QT 27 Jun 19, 2 Chron 25:1-3, There is a time for everything

2 Chronicles 25:1–3 (ESV) — 1 Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. 2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, yet not with a whole heart. 3 And as soon as the royal power was firmly his, he killed his servants who had struck down the king his father.

NOTE: I don't think the lack of a "whole heart" was related to the delay in justice against his servants who had killed the king. I do find it interesting that he waited until "the royal power was firmly his." Even though executing justice was the right thing to do--though one can debate whether a trial was performed or if the punishment was too strict given his Father's actions--he waited until taking action. In other words, there is a time for certain actions and there is a time to wait. This is a well-known worldly philosophy as well as one Solomon mentions in Ecclesiastes. The important point is that not only should we take action that is prudent but we must wisely execute those actions at the appropriate time. That does sound a little like "scheming," but I believe if it is done openly, with prayer, and with the right heart, it would be an acceptable course of action. There is one danger in taking this as an application. This particular piece of prose relates a historical event, not a teaching of scripture. And while the author provides moral commentary, it does not provide it for all actions. Therefore, one could not teach this concept, only point to it as an example of some other didactic portion of scripture.

PRAYER: Father, I pray for you to lead and guide me. Help me to only take actions consistent with your leading. I don't want to scheme.

QT 26 Jun 19, 2 Chron 24:24, I need God always

2 Chronicles 24:24 (ESV) — 24 Though the army of the Syrians had come with few men, the Lord delivered into their hand a very great army, because Judah had forsaken the Lord, the God of their fathers. Thus they executed judgment on Joash.

NOTE: It is natural to seek God when we are overwhelmed. When the crises are small, we tend to handle them on our own -- I'm not saying that is right, but that is how most people respond. What we don't realize is that when we are living in disobedience to the will of God, even the small crises will not be within our power to handle. We are not in control of the events of our lives, we only think we are. God is sovereign, and while he does not intervene as often as most people think he does, there is nothing that happens that has not been allowed by him. But if we seek him, he will bring good out of every situation (Rom 8:28). But be forewarned: what we think is good and what God knows is good are most often two entirely different things.

PRAYER: Father, help me to be obedient, and to give to you all the things / events / crises of my life. I need your help in everything, even the things I might think I can do by myself. I need you. That is the bottom line, I just need you.

QT 25 Jun 19, 2 Chron 24:17, Danger of flattery

2 Chronicles 24:17 (ESV) — Now after the death of Jehoiada the princes of Judah came and paid homage to the king. Then the king listened to them.

NOTE: Joash had a great accomplishment, the rebuilding of the house of God. He even did it without prodding from Jehoida, but took the initiative himself. But this passage shows the danger of not having good fellowship and good counsel. While Joash had Jehoida, he did what was right, but after Jehoida's death, he listened to the princes of Judah who were flattering him for influence. And as a result, he turned from God to idols. I think deep down, we all want to be flattered and so it makes us susceptible to the person whose flatter we enjoy. Not all flattery has this effect, personally I hated some of the flattery I received as a military squadron commander, primarily because it was fake. But someone who knows what he is doing can flatter without appearing as a "brown-noser" or someone who is being fake. Those are the dangerous ones.

PRAYER: Father, as I move into this new position, I pray that I would have a realistic view of people's comments. Protect me from falling for fake flattery. And may I always have good Christian fellowship to challenge me to do the right thing.

QT 24 Jun 19, 2 Chron 23:16-17, Drastic action

2 Chronicles 23:16–17 (ESV) — 16 And Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and all the people and the king that they should be the Lord’s people. 17 Then all the people went to the house of Baal and tore it down; his altars and his images they broke in pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.

NOTE: Eradicating sin can call for drastic action. In this case, the nation had agreed by covenant with God to abide by his laws. This is not the same agreement our country has with God, and so in terms of group actions, we cannot abide with the same responses. On the other hand, individually, within our self and our home, we certainly can take drastic action to deal with sin. And we should if sin has found a home within our home. In the story, Athaliah had allowed a demonic presence in Jerusalem; she allowed Satan a presence through demonic worship, the house of Baal. They could not tip-toe around the obvious, it must be immediately destroyed and removed.

PRAYER: Father, help me to see the sins in my life that have found a home and rooted themselves in my soul. I am very proud and arrogant, and it is easy to miss what to others is quite obvious. My desire is to be humble and obedient. I desire to learn and to always be open to your Holy Spirit's teaching. May I never not consider something I read or hear or see that conforms to your truth. Keep me sensitive to your Spirit's still small voice.

QT 20 Jun 19, 2 Chron 23:9, The need to act prudently even when in the will of God

2 Chronicles 23:9 (ESV) — 9 And Jehoiada the priest gave to the captains the spears and the large and small shields that had been King David’s, which were in the house of God.

NOTE: Queen Athaliah is ruler over Judah. She thought she had killed all the king's son. But one child, Joash, is rescued, and Jehoiada, the priest works to bring down the evil that Athaliah has brought and make the rightful person ruler. There is a lot of work and effort. The extra division of Levites are held back, doubling the number for the month. He works with multiple commanders of the hundreds to get their support. He enlists additional Levites from the towns in Judah. He arms the Levites with spears and shields prior to the announcement and anointing of Joash. Jehoiada does his due diligence. He trusts God, but he also acts prudently. In verse 1, it says he took courage; so apparently this is an action that God had placed on his heart. He was doing the right thing, acting within the will of God, but also taking prudent action. That is always the secret -- act prudently, but trust God implicitly.

PRAYER: Lord, I need to take similar actions of prudence. Sometimes leaving things to your hands is just my lazy way of not acting as I should. Help me to see those things where I need to act and I that I would do the right thing.

QT 19 Jun 19, Gen 21:1-2 6, It takes a lifetime to develop real, walking faith -- not just the words but the heart

Genesis 21:1–2 (ESV) —

1 The Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did to Sarah as he had promised. 2 And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him.

Genesis 21:6 (ESV) —

6 And Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me.”

NOTE: The initial laughter which was one of unbelief has turned into a new type of laughter, one of joy. God provided in his time. It was not on the timetable of Abraham or Sarah. And yet, it was the perfect timeframe. And their joy was even greater than it might have been had it been on their timetable. It is very hard to wait on God. We think we are getting too old to see our prayer answered but God knows what he is doing. Then the issue becomes trust. Do I trust God? Do I really believe that something achieved 5 or more years later than I had wished is better? Do I really believe God knows best? Can I trust him? I'm not sure anyone has that kind of faith. I don't think Abraham had it. But Abraham grew strong in his faith as he learned it. Maybe the only people who ever really have strong faith are the old and aged, those who have had to wait, watch, and witness God's working in their lives. I've seen God do wonderful things in my life, but they don't ever seem to have occurred on my timetable. Still, I am starting to really believe, not just verbalize, that he cares for me and has my best interest at heart.

PRAYER: Father, thank you for your timetable. Forgive my impatience. You are doing wonderful things in your time. I want to be your witness of love and the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ to those I come in contact.

QT 18 Jun 19, Gen 20:20-21, God remains faithful

Genesis 20:1–2 (ESV) — 1 From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar. 2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.

NOTE: I'm not exactly sure why Abimelech would want a 90-year old addition to his harem, but the story is important on a number of accounts. Once again, Abraham acts in fear. Even worse, the promise is within a year of being fulfilled. Abraham is acting unfaithfully, but God remains faithful. That statement is a wonderful reminder for us. We all struggle to live by faith and act in a manner consistent with the gospel. And even in our failures, God rises up and shows himself faithful. He does not always intervene. Sometimes He lets us experience the consequences of our actions, but sometimes He intervenes. It is always for our best (by His definition), and according to His will (what He wants to accomplish through our life in this world).

PRAYER: Father, have mercy on me. I feel as if I fail you often. I want to be the man you choose to work through in the lives of so many who don't know you. But, I make mistakes and show fear. Have mercy on me during those times. Thank you that you are faithful even when I act faithlessly.

QT 17 Jun 19, Gen 19:27-28, The danger of not heeding God's will

Genesis 19:27–28 (ESV) — 27 And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord. 28 And he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the valley, and he looked and, behold, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace.

NOTE: It seems as if God is setting up a contrast. Abraham, obedient but with his problems, and Lot, not truly obedient and also with his problems. Lot is destitute and heading off to live in a cave. Abraham looks to the east (where Lot chose instead of going north or south), and sees the smoke of a furnace. Abraham is blessed in his faith. Lot's lukewarm faith leads him to disaster. He was a rich man at one time, but ever since he chose to live in Sodom, his life has gone downhill. Those are the irrevocable decisions we make in life when we go against the known will of God. And to some degree, when we are not passionate about filling our life with God's word from whence comes God will.

PRAYER: Father protect me, protect us from stupid decisions. Give us a heart and hunger for the word of God so that we might always know you will for our life.

QT 13 Jun 19, Gen 19:17-20 26 30, Don't argue with God, just obey

Genesis 19:17–20 26 30 (ESV) — 17 And as they brought them out, one said, “Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away.” 18 And Lot said to them, “Oh, no, my lords. 19 Behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life. But I cannot escape to the hills, lest the disaster overtake me and I die. 20 Behold, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there—is it not a little one?—and my life will be saved!” … 26 But Lot’s wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. 

… 30 Now Lot went up out of Zoar and lived in the hills with his two daughters, for he was afraid to live in Zoar. So he lived in a cave with his two daughters.

NOTE: Wow, Lot just does not listen. The Angels tell him to go to the hills, but he always has a different answer. When Abraham told him to choose right or left (meaning north or south) of the land of promise, he chose east, out of the land. In this case, after arguing to go to Zoar, he ends up in the hills anyway. The angels tell them not to look back, but his wife looks back. For a "righteous" man, he is passive aggressive in his faith. Rather than saying "yes Lord, I will do it," he is always saying, "yes, Lord, but no, I will do it my way." What a wasted life because of his stubborn refusal to listen to God. He is a tremendous contrast to Abraham, who immediately, on the day he is told, circumcises all the males of his household. Faith isn't believing God to get your own way; Faith is obeying God to do his will.

PRAYER: Father, protect me from "doing it my way." I want to be obedient to your commands, not my watered-down version of your command.

QT 12 Jun 19, Gen 19:15-16, Compassionate, yet intolerant to the sin

Genesis 19:15–16 (ESV) — 15 As morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city.” 16 But he lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.

NOTE: Two phrases resound--"he (Lot) lingered" and "the Lord being merciful to him (Lot)." This is our problem, we linger with sin. We do not want to give it up. We do not want to say "no." Lingering in a sinful environment almost killed Lot. It did kill his wife and his future sons-in-law. The good news is that God is merciful. I would be dead otherwise. I am so thankful for the mercy of God. As I think of our present day Sodom, what am I doing to stand up against evil? Yes, I must be compassionate, but I must never compromise the standards of God. The world is full of sin and is slowly destroying itself. Jesus was very compassionate to the world. He met people in adultery, greed, and covetous -- and he was compassionate to them. He really was only hard on the supposed religious people. And yet, as compassionate as Jesus was, he was firm in his beliefs regarding God's word. His is our example to follow -- be compassionate to the lost world, but do not change our stand on right and wrong.

PRAYER: Father, help me to find and live that balance. I want to be like Jesus. I want to represent Jesus to a lost and dying world. Even worse, a world that is destroying itself in its attempt to distance itself from God's world. Oh, to what a wretched state we have fallen.

QT 11 Jun 19, Gen 18:32-33, Decisions have consequences

Genesis 18:32–33 (ESV) — 32 Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” 33 And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

NOTE: Abraham's prayer involves a series of the same request -- 50, 45, 40, 30, 20, 10 -- before stopping at ten righteous. He was probably thinking that Lot must have had an effect on some of the people in Sodom. I suppose going to 5 would not have worked either, since only 4 people were saved. And to be true to the story, those 4 were taken out of the city, although one turned back. So whatever the number, God knew it, and he was determined to destroy the city for their sins of sexual immorality (homosexuality, sex outside of marriage, adultery, and in other passages we also read of 'greed'). Lot's righteous life, while tormented by the sin, did little to change the surrounding culture. There was not one single convert in the city. Lot went to Sodom rich, and he left with only his children and the clothes on his back. It all goes back to a decision he made when he was allowed to live in the north or the south of the land, and he chose east, out of the land and toward the rich land of Sodom and Gomorrah. Decisions have consequences. God saves us, but he does not always save us from the consequences of our choices. Some decisions have irrevocable consequences.

PRAYER: Father protect me, and protect my family from poor decisions. Help us to be wise, and help us to know your best. If we need to wait, help us wait. If we need to move, help us to get moving.

QT 10 Jun 19, Gen 18:22, Interceding on a grander scale

Genesis 18:22 (ESV) — So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord.

REFERENCE: Gen. 18:22.—“But Abraham stood yet before the LORD.” The primitive text was “The LORD stood yet before Abraham.” It was felt to be derogatory for the Lord to stand and wait Abraham’s pleasure; and so the text was altered, as we have it in the present Hebrew Bible and all its versions. (Bullinger, E. W. (1898). Figures of speech used in the Bible (p. 1018). London; New York: Eyre & Spottiswoode; E. & J. B. Young & Co.)

NOTE: God was waiting for Abraham to intercede. That is why the original structure makes more sense than what we have in our bibles. Either way, Abraham intercedes for Sodom and for Lot. But it does raise an interesting question -- what is God waiting upon us to intercede before he acts? Certainly his plan will be accomplished no matter what. But what does God want us to be a part of by our intercession? And what we are we missing out on because of our lack of prayer? Another thought: Abraham fellowships with God over a meal, God reveals his plans for Abraham and Sarah, and the scene ends with Abraham interceding for things outside his circle. It is a nice picture and template of meeting with God.

PRAYER: Lord, what and for whom do I need to intercede? Bring to my mind the things I should pray. I don't want my prayers to be health prayers, but prayers of activity and work and calling. I pray you would protect us all from just praying about our sister's friend's cousin who fell. Yes, they need prayer. They need to know Jesus and they need to seek you with all of their heart, but we have a world to conquer and a great commission to fulfill. May those prayers be our true focus.

QT 6 Jun 19, Gen 18:14-15, The pattern of fellowship, revelation, and supplication

Genesis 18:14–15 (ESV) — 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” 15 But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.”

NOTE: The phrase "about this time next year" gives a time-frame for this visit. It could not have been more than a few weeks to a few months after the last visit. "About this time" probably refers to the season, as opposed to an exact date. Sarah's response of "laughter" is clearly not joy at the news as some have suggested, because she denies it. She laughed because she disbelieved, much as Abraham laughed in disbelief a short time earlier. I'm sure that later, the laughter turned to joy. The interesting aspect is that after a time of fellowship, represented by the food, God reveals his plan. I think our problem is that we want the plan without spending time in fellowship. Also, after revealing his plan, God will next listen to Abraham's prayer and pleading for the people of Sodom. There is a pattern -- fellowship, revelation, and confirming prayer. It is a pattern that we would be well advised to follow.

PRAYER: Father, continue to reveal your plan to me. Give me eyes to see what you are doing and to respond in obedience.

QT 5 Jun 19, Gen 17:21, Life is a long series of Faith challenges

Genesis 17:21 (ESV) — But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.”

NOTE: Abraham now has a date, well, at least a time-frame--"this time next year." So, does having a time-frame make faith easier? I'm not sure. I guess a time-frame is much better than an indefinite "it will happen." But time-frames have their own problems. They become too much the focus of our life to the point where we wish so much for the day to come that we stop enjoying the days we have now. I like to phrase it - "we wish part of our life away." Each day is a day that will never come again. Children are older, things are different. Every day changes everything. There are times, especially in great pain, where we might wish days of pain to pass quickly -- that is, it is worth it to get out from under whatever hangs over us. But, in general, waiting for a date to come has its own challenges. God gives him a whole year to wait. That is hard. Can we trust God and wait? Or do we try to speed things up? New challenges and new ways to trust God. Abraham was 99 and Sarah was 90. I'm sure for the next 4 to 6 months, they wondered if anything was really going to happen. Their faith was challenged even with a promise and a time-frame. Life is one long series of faith challenges. It is not blind faith or even faith without any intellectual basis, as Atheists might argue. Everyone lives by faith in something, if they are intelligent enough to admit it.

PRAYER: Father, strengthen my faith. Help me to enjoy each day that you give me. Protect me from getting ahead of you. Help me to relax in you -- "my lines have fallen in pleasant places (Psalm)."

QT 4 Jun 19, Gen 17:18, Change forces us to trust God, complacency allows us to ignore God

Genesis 17:18 (ESV) — And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!”

NOTE: The question of an heir has dominated most of Abraham's and Sarah's life. God comes again to Abraham and tells him again that he will soon have an heir. At this point, we are about a year away, but Abraham does not know that. Instead, Abraham suggests Ishmael as the promise. Ishmael was the result of Abraham and Sarah taking things into their own hands. That decision caused great pain and would continue to cause pain to Hagar, Ishmael, Sarah, and Abraham. Usually when we take things into our own hands, it's result is pain. Abraham was 99 years old and set in his ways. He wasn't very excited about change. He was probably scared. But he still needed to trust God even in change.

PRAYER: God, it is hard when everything is changing. It is stressful. We want to run back to the comfortable life that we are familiar. Give us grace to accept change, even to welcome change, and to appreciate the new chapter you are writing in our life.

QT 3 Jun 19, Gen 17:17, Isaac--the true son of promise

Genesis 17:17 (ESV) —

17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”

NOTE: The name "Isaac" means, "He laughed." Abraham (newly renamed) laughed and Sarah (also a new name) would laugh a little later. Abraham and Sarah initially laughed in disbelief, but later would laugh in joy. They were 99 and 90 years old respectively. They were out of options to get an heir. And previous schemes had not turned out well. Abraham did not even want to go forward with God's plan and was quite content if Ishmael would be the child of promise (as Muslims insist). But God said no to Ishmael. The blessing to all nations would come through Isaac. Ishmael would be a wild donkey who would be everyone's enemy. Isaac's birth led to Jesus, the author of life and the new covenant. Ishmael's life led to the Arab nations, Islam, and world war against everyone else. Isaac is the one. The true promise of God, not the result of man's scheming.

PRAYER: Father, thank you that I am a recipient of the blessing. I do not deserve to live in a country where the gospel is freely preached. I am blessed because of many other's sacrifices. My prayer is for those in the dark countries where the gospel is actively opposed, even to death. Open the eyes of people to truth. May they see and understand the good news that gives real life. Thwart the plans of the enemy in this world.