Success yields insight into character.

King Amaziah, who saw himself as a warrior, won a great victory through the intervention of the Lord. But upon his return from the battlefield he committed a breathtaking transgression.

When King Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought with him idols taken from the people of Seir. He set them up as his own gods, bowed down in front of them, and offered sacrifices to them! This made the Lord very angry…

Amaziah apparently never heard the old adage to dance with who brung you. He changed partners after the battle and never recovered.

Why commit such an egregious act smack in the face of God? Amaziah was either dumb as a rock, or filled with staggering pride. I have a feeling it was a combination of both. After a whiff of success Amaziah believed he was Napoleon Bonaparte and George Washington rolled into one. Needing help Amaziah mouthed devout words, but when danger passed Amaziah left the true God.

The scriptures tell us God was determined to destroy Amaziah for turning to the false gods. Amaziah never repented and was later put down by assassins, ending a reign that started strong but quickly sank.

I find it easy to lose the Lord in the midst of success. But the absurd decision by Amaziah reminds me check my pride. Any success I experience originates from the hand of God. Stick with the Lord because he is great.

And me? Not so much.

2 Chronicles 25 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Ardian Lumi

Crowds in the thousands flocked around Jesus as he engaged with rich and poor. They brought the lame, blind, crippled, mute and others suffering to Jesus and asked for his help. The Bible simply states he healed them.

Something was up. Beggars blind from birth reveled in color. The deaf turned their heads at the laughter of a child. Those with never-before heard voices sang in the choir. Matthew, an eye-witness to these happenings, tells us the crowd wondered when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.

As the Jesus phenomenon solidified, thoughtful people took notice. They wondered, could this be the long awaited Messiah? Evidence surrounded them, a wild cacophony of laughing, leaping, freshly-healed devotees of Jesus.

Watch Jesus and you’ll begin to wonder. Read about him in the gospel books of the New Testament. Look to the lives of his followers, not the bombastic, but quiet disciples sticking to his ways. Find a still moment to give Jesus some thought.

You’ll be intrigued and you’ll start to wonder, Who is this man?

Matthew 15 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Daiga Ellaby

The word from God spoken through Amos sounds like a blessing to our modern ears—I gave you cleanness of teeth. But the phrase quickly turns toward justice—and lack of bread in all your places, yet you did not return to me.

The wealthy of Judah loved fine living. But their liberality came on the backs of the poor. Even famine failed to nip their panting, despite the catastrophe of wasted bodies and teeth falling from shriveled gums.

Failure to get what they wanted (food in this case), did not bring any recognition of a dismal relationship with God. Thus, even sterner judgements emerged down the road.

While you and I have plenty to eat, at times we feel like we’re missing something. Perhaps the Lord is withholding a desire in order to get our attention? Like the upper crust of Judah, I love fine living and easily focus on myself to the exclusion of others.

The Lord opens his hand to my delight, and closes his hand to turn my head. The lesson is to acknowledge this reality well before my teeth get cleaned.

Amos 4 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Wesley Tingey

At one point in his wanderings, Jesus came upon a man with a shriveled hand. The ever-present Pharisees were looking for a reason to charge Jesus with a religious crime, so they asked him a specific question intended to tie him down, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?

Jesus sat with a man desperately hoping for a miracle, yearning for a hand that would allow him to work and earn a living and stand up for himself. The Pharisees failed to see the man at all, but merely hoped to criminalize Jesus’s behavior.

Jesus answered, It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath. Then ordered the man to stretch out his hand, which healed before their eyes. The Pharisees stomped off, while the man flexed his strong fresh hand.

Jesus replied expansively to a narrow question designed to force him into a corner. No matter what strictures were drawn around the Sabbath, it was always appropriate, indeed lawful, to do good on that day. Perhaps Jesus throwing the word lawful back on those who manipulated the law angered the Pharisees the most.

Jesus uncomplicates situations. It’s always lawful to do good. When I see some good that needs doing, then I ought to step in and help. It sounds too simple, but as we go through our day, let’s keep our eyes open and do some good.

Matthew 12 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Rémi Walle