Those Who Are with Us - June 25 Readings: 2 Kings 5-6, Acts 2:1–41, Psalm 77:12–20, Proverbs 16:1

Links to June 25 Readings: 2 Kings 5-6, Acts 2:1–41, Psalm 77:12–20, Proverbs16:1

The king of Aram was annoyed with Elisha. He had suspected that he had a spy among his ranks who was giving information to the Israelites, but he found out that it was actually the prophet who was getting the most trustworthy information imaginable - the wisdom of God. There was only one thing he could do. Elisha had to go.

So, he sent a massive army to Dothan where Elisha was staying to take care of this problem. As usual, when evil men plan their evil deeds, they forget the power of God. He assumed he could just march down and take care of one little prophet.

It was a serious miscalculation.

It was a miscalculation that Elisha's servant also made. He got up early and saw the vast Aramean army arrayed around him and fear choked him. In his panic, he called out to Elisha asking what they were to do. Elisha responded with a very strange statement.

"Don't be afraid. For those who are with us outnumber those who are with them."

Huh?

It was Elisha, the servant and maybe a few others against an entire army. That was it. But he was making the same mistake as the king of Aram. He forgot all about God. Elisha prayed and asked God to open his eyes to the reality of the spiritual realm.

The servant looked again and saw what he hadn't seen before. The mountain was covered with horses and chariots of fire. God's servants were there and they vastly outnumbered the army of Aram.

We are seldom granted the blessing that servant received that day, but we need to realize the truth that he discovered. God is with us. His power is all around us; he is in us! When enemies come against us, we are not left to our own devices. We must walk by faith, not by sight, but we can trust that the armies that surrounded Elisha that day are also working on behalf of God's people today. While it looks so much like evil is winning in this world, that is a mirage. God's power is greater than anything in this world and in the end he will establish his kingdom and rule this world in righteousness.

Father, I so often forget your power. Help me to see with the eyes of faith the powerful forces arrayed all around. May I trust you and walk in faith, not fear. 

Now That's a Mighty God! June 24 Readings: 2 Kings 3-4, Acts 1:12–26, Psalm 77:4–11, Proverbs 15:30–33

Links to June 24 Readings: 2 Kings 3-4, Acts 1:12–26, Psalm 77:4–11, Proverbs 15:30–33

Do you read the stories of the Bible as you would fairy tales? Or perhaps as an ancient equivalent of medieval morality plays designed simple to teach moral truths? Or maybe just as wishful thinking, myths made up to foster belief in the god the writers worshipped.

Or, maybe, just maybe, you believe that the Bible is true and that its stories were real. Maybe you believe that God is who the Bible says he is and that he did what the Bible said he did. If you believe that, you are left with one inescapable conclusion as you read 2 Kings 3-4.

Our God is a Mighty God!

The stories recorded here concerning the life and ministry of Elisha are among the greatest displays of divine power in the Bible. The stories of the Exodus were pretty amazing and Elijah did some remarkable things. Of course, the life and miracles of Jesus were amazing, testifying of his divine nature and power. The Apostles carried that miraculous ministry on. But there were few who surpassed the works that Elisha did in these chapters.

He gave the kings of both Israel and Judah a plan by which they could defeat the mighty army of Moab. Our God is a mighty God. Today we have many and powerful enemies who stand against us. Satan and all his forces have sown this world with lies and created a world system which stands in opposition to God. Our own flesh betrays us and draws us to temptation and sin. But Jesus Christ stands as victor over all of these, having defeated them all by the Blood of his Cross. Our God is bigger than any of our enemies.

By the power of God, Elisha provided oil to a widow whose children were about to be taken into slavery because of her debts. Then, Elisha pronounced a blessing on the barren Shunammite woman, announcing that she would have a child within a year. Our God is a Mighty God. Whatever our needs, whatever we lack, God is able to provide. He is not a heavenly vending machine on whom we call to get whatever we want, but he is the God who can and will provide all our needs. He is good to us beyond our imaginings.

Of course, the greatest work of God is to raise the dead. That's what happened when the Shunammite's son died suddenly. Elijah raised him by God's grace. Death is the ultimate enemy, infused with eternal poison by our sin. But Jesus Christ defeated death at his resurrection. Those who believe in Jesus Christ may die physically but will never die spiritually. They will be raised to glory and eternal life.

If the stories of 2 Kings 3-4 are true, then you and I serve a God of glory who able to do abundantly above all we can ask or imagine. He loves us and desires to answer our prayers. He is truly a Mighty God.

Father, I serve you, a Mighty God. I can trust you and hope in you every day. My enemies flee before your power. My needs are provided and death is defeated. Thank you for being a God like that!

The Song that Never Ends - June 23 Readings: 2 Kings 1-2, Acts 1:1–11, Psalm 77:1–3, Proverbs 15:28–29

Links to June 23 Readings: 2 Kings 1-2, Acts 1:1–11, Psalm 77:1–3, Proverbs 15:28–29

It is the song that never ends.
It just goes on and on my friends. 

That annoying song has been sung on young people's outings for decades, and truly it never ends, my friends. It has a beginning, but it has no end.

Just like the song, the story of Jesus goes on and on. When the religious leaders crucified him, they thought they were done with Jesus, but they could not have been more wrong. The end of his life was only the beginning of his work.

Luke opened the book of Acts with these words,

I wrote the first narrative, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day He was taken up.

All that Jesus BEGAN to do. Began. The story of Jesus did not simply continue in his resurrection, but it continued in the lives of the Apostles in the book of Acts, as the Holy Spirit worked through them to spread the gospel. And that story continues today in us.

Our lives are the continuation of the story of Jesus Christ. He lives in us and he works through us. He displays his love in this world through us.

It is our duty to see that we sing that song well, that we bring honor to the Name and not disgrace. We must serve the gospel with our hearts and souls.

It is a song that never ends.

Father, may my life be a fitting and powerful continuation of the story of Jesus. 

"I Hate Him" June 22 Readings: 1 Kings 22, John 21, Psalm 76, Proverbs 15:25–27

Links to June 22 Readings: 1 Kings 22, John 21, Psalm 76, Proverbs 15:25–27

Ahab hated Micaiah, the prophet. He hated him so much he wouldn't even consult him when Jehoshaphat wanted to get wisdom from a prophet of God. 1 Kings 22:8 states it clearly.

I hate him because he never prophesies good about me, but only disaster.

Ahab had a point. A true prophet of God could not say anything good about the wicked Ahab, who lived in rebellion against God and his laws. Ahab had his yes-men around him who told him God was okay with him, that everything he did was good and that God would give him success. But Micaiah made it clear this was wrong. The prophets were not speaking for God, but for themselves.

Ahab rejected the truth that Micaiah prophesied and went out to war, threatening to kill Micaiah when he got home. He never came home. A stray arrow fulfilled the word of God against him and Ahab died that day.

There are two lessons we can take from this story.

First, the word of God is true even if it is uncomfortable. The Bible shows us our hearts, our sinful and arrogant souls - it shows us exactly who we are. And that truth is often uncomfortable. We like to think we are okay, to ignore our sin. But the Word of God doesn't do that. It exalts Christ, it humbles us and it demands our submission. And it is true.

Second, there is no blessing in ignoring God's Word. Ahab didn't like what God said, so he ignored it, and suffered a fatal injury for his hubris. Our duty is to listen to God's Word and to submit to it, whether we like it or not.

Ahab thought he could live by his own wisdom and follow his own rules. He did, and it cost him dearly. Neither can we succeed in life by rebelling from God's commands.

Father, I don't always like what your word says about me, but I realize its truth, its authority and I submit to it. You are my Lord and your Word is my truth. 

Winning! June 21 Readings: 1 Kings 21, John 20, Psalm 75:7–10, Proverbs 15:23–24

Links to June 21 Readings: 1 Kings 21, John 20, Psalm 75:7–10, Proverbs 15:23–24

My athletic career was a powerful opus of mediocrity. I was just above average at basketball, soccer, tennis, baseball/softball and several other sports. I guess I excelled at table tennis more than any other sport I ever played, but no ping pong manufacturers were asking for my endorsement. My competitive zeal and love of sports far outweighed my talent.

But I have a few very sweet memories of athletic victories - an important tennis match in high school, some big wins during my coaching career, a couple of men's league basketball games.

One game sticks out, a game in which I was a coach, not a player. It was the championship game of the big Christian school tournament in Eastern Iowa. My middle school team was not expected to win against our rival, the team that always seemed to have our number. With the final seconds of the game ticking away, my son Ben scored a goal on a penalty kick to tie the game. In the overtime, we won the tournament in penalty kicks, with Ben again scoring the winning goal.

There is nothing more fun that watching the side you are on overcome overwhelming odds to defeat a rival.

But no sporting event, not even the Miracle on Ice, the 1978 Yankees or any of the great comebacks, can compare at all with the glorious victory won in John 20. It seemed to all that the Enemy had won the victory by getting the religious leaders put Jesus to death. The bad guys seemed to be on top.

But that was not true. On the morning of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene wandered over to the Tomb, drawn by her grief to see where Jesus lay. But when she arrived, something had happened. There was no one there. She ran back to Peter and John to tell them and they raced to find the Tomb empty.

Jesus won. Satan threw every evil scheme he had at Jesus, but he could not defeat him. Jesus rose in the power of God to once and for all seal the eternal defeat of Satan and to establish his kingdom. Jesus is the Victor over sin, hell, Satan and death itself.

Of course, we know that the end was already written, that God's throne was not threatened and that Satan never had a chance to succeed. We know that now. But at the time, it looked like Jesus had been defeated. The resurrection proved he was not. In the end, he rose as the conqueror and he now stands as the undisputed champion of this world, the Lord of all.

Father, your power raised Jesus from the dead, defeated Satan, sin and death utterly and established my eternal hope. For that, I can only give thanks. 

Everything Changed - June 20 Readings: 1 Kings 19-20, John 19:28–42, Psalm 75:1–6, Proverbs 15:20–22

Linka to June 20 Readings: 1 Kings 19-20, John 19:28–42, Psalm 75:1–6, Proverbs15:20–22

Three words. Simple words. But in all of this world's history they are the most important ever uttered. Or course, the three words are in English translations. In the Greek language, in which the New Testament was written, it was only one word. Frankly, in the Aramaic in which Jesus spoke, I have no idea how many words it is. But those three English words have changed everything.

It is finished.

John 19:30 records these words among the last Jesus ever spoke on the Cross. And they changed everything.

Jesus was hanging on the Cross to satisfy the eternal wrath of a Holy God against the sins of rebellious humanity. The wages of sin is death and God's righteousness demanded that he receive payment. Sins must be paid for. He could not simply ignore your sins or mine - there is a payment demanded. And Romans 6:23 makes it clear what that payment is.

"The wages of sin is death."

Someone had to die for my sins, and yours. We faced an eternity separated from God under his judgment because of our waywardness. The debt must be paid. And that is exactly what Jesus was doing on the Cross that day. He was paying the price, paying the wages that our sins demanded. Death.

As Jesus was prepared for crucifixion, Jesus experienced the evil of man. But on the Cross, hanging there bearing the sins of the world and standing in our place, Jesus experienced as no man ever had to that point, the eternal wrath of God against sin.

The sun grew dark as Jesus hung there.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

There is an answer to the question. You. And me. Why? Because Jesus was in our place and he was experiencing our hell. He was there for us and experienced all the horrors of hell in the hours he hung there, the full weight of God's wrath for our sins poured out on the sinless Lamb.

And then, when it was done, he uttered the words. "It is finished." It's done. Your sins are paid for. You atonement is complete. You are washed, cleansed, justified, redeemed, forgiven, and every other word you can imagine. Completely. Infinitely. Eternally. It is finished. Nothing else ever has to be done for  you to be saved forever!

So, when we come to Christ in repentance and faith the debt is paid. Done. I can add nothing to my salvation. I can only believe.

Oh, friend, there is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Immanuel's veins, and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains. It is finished. Jesus paid it all. It is finished. Mercy there is great and grace was free, pardon there was multiplied to me. It is finished. Because Jesus spoke those words, because he paid for our sins, we are free.

Father, I am in awe of your grace and love, that you would punish your beloved Son for my sins. Why would you do that for a sinner like me? But you did, and I glory in Cross on which Jesus finished, completely, my eternal redemption. 

When the Worst Happens - June 19 Readings: 1 Kings 17-18, John 19:1–27, Psalm 74:17–23, Proverbs 15:18–19

Links to June 19 Readings: 1 Kings 17-18, John 19:1–27, Psalm 74:17–23, Proverbs 15:18–19

The readings today, especially the 1 Kings passage and the reading in John, are some of the richest material we've encountered so far.  In 1 Kings we are introduced to the ministry if Elijah, who is one of the Old Testament's truly great men. He announces a drought brought about by God's judgment on Israel,  then provides miraculously for a widow, and later brings her son back from the dead. Then, in chapter 18, we see his famed encounter with King Ahab and the false prophets on Mt Carmel. These are some of the most exciting stories in the Bible.

Of course, the greatest story ever is the death of Christ for our sins. John 18 recounts Jesus' trial before Pilate and his crucifixion. It is the historical act on which our eternal destiny depends.

It is hard with so much rich material to focus on one truth. But that is what we must do. I would encourage each of you to take a little extra time today to consider the wonder of these recountings of some of God's greatest works of power. But we must pick one flower from among this beautiful garden and examine its glory.

It seems almost to read of the brutal torture and crucifixion of Christ and focus on anything else. Look at what human beings did to Jesus in these awful moments. First, Jesus was flogged in the horrifying Roman way. Then, to add insult to injury, the soldiers commenced to ridicule the beaten man. They put a crown of thorns on him, gave him a purple robe, slapped him and chanted "Hail, King of the Jews." The Lamb of God was giving himself for their sins and all they could do was mock. The priests and other religious leaders manipulated and schemed to get him convicted according to their laws and to bring him before Pilate. Time and again, Pilate tried to find a way to get him off the hook, but in his cowardice, he gave in to the pressure and gave the order for crucifixion.

It can be said that the day of the Cross was the low point in human history; that moment in which sinful human beings reach their moral nadir as they laid hands on the Creator himself and nailed him to a tree. It was an awful day.

It was also the day that changed history, the day that your sins and mine were forgiven, the day that a place was prepared for us in eternity. That is the way of our God. He takes the worst that sinful, rebellious humanity can throw at him and turns it to his glory.

When terrible things happen to you or in your life, or even when you fail in a monumental, shameful way, remember the power of this God. The God of the Cross is not fazed by the wickedness of the wicked. He takes it and uses it to accomplish his glorious purposes.

It is an amazing God that we serve. If he can turn the crucifixion into glory, he can take whatever struggles, trials or even tragedies that you are facing and turn them to blessing.

Father, I confess that you are an great God, one who is able to turn even the most awful things of life into your glory. I thank you for doing that in my life.