Thursday, May 31, 2012

Esther 6-10

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

The first half of the story of Esther ends with the plan of man, "This idea pleased Haman, and he had the gallows made" (Esther 5:14). The following verse opens Act Two, the plan of God, "On that night the king could not sleep" (Esther 6:1). Haman had gallows built fifty cubits high, and you can sense the coming irony. These gallows meant by Haman for righteous Mordecai are meant by God for wicked Haman. God is not mentioned, but God is not absent. In chapter 2, Mordecai had done a good deed unrewarded, and on this night in chapter 6 the king could not sleep. He asked for the reading of the Chronicles (a cure for insomnia?), and learned how Mordecai had rescued the king. You'll need to read the story yourself; it's a good one - but I will spoil the ending. "So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai" (Esther 7:10). 

The righteous is delivered from trouble,
and the wicked walks into it instead. 
~Proverbs 11:8

Daily Prayer

Heavenly Father, over and over again You remind me, as I sow, so shall I reap. I should live life accordingly. Looking ahead, I shall do today what will produce a good tomorrow.          Thank You for teaching me what is right, and for changing my heart so that I now desire Your ways instead of my own, some of the time, at least, and more and more as I make a habit of holiness. 

Help me remember always that this world is Your creation and Your design and it works Your way. I enjoy life when I enjoy You and live according to the joy of Your Word. 

Amen

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Esther 1-5

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

Esther is a book more political than religious, the name of God not found on its pages. The passage most quoted is Mordecai's appeal to Esther to approach the king at a time of national peril, "And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14). It speaks to a trust in Providence. Esther's response, inviting her countrymen to fast on her behalf, acknowledges God behind the scenes. This is a story of godly action more than words.  

Courage cannot be ignorant, and Esther knew the danger of Mordecai's request, "if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law-to be put to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter (Esther 4:11). "Do it anyway," is Mordecai's response, even as he knew the danger, for he also had stood courageously. Mordecai is not callous of her life. He loved her and had cared for her all her life, but cared more deeply for her soul. To keep silent when courage is called for may (or may not) save your life, but you will die inside. Esther understood, "I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish" (Esther 4:16). This is no statement of despair, but of devotion to her nation and her God. 

"For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it." ~Luke 9:24

Daily Prayer

God, wonderful Savior, I will be prepared always to stand for You, as You stood for me in my place at the cross. I will be prepared, putting on Your armor daily, the faith in Your care, the hope of eternity, the love which You showed me. I will be prepared, pouring into Your Word, always ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope I have in You.

You set the time, I'll be ready.

Amen

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Nehemiah 12-13

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

Nehemiah led the effort to rebuild Jerusalem. He returned the Word of God to public reading, reestablished the worship, the Sabbath, and the festivals of the Jewish faith, and rededicated a confessing people to follow their God. Then he left for a time, traveling to Babylon to visit her king. He returned after who knows how long, but it was too long, because sin had moved back into the city. Tobiah, an Ammonite enemy of Israel and God, was living in a room in the temple. Evil was being tolerated, and it had its effect. The temple was neglected, the Sabbath was ignored, and the people were marrying foreign women with foreign gods. "Did not Solomon king of Israel sin on account of such women? Among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was beloved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, foreign women made even him to sin" (Nehemiah 13:26). Evil does not mix with purity. A child dropped his ice cream cone upside-down onto the dirt. It ruined his ice cream. Didn't bother the dirt at all. 

So Nehemiah cleaned house, literally. "And I was very angry, and I threw all the household furniture of Tobiah out of the chamber" (Nehemiah 13:8). There is a time for tantrums, because there is such a thing as too much tolerance. "And I confronted them and cursed them and beat some of them and pulled out their hair" (Nehemiah 13:25). It reminds me of a man who walked into a temple and began turning over tables. 

Daily Prayer

Holy God, I love Your Word. Everything in it tells me about life, how it should be lived and Who it should be lived for. It displays Your goodness, Your righteousness, Your holiness. Your grace and mercy. Your love.

God, I commit myself to You. Set me apart from the sin around me. Surround me with others who love what is good.  Keep me good, keep me righteous, keep me holy by Your Word. Forgive me when I stray, and lead me back to the right path.

Amen

Monday, May 28, 2012

Nehemiah 10-11

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

"On the seals are the names of Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah, Zedekiah, Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah, Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah; these are the priests. And the Levites: Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel; and their brothers, Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah, Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, Hodiah, Bani, Beninu. The chiefs of the people: Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai, Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub, Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek, Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, Ahiah, Hanan, Anan, Malluch, Harim, Baanah" (Nehemiah 10:1-27). 

How many names did you skip when you read this passage? Most? None? Some? All? It's okay whatever you did, it's just a list of names, right? But if you were Hacaliah, your name on this list is a big deal. That goes for Kadmiel and Azgad and Zadok and all the rest. "If a man vows a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth" (Numbers 30:2). Each signatory sealed the deal, each said I am all in, committed. It's like signing the Declaration of Independence only bigger because that was against the British and this is before God. The signers say they will each "join with their brothers, their nobles, and enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God's Law that was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord and his rules and his statutes" (Nehemiah 10:29). 

Some believe that living together prepares one for marriage, but it cannot, because the essence of marriage is "I Do," and that changes everything. Each name on this list is the backbone of Jerusalem, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part.

Daily Prayer

My God, You gave Your Son the Name above every name, that all would bow before Him. I bow. He is my Lord, my God, my Savior, the King of kings. There is no One better to put in charge of my life, and I willingly and eagerly serve Jesus Christ.  Thank You Jesus for leading me to life, the true life I seek, a life overflowing with peace and justice and purity and love. You have all authority, and when I walk in Your Name, I have the confidence of heaven. 

I am so glad that You know my Name, that it is signed and sealed in Your Book of Life. I am a citizen of heaven, a bride of Christ, an ambassador of God, a saint. And all I did is sign under Your Name, You did all the rest. Thank You for salvation in Your Name.

Amen

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Nehemiah 8-9

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

When the Word of God is open, we read the story of God and us. We see the ebb of our disobedience and rebellion and the flow of God's discipline, his grace, and his mercy. We  begin to understand ourselves and our God. "And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel" (Nehemiah 8:1). Ezra read from the book all day, every day for days, and when he stopped reading, the people confessed their sins and worshipped their Creator, ""You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you" (Nehemiah 9:6). They worshipped their Savior, "You are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them" (Nehemiah 9:17). They worshipped their God, "the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love" (Nehemiah 9:32). 

Jesus said to his disciples, "Follow me," because transformation is a journey. It happens over time and trouble. "He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion" (Philippians 1:6) is God's promise of process, persistence, and perseverance with us. If it is not good yet, God is not done yet, because "we know that for those who love God all things work together for good" (Romans 8:28). When the Word of God is open, we see the big picture of our God, who is faithful and wonderful and mighty and merciful. God is the author of life and, therefore, "the joy of the Lord is our strength" (Nehemiah 8:10).

Daily Prayer

My God, I celebrate Your goodness, Your love, Your grace and mercy, Your majesty. I sing loudly with joy, because You are good and You are my God. The joy I find in You gives me strength to overcome, because nothing compares. Certainly not the cheap pleasures of this world. May I wake each day, delight in Your Word, and walk in the joy set before me. 

Keep my memory fresh, God, of the ways You have worked in my life. May I draw on Your faithfulness when times are tough, when my strength wavers, when it is dark. I know You are with me, help me remember You always will be. 

Amen

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Nehemiah 7

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

So far, Nehemiah has been about rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. The book begins with the report to Nehemiah, "The wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are destroyed by fire" (Nehemiah 1:3). Nehemiah is cupbearer to the king, believes he can do something about it, and does. Six chapters later, "the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days" (Nehemiah 6:15). End of story? Hardly. Nehemiah has 13 chapters; we are only half-way there. The wall only got us to the heart of the story, the heart of Nehemiah, which is God and his people.

Chapter 7 begins, "Now when the wall had been built" (Nehemiah 7:1), and the rest of the chapter, the rest of the story, is about a people and their God, because Nehemiah is about God and people, not walls. Walls are monuments of pride built by people who love their own name. Nehemiah wasn't building a wall, but a city of 42,360 people who love the name of their God. After the wall was built is when the story really begins, "and when the seventh month had come, the people of Israel were in their towns" (Nehemiah 7:73). Israel had returned home. 

Daily Prayer

Heavenly Father, deep in my heart I know I belong to You. I can sense eternity, that there is more to this life, and that I am more than flesh and blood. You have told me that I am specially made, and I don't doubt that, because I know my Maker, and You are good. This world is not all there is, and someday all things will be renewed and there will be a new heavens and a new earth, and someday I'm going home. I look forward to that Day.

I live my life today with eternity in mind. I pray my life will be a reflection of that eternity, of You, that I might show You to others. I suffer the pains of this world knowing they are short compared to forever, and that they will end. I walk confident in the sure hope of Your sovereignty, that You are King of kings, that You are my King and my God and my Father forever. 

Amen

Friday, May 25, 2012

Nehemiah 4-6

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

There is an old joke of a man challenged to swim from the California coast to Hawaii.  Half way there he decided he could not make it, turned around and swam back. Perhaps it was the high waves or the sharks' teeth or the foul weather, or maybe sheer exhaustion, but he was half way there. "So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work. But... (Nehemiah 4:6-7a).  

Discouragement had set in. "The strength of those who bear the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble. By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall" (Nehemiah 4:10). There is enthusiasm at the beginning and anticipation toward the end, but in the middle a weariness sets in. Enemies of the wall were plotting against its completion. "They will not know or see till we come among them and kill them and stop the work" (Nehemiah 4:11). The workers were being called back home, "You must return to us" (Nehemiah 4:12). The temptation was to drop their tools and return to their families and get back to the routine of life. The wall could wait.

At a time like this, a leader is needed to remind the people of their purpose and renew their strength. Nehemiah stood up and called "to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, 'Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes'" (Nehemiah 4:14). We are building a fortress for our families and a kingdom for our God. Get back to work. The leader kept his trumpeter close at hand, rallying the people with the cry, "Our God will fight for us" (Nehemiah 4:20). 

God's work may be thwarted in the middle by discouragement, by danger, by drudgery, and by despair. The leader, undaunted, must rise above and recall God's vision to the people. Nehemiah stood tall, the people responded, and "the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days" (Nehemiah 6:15). 

Daily Prayer

Almighty God, You are my strength and the desire of my life. You are my rock, the foundation of my life, and the fortress that protects me. You have called me to follow You and I am eager to do so. Keep me focused and renew my strength when I tire of the task. May I not grow weary of doing good, of living well, of pursuing justice, of loving others. May I stand tall and firm, keeping my eyes on You, that others may find encouragement and join in the work of Your Kingdom. 

Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 

Amen

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Nehemiah 1-3

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

It had been ninety years since the exiles of Israel had returned to Jerusalem at the order of Cyrus, king of Persia; seventy years since the temple was rebuilt. Still Jerusalem lay in neglected ruins from the time when Nebuchadnezzar had taken them into captivity, 150 years ago. Of the destruction of Jerusalem, the prophet Jeremiah had written, "Who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem, or who will grieve for you? Who will turn aside to ask about your welfare?" (Jeremiah 15:5). A century and a half later, the answer came.

Now it happened in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Susa the citadel, that Hanani, one of my brothers, came with certain men from Judah. And I asked them concerning the Jews who escaped, who had survived the exile, and concerning Jerusalem (Nehemiah 1:1-2). Nehemiah listened, he wept, and he prayed. Then Nehemiah said, "Now I was cupbearer to the king" (Nehemiah 1:11).

At a party, making polite conversation, I asked a man, "What do you do?"  "I am a servant of the most high God who sells cars to support my ministry," he responded. His job is at Toyota, but he works for the Creator of the universe. He believed, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men" (Colossians 3:23). Nehemiah was a servant of the most high God. Nehemiah was exactly where God wanted him to be. He had access to the king when Jerusalem needed access to the king. He was God's servant in God's place at God's time for God's work among God's people. That's what "Now I was cupbearer to the king" means. It means, "Put me to work, God. I am available."

Daily Prayer

My God, You have made such a wonderful world. I pause in the morning to remind myself that each day is a gift from You. May my life give You pleasure. May I always remember that I am an ambassador for the King of kings, and I serve at Your pleasure. May I at all times be exactly where You want me to be, following Your ways, available for Your work in this world. 

All that I do, I do with all my heart, because I serve You and all that You have created.

Amen

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Ezra 8-10

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

Ezra's challenge was to lead a small group of people and priests, singers and servants, women and children, carrying a treasury of gold and silver from Babylon to the temple under construction in Jerusalem. The journey would take them across a desert wilderness ripe with bandits. An armed guard of the king of Babylon was his on request, and it would not be wrong to call upon it. Nehemiah did a few years later (Nehemiah 2:9) when he made a similar journey, but Ezra had told the king, "The hand of our God is for good on all who seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake him" (Ezra 8:22). How could he make such a claim, then turn to a pagan king for protection. 

Instead, Ezra would get on his knees and fight like a man of God. As he set out, he first paused three days and "proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods" (Ezra 8:21). And God listened. Instead of the hand of the king, they marched under the hand of God, "and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambushes by the way" (Ezra 8:31). 

Israel had known leaders large in faith and big in sin. Samson's physical strength and moral weakness; David's love of God and Bathsheba; and Solomon, whose godly wisdom failed to restrain his passion for the pleasures of wine, women, and wealth. It was due time for a man of faith so simple and true it was almost wonderfully dull. Ezra comes off as a bookish scribe, (for Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, Ezra 7:10), but he boasted of his mighty God, then walked his talk. 

Daily Prayer

Mighty God, worthy of praise, may I shout Your Name as loud, no louder, than the heavens proclaim You. May I sing of Your goodness and live righteously in this land. May my life announce Your grace to a world awaiting judgment. May I display in what I do my confidence that You are God Almighty, maker of the heavens and the earth. 

You are God and there is no other. I trust my life fully and solely in Your hands, and there is no better place, because You are faithful and true, the first and the last, able to keep me from falling and present me faultless before the presence of Your glory, because at the cross, You paid the price for my sin and clothed me in Your righteousness. How great is my God.

Amen

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Ezra 4-7

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

When adversaries offer help, it is fair to suspect their motive.  The offer came from the Samaritans, "the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and in the rest of the province Beyond the River" (Ezra 4:10). When the northern kingdom of Israel was taken captive by Assyria in 722 BC, the scattered remains of Israelites left behind intermarried with many other nations, producing a mingled people and a mangled religion. They claimed to worship the same God as Judah (Ezra 4:2); they failed to mention the many others (2Kings 17:25-41). 

Building the temple of God was a daunting task for the smallish number returning to Jerusalem, and "Let us build with you" (Ezra 4:2) seemed a neighborly welcome. They could use the help, but then their temple would become "our temple," and Judah would become part of the mix. Purity doesn't mix, and Israel was to be holy, set apart to the one true God. And so the unneighborly response, "You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we alone will build to the Lord, the God of Israel" (Ezra 4:3). 

The bond of unity with other nations appears as one of strength, let us join together, but Israel's strength is their God. Those who follow God serve the world well, not through our partnership with the world, but through our purity in the world. 

Daily Prayer

Holy God, every good thing comes from You. You are righteous and just, full of grace and mercy. You give the world hope through faith, and show us what love truly looks like. Your love is not indifferent to my sin, but recognizes the sin and responds with care. Even while I sinned against You, You hung on the cross for me. 

Protect me from temptation to sin, or even tolerance toward it, and keep me holy, set apart for You. When I fall and fail, I love Your grace, because I require it, but I long more for Your righteousness and goodness, that these would mark my life. I look forward to Your kingdom come, when righteousness and goodness will reign. May my life be more and more a display of these qualities of my King of kings, my Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Amen

Monday, May 21, 2012

Ezra 1-3

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

Cyrus of Persia conquered Babylon in 538 BC and offered Israel its freedom, "The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people... let him go" (Ezra 1:2-3). The order was firm, Cyrus would free the people and aid the rebuilding of their home and their temple. The acceptance was optional, "whoever among you." Jerusalem was a 700-mile journey, and the comforts of Babylon would not accompany them. Israel had grown accustomed to captivity, and only 42,360 accepted the offer (Ezra 1:64), a fraction of the Jewish population. Josephus, the Jewish-Roman historian of the first century, said it simply, "Many remained in Babylon, not wishing to leave their possessions behind them."  The proverbial monkey whose hand is caught in the jar because he refuses to let go of the banana.

We become accustomed to the ways of this world; so much so, that many prefer the chains of sin to the freedom offered in Christ. "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery" (Galatians 5:1), but there is comfort in captivity.

Daily Prayer

My God, You left the pleasure of heaven itself, You emptied Yourself, You became like me to save me. Thank You for letting go for my sake. Why in the world do I hang on to this world so tightly? I must let go for my sake, as well. 

Keep changing my heart, oh God, to delight in You, to love Your ways. Help me hate sin and seek Your goodness and righteousness. May Your Word fill my heart, transform my mind, change my life, and set me free.

Amen

Sunday, May 20, 2012

2 Chronicles 35-36

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

The heart of God is displayed in his son when Jesus said to a sinner, "The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost" (Luke 19:10). Judah repeated evil upon evil and was lost, but through the end, "the Lord, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place (2Chronicles 36:15). The Hebrew says literally, "God rose up early and sent messengers." God began his day thinking of his lost people.

I remember certain teachers, when explaining their criteria for grading, would challenge, "You have to really want an 'F' to receive an 'F' in my class." They would do everything they could to pass us, unless we truly wanted to fail. "But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord rose against his people, until there was no remedy" (2Chronicles 36:16). God had sought to save the lost, but there are those who would not be found. Thus the Chronicles end. Almost.

If you stay in your seat through the closing credits of certain movies, at the very end there will be one additional scene, a glimpse of what's next, the sequel, there is more to come, all is not lost. The chronicler provided such a scene. Judah was headed to exile, a judgment of God, but God would remember his people. There is irony at the end, after the kings of Judah and Israel did evil repeatedly, leading to the fall of the kingdom, a foreign king, Cyrus of Persia, spoke the words that gave the Hebrews hope, rebuilt the house of Jerusalem, and paved the way to salvation in Jesus Christ. "The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may the Lord his God be with him. Let him go up" (2Chronicles 36:23). These words are repeated in the next book, Ezra 1:2-3, and the story continues. 

Daily Prayer

My God, my Lord, and my Savior, I am so glad that You came uninvited into my life. You crashed my party and rescued me from myself, because I would have sought my own pleasure to my destruction. Instead, You saved me for You pleasure, which is life itself, a life everlasting and overflowing. 

May I ever find my joy in You. May I begin each day thinking of You, delighting in Your Word, following Your lead, living life to the full. You are good, a righteous King, a loving Lord, Almighty God. I worship You.

Amen.

Saturday, May 19, 2012

2 Chronicles 32-34

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

Sennacherib, king of Assyria, had grown accustomed to winning. He was confident, if not cocky, and trash talk came easy. "Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of other lands? Were the gods of the nations of those lands at all able to deliver their lands out of my hand?" (2Chronicles 32:14). Do you think your God is different?

"Yes," said Hezekiah. He knew the army of Sennacherib was strong, stronger than Judah, nevertheless he rallied his people, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles" (2Chronicles 32:7-8). They have muscle; we have God.

Herb Brooks coached the U.S. Hockey team to gold at the 1980 Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid, New York. In route to gold, they defeated the best hockey team in the world, the Soviet Union. Before the game, Brooks rallied his team, "Think you can win on talent alone? Gentlemen, you don't have enough talent to win on talent alone." Like Judah. "When you pull on that jersey, you represent yourself and your teammates. And the name on the front (USA) is a lot more important than the name on the back." 

The Lord said, "In Jerusalem shall my name be forever" (2Chronicles 33:4). The name on the front. "And the Lord sent an angel, who cut off all the mighty warriors and commanders and officers in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land" (2Chronicles 32:20-21). 

Do you believe in miracles? Yes!

Daily Prayer

Lord in heaven, may I wear Your Name with confidence, knowing that there is none like You. You are God Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. You are in charge and there is nothing that passes you by unaware. I trust You with my life, because all that I am is Yours. You gave me life in the first place. 

I know that, for those who love You and follow You, all things will work together for good. No matter what I face, I remember You went to the cross, and out of that saved the world. So I will bear my cross, whatever it is, because I'm excited to discover whatever You will do with it. I believe in You.

Amen.

Friday, May 18, 2012

2 Chronicles 28-31

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

Ahaz was the next king who "did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord" (2Chronicles 28:1). He crafted idols to the Baals and sacrificed his own sons in the Valley of the son of Hinnom. He drew indiscriminately from the gods of the nations around him. Any god will do, "and he sacrificed and made offerings on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree" (2Chronicles 28:4). He even adopted the gods of the Damascus after losing a battle to Syria, reasoning, "Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, I will sacrifice to them that they may help me" (2Chronicles 28:23). 

Any god will do, it seemed, except the one God, the true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, of David and Solomon, of his own father Jotham, the Lord, the God of Israel.  Ahaz broke up the furniture in that God's temple, using the wood to make altars to his new gods, "and he shut up the doors of the house of the Lord" (2Chronicles 28:24). 

When any god will do, there is one God who won't, and God would have it no other way. Isaiah was prophet when Ahaz was king, and proclaimed the words of the one true God, "I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols" (Isaiah 42:8). God does not play nicely with others. He does not share. "I the Lord your God am a jealous God" (Exodus 20:5). This is not petty jealousy, but the deep passion of love, familiar words to us, "forsaking all others, I keep only unto you." No flirting with others.

This was the first of the commandments, "I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:2-3); the greatest commandment, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might" (Deuteronomy 6:5); and the cry of Israel, "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one" (Deuteronomy 6:4). That's how truth works. It is pure, it is holy, it is one. "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). God stands alone. 

Daily Prayer

My God, Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, King of kings and Lord of lords, there is none like You. You and You alone are God, and You are my God, my first love. May my love be full and pure. All of life, a life abundantly full of love and good and justice and grace, is from You. I seek other ways at my own peril, and yet I do. The results are never good. Thank You for allowing me to run home to You again and again, and for greeting me with open arms again and again.

Each day will begin remembering it is Your day, a day You have created and sustained. I commit my life to You, to Your praise and pleasure. What a way to live!

Amen

Thursday, May 17, 2012

2 Chronicles 25-27

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

Three chapters, three kings in a row. Each began well, but then. King Joash "did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest (2Chronicles 24:2), but then Jehoiada died; King Amaziah, "did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, yet not with a whole heart" (2Chronicles 25:2); King Uzziah "set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah" (2Chronicles 26:5). Zechariah instructed him in the fear of God, and as long as Uzziah sought the Lord, God made him prosper. Each time, each king, something went wrong.

Uzziah's name means "My strength is the Lord," and from that strength came success. Enemies were conquered, the army grew strong, the walls of the city were fortified, the land was replenished and the people were well fed. Uzziah's name became famous among the nations, but the meaning was lost. Rather Uzziah became strong in himself, "but when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction" (2Chronicles 26:16).

Uzziah could do it all. Well, almost all. The king is not priest, and only priests enter the temple and burn incense to the Lord. So, the king entered the temple. Uzziah thought to show his glory by proclaiming, "I can be anything," even a priest, but that's not the way God works. Jesus Christ showed his glory by becoming nothing, "who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant (Philippians 2:6-7). 

We call our leaders "public servants." If only it were true. "Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." ~Mark 10:43-45

Daily Prayer

Heavenly Father, may I be a reflection of You in this world, which means may I live like Jesus. In humility, I will serve others, considering them before myself. Keep reminding me that You are my strength. I too easily forget. Restore me, O God, when I fail, but even more, guard my heart when I succeed. 

When I reflect on Your wonder and glory, I love better. I'm terribly tempted to love myself, so it is good to worship, because I remember my Creator. May all that I do turn eyes toward You, that You may be praised by all.

Amen

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

2 Chronicles 21-24

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

Jehoiada turned the heart of the nation back to God and placed the only descendent of David back on the throne. Joash became king at seven years of age, and Jehoiada the priest stood by his side, a godly advisor and teacher. Things looked promising when Joash became even more eager than Jehoiada to restore the temple of the Lord. Everything looked good.  

"And Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord"-if only someone had placed a period here, it would have been a happy epitaph-"all the days of Jehoiada the priest" (2Chronicles 24:2). Jehoiada lived long and well, and his long life (he was 130 years old at his death) demonstrated you don't have to be king to influence a nation. By all appearances, Joash was following God's ways; but that was the problem, it was all appearances. The long life of Jehoiada was God's mercy to Joash and the nation, for when Jehoiada died, so did God's good counsel, and the king listened to new voices. 

Joash's godliness was borrowed godliness, he had neglected to develop his own, so he was only as good as those who surrounded him. "Now after the death of Jehoiada the princes of Judah came and paid homage to the king. Then the king listened to them. And they abandoned the house of the Lord" (2Chronicles 24:17-18). 

Daily Prayer

Heavenly Father, create in me a clean heart and make it strong. Test me, discipline me, and develop in me a passion for You, that I may stay focused and stand firm. You are my rock, my fortress, my salvation, and the final source of all that is good. May I always keep that in mind.

Surround me with the good and the godly, and I will set my heart and mind on Your thoughts and Your ways. You will be my strength, and I will delight in You so deeply that the fancies of this world will lose their power to tempt. I know, God, that I am weak; therefore, my strength comes from You. May my love grow deep and strong, that I might stand for You and with You no matter what comes.

Amen

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

2 Chronicles 18-20

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

Jehoshaphat had allied Judah with Ahab. Yes, that Ahab, husband of Jezebel, who reigned over Israel twenty-two years, and did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him (1Kings 16:29-30). Jehu challenged Jehoshaphat, "Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord?" (2Chronicles 19:2); and his rebuke returned Jehoshaphat to reign rightly. Jehoshaphat's reformation of Judah began with the court of law. He appointed judges in the land, in all the cities, with one instruction, "Consider what you do, for you judge not for man but for the Lord. He is with you in giving judgment (2Chronicles 19:6). 

I remember watching a movie with my college buddies. They laughed and I laughed. We had a great time. I remember, several years later, watching the same movie with my Aunt Katie. She frowned and I squirmed. We had an awkward time. Funny how the same movie is different depending on whose eyes you see it through. 

They would judge with the eyes of God. Jehoshaphat is king of Judah, but God is King of kings and Lord of lords. In Judah there would be no injustice, but righteousness would reign. To live rightly is to imitate God. The government of Judah would be a holy act of worship. 

Turn away from evil and do good;
    so shall you dwell forever.
For the Lord loves justice;
    he will not forsake his saints.
~Psalm 37:27-28

Daily Prayer

Heavenly Father, righteous and good and holy, may I fill my eyes, my thoughts, my heart with heavenly things. May Your glory be reflected in all I do. Give me discernment to know what is right and what pleases You. When I ask You to give me the desires of my heart, God, I do not mean give me whatever I want. Rather, cause Your desires to become my deepest longing, so that whatever I want will reflect Your character. 

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-may I fill my thoughts with these-with goodness, with truth, with grace, with faith, with hope, and most of all, with love.

Amen

Monday, May 14, 2012

2 Chronicles 13-17

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

The Hebrew people were a divided Kingdom now, Israel to the north with Jeroboam its king, while Abijah reigned over the southern kingdom of Judah. Abijah pointed out the differences between the two. Judah was ruled by a man born from God's chosen line of David; Israel's king was a rebellious son of Solomon's servant, illegitimate to the throne. Judah followed the Lord God, whose priests were of God's chosen line of Aaron and tribe of Levi. In Israel, "whoever comes for ordination with a young bull or seven rams" became a priest (2Chronicles 13:9) and presented offerings to golden calves made by Jeroboam . "We keep the charge of the Lord our God," said Abijah, "but you have forsaken him" (2Chronicles 13:11). 

One problem, Judah had an army of 400,000, Israel had 800,000, and Abijah had marched his army into Jeroboam's ambush. Judah was surrounded, completely enclosed by an enemy twice its size. But Israel could not guard the skies, and Judah's source of strength came from the heavens. The enemy was north, south, east, and west, but God was on high, and he was Judah's God. "Behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with their battle trumpets to sound the call to battle against you," warned Abijah. "O sons of Israel, do not fight against the Lord, the God of your fathers, for you cannot succeed" (v 12). Jeroboam did not succeed, and never recovered. The Lord struck him down, and he died. But Abijah grew mighty (vv 20-21). 

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ~Romans 8:31

Daily Prayer

My Lord and Savior, You have placed me in a battlefield on earth, in a world that loves neither You nor Your ways. I cannot be a friend to the ways of the world and follow You at the same time. I must make a choice, and I choose You, which means I fight the world and the world fights me. No matter, though, because You are with me and will never leave me, so I can stand in Your Name.

Thank You for so great a salvation. You are my strength and my confidence and I trust fully in You. My eyes will stay true, my heart pure, my path straight, so long as I love You, listen to Your Word, and follow Your ways. 

Amen.

Sunday, May 13, 2012

2 Chronicles 9-12

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

The Chronicles were written to Israel in exile, no longer a nation possessing a land. They look back, recounting God's hand in their history, a reminder that they are the people of God. Solomon's reign was the kingdom of God's favor, the apex of their nation. In the words of a foreigner, the Queen of Sheba, "Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and set you on his throne as king for the Lord your God! Because your God loved Israel and would establish them forever, he has made you king over them, that you may execute justice and righteousness" (2Chronicles 9:8). This is the glory to which Israel hopes to return. 

The Chronicles remind Israel of their glory, and warn Israel of their fall. Solomon's son, Rehoboam, inherited Solomon's throne and his wealth, but not his wisdom. "When the rule of Rehoboam was established and he was strong, he abandoned the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him" (2Chronicles 12:1). The nation followed the leader, and the leader had forgotten the words of Moses, as Israel prepared to cross the Jordan into their promised land, "Beware lest you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.' You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day" (Deuteronomy 8:17-18).

I grew up in Sacramento. Sacramento summers cook; north of a hundred degrees is normal.  The American River, the cool run-off from the Sierra snow, was a popular solution. The flow of the river is mostly calm and mostly shallow, wonderful for rafting, and surprisingly dangerous for drowning. Life jackets are recommended. The victims are overwhelmingly young and male. "We are old enough, we are strong enough, and we can swim," say the young men. "Life jackets? We don't need life jackets." Of the 231 victims between 1962 and 2001, only one was wearing a life jacket. The danger of the river is not the current, but the misplaced confidence of young men who believe they are strong enough.

Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and to the princes of Judah, who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, "Thus says the Lord, 'You abandoned me, so I have abandoned you to the hand of Shishak.'" So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem. He took away the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king's house. He took away everything (2Chronicles 12:5, 9).

The Chronicles remind Israel if there is to be future glory, they must remember the words of Moses, "Take to heart... all the words of this law. For it is no empty word for you, but your very life, and by this word you shall live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess" (Deuteronomy 32:46-47).

Daily Prayer

My faithful Father, You are the Rock, the foundation on which a life will stand firm. What You say, You do. Your Word is true, right, and good. It shall be my guide in life, my constant companion.

Protect me, God, from myself. From becoming full of myself. May I always remember that the world is not friendly toward me because it is not friendly toward You. May my love for Your Word continue to grow.

Amen

Saturday, May 12, 2012

2 Chronicles 6-8

Daily Reading
Daily Thought

Listen to the pleas of Solomon, "Of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place, listen from heaven your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive" (2Chronicles 6:21). "If your people Israel are defeated before the enemy because they have sinned against you, and they turn again and acknowledge your name and pray and plead with you in this house, then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel" (vv 24-25). "Hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel" (v 27). "Hear from heaven your dwelling place and forgive" (v 30). 

Sounds like Solomon expects great sin, so he asks for great forgiveness. "If they sin against you-for there is no one who does not sin-if they turn their heart repent and plead with you, saying, 'We have sinned and have acted perversely and wickedly,' if they repent with all their mind and with all their heart then hear from heaven your dwelling place their prayer and their pleas, and maintain their cause and forgive your people who have sinned against you" (vv 36-38). 

She had an excuse for not coming to church, "Oh, but you don't know what I've done," she explained. "I'm not the kind of person God could ever forgive."

They cried out again, "Crucify him" (Mark 15:13). Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him, saying, "Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?" (Matthew 26:67-68). Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar" (John 19:15). They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head (Matthew 27:28-30). They kept shouting, "Crucify, crucify him!" (Luke 23:21). So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. There they crucified him (John 19:16-18). 

Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). 

"You're right, I don't know what you've done, what kind of person you are," I said. "But here's what I do know. I know what Jesus has done and what kind of God he is and what kind of person God forgives and how great is his forgiveness." 

When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the Lord on the temple, they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, "For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever." ~2Chronicles 7:3

Daily Prayer

Loving Father, Your love endures. I've put it to the test! So have others. All of us. And yet Your love lasts forever and forgiveness is always in front of me. So, God, thank You for forgiving me by the blood of Your Son.

God, may I live life with confidence, not in my own strength, but in the absolute certainty that Your Son did everything needed to restore my relationship with You forever. Your love endures forever.

Amen