2 Kings 8:23-10:31; 2 Chronicles 21:8-22:9.  “Obedient Conspiracy” Jehu was anointed by Elijah and Elisha and sent forth to destroy the family of the evil King Ahab.  He did so, obediently and faithfully.  He destroyed the idols and priests of Baal.In the end God told him he had done fairly well in doing what he was asked, but he “did not obey…with all his heart.”  He was a bit careless in what he...  Read More

2 Kings 5:1-8:15. “Hoping for the Loud” Have you ever expected God to answer a certain way only to find out He answered differently?  Naaman was angry when the answer he expected to hear from God’s prophet came back differently.  In fact, Naaman’s officers confronted him on this point.  They asked him why he was only looking for a loud and great reply, and not willing to listen to the simple and ...  Read More

2 Kings 2:1-25; 4:1-44.  “What Do You Hear Him Say?” A wealthy woman from Shunem sensed Elisha had a need and then took it to the next step and met that need.  There are several wonderful attributes displayed in her life.  First, in discerning a need she had to be sensitive and open to the hardships of others.  She was obviously a person of compassion and grace.  Secondly, she was obedient and res...  Read More

1 Kings 22:41-50; 2 Kings 1:1-18; 3:1-27; 8:16-22; 2 Chronicles 20:31-37; 21:1-7. “What If He’s Too Quiet?” God had been put on the back burner.  Ahaziah, Ahab’s son, barely made it over one year reigning as king.  After falling in his palace, he was seriously injured.  So, he sent messengers to the temple of Baal-zebub.  This god was thought to possess supernatural power and the power of prophec...  Read More

1 Kings 22:10-40, 51-53; 2 Chronicles 18:9-20:30.  “Unpopular Proclamation” After reading today’s passage, the bottom line has to be; “Sometimes people don’t like to hear what the Lord has to say.”  Micaiah’s prophetic messages from the Lord always irritated King Ahab.  In fact, he hated Micaiah for it.  There was never any “good news” for Ahab (no doubt something that would support his evil acts)...  Read More

1 Kings 20:23-22:9; 2 Chronicles 18:1-8. “Listening Amidst the Noise” Jehoshaphat was listed as “a good king, but…”  He fell short in seeing things through to the end.  He did not completely destroy idolatry in Judah.  He did not think through the long-term results of his decisions; be it allying with a wicked king, or allying his son in marriage to a wicked king.  His poor decisions resulted in ...  Read More

1 Kings 17:8-20:22.  “His Whispers” This week’s passage describes God speaking in a variety of rather powerful ways (fire from Heaven, famine, etc.).  However, Elijah discovered God’s typical approach: God spoke in a quiet whisper.  As you read these passages you may be convicted and/or enlightened as you consider how you listen for God’s voice. I can’t imagine too many ways God could have spoken ...  Read More

This week’s passage describes God speaking in a variety of rather powerful ways (fire from Heaven, famine, etc.).  However, Elijah discovered God’s typical approach: God spoke in a quiet whisper.  As you read these passages you may be convicted and/or enlightened as you consider how you listen for God’s voice.  Read More

1 Kings 15:16-24; 16:1-17:7; 2 Chronicles 16:1-17:19.  “Cost of Success” “If you just ignored your family you would have time to get it all done.”As I thought about this comment my wife jokingly made to me as we talked about the disheveled state of our van, I realized that she was right.  I could accomplish a lot more in life by ignoring all of the people that I cared the most about.  And in reali...  Read More

1 Kings 13:1-15:15, 25-34; 2 Chronicles 11:18-15:19. “Simplicity is not Guaranteed” We have been thinking some this week about the connection between obediently following God and living a simple life.  While it is true that our own sin often complicates life, it is not the only reason why life can be difficult and complicated.  It is no small thing to live a simple life that results from making w...  Read More

Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:14; 1 Kings 12:1-33; 2 Chronicles 10:1-11:17.  “Honor God in Your Youth” I have a problem.  You may very well have the same problem.  I often find myself thinking that it will be easier to honor God and make Him more of a priority in my life down the road.  If I can just survive until some day in the future, life will be better and easier, right?  Not necessarily.The older I g...  Read More

Ecclesiastes 7:1-11: 6.  “The Best Things in Life are Free” Have you ever had a chance to sit on the beach and enjoy the sunset?  Another sight that I really enjoy is to watch the sunrise over the alfalfa fields of the high desert in the fall with the cool air of a frosty morning surrounding me.  Of course, these sights pale in comparison to that of my young daughter’s smile.In writing Ecclesiaste...  Read More

Ecclesiastes 1:12-6:12.  “Man in the Mirror” The book of Ecclesiastes is filled with numerous observations about how life tends to work in general.  Written by Solomon towards the end of his life, it is a reflection on much of what he has learned.  Solomon lived a far from simple life and, in this book, he recounts some of his attempts to enjoy life.Why does life have to be so complicated?  The ma...  Read More

1 Kings 11:1-43; 2 Chronicles 9:29-31; Ecclesiastes 1:1-11.  “Simple Faith” Solomon inherited a peaceful kingdom from his father David.  Early in his reign Solomon and his people enjoyed living in peace (1 Kings 4:24-25).  In all his wisdom, Solomon did not realize that the success of his Kingdom and the peace that he and his people enjoyed was dependent upon his obedience to the Lord.  As we read...  Read More

Song of Songs 1-8.  “Rejoice in the Wife of Your Youth” The theme for this week is simplicity.  This concept is brought out especially in the book of Ecclesiastes.  We are not looking at simplicity as the ultimate goal of life during this week, for bringing pleasure to God is our greatest purpose.  Rather, we are studying and thinking about simplicity because of the many connections that exist bet...  Read More

 The theme for this week is simplicity.  This concept is brought out especially in the book of Ecclesiastes.  We are not looking at simplicity as the ultimate goal of life during this week, for bringing pleasure to God is our greatest purpose.  Rather, we are studying and thinking about simplicity because of the many connections that exist between obediently following God, making wise decisions and living a simple life.    Read More

Proverbs 22:17-24:34. “Attaining Wisdom” Repeatedly we are told to listen to the words of direction, and apply our heart, and heed the teaching, and stay attune to instruction.  The emphasis would be hard to miss.“Apply your heart to instruction.”  Many times, I can rush by a phrase like that and miss out on some of its meaning.  I often need to slow down and acquire some clarity.  For example, t...  Read More

Proverbs 20-22:16. “Dangerous Business” I enjoy reading quotes by Will Rogers, a great social humorist.  One of his comments on chitchat was, “Live that you wouldn't be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip.”In our society we have a lot of jokes and quips about gossip.  We’ve had various comic television series’ for years that have a character portraying a nosey neighbor or town go...  Read More

Proverbs 17-19.  “Parental Wisdom” I counted at least seven proverbs pertaining to children in these three chapters.  Several describe the pain a parent can experience when their child is on the road to folly.  A few others explain the benefits of discipline.  There was one, far more uplifting, although I believe a few teenagers would take exception, which read: “parents are the pride of their chi...  Read More

Proverbs 14-16.  “WQ” "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something." –PlatoThere are definitely certain characteristics that make a statement.  As Solomon continues to describe the wise there are two words that stand out; “witness” and “work.”  “Witness” encompasses the qualities of the wise.  They are pleasant, gentle, thoughtful, careful, humble in...  Read More

Proverbs 11-13.  “Life-Giving Fruit” In today’s chapters wisdom is associated with humility; with one who listens to advice; with not making a show of knowledge; accepting parent’s discipline; giving good advice; and thinking before acting.As much as I enjoy the idea of elaborating on each of these, there is one characteristic of wisdom listed in chapter 11 that I enjoy more.  Verse 30 tells us th...  Read More

Proverbs 8-10.  “It’s More Than Brains” Wisdom is described in these chapters as that which; is Contrasted by immorality, folly and foolishness; Fears the LORD; Is excellent and right; Speaks truth and hates deception; Has good judgment; Knows where to discover knowledge and discernment; Hates pride, arrogance, corruption, perverted speech, and evil; Rewards with gifts better than pure gold; Was c...  Read More

Proverbs 5-7.  “Charming Deception”          I watched a documentary on the animals living in the arid deserts of Africa.  One of the predators was a snake.  In the big open desert it’s hard to chase something down to eat, so God provided this snake with a trick.  It buries itself, that is all but the tip of its tail.  The tail sticking up looks like a blade of grass.  A small curious (or hungry) ...  Read More

It is a joy to read the Proverbs. Sometimes you find yourself laughing at the candid way a proverb is written, and yet other times you find yourself stopping to consider the truth behind what was just shared.          A proverb is a short saying to express a truth. Therefore, it should not be surprising that in this week’s passage you will read the words “wisdom” or “wise” almost 100 times.  What is surprising is how wisdom is defined.  Read More