blessings – BibleJournal.net

Monday Morning Quarterback

Today’s readings are 2 Kings 20, Isaiah 38-40, and 1 Corinthians 11.

In our readings from 2 Kings 20 and Isaiah 38-39 we learn about King Hezekiah of Judah who the Lord told Isaiah to deliver the message he would die from illness. Hezekiah then cried out to the Lord in prayer asking for healing to which the Lord obliged giving Hezekiah another 15 years of life. God even showed Hezekiah the words of Isaiah about his healing were true by turning back the shadow of the sun on the dial of Ahaz ten steps.

Merodach-baladan, the king of Babylon, heard of Hezekiah’s healing and came to visit him. Hezekiah proceeded to show Meodach-baladan his treasure house and all his riches. Isaiah then told Hezekiah all that was his, including his children, would be carried to Babylon someday foretelling of Judah’s future exile there. To this prophecy by Isaiah, Hezekiah mistakenly responded it would be good because it would bring peace.

These chapters don’t explicitly state that Judah’s exile to Babylon was a discipline due to Hezekiah’s actions after his healing (scholars differ on their opinions), and the Bible seems to overall seems to paint him in the light of a good king. He also gives us a great example of the power of prayer. However, it is evident when the King of Babylon visited because he heard of Hezekiah’s healing, Hezekiah did not glorify God for lengthening his life and for his blessings. Instead, he showed off his “stuff.” He also found comfort and peace in the prophecy of Judah’s exile to Babylon, rather than finding peace in God.

As we start football season, we can say it’s easy to play “Monday Morning Quarterback” when it comes to Hezekiah’s actions. However, I think we can agree he could have better used his healing event as an opportunity to glorify God and witness to an unbelieving king and people, so they could know Him too. He should have continued to find his comfort in God and not in peace with this other nation.

Today, with the internet and especially social media, we live in a selfie-filled, “look at me” world. We like to show off our “stuff” like Hezekiah…ourselves, our kids, our spouse, our trips, our cars, our fancy meals, our accolades, and maybe even our recovery after an illness or condition like Hezekiah.

So..here’s the question…

Are we using these things to bring glory to ourselves or the One who gave them to us?

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

James 1:17

Let us check our hearts and make sure we are giving Him the glory He deserves for our blessings which come from Him. Social media gives us a platform to witness to this, so other non-believers can know Him in the same way Hezekiah had an opportunity to do so. We don’t need a king from a far-off land to come visit us though, we can witness to many non-believers 24/7. We can show them all good things come from Him and only through Him can we find a peace that passes human understanding (Philippians 4:7).

Blessings on the way

Today’s Reading: Psalms 45

I have a confession: I really read and focus on the first 75% of the psalms and most readings on my first read through. This leaves the remaining 25% of the passage as a skimmed portion. Because I have recognized this in myself, I have made it a practice to read through passages twice on the first time through and then I have to commit to reading the passage several times that week to fully gain the information and knowledge in the passage.

With this preface, I read the passage for the blog several times and now I am able to understand several messages in the passage and see how it reflects what I believe. The two main ideas that have been revealed are: 1.) Blessings are on the way and 2.) We need to get out of the way of the blessings.

In the beginning of the Psalm, the author is writing about the beginning of a celebration and festival. The first ten verses are setting up the splendor and the amazing things that are at hand.

Psalm 45:4-8

In your majesty ride out victoriously

for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness;

let your right hand teach you awesome deeds!

Your arrows are sharp

in the heart of the king’s enemies;

the peoples fall under you.

Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.

The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness;

you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.

Therefore God, your God, has anointed you

with the oil of gladness beyond your companions;

your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia.

In these verses it shows the goodness and mercies that God has in store for each of us. God delights in the preparation and celebration that we can enjoy being in union with Him. It details the protection and the blessings that are ready for us in this union.

As we read further, it also demonstrates that we are at risk of not allowing ourselves to enjoy the fullness of the blessings. I have seen this in myself, I have not allowed the richness and fullness of the blessings to be accepted because I allow the past to dictate the future. The things that are in my past continue to try to remind me of who I was and not who I have become in this new union. But as I have grown in my relationship with God, I can forget the past and look toward the future.

Psalm 45:10-11 ; 16-17

Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear:

forget your people and your father’s house,

and the king will desire your beauty.

In place of your fathers shall be your sons;

you will make them princes in all the earth.

I will cause your name to be remembered in all generations;

therefore nations will praise you forever and ever.

These verses are not saying to negate the past experiences that have created the circumstances that have made you available to this blessing, but to allow them to help you grow into the new creation that He has in store for you.

I believe that God is always ready to give us more blessings and he has them ready, but we have to not allow the past or other influences to hinder the manifestations. Two of the mentors that I look to for direction in the fullness of blessings are Peter and Paul. Both were plagued with their past lives before and with Christ, but through His Love and Patience they became founders of the Church. Stay prayerful and be blessed.

Loud and Clear

Good Morning Bible Journal fiends. Today we will be reading Deuteronomy 28. This chapter has 68 verses in it. The first 14 verses provides us insights of the many blessings you will have when you fully obey the Lords commands. The next 54 verses cover the curses that will be faced when you disobey the Lord. Looking at these verses helps me to understand the heading Loud and Clear. It seems like we would be able to obey. Yet, after reading this chapter my next step was to figure out how I apply this chapter to my life. God what are you telling us? For myself, I’m able to look at all the amazing things that God has provided. Many blessings through faith filled relationships, physical needs being met, healings in the midst of pain, a heart transformation, and ultimately a true relationship with God. All the good in our lives can always point back to God. “And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. – Deuteronomy 28:1

On the other hand, all the bad things can often point to myself and my selfish desires. This can include pain that I have caused to others, my many years of confusion about life, seeking short term pleasures through worldly substitutes… these can all point back to me, and my selfish desires to fulfill my own will. When I don’t obey. 15 “But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you.

In Deuteronomy 28 Moses tells us through the use of repetition similar to what Lynden was saying yesterday with Dora cartoon connection ( have small kids too) What God desires from us and what will happen when do and don’t obey. Moses is telling the Israelites, and us, that God has always provided and always will. These first 14 verses tells of the blessings of walking in covenant with our Lord. Moses also reminds us of our disobedience. This choice is ours. God loves us, He sent his only son to wash away all our sins. That even in our sinful nature, Gods love is always present for us. For me this covenant language can be easy to read through, underline, highlight, and reflect on but, I need more than doing that . It has to be in my heart. Because when I just write it and not put it into my heart, I can easily forget. Deuteronomy 6:6 reminds me 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Our small group is starting a 4 week study on family discipleship. One of our first goals is to focus on our modeling. Jim Probst shared a story before that has stuck with me for years. Him and some other guys were meeting and thinking of ways to honor God. Many people had great ideas of serving, additional financial giving, possible additional mission trips. One gentleman said, ” I just want to obey. ” In Luke 11:28 Jesus reminds us that, “28 He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”

There was a Promise Land that the Israelites were looking for then, there is a Promise Land for us now. In the midst of our lives, God has provided for us a way to get to this Promise Land. His love for us is always there, our its our choice to be obedient and remain faithful. To know and apply this obedience into our lives we need to make His words an integral part of everyday of our lives. Think about the Parable of the Sower. 18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

Loud and clear, there are blessings and curses based on our faithfulness.

Pray continually – 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Set our minds on things from above. Colossians 3:2
Let the message of Christ dwell among us. Colossians 3:16

Dear God, Thank you for your living word that we can be in every day. Create in us a soil that will take your words to grow closer to you. We love you and pray for obedience and faithfulness to you.

Amen

Virtuous Woman: Man’s Call to Action

Originally published on BibleJournal.net

Today’s reading: Leviticus 17; Psalms 20–21; Proverbs 31; 1 Timothy 2

April 13th, 2016.

The Virtuous Woman is a passage that I am afraid may often be misunderstood. If you read this passage and hear a to do list, you are not alone. It was a year or so back that Jamie and I got a bit of advice from a good friend in reference to this scripture. Jamie had felt a need to ‘check the boxes’ when reading it, but it seemed impossible. The advice came in the form of a simple story that revealed a new perspective on the purpose of this passage. It begins with a woman feeling like she is not measuring up to the Virtuous Woman. As she bears her heart to her friend, her friend tells her that she had never read the Virtuous Woman in that way. Her friend went on to explain that each Friday night at the dinner table her father would read this passage aloud to her mother, not as a measure but as a blessing. In this way the passage is not inserted into the home as an impossible to do list for the wife but a picture of the future full of encouragement and support. We have since learned this is a Jewish tradition called Eshet Chayil. It is an interesting observation that this passage was not written to a woman but to a man. I wonder then, what is a man to do with it?