Why it Matters - Worthiness

Readings for today: Hosea 6-9

I attended a Bible study when I first became a Christian at a local church. The leader challenged us with a powerful question that I’ve never stopped thinking about. Would you love God if you didn’t receive anything from Him? Would you seek God if He had never promised you a thing? Would you follow God if there was no guarantee of reward? Basically, his argument was that God is worthy of our worship and devotion and love simply because He’s God. Nothing more. Nothing less. Nothing else.

Sadly, God’s people treated their relationship with God like a transaction. They loved God but only for the benefits. They obeyed God but only if there was a reward. “Come on! Let’s return to the Lord!” But only if He heals us and bandages our wounds. “Let us acknowledge Him!” But only if He restores and allows us Into His presence. “Let us seek the Lord!” But only if He comes to our rescue. This kind of repentance is superficial at best and false at worst and it elicits God’s contempt and judgment. “What am I going to do with you, O Ephraim? What am I going to do with you, O Judah? For your faithfulness is as fleeting as the morning mist; it disappears as quickly as dawn’s dew.” (Hosea 6:4 NET)

If we aren’t careful, we can make the same mistake. We can treat our relationship with God like a transaction. I can’t tell you the number of times I talk to people about Christ only to have them respond with something like, “I will believe in God but only if He will do this or that for me.” “I will follow God but only if He fulfills this or that desire for me.” “I will worship God but only if He blesses me.” This kind of conditional, transactional approach to faith is not faith at all. It is contractual not covenantal. It diminishes God by treating Him as if we are somehow His equal. God is God. He is worthy of our worship simply because He is. Does He bless us? Thankfully, yes. Does He fulfill His promises to us? Absolutely. Is He a good Father who gives good things to His children? Without a doubt. But these are gifts of grace not anything we deserve or earn through our own effort.

Readings for tomorrow: Hosea 10-14

Why it Matters - Divine Paradox

Readings for today: Hosea 1-5

God’s ways are higher than our ways. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. His logic transcends our ability to comprehend or understand. The complex, paradoxical ideas that cause us tension or seem impossible for us are not impossible for Him. God’s relationship with Israel is a prime example.

Hosea is called to be a prophet. A man who represents God’s will to God’s people not just by the words he speaks but by the way he lives his life. God calls Hosea to make his life a living sacrifice. To marry a prostitute. To have illegitimate children through her. To name them Jezreel, Lo-Ruhamah, and Lo-Ammi, signaling the judgment and justice of God. It can’t have been easy. It must have looked and felt hopeless. And yet, God is quick to remind Hosea, judgment will not be the final word. Not in his life and not for Israel. “However, in the future the number of the people of Israel will be like the sand of the sea which can be neither measured nor numbered. Although it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it will be said to them, “You are children of the Living God.” Then the people of Judah and the people of Israel will be gathered together. They will appoint for themselves one leader, and will flourish in the land. Certainly, the day of Jezreel will be great!” (Hosea 1:10-11 NET)

I don’t know about you but I have found this same dynamic to be true in my own life. There are so many moments when I am convinced God must be at the end of His patience. I make the same mistakes over and over again and seem so susceptible to the same temptations and sins. And yet, though God is quick to convict and discipline me as His child, He is also quick to remind me of His unconditional love and grace. God’s justice demands my punishment. God’s grace offers me forgiveness. Somehow, in some way, both of these are true and operative at the same time. It’s not an either/or but a both/and with Christ standing in the middle of it all, holding it all together.

Readings for tomorrow: Hosea 6-9

Why it Matters - Double Standard

Readings for today: Amos 1-5

It’s one thing to commit a crime. it’s another to transgress God’s covenant. For “three crimes - make it four” - the nations surrounding Israel and Judah are judged. Their crimes include violence and murder. Enslaving others and desecrating the dead. Failure to honor treaties and invading their neighbors territory. But the people of Israel and Judah are judged according to a different, higher standard. “For three covenant transgressions - make that four.” Covenant transgressions are violations of the sacred order. The rejection of God’s law. The worship of false gods. The practice of injustice. Why the double standard? Because God has set apart His people for Himself. He chose them out of all the nations of the earth. They are called to represent God’s nature and character to the world around them. Their failure to do so reflects poorly on God and they are judged accordingly.

This double standard remains in force today. God’s people are still called to reflect God’s nature and character and live for His glory. We are called to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. We are called to love our neighbor as ourselves. We are called to love even our enemies. In this way, we reflect the heart of God for the world. The love God Himself demonstrated for us while we were still sinners. And we invite those who do not yet know Him to enter into a covenant relationship with Him. When we fail to live up to this calling, we invite the Lord’s judgment into our lives. The Lord disciplines those He loves. Israel. Judah. Christians. He disciplines us not in anger but in patience, persevering with us even in our sin so that we might become more like Him. This is what God has always wanted for His people which is why He always reveals His plan to His prophets (Amos 3:7 NET) and why He always gives us an opportunity to repent (Amos 5:6 NET).

At the end of the day, God’s vision for the world is for “justice to flow like torrents of water, righteous actions like a stream that never dries up.” (Amos 5:24 NET)

Readings for tomorrow: Amos 6-9

Why it Matters - God’s Sovereignty

Readings for today: Jonah 1-4

God works all things to the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. God works and to will in us according to His good pleasure. God’s works are accomplished from the foundations of the world. We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for the good works God prepared beforehand that we might do them. God does great and unsearchable things and wonderful things without number. Whatever God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing can be taken from it. God’s works are characterized by faithfulness and justice; all His decrees are reliable. God does amazing things that will be remembered; the Lord is merciful and compassionate.

The above are just a few of the hundreds of verses I could cite in defense of God’s sovereignty. The Bible is clear. God has a plan. It was set forth in eternity. It is just and righteous and good. It is deep and unfathomable to the human creature but it is reliable and will come to pass. Nothing will be added to it. Nothing will be taken from it. It is amazing in its mercy and compassion. This is the lesson Jonah needed to learn. He needed to learn how to love his enemies. Whether they be pagan, Gentile sailors headed for Tarshish or the dreaded enemies of his own people, the Assyrians in Nineveh. We don’t know if Jonah ever learns this lesson. All indications from the book are that he did not but the book never gets to the rest of the story. We don’t know where Jonah went from here. We don’t know if he returned to Israel or if he stayed in Nineveh. We don’t know if he ever received another commission from the Lord. All we know is he never embraces God’s commands and God still uses his disobedience to bring about His perfect will. Jonah runs from God’s commission to Tarshish and God uses his disobedience to bring the sailors on the ship to faith. “The men feared the Lord greatly, and earnestly vowed to offer lavish sacrifices to the Lord.” (Jonah‬ ‭1‬:‭16‬ ‭NET‬‬) After his encounter with the great fish, Jonah runs from God’s commission a second time. Yes, he goes to Nineveh and preaches but he does so out of anger and with the hope of judgment. He even parks himself east of the city to get a front row seat to its destruction. God had other plans. “The people of Nineveh believed in God, and they declared a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them…”Every person and animal must put on sackcloth and must cry earnestly to God, and everyone must turn from their evil way of living and from the violence that they do. Who knows? Perhaps God might be willing to change his mind and relent and turn from his fierce anger so that we might not die.” When God saw their actions – they turned from their evil way of living! – God relented concerning the judgment he had threatened them with and he did not destroy them.” (Jonah‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬, ‭8‬-‭10‬ ‭NET‬‬) It’s one of the most powerful examples of repentance and revival in all the Bible. `

What point is God making? To Jonah? To us? He is sovereign. He will bring about His will no matter what. His plan doesn’t depend on our obedience nor is it in any way constrained or derailed by our disobedience. God will work with us and He will work in spite of us but make no mistake, His will WILL be done on earth as it is in heaven. Since God has made it clear that this is the case, why not turn and embrace Him? Why not join Him rather than resist Him? Why not obey Him rather than run from Him? After all, the only “work” God requires from us is faith. “This is the deed God requires - to believe in the One whom He sent.” (John 6:29 NET)

Readings for tomorrow: No devotionals on Sundays

Why it Matters - Stubbornness

Readings for today: 2 Kings 14-15, 2 Chronicles 25-27

Human beings are stubborn. We all have a rebellious streak. We fall into patterns of thinking and behaving that are hard to break. We have an innate ability to justify and rationalize our sinful, selfish decisions. It’s why one of the first words we learn is “no.” It’s why teenagers are often at war with their parents. It’s why adults make so many self-destructive choices. We don’t listen well. We don’t learn from our mistakes. We struggle to submit and surrender. Obedience is not in our DNA. Humility doesn’t come naturally.

Consider what we’ve been reading from the histories of the kings of Israel and Judah. How many times do we read the refrain, “He did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not repudiate the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who encouraged Israel to sin.” (2 Kings 14:24 NET) 19 kings. 9 different dynasties. Over two hundred years. All repeating the same mistake. Worshipping the idols Jeroboam first set up at Dan and Bethel. The southern kings weren’t much different. How many times do we read the refrain, “But the high places were not eliminated; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense on the high places.” (2 Kings 14:4 NET) For almost 350 years, the southern kingdom struggled with this particular sin. Though they had the Temple and the Levitical priesthood, they didn’t remain faithful. Yes, there were periods of significant reform where the high places were removed but sadly, those were largely anomalies. The bottom line is God’s people failed over and over again to remain faithful to the covenant God made with them thus demonstrating their need for a Messiah.

We are no different. The Bible says we are “conceived in sin and born in iniquity.” The idea that we are born “innocent” is a purely modern conception that has no basis in reality. We are selfish. Stubbornly so. It’s why virtues like selflessness and generosity and kindness must be taught. They are not innate to the human condition. It’s why unconditional love and grace and forgiveness and reconciliation are so difficult for us. We perceive these things as “threats” because of what they cost us. It’s much easier to label people as “toxic” and cut them off. It’s much easier to dehumanize those who oppose us or disagree with us rather than treat them with the dignity they deserve. It’s much easier for us to serve ourselves rather than those around us. But God knows where our natural tendencies lead us…pain, heartbreak, division, anger, hate, even violence. And He knows we aren’t able to produce any enduring virtues on our own. So He sends us His Son. And His Son sends us His Spirit. And His Spirit transforms us from the inside out. Giving us a new heart and a new spirit and producing in us the fruit of righteousness.

Readings for tomorrow: Jonah 1-4

Why it Matters - Mentors

Readings for today: 2 Kings 12-13, 2 Chronicles 24

I have been extremely blessed to have godly mentors in my life. Don Bachman. Berk Sterling. Sam and Fran Atchison. Daisy Grimes. Steve Hayner. Tom Melton. Bud Sparling. Randy MacFarland. David Schultz. Each of these men and women played or plays a critical role in my spiritual development. They pray for me. They process with me. They encourage me. They confront me. They hold me accountable. In a very real way, I am the man I am today because of their influence. And that influence ripples out into my marriage, my parenting, and my pastoring. I cannot imagine my life without their influence. And though God has called some of them home, their influence lives on in my life.

Jehoash (or Joash) also benefited from a godly mentor. “Throughout his lifetime Jehoash did what the Lord approved, just as Jehoiada the priest taught him.” (2 Kings 12:2 NET) Jehoash ascended the throne at a very young age. He survived the massacre of his family and was raised in the temple courts for six years. There he came under the care of Jehoiada. Jehoiada taught him to love the Lord. Taught him to serve the Lord. Taught him to honor the Lord. The result? Jehoash is counted among the more godly kings of Judah. He repaired the Temple. He restored the worship of the people of Israel. Sadly, after the death of his mentor, Jehoash turned from the ways of the Lord. He pandered to the politicians. He ignored the prophets. He even killed his mentor’s son. His kingdom descended into chaos. The Syrians defeated him in battle and he was murdered in his bed. Jehoash’s life demonstrates the power of a godly mentor and what can happen when we don’t have one.

The Christian life is both caught and taught. It is handed down from one generation to the next. It’s why the Apostle Paul encourages older men to spend time with younger men and older women with younger women. He knows the power of a mentor. He himself was blessed with godly mentor named Barnabas and he became a godly mentor to a young man named Timothy. Do you have a mentor in your life? Someone who is teaching you and modeling for you what it means to follow Jesus? Are you a mentor? Are you passing on what God has done for you and all God has taught you to the next generation?

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Kings 14-15, 2 Chronicles 25-27

Why it Matters - You

Readings for today: 2 Kings 9-11, 2 Chronicles 22:10-12, 23

“I have designated you…” “I have chosen you…” “I have called you…” Over and over again, throughout the Scriptures, God makes it clear that the primary instrument of His will is the human being. The creature made in His image. The creature to whom was given the mandate to “be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and exercise dominion over all God had made.” God never wavers from this commitment. It’s why we see Him coming back to humanity time and again to renew His covenant. Noah and his family. Abraham and Sarah. Isaac and Rebekah. Jacob and Leah and Rachel. Joseph. Moses. Joshua. Gideon. Deborah. Samuel. David. To name a few. Many of them are instruments of His grace and mercy and love. Many of them are instruments of His righteous judgment and wrath. Many of them are both. Jehu stands in the long line of those called by God for a particular purpose. He is to execute God’s judgment on the family of Ahab. The sins of this particular family have been piling up and the bill has now come due. Just as God promised.

Jehu is a terrifying figure in Scripture. A man of war. A man accustomed to violence. A man capable of terrible brutality. His commitment to destroy the family of Ahab and the Baal religion is total and absolute. He starts with the two kings of Israel and Judah and works his way down to Jezebel and Ahab’s sons. He calls every prophet and priest of Baal to attend to him and then slaughters them in the very temple where they worship. Finally, he goes after Ahab’s supporters. His nobles and close friends. He offers no mercy. No quarter is given. No one escapes. The destruction is so complete that the people of Samaria begin to use the former site of Baal’s temple as a latrine. This kind of holy war is deeply unsettling to a 21st century reader and yet it foreshadows the final judgment of God. It’s a sobering reminder that when God truly does intervene in our world to put an end to evil and sin, the destruction will be complete. At that moment, for those who have not yet bowed the knee to Jesus Christ, no mercy will be offered. No quarter will be given. No one will escape.

Thankfully, God is patient, not wishing any to perish in the final judgment. It’s why He delays His 2nd coming. He wants to see everyone be saved and come to a knowledge of His truth. And it’s why He calls His church - you and me and all those who follow Jesus - to share the gospel. We are God’s chosen instruments. Set apart for His great Kingdom work. He has designated us to accomplish His purposes in our world. If you are reading this devotional today and do not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, I plead with you with all my heart to make that commitment today. And if you are reading this devotional and have given your life to Christ, I plead with you with all my heart to make Him known to those around you today! Don’t wait! Don’t delay! We do not know the time or the hour Jesus will return and we want everyone to be ready to meet Him with open arms.

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Kings 12-13, 2 Chronicles 24

Why it Matters - Generational Sin

Readings for today: 2 Kings 8:16-29, 2 Chronicles 21, 22:1-9

All of us leave a legacy. Some godly. Some good. Some bad. Some truly evil. And the ripple effect on future generations is real. Ahab was a terrible king for all kinds of reasons. He broke just about every one of the Ten Commandments. He chose to worship Baal rather than Yahweh. He made graven images. He took the Lord’s name in vain. He lied. He coveted. He murdered. He stole. He treated sin flippantly and did more to arouse the anger of the Lord than any of the kings who came before him. His wife Jezebel was at least his equal in unrighteousness. She partnered with him in all of his crimes. She sought the death of Elijah, Israel’s greatest prophet. Together, they did more to lead Israel astray than any other king in her history.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to us when their influence exerts itself generationally over their descendants. Jehoram, king of Judah, came under their sway by marrying their daughter. As such, he chose to walk away from his own father’s example of faithfulness and instead “walk in the ways of the kings of Israel.” The result is predictable. The same things that happen to Israel begin to happen in Judah. War breaks out on their borders. Tribes like Edom successfully revolt and set up kingdoms of their own. Pagan shrines known as “high places” are re-established throughout the hill country. God’s people begin to worship other gods. After Jehoram (or Joram) dies, his son Ahaziah follows his ungodly legacy. He even makes a strategic alliance with the house of Ahab against Syria that ends in great tragedy. The house of Ahaziah comes to an end. Jehoram, Ahaziah’s father, dies “to no one’s regret.”

It’s a sobering reminder to us all. Generational sin is real. The sins of the fathers and mothers are often passed down to the children. Sin that goes unaddressed in our lives is often repeated by those who follow us. We exert a shaping influence for good or for evil on those around us, especially those in our own homes. How often have I seen my own weaknesses and struggles reflected in my children? How often have I seen my doubts and fears reproduced in the people I serve? How often have my own sinful tendencies come back to haunt me? Thankfully, God is faithful. As I humble myself and repent before Him, He is faithful to forgive and He is faithful to make my life a living demonstration of the gospel. Through my brokenness, His surpassing grace and power makes itself known and this too ripples out across the generations. So it comes down to this…what kind of legacy do I want to pass on? And what I am doing today to build that legacy?

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Kings 9-11, 2 Chronicles 22:10-12, 23

Why it Matters - God Makes Himself Known

Readings for today: 2 Kings 5-7, 8:1-15

The story of Naaman has always resonated with me. Maybe because I’ve met many modern day Naaman’s myself. I have met witch doctors and tribal leaders who were utterly devoted to their pagan gods but who contracted a disease or suffered a loss and through a miraculous series of events, turned to faith in Jesus Christ. it could be through a dream or a vision. A miraculous healing or resurrection. A sudden turn of fortune like rain during a drought or an overwhelming harvest. God uses a variety of ways to make Himself known. Some are natural. Some are supernatural. It’s less about the means and more about the ends as Naaman himself discovered. Yes, there were plenty of rivers for him to bathe in back in Syria but that wasn’t really the point. The point is by bathing in the Jordan, he is exercising faith in the God of Israel rather than the gods of his own country. The same is true when God delivers Israel from the armies of Syria. One time He strikes them blind. Another time He causes them to hear the sounds many chariots and horses. Again, the means don’t matter. What matters is God is making Himself known to His people.

I think about my own life. I think about the many ways God has revealed Himself to me. Sometimes through pain and hardship. Sometimes through joy and success. Sometimes through ordinary means. Sometimes through extraordinary means. I have experienced God’s deliverance personally. He delivered me from sin and death through the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit when I was in college. He delivered me from the foolish choices I made as a husband and father through Christian counseling. He delivered me from professional mistakes through different godly friends and mentors. He delivered me from fear and anxiety by performing many signs and wonders in the church I love and serve. Sometimes I find myself questioning God’s means like Naaman. Sometimes I fail to appreciate God’s means like the Israelite king Elisha was dealing with. Sadly, I sometimes I even try to take advantage of God’s means to serve myself but God is always faithful. Faithful to confront. Faithful to convict. Faithful to forgive my unbelief.

God wants to make Himself known. This is the main theme running throughout the Bible. He makes Himself known to individuals. He makes Himself known to the nations. And He is still making Himself known today. How is He making Himself known to you? How is He making Himself known through you?

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Kings 8:16-29, 2 Chronicles 21, 22:1-9

Why it Matters - Jealousy

Readings for today; 1 Kings 13-14, 2 Chronicles 11-12

Throughout the Bible, an important question is consistently raised. Who do I serve? Do I serve God or do I serve myself? Do I serve God or do I serve man? Adam and Eve faced this question in the Garden. Will I serve God or will I seek to become like Him? Joshua challenged the people of Israel with this question as they stood on the cusp of the Promised Land. Choose this day whom you will serve. Either the Lord or the gods beyond the River. The kings of Israel were consistently challenged by this question. Would they serve God or their own self-interest? Would they remain faithful to God or would they serve the gods of the nations around them? Tragically, they far too often chose the latter.

Today’s reading introduces an important concept. Something we need to know and understand about God. He is jealous. Jealous for His name. Jealous for His glory. Jealous for the worship He righteously demands and rightfully deserves. Unlike human jealousy which is often rooted in pride and power and the need to control others, God’s jealousy is righteous and good. It is grounded in His holiness. It is reflected in His unique and perfect character. God is god and there is no other. He will not share His throne with any other. Be they gods or human beings. So when Israel seeks to live like the other nations, worshipping the false gods of the other nations, refusing to give God the glory He is due; He gives them over to those nations so they will learn the foolishness of their ways. “Yet they will become his subjects, so they can experience how serving Me differs from serving the surrounding nations.” (2 Chronicles‬ ‭12‬:‭8‬ ‭NET‬‬) God refuses to honor a divided heart. He refuses to bless divided loyalties. He lays claim over every square inch of creation and every square inch of every human heart. He will not settle for anything less.

Who do you serve? It’s a question worth pondering in your own life. What drives you? What motivates you? What gets you up in the morning? What gives you nightmares and wakes you up at night? Is it the Lord? Is everything you say and do submitted to Him? Do you find yourself seeking Him? Longing to serve Him and honor Him with your life? Or is God more of an afterthought? Peripheral to the everyday pursuits of your life? We are what we worship. Who we worship is the most important thing about us. it shapes and forms and fashions us and ultimately determines the direction of our lives.

Readings for tomorrow: No devotionals on Sundays

Why it Matters - Listening

Readings for today: 1 Kings 12, 2 Chronicles 10

Listening is a lost art. A skill we no longer seem to possess. Whether you’re talking about spouses in a marriage, parents and children, supervisors and employees, different political parties, or church leaders in a denomination. All of us struggle to listen. Listening is different than simply hearing the words another person speaks. Listening involves seeking to understand. To place oneself in the other person’s shoes. To try to see things from their point of view. To sympathize with their concerns. It’s a skill I often have to teach couples and families in counseling. Similarly, I’ve found myself trying to help colleagues learn to listen as we navigate challenging discussions in our denomination. I honestly don’t know how successful I’ve been. Listening is hard work.

Among the many reasons for the split in the kingdom of Israel was Rehoboam’s failure to listen. He refused to listen to the concerns of his people. He refused to listen to the wisdom of the elders. He and his friends thought his power was absolute and he therefore could ignore the very real concerns everyone raised about the forced labor his father employed. After the kingdom splits, Jeroboam also fails to listen. He refuses to listen to God and creates an entire new religious system for the northern kingdom complete with golden calves, new shrines in Dan and Bethel, new religious festivals, and an entire new class of priests. This unwillingness to listen to God lays the groundwork for the end of his dynasty and becomes an ongoing problem for the northern kingdom.

Are you a good listener? An active listener? Do you not just listen to the words others say but the heart behind them? Do you seek to understand? Put yourself in the other party’s shoes? See things from their perspective? It could be God. It could be your spouse. A child. A parent. A friend. A colleague. How can you begin practicing the art of listening today?

Readings for tomorrow: 1 Kings 13-14, 2 Chronicles 11-12

Why it Matters - Syncretism

Readings for today: 1 Kings 10-11, 2 Chronicles 9, Proverbs 30-31

Syncretism is an ever-present danger. It is so tempting for us to merge our different belief systems or religious faith or socio-cultural understandings. We struggle remain faithful. Struggle to keep God first. Struggle to worship the Lord alone. We have all kinds of reasons. It could be fear. It could be expediency. It could be a desire for superficial unity. But the bottom line is we compromise. We settle. We accommodate and in so doing, we lose our distinctiveness. We lose our uniqueness. We lose our moral and spiritual center.

This is what happened to Solomon. He started so well. He was so humble. So faithful. So devoted. But as time went on, it seems like his fame went to his head. His desire to maintain peace caused him to sin. Instead of keeping the first commandment to worship God and Him alone, he builds shrines to false gods. The gods of the nations around him. The gods of the different kings he was making alliances with. Sure, he may have had all kinds of reasons. Some of those may even seem logical and rational. But these false gods led him astray. The results are devastating. For him. For his family. For his nation.

We live in a world full of all kinds of influences. Most of which are not good. Even evil. To allow such influences in our lives is to run the risk of syncretism. Worshipping the Lord but also worshipping other gods. The gods of pride, money, success, reputation, power, influence, you name it. Jesus is clear. The greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength. All not part. Giving our full devotion to Him alone.

Readings for tomorrow: 1 Kings 12, 2 Chronicles 10

Why it Matters - Remembering God

Readings for today: Ecclesiastes 7-12

Remember your Creator. This is the advice of the Teacher in the final chapter of Ecclesiastes. He recognizes - probably from his own life - our very human tendency to forget God in the midst of life. We forget Him when we are young. We forget Him when the sun is shining and times are good. We forget Him when we are strong and able. We forget Him when we are full of life and energy and without a care in the world. We forget Him when all kinds of opportunities are coming our way. We forget Him when we are at the height of our success and influence and wealth and power. And lest we think we are immune to this temptation, we need to remind ourselves Solomon was all these things and more.

The key is to fear God and obey His commands. But that’s easier said than done as well. Fearing God doesn’t come naturally to us. It must be trained if it is to be ingrained. It comes as a result of time spent every day with our Creator. It requires a weekly gathering with God’s people to reorient the self-centered desires of our hearts. It comes through intentionality as we allow others into our lives and share transparently with them so they can hold us accountable. These are the formational practices Christians have employed for centuries in some form or another in order to “remember their Creator.”

Furthermore, obeying God’s commands takes daily practice. We must meditate on His Word day and night so we know what He expects from us. We must memorize His commands so we can take them to heart. We must hide His Word in our hearts if we are to resist sin and take our stand against the evil one. After all, we cannot obey God’s commands if we do not know them. And we cannot know God’s commands unless we commit ourselves to studying them. So many people claim to know Christ but they have no idea how to follow Him. They claim to love Christ but seemingly have no interest in obeying Him. It must break God’s heart to see His children pursue a way of life apart from Him. Imagine the impact we could have on the world if we would remember God when we are strong and young and energetic and excited? Imagine what would happen if we would give God the firstfruits of our lives rather than the leftovers after we have primarily served ourselves? Imagine how different our lives would be if we gave God the best years of our life? We don’t have to imagine. We simply have to start right where we find ourselves today.

Readings for tomorrow: 1 Kings 10-11, 2 Chronicles 9, Proverbs 30-31

Why it Matters - Satisfaction

Readings for today: Ecclesiastes 1-6

Satisfaction is the key to freedom. Contentment is the key to peace. Those who spend their days always looking for more will never have enough. This is true on many levels. Wealth. Possessions. Success. Accolades. Position. Power. As soon as we reach a particular level, we start looking at the level above us. Several years ago, I ran across some research that sought to define what it meant to be rich. The research was based on polling data in the United States. By and large, when people were asked what it meant to be rich, they typically would define it as somewhere in the neighborhood of making twice as much money as they did at the time. If they could just double their salary, then they would be rich. This measure seemed to hold true all the way up to those making around five million a year. Once you got to that threshold, then you would agree that you were already rich. The main takeaway from the article wasn’t the identification of a number at which point people could be declared “rich” as much as pointing out that most people tend to compare themselves to those who have more not less. They tend to look at what they don’t have rather than what they do have. They tend to focus on their lack rather than their abundance and it leads to dissatisfaction. I think this applies in many areas of life not just our finances.

In the book of Proverbs, Solomon writes, “As Death and Destruction are never satisfied, so the eyes of a person are never satisfied.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭27‬:‭20‬ ‭NET‬‬) Clearly, dissatisfaction is an issue that transcends culture. It’s not just something we struggle with here in 21st century America though the consumerism that is rampant in our culture surely doesn’t help. It’s something human beings have struggled with since the beginning. And just like death itself is never satisfied, so our eyes are always wandering. Always looking for more. Always wanting more. Always desiring more. I’ve been all around the world and I’ve seen this dynamic play out. It cuts across all economic and social classes. And it creates all kinds of problems in our world. The disparities between rich and poor. The powerful and the powerless. The “in” crowd and the “out” crowd. These inequalities lead to all kinds of conflict and even violence in some places. But even if one is able to overthrow a social order, it only gets replaced with one reinforcing the same dynamics. There’s not a single human system - political, social, or economic - that has ever solved this riddle.

So what’s the answer? Christ. Only Jesus can truly satisfy. Only Jesus can truly set us free from our sinful wants and desires. As we fix our eyes on Christ, we find ourselves desiring more of Him. And as we desire more of Him, the things of this world fade into the background. Their hold on us begins to diminish. As the old hymn says, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus and the things of this earth grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”

Readings for tomorrow: Ecclesiastes 7-12

Why it Matters - Righteous Impact

Readings for today: Proverbs 27-29

I am often asked why there is so much violence and suffering in the world. So much anger and hate. So much corruption and greed. So much injustice and oppression. My answer is always the same. Our world suffers from a lack of righteousness. What we are seeing and experiencing is the fruit of wickedness. It is the fruit of a way of life that leads to death. The fruit of a self-centered, self-absorbed society. A society obsessed with self-promotion and self-gratification. It is the seed of the original sin coming to full bloom. “You will be like god.” This was the original temptation and the human race continues to not only fall for it but actually embrace it with each succeeding generation.

Is there a way out of the mess we find ourselves in? Absolutely! But it requires us to embrace Christ. To believe in Jesus and obey His commands. It requires us to seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness rather than our own. I love how Solomon puts it in today’s reading. “When the righteous become numerous, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” (Proverbs 29:2 NET) Nothing could be more obvious and true. When a critical mass of good and righteous and godly people live in a community or a nation, that society is blessed. When a critical mass of selfish and greedy and corrupt and wicked people live in a community or a nation, that society is cursed. Certainly this ebbs and flows over time and no society is perfect. There is always work to do. Always evil and wickedness to root out. But when one looks throughout history and throughout the world today, one can see glimpses of what such a society can and should look like. William Wilberforce bringing an end to the transatlantic slave trade. Hutus and Tutsis reconciling in Rwanda. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations in 1948. The creation of public hospitals to serve the poor and sick throughout the Roman Empire by Basil of Caesarea. The fight for universal suffrage by people like Susan B. Anthony, MLK, and Sojourner Truth. All of these are examples of what happens when the righteous come together to advocate for change. And all of these are the fruit from the same root which is the Christian faith.

There is nothing Christians cannot accomplish if they band together to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Our problem is that we too often focus on the latter half of that verse. We want to make sure “all the rest will be added unto us.” So we fight and squabble among ourselves for power and privilege and wealth and influence. Meanwhile, the world around us continues to burn and the lost among us continue to lose hope and the least resourced among us continue to struggle. If only we could take our focus off ourselves and put it on Christ where it belongs. Fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, and do all we can to faithfully follow Him. Give all we have and offer all that we are in service to His Kingdom. Relinquish our will and our desires and our preferences and our desire for comfort so we might serve Him. What does it look like for you to prioritize God’s Kingdom and God’s righteousness in your life today?

Readings for tomorrow: Ecclesiastes 1-6

Why it Matters - Example

Readings for today: 1 Kings 9, 2 Chronicles 8, Proverbs 25-26

There is nothing more powerful than a godly example. Godly parents setting an example for their children. Godly grandparents setting an example for their grandchildren. Godly employers setting an example for their employees. Godly pastors setting an example for their churches. Godly political leaders setting an example for their people. We tend to admire godly people even if we don’t always agree with their beliefs. Their manner of life and humility and willingness to serve is applicable no matter if you are a person of faith or not. I think of the godly men and women I have known over the course of my life. They come from all different backgrounds and life experiences. Some of them were highly educated and some had little formal education. Some were very wealthy and some didn’t have much in the way of material resources. Different ethnicities. Different nationalities. Different languages. I have been blessed by a diversity of godly mentors and friends.

At the beginning of his reign, Solomon set a godly example for Israel. “Then Solomon offered burnt sacrifices to the Lord on the altar of the Lord which he had built in front of the temple’s porch. He observed the daily requirements for sacrifices that Moses had specified for Sabbaths, new moon festivals, and the three annual celebrations - the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Temporary Shelters.” (2 Chronicles 8:12-13 NET) He followed the prescribed way of life God had established for his people at Mt. Sinai and Israel flourished as a result. The Lord blessed them with great wealth and influence in the region. Most of all, the Lord gave them peace. Peace with their neighbors. Peace with their friends. Even peace with their historic enemies. This was the fulfillment of God’s promise to Solomon. “I have answered your prayer and your request for help that you made to Me. I have consecrated this temple you built by making it my permanent home; I will be constantly present there. You must serve with integrity and sincerity, just as your father David did. Do everything I commanded and obey my rules and regulations. Then I will allows your dynasty to rule over Israel permanently, just as I promised your father David, ‘You will not fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’” (1 Kings 9:3-5 NET)

Why is it so hard for us to follow God’s commands? Especially when He guarantees they are the path to an abundant life? Abundance in love. Abundance in joy. Abundance in peace. Abundance in friendships. Abundance in community. Abundance in resources. Abundance in success. This is not a “health and wealth gospel” nor is it “name it and claim it theology.” We cannot manipulate God, force His hand, put Him in our debt, or do anything else to make Him bend to our will and bless our selfishness and vain conceit. Rather, this is simply the reality of what it means to walk with open hands and an open heart before Him. As we walk in “integrity and sincerity” and authentically and passionately seek Him and His will for our lives, He blesses us. He honors those who honor Him.

Readings for tomorrow: No devotionals on Sundays

Why it Matters - Praise

Readings for today: Psalms 146-150

I didn’t sleep well last night. Too much on my mind. Too many things swirling around in my head. The significant conflict facing my denomination next week. The presentation I am making on the floor of the General Assembly and its potential to create even more anxiety in an already anxious meeting. The opportunities God is presenting to the church I serve which are many and varied and carry all kinds of potential but also risk. The opportunities God is presenting me as a leader in the different organizations I am currently serving. My oldest child moving back home with her partner and the wonderful opportunity we’ll have with all our kids in town to build great memories. Celebrating thirty years with my wife who is the greatest gift God has given me outside of His Son Jesus Christ. So much going on in my world right now! In addition, I think of all the needs I am aware of locally and around the world. The hard choices facing so many I love. The grief and pain they carry. The heartbreak and hopelessness. Every morning I wake up to texts, WhatsApp messages, and DM’s asking for prayer and it is a privilege to come alongside my brothers and sisters to intercede but it is often overwhelming.

What do I do when I feel overwhelmed? I praise. I turn to the Psalms like the ones we read this morning to remind myself to praise God for who He is and how He holds all of life - including my life - in His hands. The Psalmist faced all kinds of hardship in his own life. Life in ancient Israel was never easy. Even in the golden age of Solomon there were threats all around. But still the Psalmist praises God. Praise is a rehearsal of all God has done in our lives. It is a reminder of His great faithfulness to His people. His provision and protection of those He loves. When I praise, I find my attention directed heavenward. Above the cares and worries of this world. Above my anxieties and fears. Above the chaos and storms that may be raging all around me. Praise leads me to peace because I know God sits enthroned above it all. I know God is more than able to intervene on my behalf. I know God is good and He loves me and He will not shut His eyes to my pain or His ears to my cries. This is why praise is essential in the life of every Christian.

What would it look like for you to begin each day with praise? Praise for a new morning. Praise for new opportunities. Praise for new mercies. Praise for the breath you’ve been given. Praise for the life God has blessed you with. Praise for the many ways God has been faithful over the course of your life. Rehearsing these things to yourself on a daily basis is a rich spiritual discipline. One that guards and protects your heart against the corrupting influences of our world.

Readings for tomorrow: 1 Kings 9, 2 Chronicles 8, Proverbs 25-26

Why it Matters - God’s Steadfast Loyal Love

Readings for today: 2 Chronicles 4-7, Psalms 134, 136

Hesed. It’s the Hebrew word for God’s eternal, faithful love. It is the love that delivered Israel from all her enemies. The love that established Israel in the land. The love that put David and his son, Solomon, on the throne. The Temple was built to be the embodiment of God’s eternal, faithful love. It was built to remind Israel of this love. It was built as a celebration of this love. It’s why, once the Temple was complete and the glory of the Lord filled the Holy of Holies, the people cried out, “Certainly He is good; certainly His loyal love endures!” (2 Chronicles 7:3b NET) It’s why the Psalmist composes Psalm 136 as a song of praise for God’s faithful love. I know sometimes we don’t like to sing songs with choruses that repeat over and over again but this didn’t seem to bother the Psalmist! Not when the subject was God’s hesed - God’s eternal, steadfast, loyal, faithful love!

In the Hebrew, hesed conveys a deep sense of connection. A faithfulness that will never end. It is eternal. It is forever. Nothing can break it. Nothing can defeat it. Not even Israel’s sin. Yes, God promises that if the people of Israel turn away from Him He will judge them with righteousness and send them into exile but when they repent, His faithful love will always bring them back home. Restore them to their former place. Return them to the Land and renew the covenantal relationship He has with them. The faithful love of God is why we can always hold onto hope. No matter how dark things get. No matter how hard things get. No matter what life may throw at us. God’s love never ends. God’s love always holds. God’s love never fails. As the Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:7, “God’s love bears all things. Believes all things. Hopes all things. Endures all things. It never fails.”

So where do you find yourself today? What challenges did you wake up to this morning? What obstacles in your life are you working to overcome? What is the state of your heart? Are you following Christ or do you find yourself far from Him? Are you on the narrow road to salvation or have you taken a step off onto the wide path that leads to judgment? No matter where you find yourself, know that God loves you and is waiting for you to repent and turn back to Him. He is waiting to welcome you not with condemnation but with His eternal, faithful love.

Readings for tomorrow: Psalms 146-150

Why it Matters - Prayer

Readings for today: 1 Kings 7-8, Psalms 11

All Scripture is God-breathed. All Scripture is God’s Word. All Scripture carries divine weight and authority. However, I do believe there are some Scriptures worth coming back to time and again. Some Scriptures that are particularly useful and instructive for us as believers. The prayer of Solomon is one such Scripture. It is a powerful prayer combining themes of praise, petition, confession, mission, and hope for Israel’s future. It’s a model prayer worthy of emulation in our own lives. When I am struggling in prayer, I find myself coming back to Solomon’s words for inspiration and renewal. It keeps my prayers from becoming self-absorbed with anxiety and worry. It directs my attention upward and outward rather than purely inward. I commend to anyone seeking a deeper relationship with the Lord.

Solomon begins with praise. He praises God for His uniqueness. He praises God for His covenantal faithfulness. He praises God for His steadfast love in fulfilling His promises. God alone is worthy of our praise. He alone is worthy of all honor and glory. He deserves our full attention. He deserves our single-minded devotion. He alone is to be worshipped for He has created all things and He sustains all things and He upholds the universe by the word of His power. But He is not just transcendent. Not just a divine potentate. He is a loving Father who sits on the throne and who guards our lives and watches over us in love. This is why we praise Him.

Solomon continues with petition. He brings His requests before the Lord full of confidence. He knows God will deliver on His promises. He knows God is faithful. He is fully convinced God is able. There is nothing like petitioning God in full faith. Nothing like coming before the Lord with a confident heart, knowing we will find mercy and grace and help in our time of need. It may not come in the way we would expect. God may have greater plans than us. Different plans than us. But His lovingkindness never fails. His mercies are new every morning. And if we walk with open hands and an open heart before Him - as Solomon does - His promise is He will provide.

Solomon offers seven confessions and requests for forgiveness. He covers a range of topics. Everything from false accusations to military defeat to drought and famine to the general sins of God’s people as they turn from the Lord and go astray. The time will come. The time will come. The time will come. It’s a repeated refrain. An acknowledgement that God’s people are not perfect. They will fail and fall. They will need God’s forgiveness in the future. They will need God’s Spirit to move them to repentance. They will experience God’s discipline as He corrects them and draws them back to Himself. He calls on God to be just and righteous. He calls on God listen from heaven. He calls on God to forgive sin and heal their land.

Solomon turns the focus of his prayer outward in mission. He calls on God to recognize the foreigner who come seeking Him. Gentiles who are not part of God’s chosen people. Pagans who hear about God’s mighty deeds and God’s righteous reputation who will come to pray to Him. He calls on God to hear their prayers so that the nations of the earth will acknowledge His Lordship and turn to Him just as God’s people have turned to Him.

Finally, Solomon ends his prayer with hope. Hope is not wishful thinking. Hope is not blind faith. Solomon grounds His hope in God’s faithfulness. He asks God to continue to be attentive to His people, hear their prayers and cries for help, and respond to them. He grounds His hope in God’s election of Israel. God chose them out of all the nations of the earth to bear His great name, to be His special possession, His chosen race, and a royal priesthood. Solomon knows His hope will not be in vain because it rests on God’s promises.

What an incredible model for us to follow! I would encourage you to begin using this framework for prayer in your own life and see what happens. God is still faithful, friends! He still answers prayer! He is with you and He longs to have the same relationship with you that He did with Solomon.

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Chronicles 4-7, Psalms 134, 136

Why it Matters - Time and Place

Readings for today: 1 Kings 5-6, 2 Chronicles 2-3

History matters to God. Time and place matter to God. The covenantal relationship God has with His people maps out in real historical events. This is what separates Judaism and Christianity from other ahistorical, human religions. It’s what separates the truths of Judaism and Christianity from the myths of other religions. We can actually look back to a real timeline, connected to real historical events that happened in real historical places. Places we can visit to this day.

“In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites left Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, during the month of Ziv (the second month), Solomon began building the Lord’s Temple.” (1 Kings 6:1 NET) The Temple is not just another one of Solomon’s many building projects. It is a unique building, representing the fulfillment of God’s covenant promises to Israel. In the Book of Exodus, God hears the cries of His people. He delivers them from slavery. He leads them and provides for them in the wilderness. He gives them victory after victory in their conquest of the Promised Land. And now He gives them a secure and permanent sanctuary where they will worship Him. As such, the Temple represents something bigger than Solomon and his ascension to the throne, it represents the culmination of God’s saving acts throughout Israel’s history.

“Solomon began building the Lord’s Temple in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David. This was the place that David prepared at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.” (2 Chronicles 3:1 NET) Mount Moriah was not just a random spot chosen by Solomon. It was deeply connected to Israel’s history. It was here that the plague was stopped when David built an altar and offered sacrifices in the wake of his sin. God had sent the plague in judgment because David had sinfully called for a census but David repented and God showed mercy. Traditionally, Mount Moriah is also the place where Abraham took Isaac to sacrifice him but the angel of the Lord stayed his hand and provided a ram instead. These events associate the Temple with faith and obedience as well as repentance and sacrifice and it’s why Mount Moriah was the most appropriate place to build. God had chosen to reveal Himself on this very spot time and time again and would continue to do so into the future.

We cannot and should not overlook the times and places in our lives where God makes Himself known. God is a God who intervenes in human history because He is a God who desires to have a relationship with His people. The promise associated with the Temple is that this will be the location where God will place His name and fill with His presence in order to dwell with His people. Those same promises hold true for us today through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. Every believer in Christ has now become a living Temple, God making Himself known to us and through us for the sake of His glory.

Readings for tomorrow: 1 Kings 7-8, Psalms 11