Today I’d like to discuss building. The Bible has a lot to say about building, generally speaking. The foundation we will discuss is one that we can all build upon. When choosing to live a life on this foundation we can stand strong through bleak times and circumstances.

When we have this foundation we can relate to this:

Psalm 112
⁷ They do not fear bad news;
they confidently trust the Lord to care for them.
⁸ They are confident and fearless
and can face their foes triumphantly.

Would you like this passage to describe you? Read on…

I think most of you understand that our foundation is Jesus Christ, read what Paul had to say:

1 Corinthians 3: 10 Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ.

What do we know about Jesus?

John 1: 1 In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
2 He existed in the beginning with God.
3 God created everything through him,
and nothing was created except through him.
4 The Word gave life to everything that was created,
and his life brought light to everyone.
5 The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it.

… ¹⁴ So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

Jesus is the Word, in the flesh.

And what does Jesus have to say about building a foundation?

Matthew 7: 24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand.27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

The key here, of course, is to listen to His teaching. What better way than to read the Word directly?

Now let’s read what King David had to say about this subject:

Psalm 127: 
1 Unless the Lord builds a house,
the work of the builders is wasted.
Unless the Lord protects a city,
guarding it with sentries will do no good.
2 It is useless for you to work so hard
from early morning until late at night,
anxiously working for food to eat;
for God gives rest to his loved ones.

What foundation have you been building?

Are you focused on work so much that you are failing to get to know the one and only Person that can meet all your needs?

Do you take your relationship with God seriously? Are you content with your relationship with Him or do you want more?

2 Corinthians 1: 24 But that does not mean we want to dominate you by telling you how to put your faith into practice. We want to work together with you so you will be full of joy, for it is by your own faith that you stand firm.

This is what I want for you, to develop your own faith. Let’s do it together!

Will you commit to reading the Word?

“Dear Lord, Please help me get to know you more. I want to build the foundation that is described in your Word. Teach me your ways and lead me into your truth this year. Help me to develop this habit this year which I will one day soon cherish. Thank you for what you are stirring in my heart. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen”

Photo by ANDRIK ↟ LANGFIELD ↟ PETRIDES on Unsplash

This is the third and final post in the series “Are You Pleasing God?“. Thank you for reading!

As the crowd of people gathered at Golgotha, Martha was standing beside her sister Mary and brother Lazarus. She glanced over at Mary and noticed the tears streaming down her face. Lazarus appeared empty, staring into space with a glassy look in his eyes. He was truly perplexed and despondent. 

Martha didn’t know what to think, she was numb. As she was watching the Roman soldiers nail her friend’s hands and feet to the cross she couldn’t help but think of the recent events that led to that day. “What on earth is happening? How did we get here?” she thought. “It was just last week that Jesus was in our home and we were having dinner.” She started to reflect on that day. She recollected the people there and the hope they all shared after having Lazarus back and in good health.

Then, she remembered the perfume…

John 12: 1 Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the dead. 2 A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. 3 Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.

4 But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, 5 “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” 6 Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself.

7 Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

“What was Mary thinking anyway?” she pondered. “That smell filled the whole house!” Then she thought of Jesus’ rather strange rebuke of Judas. “He knew this was going to happen. What? How could he know? Why? I don’t understand.” She said to herself.

It was then that they raised Jesus on the cross.

Jesus’ face was barely recognizable. Mary started weeping uncontrollably as Lazarus took her in his arms. It was a gruesome sight as they heard some onlookers scoff. “I can’t believe what they are saying?” Martha thought.

Mark 15: 31 The leading priests and teachers of religious law also mocked Jesus. “He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself!

“How could they do this to such a humble and gentle man? What did he do to them? After all, he called Lazarus out of the grave.”

Immediately she thought about the day Jesus finally came back to Bethany, too late to heal her brother Lazarus…

John 11: 20 When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.”

23 Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.”

24 “Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.”

25 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”

27 “Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.”

Later, when Jesus arrives at Lazarus’ tomb…

39 “Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them.

But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.”

40 Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” 41 So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. 42 You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” 43 Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in grave clothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”

Jesus wasn’t late, after all.

“What a glorious day that was.” She thought, “Jesus wasn’t late, after all, he was right on time!” A tear started rolling down her cheek. “I was so angry and upset with him for not being there for us. It didn’t make any sense to me. But now as I look back, it was perfect timing. Even our cousins in Jerusalem came to believe in him. But now this?”

John 19: 28 Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. 30 When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and released his spirit.

“It can’t be!” Martha cried out. “Why has this happened? What happens now? Where do we go from here?” she screamed inside. Then she thought of an earlier time when Jesus was in her home. She recalled the first day they met, “I was so busy preparing that meal…”

Luke 10: 38 As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught.40 But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”

41 But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! 42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

It was then that a rush of indescribable emotions flooded her body. “Mary got it, she truly appreciated Jesus and I missed it! I was so concerned about having things ready and ‘perfect’ and I even interrupted Jesus and Mary in the process. “Her emotions overcame her. She started wailing as she realized it was too late. “Jesus is gone.” she thought. She then felt deep regret. “I missed the one thing worth being concerned about. I was a believer all along, but I didn’t fully experience Jesus.” After spending a seemingly long time weeping together, the three of them left the site for their home in Bethany. They were drained and devastated over what just took place. All they had now was each other for consolation.

Did Martha regret not spending more time with Jesus?

I don’t know if Martha was there to witness Jesus’ death or not. I believe it’s likely. It is clear from these passages that she was a woman of service, and had a gift of hospitality. She seemed to take responsibility and made sure that her guests were taken care of. I can’t say for sure that she felt regret, but I believe she probably did. I like to think she met with Jesus after His resurrection. Oh, what joy that would have been. I can only imagine Jesus restoring her soul as Jesus restored Peter’s. (John 21: 15-19) 

Do you have any regrets? Have you been spending time at Jesus’ feet, spending time in His presence and listening to what He’s teaching? Jesus’ Spirit is there for us, just as He was then. Mary got it and was deeply blessed, Martha was a believer, but missed the main message, the person, and presence of Jesus Christ. 

Matthew 11: 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Just one last thought as I close, because none of us want these regrets:

2 Peter 3: 10 But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief…”

Did you receive the Teacher’s lesson?

“O Holy God, you are the bread of life. Apart from you, I can do nothing. Please help me to understand this same lesson Jesus taught while on earth. Help me to commit to spending time with you daily. For my life is but a breath and a whole year passes by before I know it. Thank you so much for not only sending your Son to die for me but also for the capability to know you on a personal level. You are incomprehensible and nothing compares to you. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen”

I don’t know about you but I like to fit in and I don’t like being a misfit. I never wanted to be the last choice in a pickup football game and at times I’d laugh at jokes even if I didn’t think it was funny, just to “fit in”.

We all belong to groups, even beyond grade school. We are in groups for work, hobbies, Bible studies, church, school, networking and the list goes on. As our relationship with God grows, things start to change. The more we recognize our Lord’s voice the more we desire to change:

John 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

Deuteronomy 30:6 “The Lord your God will change your heart and the hearts of all your descendants, so that you will love him with all your heart and soul and so you may live!

So the more we love God, the less we love the world.

1 John 2: ¹⁵ Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. ¹⁶ For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. ¹⁷ And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

As we continue to remain in Him, transformation happens

Our values change, habits change, friendships change, thoughts change, and desires change. If they’re not changing, then there’s no growth. Habits and long-time desires, of course, do not change overnight, so this is not necessarily evident in some areas but other areas should show it.

For me, I may pray for change in a specific area of my life that never seems to change, but I can see changes in other areas that I hadn’t realized needed changing. What this shows me is that God will change me on His terms, the way He prefers, not mine.

Jeremiah 18:6 “O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand.

So what impact does this have on the relationships in our groups? We become a misfit. Simply meaning that we no longer “fit in”. The desire to talk about real estate, work, baseball, TV all the time will change. The desire to hang out with the guys that disparage their wives will disappear. Instead of agreeing with people and sharing in their despair over the poor economy, you’ll want to share the hope we have in God and not participate in the meaningless, unconstructive conversation.

You may see this in your church as well. I remember as a young man there were the “good” kids and the “bad” kids. The bad kids did not take Sunday School seriously, and the good kids enjoyed church and had respect for instruction. So when I’d repent during a revival meeting (remember those?), the next week I’d be hanging around the good kids. I know there are adult versions of these groups as well.

It’s OK to be disliked.

As we change, some people in those groups may start disliking you. Some may keep their distance simply because “you’re not the same anymore” and they’re right. A few may be attracted to the change and may inquire about it.

These are good signs. For me, I remember feeling like going through a second adolescence. I felt weird, uncomfortable and not really sure of myself. Instead of being influenced, we are becoming the influencers:

Jeremiah 15:

¹⁹ This is how the Lord responds:

“If you return to me, I will restore you
so you can continue to serve me.
If you speak good words rather than worthless ones,
you will be my spokesman.
You must influence them;
do not let them influence you!

This is awesome. Isn’t it great that we can use this ancient passage that was meant originally for Jeremiah and use it for ourselves?

Misfits in the world, at home with God

I discovered that this is all a part of the process of being set apart.

Leviticus 20:26 You must be holy because I, the Lord, am holy. I have set you apart from all other people to be my very own.

I don’t know about you, but I can not relate to being holy, at least I don’t feel holy anyway, but I know that only through the blood of Jesus we are made holy, and that is a wonderful thing to remember. And I most certainly desire to be holy, at least on most days. 🙂

1 Corinthians 1:2 I am writing to God’s church in Corinth, to you who have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as he did for all people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.

I love to see New Testament verses that seem to directly relate to Old Testament verses.

And now for one of my favorite verses

Romans 12: 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

How will this transformation happen? Only through “reprogramming” our minds. Replace novels and/or TV with Bible reading, exchange gossip with going out with godly friends, and pleading to God to change your heart on a daily basis. If you truly want to change, seek the Lord with all your heart.

John 6: 27 But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.”

Will you seek change?

“Dear Lord, I can begin to see the changes in my life and I thank you for putting me on this path. Please keep me from falling away and help me to understand what being set apart really means for me. I praise your name. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Photo by Matthew Henry on Unsplash

In my last post, “Do You Trust Him, part 1”, we discussed the relationship between love and trust: “God is teaching me that the greater my love is for Him, the more I will trust Him.”

Psalm 40: 4 Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord, who have no confidence in the proud or in those who worship idols.

This makes me think about who I am trusting. Am I trusting my clients to pay me or call me for work? Or trusting friends to fulfill my needs?  Or maybe I’m trusting the economy or the government? God forbid I trust in myself to finish the work He’s given me.

Do you have a lot of work that needs to be done? Check this out:

1 Chronicles 28: ²⁰ Then David continued, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the Lord is finished correctly.

Our God is faithful

Call me crazy, but I think we can apply this verse to our own lives, nearly 3,000 years later. Think of it this way, God gave King Solomon the job of building the temple. That was the work God gave him to do. If God is with us today and we serve Him in whatever capacity He gave us, from cleaning toilets to mending broken limbs, you better believe that it is important to Him. “He will see to it that all the work … is finished correctly.” After all, if He’s given you the work to do, won’t He be faithful in helping you complete it? Knowing this helps me to trust Him more, how about you?

This also reminds me of the work He’s doing in me:

^{Philippians 1: 6} And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

Trust takes time

Trust is learned over time; it’s something that is developed. I used to pray a lot for more faith as if I would wake up the next day and be able to part a lake. I am learning that it doesn’t work that way. God has been answering those prayers all along by teaching me more and more how I can trust Him.

Reading the Bible on a daily basis has been a tremendous help in this area of growth. Every time I turn the page it seems as though God is rescuing someone or delivering on a promise He made. Don’t take my word for it, this is my personal experience from my own journey. Find out for yourself how He works, join me by seeking Him.

Wise words from King David

I’ll leave you with these encouraging verses. These are David’s last recorded words to his son Solomon, passing the torch, so to speak:

1 Chronicles 28: ⁹ “And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. ¹⁰ So take this seriously. The Lord has chosen you to build a Temple as his sanctuary. Be strong, and do the work.”

Will you trust Him?

“Dear Lord, You are the author of my life and my future is in your hands. Please help me know you more. I believe that if I can get to know you better, you will teach me how I can trust you more and more. Thank you in advance for what you will do in my life. I am excited about my future with you.  In Jesus Name, Amen”

I hope you enjoyed the last post, “Do You Know What To Say When You Pray?”. I just love reading the examples of prayers throughout the Old Testament, there’s a certain vulnerability about them. They allow us to see these “Biblical Giants” as ordinary people and that gives me comfort. Now let’s talk trust!

I also love the simplicity of the greatest commandments. Jesus makes it clear that they are foundational to everything else.

Matthew 22: ³⁵ One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”³⁷ Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

Greatest = Most Important

I don’t think there is a more important topic. I truly believe that if we can learn how to love God and develop an intimate relationship with Him, we’ll only want more. Only His love in us can enable us to love others.

The problem I have is trusting Him. He has met my needs at every turn and has provided for me in ways that I can’t even begin to describe. Still, I find myself waking Jesus up at the back of the boat, crying for him to save me.

God is teaching me that the greater my love is for Him, the more I will trust Him. This makes complete sense. The greatest reason I have for not trusting Him is fear. In light of that, I think it is important to understand this:

1 John 4: ¹⁶ We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.

God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. ¹⁷ And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.

¹⁸ Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. ¹⁹ We love each other because he loved us first.

The key to trusting God is to experience His love.

Think back to when you were young. Were you afraid of the dark? I’ll admit that I was. When I called on Mom or Dad, they came to my room and delivered soothing words. I was no longer afraid. As a child, I did not understand the love I had for my parents, but it was their love for me that gave me comfort.

It’s the same with God. It’s hard for us to know how much we love God, but we know that He loves us infinitely more.

I think it is safe to say that the more I understand just how much He loves me, the less I will be afraid. What’s great about God is that He doesn’t go back down the hall to His room, He stays right there in the bedroom with me. I can call on His name when I get scared, anxious or experience disbelief.

So keep on seeking and loving God and I am convinced that you will trust Him more and more!

I’ll wrap this message up on my next post. Until then, may God richly bless you!

What you focus on will determine your destination. The trick is maintaining it!

This is a challenge common to everyone, keeping our focus on the Lord. We all have busy lives and need to keep up with a number of diverse activities. These activities include work, family, church, bills, sickness, sports, hobbies, etc. and they all compete for our attention. But we all need to stay connected with the Source of Life in order to stay grounded and Spirit-filled.

John 15: ⁴ Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

This is one of my favorite episodes because the message is so clear:

Matthew 14: ²⁸ Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”

²⁹ “Yes, come,” Jesus said.

So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.

³¹ Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”

Can you imagine this?

What happened? He lost his focus when he took his eyes off Jesus. Peter started focusing on the worldly circumstances rather than the One keeping him afloat. He was walking on water and being like Christ, yet He took his eyes off the One that gave him the ability to do the impossible.

Are your bills causing you to sink? Are you out of work? Is someone close to you dying? Is your marriage on the rocks?

I am not without my own troubles, this message is just as much for me as it is for anyone else.

But these verses give me hope:

Romans 5:  ³ We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. ⁴ And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. ⁵ And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

Romans 8: ²⁸ And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Here’s a passage to remember for staying focused…

Colossians 3 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. ² Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. ³ For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.

Understand this… unless we regularly consume the Word of God, how on earth can we stay focused on Jesus and His love for us?

Visit TheBibleTeam.com today and create your own reading plan, it’s free.

Keep reading, stay focused!

“Dear Lord, you are my hope and my comfort. I take refuge in you. Please forgive me for worrying and focusing on the problems in my life. Please give me peace and thank you in advance for helping me through this difficult time. In Jesus Name, Amen”

I hope you enjoyed the last two posts on the Old Testament and why it is relevant to the 21st century believer. I think it is quite incredible, and an obvious sign that the Text is Divinely inspired. When events written several millennia in the past can teach us how to live our lives today. Today let’s talk about the will of God for you.

Do you think about what God’s called you to do? Do you ever think about a ministry you’d like to pursue if you got compensated? Maybe if the circumstances were different? What about what you’re doing right now?

Have you ever considered that God has you right where He wants you? One of the most frustrating things for me is that I don’t know what God has planned for me. I know that’s what faith is all about. If I only knew what He had in store for me then I wouldn’t need faith. And we cannot please God without faith, right? (Hebrews 11:6) I have to reflect at times and say “OK Lord, I don’t know what’s happening or where you are taking me. I’ll just be still while you continue to work on me.”

Consider the prophet Elijah

 1 Kings 17:  ¹ Now Elijah, who was from Tishbe in Gilead, told King Ahab, “As surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives—the God I serve—there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!”

² Then the Lord said to Elijah, ³ “Go to the east and hide by Kerith Brook, near where it enters the Jordan River. ⁴ Drink from the brook and eat what the ravens bring you, for I have commanded them to bring you food.”

⁵ So Elijah did as the Lord told him and camped beside Kerith Brook, east of the Jordan. ⁶ The ravens brought him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he drank from the brook. ⁷ But after a while the brook dried up, for there was no rainfall anywhere in the land.

⁸ Then the Lord said to Elijah, ⁹ “Go and live in the village of Zarephath, near the city of Sidon. I have instructed a widow there to feed you.”

Elijah was quite bold when speaking to one of the most evil kings (Ahab, vs 1). I think God’s way of protecting His servant was by leading him to Kerith Brook to get “out of Dodge” for awhile. Or maybe in addition to that, it was to teach Elijah how to wait.

Are kidding me, fed by Ravens?

While by the brook Elijah was fed by ravens until the brook dried up. We don’t know exactly how long this took, a few weeks, months? That’s wild, isn’t it? Hanging out by a brook, being fed bread and meat by ravens morning and evening? Do you think he might’ve been wondering what he was doing there or what would happen if the ravens forgot about him? I don’t know. I’d like to believe that Elijah was perfectly content and didn’t have those questions. I look forward to asking him someday. 🙂

The widow does what God said she’d do

We read further in verse 9 that he was told to see a widow in Zarephath. Let’s read on:

 1 Kings 17: ¹⁰ So he went to Zarephath. As he arrived at the gates of the village, he saw a widow gathering sticks, and he asked her, “Would you please bring me a little water in a cup?” ¹¹ As she was going to get it, he called to her, “Bring me a bite of bread, too.”

¹² But she said, “I swear by the Lord your God that I don’t have a single piece of bread in the house. And I have only a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug. I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die.”

¹³ But Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid! Go ahead and do just what you’ve said, but make a little bread for me first. Then use what’s left to prepare a meal for yourself and your son. ¹⁴ For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the Lord sends rain and the crops grow again!”

Can you imagine?

Her reality was that this was going to be her last meal, but God had other plans. God sent Elijah to minister to the widow in her time of need, just in time, God’s time.

Taking a step back and looking at the big picture, we know that Elijah was a much-revered prophet, in fact, other prophets bowed before him (1 Kings 18:7). We also know that he had the respect of kings and performed many great miracles.

So what is a great man of God doing in such a remote place with a widow?

A great prophet who is accustomed to being in the presence of kings is now living with a widow? This is his ministry for this season of his life. He is in the will of God for certain.

Only if you are familiar with the Old Testament or familiar with this next verse you might understand exactly why this new ministry for Elijah is near and dear to God’s heart…

James 1: ²⁷ Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

He was exactly where God wanted him.

The widow in this story could represent an aging parent, a sickly child, or maybe a person that needs special attention. I love how this story demonstrates that it doesn’t matter what you think you should be doing or what you are qualified to do, but as long as you are doing what God asks of you, whatever that is, it is exactly where God wants you. The time spent by the brook tested his faith and prepared him for his time with the widow. I think if I experienced ravens feeding me for a period of time, it would certainly build my faith, how about you?

If I can only keep focused on Jesus

Do you ever think, “What about that other guy, the one that has a flourishing ministry?” Be careful not to compare yourself with others. I am guilty of this, but I’m always reminded of this exchange:

John 21: ²¹ Peter asked Jesus, “What about him, Lord?”

²² Jesus replied, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me.”

This verse is like the Shepherd’s staff pulling me back from the treacherous ditch I’m heading for. If I can just keep focusing on Jesus and following Him. I know I’m on the right path and that will be more than sufficient for me.

Will you continue to follow Jesus?

“Dear Lord, thank you for continuing to teach me your ways. Your ways are not my ways. I know that you have a perfect plan for my life and that you know what’s best for me. You are the Creator of heaven and earth and I will continue to put my trust in you. Thank you for leading me.”

We discussed Amos in the last post and I tried to get the point across about the importance of reading the Old Testament (OT). I am convinced that it is just as important to read the OT as it is the New Testament (NT). You can’t have the NT without the OT, they are a package deal and the writers of the NT understood this.

It doesn’t get any more entertaining than the Old Testament

Before I continue, I know that there are endless genealogies, boring census records and repetitive offerings that will make you snore, but the exciting stories and lessons far outweigh the dry parts.

The Old Testament is filled with drama, intrigue, mystery, action, sex, humor and fantastic stories. Some stories make me laugh, and some make me cry. To get the most out of it is to put yourself there, on the scene. When the Shunemite woman is running towards Elisha because of the death of her child, I imagine it taking place. You can’t help but be moved by it. I have come to tears reading it although I’ve read it before! Read 2 Kings 4.

It never gets old

God, our creative Designer, knows how to keep us enthused and interested. He designed the OT to be filled with romance, sex, action, violence, and drama to beat the band. It never gets old.

Now let’s learn from this…

2 Chronicles 36: ²² In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the Lord fulfilled the prophecy he had given through Jeremiah. He stirred the heart of Cyrus to put this proclamation in writing and to send it throughout his kingdom:

²³ “This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Any of you who are the Lord’s people may go there for this task. And may the Lord your God be with you!”

This is incredible for two reasons

    1. This was prophesied 150 years earlier by the prophet Isaiah:

Isaiah 44:

²⁸ When I say of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd,’
he will certainly do as I say.
He will command, ‘Rebuild Jerusalem’;
he will say, ‘Restore the Temple.’”

    2. King Cyrus was a Gentile (non-Israeli) and he was happy to oblige!

This demonstrates the  God’s sovereignty and how He uses kings for His purposes.

If you are reading the NT there is clear instruction for us to be reading the OT. So if I cannot convince you, maybe the apostle Paul can…

1 Corinthians 10: 1 I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. …

6 These things happened as a warning to us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did, 7 or worship idols as some of them did. …

9 Nor should we put Christ to the test, as some of them did and then died from snakebites. 10 And don’t grumble as some of them did, and then were destroyed by the angel of death. 11 These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.

This is just scratching the surface of what there is to learn from the Old Testament and many brothers and sisters are missing out by not reading it.

Will you read the Old Testament with me?

“Dear Lord, as I read through the Old Testament, please reveal yourself to me. Help me know you in a way that I might have a greater reverence for you.”

I suggest that you read 2 Kings 1-4 if you’d like to sample some great stories.

In the last two posts, “Are You Eating His Word? parts 1 & 2”, I wrote about the merits of reading the Bible on a daily basis, which I believe is essential to knowing God.

When it comes to the Old Testament (OT), What impression comes to mind when you first think about it? Is it the miraculous stories of Moses parting the Red Sea, David and Goliath,  and Jonah and the whale? Or do the words God’s wrath, jealous God, and God’s anger come to mind? Do you believe it’s relevant?

Until I read through the Bible for the first time, my view of the OT was very narrow. What I mean by that is I knew about the highlights, you know, the stories like I mentioned. I knew the popular Psalms and enjoyed Proverbs. Most importantly is that I thought the God of the OT worked and acted differently than the God of the New Testament (NT). I thought that in the OT God was in a particularly bad mood, cranky, irritated and did not have the patience that we read about in the NT with Jesus. I also wasn’t convinced that the OT was relevant.

Same God, different perspectives

You know how you meet someone at the office or in a professional setting, but never meet them outside of that? Then one day you see them at a party or informal gathering and you see a completely different side of them. Same person, just two different perspectives.

That’s how I now see the OT and NT. In the OT I see a formal God. A God that is majestic, mysterious, unapproachable, awesome, and sovereign. He is all that! In the NT I see God as very personable, human-like and compassionate. He is all that as well! Most importantly is that I see the same God throughout the entire Bible. There is no longer a disconnect, just different perspectives of the same wonderful, magnificent and beautiful God. I am convinced that a believer cannot understand, appreciate, and love God unless they have a complete perspective of Him. Not that we could fully understand God, but I hope you get my meaning.

 Now let’s meet Amos…

Allow me to introduce to you to a lesser-known person in the Old Testament. His name is Amos and he has his own book!

Amos 7: ¹² Then Amaziah sent orders to Amos: “Get out of here, you prophet! Go on back to the land of Judah, and earn your living by prophesying there! ¹³ Don’t bother us with your prophecies here in Bethel. This is the king’s sanctuary and the national place of worship!”

¹⁴ But Amos replied, “I’m not a professional prophet, and I was never trained to be one. I’m just a shepherd, and I take care of sycamore-fig trees. ¹⁵ But the Lord called me away from my flock and told me, ‘Go and prophesy to my people in Israel.’ ¹⁶ Now then, listen to this message from the Lord:

Don’t you love it? The man is a farmer/shepherd and God gives him the task of prophesying to the king! The Old Testament is filled with fun stories like this. What’s exciting about this story is learning that God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. We see this all throughout Scripture and the more we read it, the more our faith increases.

The more Scripture you digest, the more His essence will pour out. The Old Testament gives you the complete Message of God that will help you be the ambassador He needs you to be.

Next time we’ll discuss King Cyrus and the prophecy long before his birth!

My last post, “Are You Eating His Word?”, ended with the question “How hungry are you?“. Have you thought about that? How much do you desire to read God’s Word? You could be someone that really wants to read it but just not setting aside the time. Or, you could be indifferent towards it, just not excited about picking it up.

I promise you this…

As long as you are seeking the Lord in the Spirit…

The more you read the Word, the more you’ll love the Word, the more you love the Word, the more you’ll need the Word. The more you need the Word, the more you’ll value the Word and the more you’ll appreciate and adore its Author.

This is why the Devil does not want you to read the Bible!

When you do read the Bible, do not to read it just to read it, the goal or objective when reading the Bible should always be to know the Lord more, attempt to understand the passage and apply it to your life. What is He saying to you? If you struggle to understand, find someone that can shed light on it. This is where discipleship comes in which I wrote about recently in “Are You Being Discipled?”.

What more can I say? How about this promise for daily scripture reading:

Joshua 1:⁸ Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.

Are you excited now?

Are you ready to get into the Word? “Where do I start?” you ask. That’s a great question! Because it can be difficult in knowing what to read daily, I’ve developed a reading plan creator on TheBibleTeam.com which allows one to pick whatever book or books, determine the date range and it will create a plan for you. You can find that here: Reading Plan Creator

I don’t think it matters where you start, Matthew, John, Genesis or Jonah. What matters is that you start and get the Bible into you so that the Lord can do a mighty work through you!

I’ll close with this:

1 Chronicles 16: ¹¹ Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him.

My friends, if you are continually seeking and are committed to being a disciple of Christ, then what better way is there than to develop the habit of daily Bible reading? Do you spend a day without eating food? I believe that if believers got as excited about reading the book of Job as they do about eating a BLT, the Church would be a force to be reckoned with.

Will you eat His Word?

If you are serious about developing a daily reading habit, here is some practical advice from my friend and motivational speaker Chris Widener. This may or may not work for you… “So this is how we can achieve all that we want to: develop those actions into habits! Action Point: Pick the area of your life that you want to change for good. Now put the action into your schedule every day for the next 21 days. Make it at the same time every day. In fact, if you can, connect it with another habit that you have each day. This will force it to become a habit right alongside the other. After doing this for three weeks, every day, you will find yourself naturally doing it from then on. Then you won’t need motivation – you’ll have a habit that will carry you through!”

“Dear Lord, help me to develop a habit of meeting with you and reading your Word daily. I thank you for nudging me in this direction as I continue seeking you.”