Author: Dave Dishman (Page 269 of 481)

Ahaz embraced all the freedoms of kingship. He worshipped the Baals, adopted the gods of his enemies as his own, and even sacrificed his children in the fire—burned them alive. Ahaz, in his misguided wisdom, totally rejected the Lord.

Not surprisingly, Ahaz’s infidelity brought consequences. In one day of a conflict between Judah and Israel, 120,000 soldiers from Judah were killed. The men of Israel then took 200,000 captives, the wives, sons and daughters of the men lost in battle.

These captives marched north, prodded and mistreated by their captors. Oded, a prophet of the Lord, along with some of the leaders of the nation, confronted the mob. Realizing their guilt in taking their fellow Israelites captive, the soldiers gave up the prisoners and sent them home:

They clothed all who were naked…provided them with food and drink and healing balm…those who were weak they put on donkeys…they took them back to their fellow Israelites at Jericho.

As I read this account I wonder about all the innocent men, women and children who suffered through this horrific conflict—what had they done to deserve this?

These citizens bled and died thanks to their king’s blatant disregard for the Lord.

Few of us ever possess power over others like an ancient ruler, but our decisions effect more than ourselves. People around us flourish or fade, partially based on how we live.

Our faith, or our rejection of it, moves outward from us through others. Jesus combined do unto others as you would have done unto you with love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. Those around me bloom when I hold to this combination.

The cult of individualism undercuts the ways of God. Understanding the repercussions on others as we wrestle with our life of faith is part of the journey.

2 Chronicles 28 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

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End of summer days here in Colorado tug me away from my computer. As I leave the house and breathe, I start to grasp David’s psalm expressing thankfulness for the Lord’s attention to the world we inhabit:

You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it.

Everything we have comes from the hand of the Lord.

Whenever I walk through a grocery store, packed with fresh fruits and vegetables and breads and meats, I gaze upon the Lord’s bounty. It’s all there thanks to hard working farmers who tap into the streams of God.

Abundance. The produce aisle displays the goodness of the Lord in variety and glory, one obvious example of his generosity. It calls me to worship, to remain grateful for the streams of God flowing all around.

Psalm 65 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

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One of the things that comes easy in life is being judgmental. Just think what great shape we’d all be in if exercise came as easy as judging others.

Paul shared directions on who should judge whom. Responding to news of blatant sexual immorality among the faithful in Corinth (a man was sleeping with his father’s wife), Paul called for the removal of this man from the church. If still unrepentant, Paul directed handing the man over to Satan for the destruction of his body, and thus perhaps saving his soul.

Strong, pointed decision-making about an unacceptable situation within the local body of believers. But Paul diverged in regards their non-believing neighbors. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are we not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside.

Those of us who follow the ways of Jesus, who possess the Holy Spirit, who engage with one another in a church, need to police ourselves. Along with encouragement and care comes walking the straight and narrow. Loving each other means teaching and living both grace and truth.

As for those around us who do not yet believe? Back off on passing sentence (I’m preaching to myself here), and pray for our friends and neighbors and those we engage with during the day. Ask the Lord to grant a bit of his perspective.

No one lives forever in a judgement-free zone. Pray for kindness in our hearts, and pray for those around us to meet the Lord as Savior before meeting Him as judge.

I Corinthians 5 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

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The church in Corinth sort of thumped along, like a car bouncing down the road on a flat tire. Although Paul founded the congregation, without him his friends found it hard to settle in and grow as disciples. Paul wrote letters and even sent Timothy to help, but the struggles continued.

When he wrote, Paul both encouraged and corrected these young believers. Church members tried to follow Jesus wholeheartedly, but kept falling back into old, destructive patterns. Paul described them as still worldly—mere infants in Christ.

What were they missing?

A clear understanding and reliance on the Holy Spirit. When describing their problem, Paul remarked I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit. These followers had yet to learn to listen to and discern the ways of the Holy Spirit. Their lives showed little evidence of the Spirit’s work.

Why?

I believe the Corinthian believers failed to grasp the true life-changing force in their midst: For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.

Perhaps the church members in Corinth were like church members today. It’s easy to move our eyes to prominent power centers, like the allure of politics or the joys of wealth. Too often the strengths of our world are the only ones I consider.

The kingdom of God changes lives, and saves souls, and brings life in abundance. The power centers of the world head that direction, but never arrive. If I rest my soul in this world, I’ll live with a sour aftertaste.

However, if I invest in knowing and understanding and listening to the Holy Spirit, then I move closer to kingdom of God power.

Would you like to know more about the Holy Spirit’s role in the life of a believer? Check out this resource from Cru.

I Corinthians 3 & 4 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

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