God replied by saying that He had the resources to give the king much more than 100 talents. If God had control over who won the battle, then He certainly had the ability to provide for all of Judah's needs.

The next time you face a crisis, ask yourself, "What is my God capable of? How big is my God?" God cares about all the details of our lives, whether big or small. No matter our worries or concerns, He has control of it all and He is on our side.

June 14

Reading today's Bible text, God impressed on my heart one question: What is your assurance that your faith and faithfulness to Me will last? (and to clarify, my faithfulness to Him is not constant anyway) If I think of what I read today about Israel and Judah, I have none. If I think of who I am, unfaithful to God as it is, I have none. My only hope is that He will not let go of me and He will give me that strength to persevere.

Look how unstable the faith of Judah and Israel was. I mean, how does this happen: one moment you rebuild God's temple with gladness, the next moment (sometimes few years later actually) you turn to worship something else.

So we should be careful not to think that our 'spiritual high' today will last tomorrow. We sang 'This little light of mine" in church yesterday and I kept thinking: Why did the author of the song wrote 'little' for light. I don't really know but I thought about my own faith: Oh Lord, sometimes it feels like my faith is really a little one. But I pray for us that we don't slip, that we don't burn out, but that we long for God afresh every day. I just don't want one day to wake up and wonder: 'God how did this happen? How did I do this?' And further, I don't just want us to persevere in our faith - I want us to fly, I want us to have fun with God and get the best out of our relationship with Him in life. So God please help us to keep longing for You!

June 13: Joel

The words of the prophet Joel paint a vivid picture of what the "day of the LORD" will entail. While the Israelites held that the "day of the LORD" would mean blessing and deliverance for all of Israel, Joel notes that this "day" should strike fear into people's hearts. Among those who have not followed the Lord, Joel singles out drunkards in his call for repentance in Chapter 1. A commentator explains that drunkenness "suggests a self-indulgent lifestyle (cf. Isaiah 28:7,8 and Amos 4:1) pursued by those who value material things more than [the] spiritual." After reading through the foregoing history of the kings, we find this self-indulgence and spiritual negligence.

Before offering rest to His devoted followers, God will cleanse the land and its people through plagues and fire. Interestingly, the invading locusts mentioned here bring fire themselves:

"Before them fire devours,
behind them a flame blazes." (2:3a)
　

In a similar manner, 2 Peter 3:10-13 discusses the "day of the LORD" in clear terms, evoking much of the imagery from Joel:

"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.

"Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness."
　
As Peter notes, there is indeed a promise of redemption and renewal after the judgment. Joel calls the people to:

"Rend your heart
and not your garments.
Return to the LORD you God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
and he relents from sending calamity." (2:13)


The people must assume an attitude of repentance and seek restoration -- that only God may bring -- before receiving His rest. Only those who are devoted to God's plan and seeking to follow after his heart will receive the blessings that God will bestow:

"Then the LORD will be jealous for his land
and take pity on his people.
"The LORD will reply to them:
'I am sending you grain, new wine and oil,
enough to satisfy you fully;
never again will I make you
an object of scorn to the nations.'" (2:18,19)

"'Then you will know that I, the LORD your God,
dwell in Zion, my holy hill.
Jerusalem will be holy;
never again will foreigners invade her.
"'In that day the mountains will drip new wine,
and the hills flow with milk;
all the ravines of Judah will run with water.
A fountain will flow out of the LORD's house
and will water the valley of the acacias.'" (3:17,18)
　

Not only will the land experience a physical renewal, but there will be a spiritual renewal and a cosmic show of the Lord's glory. The aftereffects of this "day of the LORD" will bring about the full restoration that God had intended from the moment that Adam and Eve had sinned in the Garden.

"'And afterward,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
I will show wonders in the heavens
and on the earth,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming and great and dreadful day of the LORD.
And everyone who calls
on the name of the LORD will be saved... " (2:28-32a)
　
Please remember that Peter's first sermon in the age of church, given on Pentecost Sunday, included these momentous verses. At the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the disciples in Acts 2, Peter sees this sign as fulfillment for Joel's prophecy. The church would join the Risen Christ in bringing this prophecy to fulfillment, through the power of the Holy Spirit. God would accompany the outpouring of His Spirit with "wonders" and other signs.
　

QUESTIONS

1. Knowing that the "day of the LORD" is a certain future reality, how must you personally prepare?

2. Joel contains both elements of judgment and restoration. How can you communicate this message to those who may not have heard this message?

June 12

Two stories of the dangers of being spiritually lukewarm

2 Kings 10:31 Yet Jehu was not careful to keep the law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart.

2 Kings 12:2 Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him.

Both Jehu and Joash teach us the danger of not devoting our hearts fully to God. That is a phrase that is used to give a commentary on the spiritual legacy of these ancient kings.

Jehu did a lot of good in his life by ridding the land of Baal worship. But his heart wasn’t totally sold out to the Lord. God had part of his heart but not the whole thing. It is interesting how many things of the world pull at our hearts. Money, success, career, pleasure, popularity, and power are the leading candidates in Stamford. All of these idols promise happiness, but they cannot deliver in the end. It is only a heart fully devoted to God that really quenches our soul thirst.

Joash teaches us of the dangers of focusing on externals. Joash did what was right until his mentor died. Then without the external eye of Jehoiada on him, the later years of his life will reveal a slide into compromise. To have a successful life we must be fully devoted to God.

This is a lesson for every parent. Raise your kids to have a faith of their own, not to simply follow your faith. If you don’t train them correctly they will walk away from God the moment they walk away from your home. We must train our children to follow the ways of God even if they run contrary to the culture, or even if no one is watching them.

The lesson for all of us is that to “trust and obey” is the only way to be happy in Jesus. When God says something we follow, simply because God is saying it. Beware of keeping part of your heart for yourself. That compromise will always be the place of your greatest struggle.

June 11

The original “Macho Man”

When we first become Christ followers, we are concerned with outward behavior. But as we grow over the years, the focus then turns inward. Significant growth only takes place in our lives when we examine why we do what we do.

Jehu was a guy who probably didn’t take much time to look on the inside. This guy had one speed in life – wide open. His nickname as a kid was most likely “cyclone” or “macho.” Experts have labeled his legacy as the “Execution Dynasty.” One of the more interesting characteristics of his life was he “drove his chariot like a madman.” He must have taken lessons from the people of Stamford. I tried to imagine how one would even drive a two wheel chariot like a madman. Did he take turns on one wheel? Did he break the speed limit?

This guy was definitely not the intellectual or philosophical type. When he is anointed by Elisha, he casually mentions it to his friends, which in turns starts a sequence that forces his hand. It appears that he never considered his position as a mission from God, just an opportunity to flex his muscle and use power to intimidate people into following him. And it worked. With just testosterone, he was able to wipe out a large number of the most dangerous people in Israel.

Jehu used some unusual techniques to secure his authority. In 2 Kings 10:15-16 we have the story of Jehonadab when he encountered the new king. Jehu greets him and says, would you be interested in a little chariot ride with me?

I am convinced that Jehonadab was never quite the same. As Chuck Swindoll notes, “Jehonadab probably died on his feet with his eyes open, his knuckles white as rice. And bug stains all over his face. His bones are still shaking. Jehonadab will probably stutter throughout eternity.”

All of this leads me to question why and I doing what I am doing. Am I leading on testosterone or on the power of God? So ask yourself the deeper question of WHY today.

Friday is accountability day. Send me a quick note, I would love to hear from you.

June 10

The True Battle

2 Kings 6:16-18 "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them."
And Elisha prayed, "O Lord, open his eyes so he may see." Then the Lord opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, "Strike these people with blindness." So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.

There is a battle going on. It is not a small battle; it is cosmic warfare and in the balance lies the lives of our loved ones, our friends, this city and this whole generation. For too long we have been thinking of the Christian life as a playground and not a battlefield. But the Bible teaches with absolute clarity that we are locked in a terrible fight for the hearts and minds of this generation. And I hate to say it, but it appears we are getting our butts kicked right now in the USA.
Secularism has championed the worldview that the only reality is the physical world we can see. Our concern even as Christ followers tends to be on the here and now. We forget in a world of Twitter and Ipods that there is an unseen world and that is more real than ours.
Elisha had the eyes to see this unseen world. He lived as if it were a reality, and in that lies his effectiveness. He believed this unseen world of spiritual beings had more of an influence on the physical world than kings and armies.
So what is your strategy to engage our true enemy? It is by prayer that we gain the victory over the unseen forces of evil. It is by prayer that we open the eyes of unbelievers. Our arguments and slick gospel presentations cannot compete with these forces of darkness.
It is time for us to wake up and get involved in the real battle.

Today, pray for the power of God to open your eyes to this conflict, and then ask God to open the eyes of your loved ones. There are so many blinded people surrounding us, only the Lord can open their eyes.

June 9

As we read Obadiah today we see the proud Edomites being judged by a holy God.

The prophet recounts the reason for the destruction of the nation of Edom:
1. They were proud out their national security. Their symbol was the eagle.
2. They were proud of their money. They were a wealthy nation. They were the guys who shuffled the money in the trade business.
3. They were proud of their foreign policy. They had developed alliances that guaranteed their survival as a nation.
4. They were proud of their education system. They were known as being “the smartest guys in the room.”
5. They were proud of their armies. They trusted in their military forces.
6. They were proud of their gods. They actually worshipped themselves. Scholars tell us that the Edomites had no allegiance to a god. They were so self-sufficient and so arrogant that they wouldn’t even call upon any god. They believed they had all the answers themselves. This is nothing less than humanism.

How striking similar to our pathway as a nation.

The only way to save a nation like the Edom is to hurt it. If God really cared about the eternal souls of the people he would have to break through their idolatry with pain.

C.S. Lewis says: ‘God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains; it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.’” Spot on brother!!!

So join me in prayer today. Lord, help us to be poor in spirit, to be mournful, to be meek and to hunger and thirst after your righteousness. Help us to trust in you and not our achievements, our money, our armies or our IQ. We trust in you, alone. Amen.

June 8

2 Kings 3, 2 Chronicles 21

The heading of today's reading says, "God works so hard to get His people's attention!" There is certainly a memorable example of that found in 2 Chronicles 21. Jehoram, king of Judah received a mysterious letter from Elijah... after Elijah had already been taken to be with God! Elijah rebukes the king for leading his people astray and for murdering his own brothers. Because of his sin, he will suffer a devastating illness. I think that's a pretty effective way of getting someone's attention!

Can you think of a time when you felt God trying to get your attention?

After my first year of college, I got my first full time job. I felt God leading me to give a percentage of my income to my church. This was the first time I was earning a steady paycheck and I knew it was the right thing to give God His portion. After the summer was over, I no longer had that job. Then I started working part-time at my college's records office, but it was a fraction of what I was making before. I stopped giving to my church. I thought, "God will understand that I don't have as much money. I need to keep my entire paycheck." A few weeks into the semester I was called into the financial aid office. They had reevaluated my financial aid package and decided I was getting too much. Since my job at the records office was a part of that package, they told me I could no longer work there. I was devastated. How could this happen to me? I needed that job. How could they take it away from me? As Scott would say, I was drowning in a sea of self pity.

Sometime later, I was in church and the pastor read from Luke 16:10-12. "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own?" I felt like I had been hit in the face with these verses. I felt like I was the only person in the room and the pastor was speaking directly to me. God was trying to get my attention. The money I was earning was not mine. Every penny I earned was a gift from God and it was my responsibility to be trustworthy with it. In that moment I knew exactly why I lost my job: God took it from me because I was relying on it to sustain me instead of on Him. He had my attention. I immediately started giving to my church again (I was working several hours a week as a tutor). Even though it amounted to just a couple dollars a week, it was necessary in order for me to understand that everything (including the air I breathe) was a gift from God. I deserve nothing, I earn nothing, I own nothing. Everything is a gift from Him.

This was certainly an awaking experience, but it's nothing compared to what happened a few weeks later. I was called into the financial aid office again and was told that they made a mistake when they reevaluated my aid package. They were giving me my job back. And for the second time that semester, God had my full attention. I knew with absolute certainty that God had given the job back to me because I understood He was the one that provided my every needs. From that day on, I always gave God His portion, even when I was going through financial hardships. And He has always been faithful to provide everything I need.

When God wants our attention, He will do whatever it takes to get through to us. I am so thankful that He got through to me in a way that I will never forget. I pray that all your hearts will be open to what God is trying to say, so that you won't have to learn the hard way, like I did.

June 6: The Divided Kingdom

Our reading today continues the account of the divided Kingdom of Israel. While Judah did not wholeheartedly embrace God's plan for the Jewish people, there is a powerfully strong contrast between Israel and Judah's attitudes toward God. The narrative focuses on the kingly leadership, whose spiritual inclinations trickle down to the people. Yet, the people's hearts appear fairly fickle themselves, eager to seek after anything that will bring short-term answers. This pattern of thinking has persisted into the present day, as Oprah and others provide airtime for an ongoing parade of self-help gurus.

Wickedness earns its just rewards, while faithfulness to God's will bring His blessings. In the stories today, these outcomes appear to come quickly to the actors. Sometimes, in our short-sighted view of time, we may notice what appear to be aberrations on these themes, but we must recognize that God's timing does not coincide with ours. As someone humorously noted, God is not wearing my watch or yours. Psalm 73 provides helpful insights into the heart of a believer whose eyes have seen worldly success come to wicked men. In the long run, however, the truth always holds true, and a people's heart inclination towards Christ and His Kingdom is what counts for eternity.

In the death of Ahab, we have a king whose prideful anger hardened him towards Elijah. In the end, Ahab receives a fatal battle wound and suffers a slow death looking at the Aramean army. Even the cleanup of the chariot is mired in disgrace: "They washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria (where the prostitutes bathed), and the dogs licked up his blood, as the word of the LORD had declared." (1 Kings 22:38) Ahaziah, Ahab's son, then succeeds him as the king of Israel, only to fall into the same traps that his father had. Instead of seeking God alone, Ahaziah consults Baal-Zebub, meaning "Lord of the Flies," concerning an illness. Elijah then foretells the king's death and brings disaster upon two companies of men who impulsively call for Elijah, the only bearer of truth. It seems that Ahaziah wants to intercede for himself before Elijah's prophecy comes to fruition.

In sharp contrast, we see the words of 2 Chronicles 16:9 come to life again in the story of Jehoshaphat and the people of Israel: "For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." In the face of a Moabite invasion, Jehoshaphat called the people to pray and fast. The people responded: "the people of Judah came together to seek help from the LORD; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him." God's Spirit answers by encouraging the people to recognize that the battle belongs to the Lord, not to the people. The king encourages the departing soldiers to "have faith in the LORD your God" and leads the people in praise to the Faithful One.

Pastor Scott mentioned President Roosevelt's call for national prayer on June 6, 1944, also called "D-Day." You may view his address to the nation here: http://docs.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/odddayp.html. Given all the turmoil in the world, we have many reasons to seek the Lord. Three particular areas of concern for the U.S. are our views towards: 1) the value of human life; 2) sexuality; and 3) generosity and love for the poor. Most importantly, the Church is concerned about many things that are only temporal and deviate from Jesus's mission, most clearly articulated in Luke 4:18,19 and Luke 19:10: "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."
　

QUESTIONS

1. Is your heart fully committed to the Lord? How can you resolve like Jehoshaphat to "inquire of the LORD?"

2. How can you pray for our nation and the world? How can you give thanks?

June 5

A word of encouragement for everyone on the Bible reading journey. With summer upon us it is easy to get out of the habit of daily connecting with God. We can also err by reading out of duty and not love. Work hard to balance these two opposites.

Here is a warning Jesus gave the Bible readers of his day... John 5:39 You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me.

Our reading of scripture is motivated by our passion to know Jesus better... it is about knowing Him.

So as you read today ask yourself this question, “What is our passage teaching me about Jesus and my relationship with him?”

Three insights today:
1. God has a very precise view of what is right and wrong. Make sure to believe in the God who is revealed not the God we feel.
2. God is incredibly merciful. Even the wicked Ahab received mercy and grace from God. There is hope for everyone.
3. Beware of envy. Learn to live with contentment. All we need has been given to us.

God bless you have a great weekend.

June 4

The Surprising Reward of Silence

On a recent bike ride I saw at least 75% of the people walking had a phone connected to their ear. I was staggered by the thought that 30 years ago you had to have a cord attached to the phone. We live in a day of constant noise.

Bernie Krausse who records nature sounds for film and television says in 1968 to get one hour of undisturbed sound, no airplanes or cars, it would take him 15 hours. Today, to get the same undisturbed nature sound, it takes him 2000 hours of recording time. We live in a noisy world.

Elijah has just championed one of the greatest revivals in history, yet in chapter 18 he finds himself alone in a cave, drowning in the sea of self-pity. God knows the only solution to this problem is for Elijah to hear HIS voice so he sets up a little experiment. He tells Elijah to go out and stand on the mountain, and then a powerful tornado wind tears the mountain apart. But the Lord was not in the wind. Next is an 8.0 earthquake that shakes the mountain to the core. But God is not in the shaking of the mountain. Next up is a fire. And the fire burns everything in sight, it is spectacular, but in the end no voice of the Lord. Finally there is a gentle whisper from God. And there in the whisper Elijah hears the voice of God.

Our days are filled with cell phones, ipods, baseball. Fox News, radio, telephones, Facebook, emails, The Fan, Lady Gaga, honking horns and nagging bosses… talking people. Every day our ears are assaulted with a 1000 cacophonous sounds.

Yet Elijah said the voice of God is a gentle whisper. If this is true then we can’t have a relationship with God until there are long periods of quiet in our lives. This is a problem for me, since I have a terrible case of spiritual ADD. A lot of this is caused by the culture I live in. The culture tells me silent people aren’t very productive. Silence is a waste of time. We are performance based and silent people are perceived as being lazy. Being busy makes me feel important. The tendency is equate activity with significance. If we are on cell phone, always talking, we must be very important. We also fill our lives with noise because we are afraid God just might break through and then we would have to change our lives. We want to remain in control. God would just mess things up. So we stay busy so he can't break through.

If it has been a long time since you have heard the voice of God, go sit quietly in a cave (or a room if you don’t live on a mountain) for a time and begin to train your self to be silent before God.

Today is accountability day.

Set aside Monday, June 21st for our Summer Bible Reading Encouragement Dinner 7:00 at our house.
RSVP if you can attend.

June 3

2 Lessons from the Life of King Asa

In the history of Israel we now begin to see the difference faith makes. There will be 19 kings in the northern kingdom of Israel and none of them will have faith, none of them will be considered good kings. There will be 20 kings in the southern kingdom and 8 of them will be faithful men. Asa is one of the good guys but even he did not finish well in his faith journey.

Some lessons:

1. A good start doesn’t guarantee a good finish. We must work at keeping our relationship with God fresh and vibrant. This could be a problem for any of us. My unofficial guess is that 80% of Christians do not finish the race well. There are very few older Christians who have a passion for the Lord late in life. It is fantastic to have you committed to reading through the Bible this year but even Bible reading can become perfunctory and stale. If our Bible reading doesn’t originate from love and gratitude it will slip into an attitude of duty and routine. Guard against this.

2. When Asa came down with his foot problem later in life it is a test to see where his faith lies. 2 Chron 16:12 says Asa sought help from his physicians but not from the Lord. The Bible never speaks badly of physicians. Even the apostle Paul took Dr. Luke on his journeys, but there is a huge difference between a physician and going to THE PHYSICIAN. To pray for God for healing should be the first step any believer takes when physically ill. It is amazing how many people of faith like Asa minimize the power of God to work directly in the healing process. There are certainly safeguards we need to have from some of the phony “faith healers” of today, but healing by faith is never a sham.

2 Chron. 16:9 For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

Prayer: Lord, our hearts are fully committed to you today. Our lives and our health are in your hands. We humbly ask that you would bring healing to the various diseases we suffer from. We trust in you and your mighty healing power. In Jesus Name, Amen.

June 2

The Summary of a Life

2 Chron. 12:1,14 After Rehoboam's position as king was established and he had become strong, he and all Israel with him abandoned the law of the Lord. He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord.

In our study of the kings over the next few weeks, there will be a one verse summary of their lives. It will either describe them as doing evil in the eyes of the Lord or it will be a good report of doing good and right in the eyes of the Lord. It might not seem unfair to boil life down to one sentence, but life isn’t always fair. This is a reminder that there will be a day when our lives will be summarized in one sentence too.

Rehoboam was not half as bad as some of the other kings, but the scriptures still say “he did evil.” There are several hints about why he walked on an evil pathway. It might be good for us to know the causes.

He could have had poor parental guidance. His father Solomon was never nominated as “Father of the Year” and his mother was an Ammonite. Poor parenting could have impacted his spiritual formation.

“He abandoned the law” is a rather serious charge coming from our reading today. His father Solomon began his reign seeking the Lord and His wisdom, but Rehoboam did not. He forsook God’s wisdom and counsel and turned to his fraternity brothers for advice.

We usually “abandon the law” on a gradual decline. We get particularly busy at work and don’t have time to read in the morning, we wake up late or we just don’t feel like reading that particular day. Regardless of the excuses we always end up in the same place. We abandon God as he waits in the quiet spots in our homes alone.

The normal consequence of abandonment of God’s Word is a phony life. When the gold shields of Solomon were taken, they were replaced with shields made of brass. Instead of saying, “We messed up and God used our enemies to humble us,” Rehoboam makes brass shields, tells his guys to polish them really hard, and hopes no one notices. I am color blind but I can tell the difference between gold and brass, no matter how polished it is. Rehoboam wasn’t fooling anyone and neither are we when we put up the polished façade, no matter how hard we work on image control.

The real reason for his poor life summary was he “did not set his heart on seeking the Lord.” That was a huge failure. I wonder what he was seeking after. Popularity, power, pleasure or prestige... all the same distractions we have today. The only issue in life that matters is knowing God. If we go through this day and fail to connect with God, to enjoy his presence, to say that we love him... if we fail to do these things we have wasted a day.

Two reflection questions for you:

1. What are you seeking after?

2. What will be the one sentence summary of your life?

June 1

1 Kings 12, 13

I was shocked to find out that Al and Tipper Gore announced they are separating after 40 years of marriage. They had been through so much together: 4 children, bouts of depression, political successes and failures, the Academy award, the Nobel prize... yet it wasn't enough to keep them together. What would cause a couple who had invested so much in their relationship to throw in the towel? Whatever the specific reason may be (could be anything from infidelity, abuse, to living separate lives), I can guarantee that the underlying cause is this: they forgot about what was important. Just because a couple has been together for a long time does not mean they are safe from divorce. Marriage is something that needs constant attention and nurturing in order to be healthy. If the relationship is left on its own, it is destined to fail.

Today's passage is the beginning of Israel's downfall. The kingdom experienced all that God had to offer while David was king. Although David was far from perfect, he never fully lost sight of the goal: following God's commands and enjoying a right relationship with Him. Unfortunately, his son Solomon thought he knew better than God and didn't need to follow His ways. Now that Solomon's son Rehoboam was in charge, things had become much worse. He choose to oppress the people, resulting in a rebellion against his house. Rehoboam had no choice but to flee for his life.

When we choose to follow our own path rather than keeping close to God, then our lives start to fall apart. Don't lose sight of what's important. Keep your eyes on God!