Lord, may I trust you so steadfastly as Joshua did... That when I ask each day to be used by You, I will not question your tactics or methods, just rest in the knowledge of Your sovreignty and good purposes, and obey swiftly.
mmmm... thoroughly enjoyed this chapter this morning. "But as for us, the Lord is our God; we have not left Him." v10 "God Himself is with us as our ruler." v12
I love how they outlined their faithfulness to God and how God proved His faithfulness to them in the face of a powerful but corrupt enemy.
Abijah outlined how they had not forsaken the letter of the law, or the spirit of the law, devoting themselves to God and His Lordship in the morning, in the evening and at all occasions that He had ordained. That is faithfulness. Give me a faithful heart, Lord. That seeks you at dawn, and turns to you at dusk, and keeps tabs with you every turn of the way. Give me victory over the enemy who taunts and seeks to trap me, and let me re-route Him through the power of your Spirit so that I can walk triumphantly.
It seems like maybe Abijah was all just talk- resting on the good that his ancestors had done, letting his people honor the Lord and not giving his own heart and purposes to the Lord. He appears to be trusting that God will keep His promises to Judah, despite the fact that He did not take down the high places and asherah poles, and he followed the ways of his father Rehoboam.
God did indeed protect the people of Judah and prove His faithfulness. It was mighty gutsy (read: stupid?!) of Jeroboam to march around lugging golden shrines with them, and appointing their own priests despite the rigid instructions God gave for selecting priests.
Your comment made me look into other passages that reference Abijah because I totally didn't get that impression of him from this chapter. 1 Kings 15 definitely shines more light on this aspect of his character, you are spot on! Impressions can be deceiving, no? :)
"Lord my God, what have I done? Have my hands done something wrong? Have I done wrong to my friend...?" psalm 7:3
God... you know our thoughts and feelings." v9
"God protects me like a shield; He saves those who do what is right." v10
These words were retrospectively comforting to me today. Reminding me that in the storm, when we cry out to God, He knows, He hears, He cares and He intervenes.
This isn't really a devotional thought, but verse 14 struck me as being great writing from a literary point of view: Whoever is pregnant with evil conceives trouble and gives birth to disillusionment.
I agree -- the earth... full of the knowledge of the Lord... Then everything will be the way He wanted it in the first place. I liked vs. 6:The wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat; the calf and the young lion will feed[c] together, and a little child will lead them. Again, great literature. What a beautiful word picture of real peace. And yet,in verse 14, they are still fighting and plundering. I thought that was all supposed to be over and the whole earth was to be at peace.
would it make sense that verse 14 is actually taking place prior to the verses on fulfilled peace earlier in the chapter? That it's a "means" to get to that peace? So in order for all this to be fulfilled Israel has to be gathered from the nations, the nations that have opposed them will be put down and peace will "then" reign? So it's not really chronological the way it is written?
I get goosebumps too... the first part of the chapter seems to be talking about Jesus' initial 'visit' to earth, then jumps to the final time? Sounds fabulous and scary all at the same time. Imagining Him gathering the remnant (I remember talking with you about this, Nic)is an amazing visual.
I'm caught up with God's differentiation between Himself and man- holy vs. unholy- and also the thoughts of God changing his heart, His compassion being aroused due to His great love for His people. At first I was thinking that it was the people who had swayed Him, maybe that they had done something that inspired God to changed His mind. After a bit of thought though, it seems that it may have been God strengthening His commitment, maybe reminding Himself of His own purposes and deep love for those He had created, despite their ignorance and sinful hearts.
Hosea 11, what a beautiful, beautiful chapter. I agree with your conclusions, Chris. "If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is." 2 Tim 2:13
I can't read the book of Hosea without images from Francine Rivers book "Redeeming Love" flooding through my head. A love that never gives up, despite our harlotry and idolatry. A love that never fails. What a loving God we serve.
Think of a rich, classy businessman you know, climbing a tree to get a glimpse of the Savior. What trees am I willing to climb in my life. Am I willing to go out on a limb and risk humiliation out of desire to "catch a better glimpse" of my Lord?
"we don't want this man to be our king"... but He became King."
One day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess, that He is Lord. Whether they accepted that in their daily choices/life or not.
v 41, 42 As Jesus came near Jerusalem, he saw the city and cried for it, saying, "I wish you knew today what would bring you peace."
We are reading our way through the bible one chapter per day. The idea behind my personal reading plan is to read through books chronologically, but not solely one book at a time. Thus on Monday we read from the books of the law, Tuesday the books of kings and judges, Wednesday the books of Jewish History, Thursday Books of Wisdom, Friday the Prophets, Saturday the Gospels and Sunday the Epistles. The next Monday we pick up at the chapter we left off in ancient history. You may think that this would be disjointed and would cause you to "lose your groove" but I have found the contrary to be true, the threads of promise, redemption and grace show up more clearly as I make my way slowly through these books in a parrallel fashion and when I pick up where I left off a week before I am reminded of things that stood out to me from last week's reading. Journaling is a big part of my processing scripture and fixing particular tidbits in my mind for the purpose of life application. I would love to have you join me!
Basic Reading Plan
Mon (Law): Genesis-Joshua
Tues (Rulers): Judges-Chronicles
Wed (History): Ezra-Psalms
Thurs (Wisdom): Prov-Jer
Fri (Prophets): Lam-Malachi
Sat (Gospels): Matthew-Acts
Sun (Epistles) Romans-Revelation.
The theme I have given each section is general. Joshua is not a book of the law and Psalms is not a book of history. The main chunk of reading in each section is, however, suitably classified as the theme it is under. In order to make the sections even out to have the same general number of books/chapters, this was the closest I could come. Otherwise one would be reading through certain sections (like the Law) for instance, much more often than the wisdom books, etc.
(Fellowship is) an expression of both love and humility. [It] springs from a desire to bring benefit to others, coupled with a sense of personal weakness and need. It has a double motive – the wish to help, and to be helped; to edify, and to be edified. It has a double aim – to do, and to receive, good. It is a seeking by Christian people to know God better through sharing with each other what, individually, they have learned of Him already. J.I. Packer.
A few introductory words of encouragement....
Think of your time feeding on God's Word as a vital aspect of your health and wellness. You wouldn't go a week without brushing your teeth, or eating physical food, don't treat the nourishing of your soul by the Word of God with any less care.
Don't cram multiple chapters if you fall behind of plan, but *do* "back-read" if you have the passion and earnest desire to do so. My habit if I miss a chapter is usually to leave it until that book comes up again the next week (based on my own reading plan) and then read two consecutive chapters rather than the one I am scheduled to read.
Don't be legalistic about the when and how. If you don't get a quiet time in the morning, THAT'S OKAY. Find a moment in the afternoon to grab a drink, sit down and put your feet up, and soak up a chapter. And if that doesn't happen, THAT'S OKAY. Take 15-20 minutes at the end of the day to plump some pillows up in your bed and soak it up before you go to sleep. And if that doesn't happen, IT'S OKAY. Tomorrow is a new day. Don't let the enemy discourage you from spending time in the word TODAY because you didn't YESTERDAY. That's just dumb. Did you get that? DUMB.
If you don't have time to read, meditate. Allow God to bring a passage of scripture to mind and allow yourself to listen. Take time to be quiet in your spirit. While you are washing dishes, folding laundry, vacuuming... cleaning bathrooms.
Spruce things up. Get yourself a PRETTY journal and jot down little things that stand out to you. Use your favourite mug or a pretty glass to pour your favourite drink. Sit in your favourite spot (this could change from day to day and depending on the time of day you read. A sunny spot on the porch in the morning, a wing back chair and a blanket if it's chilly, a garden swing in the shade on a hot afternoon, or plumped up in bed with soft lamplight in the evening. Again, don't be legalistic about the location, pick a happy spot that fits the moment/opportunity.) Oh, and DON'T wait for the pretty journal. Plain lined notepaper or even a crumpled scrap paper will work just FINE until you get one....
Remember while you read, God's word is FOR YOU. yes, it was written to a particular audience in a particular time in history and for a particular reason. But it was also written with YOU in mind, TODAY in mind, and is designed to give you strength and wisdom for the journey.
Claim ONE part of the passage and take it to heart. Read through the chapter without too much introspection at first and see what part most stands out to you. Go back and look at that part more specifically and ask yourself what is in there for YOU?
Ask relevant questions. I usually look at a passage with 2 questions in mind. 1. What does this passage tell me about God's character? 2. What does this passage tell me about humanity (ie, ME, in relation to God? a final and very important question to ask is "What does this passage require of me on a practical level?" Write down one attitude, practice or truth you want you live out TODAY in light of what God has just revealed to you. This is how we take ownership of the Word of God and allow it to relate to us and shape us on a personal level.
Build yourself a monument. As I ponder a passages relevance to me I journal the thoughts that arise. Jotting them down somehow cements my convictions in my mind, almost like laying out stones in a monument so I can go back to that place later and be reminded. I also use those notes to come here and share my thoughts later with others.
Keep your actual quiet time concise. This will help make it more likely the habit will continue to happen on a regular basis. Better to spend 15 minutes in the word daily, than 1 hour once a week.
Don't require absolute "alone" and uninterrupted time (without kids around). If they are around, they can learn to not interrupt you for 15 minutes, just like you spend time with other people when they are around, you can spend time with the Lord with them around too.
Think of God’s Word as a love letter to you. When you read stories of God’s wrath in the Old Testament, think about WHAT love paid the price for all that wrath and how a hand that once smote anyone who dared touch the ark of His covenant now beckons YOU to draw near to the throne of grace. Read everything in light of who God is and how much He loves mankind that in spite of our being so deprived, His love story reaches out, encompasses us, washes us clean, and seeks to draw us near.
May you seek Him, may He be found by you, and may you be blessed on the journey.
16 comments:
Lord, may I trust you so steadfastly as Joshua did... That when I ask each day to be used by You, I will not question your tactics or methods, just rest in the knowledge of Your sovreignty and good purposes, and obey swiftly.
>> I will not question your tactics or methods, just rest in the knowledge of Your sovreignty and good purposes, and obey swiftly.<<
AMEN!
Thanks for getting the weekly post up for me this week, loved coming here this morning and seeing it up and being put to good use already :)
mmmm... thoroughly enjoyed this chapter this morning. "But as for us, the Lord is our God; we have not left Him." v10 "God Himself is with us as our ruler." v12
I love how they outlined their faithfulness to God and how God proved His faithfulness to them in the face of a powerful but corrupt enemy.
Abijah outlined how they had not forsaken the letter of the law, or the spirit of the law, devoting themselves to God and His Lordship in the morning, in the evening and at all occasions that He had ordained. That is faithfulness. Give me a faithful heart, Lord. That seeks you at dawn, and turns to you at dusk, and keeps tabs with you every turn of the way. Give me victory over the enemy who taunts and seeks to trap me, and let me re-route Him through the power of your Spirit so that I can walk triumphantly.
It seems like maybe Abijah was all just talk- resting on the good that his ancestors had done, letting his people honor the Lord and not giving his own heart and purposes to the Lord. He appears to be trusting that God will keep His promises to Judah, despite the fact that He did not take down the high places and asherah poles, and he followed the ways of his father Rehoboam.
God did indeed protect the people of Judah and prove His faithfulness. It was mighty gutsy (read: stupid?!) of Jeroboam to march around lugging golden shrines with them, and appointing their own priests despite the rigid instructions God gave for selecting priests.
Prayer today: Psalm 139:23-24
Your comment made me look into other passages that reference Abijah because I totally didn't get that impression of him from this chapter. 1 Kings 15 definitely shines more light on this aspect of his character, you are spot on! Impressions can be deceiving, no? :)
"Lord my God, what have I done? Have my hands done something wrong? Have I done wrong to my friend...?" psalm 7:3
God... you know our thoughts and feelings." v9
"God protects me like a shield; He saves those who do what is right." v10
These words were retrospectively comforting to me today. Reminding me that in the storm, when we cry out to God, He knows, He hears, He cares and He intervenes.
This isn't really a devotional thought, but verse 14 struck me as being great writing from a literary point of view:
Whoever is pregnant with evil
conceives trouble and gives birth to disillusionment.
Doesn't that just say so much in a few words?
that is a really great sentence from a literary and a spiritual viewpoint!
Isaiah 11:9b "Because the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the sea is full of water."
Goosebumps and sigh. I can't wait to know Him like that.
"v13 Israel will not be jealous of Judah and Judah will not hate Israel."
So nice to read after the passage on Tuesday.
I agree -- the earth... full of the knowledge of the Lord... Then everything will be the way He wanted it in the first place. I liked vs. 6:The wolf will live with the lamb,
and the leopard will lie down
with the young goat;
the calf and the young lion
will feed[c] together,
and a little child will lead them.
Again, great literature. What a beautiful word picture of real peace.
And yet,in verse 14, they are still fighting and plundering. I thought that was all supposed to be over and the whole earth was to be at peace.
would it make sense that verse 14 is actually taking place prior to the verses on fulfilled peace earlier in the chapter? That it's a "means" to get to that peace? So in order for all this to be fulfilled Israel has to be gathered from the nations, the nations that have opposed them will be put down and peace will "then" reign? So it's not really chronological the way it is written?
I get goosebumps too... the first part of the chapter seems to be talking about Jesus' initial 'visit' to earth, then jumps to the final time? Sounds fabulous and scary all at the same time. Imagining Him gathering the remnant (I remember talking with you about this, Nic)is an amazing visual.
I'm caught up with God's differentiation between Himself and man- holy vs. unholy- and also the thoughts of God changing his heart, His compassion being aroused due to His great love for His people. At first I was thinking that it was the people who had swayed Him, maybe that they had done something that inspired God to changed His mind. After a bit of thought though, it seems that it may have been God strengthening His commitment, maybe reminding Himself of His own purposes and deep love for those He had created, despite their ignorance and sinful hearts.
Hosea 11, what a beautiful, beautiful chapter. I agree with your conclusions, Chris. "If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is." 2 Tim 2:13
I can't read the book of Hosea without images from Francine Rivers book "Redeeming Love" flooding through my head. A love that never gives up, despite our harlotry and idolatry. A love that never fails. What a loving God we serve.
yes- Redeeming Love is a story that sticks with me when I read Hosea- an unrelenting, un-understandable, desperate-pursuing of love.
Think of a rich, classy businessman you know, climbing a tree to get a glimpse of the Savior. What trees am I willing to climb in my life. Am I willing to go out on a limb and risk humiliation out of desire to "catch a better glimpse" of my Lord?
"we don't want this man to be our king"... but He became King."
One day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess, that He is Lord. Whether they accepted that in their daily choices/life or not.
v 41, 42 As Jesus came near Jerusalem, he saw the city and cried for it, saying, "I wish you knew today what would bring you peace."
Heartbreaking.
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