Nadad is Assassinated (1 Kings 15:25-31)

2/28/2011 5:30:36 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  Nadad is assassinated

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  1Kings 15:25-31

 

            Message of the verses:  “25 ¶  Now Nadab the son of Jeroboam became king over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. 26  He did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father and in his sin which he made Israel sin. 27  Then Baasha the son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar conspired against him, and Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, while Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon. 28  So Baasha killed him in the third year of Asa king of Judah and reigned in his place. 29  It came about as soon as he was king, he struck down all the household of Jeroboam. He did not leave to Jeroboam any persons alive, until he had destroyed them, according to the word of the LORD, which He spoke by His servant Ahijah the Shilonite, 30  and because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and which he made Israel sin, because of his provocation with which he provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger. 31  Now the rest of the acts of Nadab and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?”

 

            Baasha was from the tribe of Issachar and was in the army of Israel fighting against the Philistines near the city of Ekron and it was there that he killed Nadad and proceeded to kill all of Nadad’s family just as the prophet Ahijah told Jeroboam’s wife would happen.  Jeroboam was the king who could have had a dynasty, but he not only sinned against the Lord but caused the nation to sin against the Lord which provoked the anger of the Lord and so Jeroboam and his entire family were wiped out.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I am thinking of a couple of verses in Paul’s letters that speak of sin, and causing others to sin.  In Romans he writes that there were ungodly people that not only sinned but loved to give their approval when others sinned, and in another letter he speaks about a believer not causing another believer to sin by their actions.  It is bad enough when I sin, but I do not want to cause others to sin like Jeroboam did and I do not want to give my approval when other’s sin against the Lord.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1.      I pray that the Lord will direct my path today.

2.      I pray that the Lord will continue to teach me and that I will continue to learn contentment.

3.      I have already put on the spiritual armor this morning and pray that I will be able to stand.

4.      I give myself to the Lord for worship and service.

 

2/28/2011 5:45:55 AM

Refromation and Renewal (1 Kings 15:12-15; 2 Chron. 15:8-19)

2/26/2011 8:53:46 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  Reformation and renewal

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                         Reference:  1Ki. 15:12-15; 2Chron. 15:8-19

 

            Message of the verses:  “12  He also put away the male cult prostitutes from the land and removed all the idols which his fathers had made. 13  He also removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother, because she had made a horrid image as an Asherah; and Asa cut down her horrid image and burned it at the brook Kidron. 14  But the high places were not taken away; nevertheless the heart of Asa was wholly devoted to the LORD all his days. 15  He brought into the house of the LORD the dedicated things of his father and his own dedicated things: silver and gold and utensils.”

            “8 ¶  Now when Asa heard these words and the prophecy which Azariah the son of Oded the prophet spoke, he took courage and removed the abominable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities which he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. He then restored the altar of the LORD which was in front of the porch of the LORD. 9  He gathered all Judah and Benjamin and those from Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon who resided with them, for many defected to him from Israel when they saw that the LORD his God was with him. 10  So they assembled at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign. 11  They sacrificed to the LORD that day 700 oxen and 7,000 sheep from the spoil they had brought. 12  They entered into the covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and soul; 13  and whoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman. 14  Moreover, they made an oath to the LORD with a loud voice, with shouting, with trumpets and with horns. 15  All Judah rejoiced concerning the oath, for they had sworn with their whole heart and had sought Him earnestly, and He let them find Him. So the LORD gave them rest on every side. 16  He also removed Maacah, the mother of King Asa, from the position of queen mother, because she had made a horrid image as an Asherah, and Asa cut down her horrid image, crushed it and burned it at the brook Kidron. 17  But the high places were not removed from Israel; nevertheless Asa’s heart was blameless all his days. 18  He brought into the house of God the dedicated things of his father and his own dedicated things: silver and gold and utensils. 19  And there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign.”

 

            Dr. Wiersbe states at the beginning of this section that this is the second phase of Asa’s reformation and it is certainly more severely dealt with by Asa that the first part as he dealt with sin that was with the people.

            This section of verses tells about how Asa got rid of the male prostitutes and how he actually threw out the queen mother, who was his grandmother, and he did this because of the shrine she had.

            The feast that is describes here is probably the feast of Pentecost, for it was given in the third month of their year. 

            Now I want to focus in on a quote that Dr. Wiersbe gives here that is very important to Asa’s times as well as the times that I live in now:  “Spiritual revival or renewal doesn’t mean asking God for something new but for the renewal of our devotion to that which He has already given to us.”  I would suppose that there are times when people are looking for something new in their worship and service of the Lord when all they really need is to be revived in what they have already been given to them from the Lord, and that is what Asa did, and this is not the first time this happened in the nation of Israel.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I think that Spiritual revival is necessary in my life as from time to time I forget the things that the Lord has already given to me and seek something new and exciting when all I really need is to go back and concentrate on what the Lord has already given to me.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1.      Remember what the Lord has given to me and pray that the Lord will revive me through those things .

2.      Give myself to the Lord for worship and service.

3.      Remember that I am in a spiritual battle and in need of the spiritual armor.

4.      Continue to learn contentment.

 

 

2/26/2011 9:19:12 AM

Asa King of Judah Peace and Victory (1 Kings 15:9-11; 2 Chron. 14:1-15:7)

2/23/2011 5:36:13 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  Asa-Peace and victory

 

Bible Reading & Meditation               Reference:  1Ki. 15:9-11; 2Chron. 14:1-15:7

 

            Message of the verses:  “9 So in the twentieth year of Jeroboam the king of Israel, Asa began to reign as king of Judah. 10 He reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. 11 Asa did what was right in the sight of the LORD, like David his father.”

            1  So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David, and his son Asa became king in his place. The land was undisturbed for ten years during his days. 2  Asa did good and right in the sight of the LORD his God, 3  for he removed the foreign altars and high places, tore down the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherim, 4  and commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers and to observe the law and the commandment. 5  He also removed the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah. And the kingdom was undisturbed under him. 6  He built fortified cities in Judah, since the land was undisturbed, and there was no one at war with him during those years, because the LORD had given him rest. 7  For he said to Judah, "Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours because we have sought the LORD our God; we have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side." So they built and prospered. 8  Now Asa had an army of 300,000 from Judah, bearing large shields and spears, and 280,000 from Benjamin, bearing shields and wielding bows; all of them were valiant warriors.

    9 ¶  Now Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and 300 chariots, and he came to Mareshah. 10  So Asa went out to meet him, and they drew up in battle formation in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. 11  Then Asa called to the LORD his God and said, "LORD, there is no one besides You to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength; so help us, O LORD our God, for we trust in You, and in Your name have come against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God; let not man prevail against You." 12  So the LORD routed the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. 13  Asa and the people who were with him pursued them as far as Gerar; and so many Ethiopians fell that they could not recover, for they were shattered before the LORD and before His army. And they carried away very much plunder. 14  They destroyed all the cities around Gerar, for the dread of the LORD had fallen on them; and they despoiled all the cities, for there was much plunder in them. 15  They also struck down those who owned livestock, and they carried away large numbers of sheep and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.

    1 ¶  Now the Spirit of God came on Azariah the son of Oded, 2  and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, "Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: the LORD is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. 3  "For many days Israel was without the true God and without a teaching priest and without law. 4  "But in their distress they turned to the LORD God of Israel, and they sought Him, and He let them find Him. 5  "In those times there was no peace to him who went out or to him who came in, for many disturbances afflicted all the inhabitants of the lands. 6  "Nation was crushed by nation, and city by city, for God troubled them with every kind of distress. 7  "But you, be strong and do not lose courage, for there is reward for your work."

 

            Today’s SD has many verses in it and so I will have to wait to write the commentary on it until another time.  The verses are on a good king from Judah whose name was Asa, and he ruled for forty-one years as king.

            There is a lot of difference in the length of the verses between 1Kings and 2Chronicles describing Asa’s life, as 2Chronicles devotes three chapters while 1Kings only three verses.  Dr. Wiersbe divides Asa’s life up into three sections of which this SD has only the first division.

            I have highlighted two portions of Scripture that I wish to comment on 1. Then Asa called to the LORD his God, and 2. O LORD, You are our God; let not man prevail against You.  What I like about the first highlighted portion is that Asa knew that the Lord was his God, so that means that he had a personal relationship with the living God.  The second highlighted area can be seen as spiritual warfare because Asa knew that the enemy of Judah was the enemy of God even though he was fighting against the northern tribes of Israel they were still enemies of God because of how they were conducting their lives.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  The Lord God of heaven and earth in three persons is my God because He came and sought me, and not because He saw any good in me but because of His sovereign choice.  I know that there are those who are my enemies because I am a Christian, and they are also God’s enemies.  Those who are doing wrong are enemies of the Lord unless they are His children and then they are out of fellowship with Him.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1.      I know that I am in a spiritual battle and in great need of the spiritual armor.

2.      I give myself to the Lord my God today for worship and service.

3.      I ask the Lord to direct my path today.

4.      I want to continue to learn contentment.

 

2/24/2011 5:52:09 AM

 

King Abijah (1 Kings 15:1-8 and 2 Chron 13)

2/21/2011 5:45:00 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                                                              Focus:  Abijah

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  1Ki. 15:1-8; 2Chron. 13

 

            Message of the verses:  “1 ¶  Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, Abijam became king over Judah. 2  He reigned three years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. 3  He walked in all the sins of his father which he had committed before him; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the LORD his God, like the heart of his father David. 4  But for David’s sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, to raise up his son after him and to establish Jerusalem; 5  because David did what was right in the sight of the LORD, and had not turned aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the case of Uriah the Hittite. 6  There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life. 7  Now the rest of the acts of Abijam and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam. 8  And Abijam slept with his fathers and they buried him in the city of David; and Asa his son became king in his place.”

 

            “1 ¶  In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king over Judah. 2  He reigned three years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. Now there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3  Abijah began the battle with an army of valiant warriors, 400,000 chosen men, while Jeroboam drew up in battle formation against him with 800,000 chosen men who were valiant warriors. 4  Then Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, "Listen to me, Jeroboam and all Israel: 5  "Do you not know that the LORD God of Israel gave the rule over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt? 6  "Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his master, 7  and worthless men gathered about him, scoundrels, who proved too strong for Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, when he was young and timid and could not hold his own against them. 8  "So now you intend to resist the kingdom of the LORD through the sons of David, being a great multitude and having with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made for gods for you. 9  "Have you not driven out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron and the Levites, and made for yourselves priests like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams, even he may become a priest of what are no gods. 10  "But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken Him; and the sons of Aaron are ministering to the LORD as priests, and the Levites attend to their work. 11  "Every morning and evening they burn to the LORD burnt offerings and fragrant incense, and the showbread is set on the clean table, and the golden lampstand with its lamps is ready to light every evening; for we keep the charge of the LORD our God, but you have forsaken Him. 12  "Now behold, God is with us at our head and His priests with the signal trumpets to sound the alarm against you. O sons of Israel, do not fight against the LORD God of your fathers, for you will not succeed."

    “13 ¶  But Jeroboam had set an ambush to come from the rear, so that Israel was in front of Judah and the ambush was behind them. 14  When Judah turned around, behold, they were attacked both front and rear; so they cried to the LORD, and the priests blew the trumpets. 15  Then the men of Judah raised a war cry, and when the men of Judah raised the war cry, then it was that God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 16  When the sons of Israel fled before Judah, God gave them into their hand. 17  Abijah and his people defeated them with a great slaughter, so that 500,000 chosen men of Israel fell slain. 18  Thus the sons of Israel were subdued at that time, and the sons of Judah conquered because they trusted in the LORD, the God of their fathers. 19  Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured from him several cities, Bethel with its villages, Jeshanah with its villages and Ephron with its villages. 20  Jeroboam did not again recover strength in the days of Abijah; and the LORD struck him and he died. 21  But Abijah became powerful; and took fourteen wives to himself, and became the father of twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. 22  Now the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways and his words are written in the treatise of the prophet Iddo.”

 

            Today’s SD begins a new chapter in Warren Wiersbe’s commentary on 1Kings and 2Chronicles, and he entitles it “Kings on Parade.”  He divides the chapter into different sections by different kings.  This is a very long section and so I will try and finish it tomorrow morning. 

            1&2 Kings speak mostly about the acts of the Northern tribes of Israel, while 1&2 Chronicles speaks of the kings of Judah and I suppose that is why Dr. Wiersbe has decided to combine the books of 1Kings and 2Chronicles into one of his “Be” books.

Tuesday Feb. 22, 2011:  If one only reads the account of Abijah in the book of 1Kings and not read it in 2Chronicles they will miss some important truths about this man.  Although in the 1Kings account it does not look like he was a good king, and probably that is the overall picture of his life, however on this one battle he did trust in the Lord, and the Lord gave victory to him over the tribes of Israel in the North.  It was an act of faith that was used by the Lord to give victory to Abijah and the rest of the men from Judah.  The battle was similar to the battle of Jericho in that there was shouting and the blowing of the trumpets and great trust in the Lord.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Trusting the Lord in difficult situations takes a lot of faith in the Lord to work out the situation for His glory and for my good.  Abijah did this, and so must I as I continue to seek the Lord to show me the right church to attend in Kauai, and also what my purpose is here.  It became clear in Aruba why the Lord sent us there, and my prayer is that it will also become clear why he sent us here to Kauai.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

 

1.      Trust the Lord to direct my steps.

2.      Trust the Lord to continue to teach me contentment.

3.      Give myself to the Lord for worship and service.

4.      Remember that I am in a battle and in need of the spiritual armor.

 

2/22/2011 5:47:04 AM

           

The Distressing Fulfillment (1 KIngs 14:17-20)

2/20/2011 8:08:06 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  The distressing fulfillment

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  1Kings 14:17-20

 

            Message of the verses:  “17  Then Jeroboam’s wife arose and departed and came to Tirzah. As she was entering the threshold of the house, the child died. 18  All Israel buried him and mourned for him, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke through His servant Ahijah the prophet. 19  Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he made war and how he reigned, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 20  The time that Jeroboam reigned was twenty-two years; and he slept with his fathers, and Nadab his son reigned in his place.”

            When Jeroboam’s wife stepped on the threshold of the house her son died.  The prophet said that when she entered the city her son would die, so the place must have been on the edge of the city, and Jeroboam must have had a palace in the city of Tirzah.  The paragraph ends with the death of Jeroboam and his son Nadab taking over as the king of Israel.  Soon he would be assassinated and soon after that not a male would be alive in the family of Jeroboam.  Jeroboam sinned like no other king in Israel, for at the end of most of the king’s lives it is recorded in 1Kings that they all sinned in the fashion of Jeroboam who is credited as leading Israel into the great sin of adultery and eventually into captivity because of their sin.  Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1781 these words:  “Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever.”  These words were true in Jeroboam’s lifetime and also are true in my lifetime as I look at the country that I live in and think also what Rev. Billy Graham said, “If God does not judge the United States He will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I have a great dislike and distrust of our present President, but that does not mean that I should not pray for him, for after all before it was the Apostle Paul he was known as Saul the persecutor of the church.  I wonder how many people prayed for him before He meet the Lord on the Damascus road?

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1.      Pray for those who have authority over me including our President.

2.      Remember to pray for our country.

3.      Remember that I am in a battle and in need of the spiritual armor.

4.      Continue to learn contentment.

5.      Give myself to the Lord for worship and for service.

6.      Trust the Lord to guide my path today to places where He wants me to go.

 

2/20/2011 8:28:41 AM

The Revealing Message (1 Kings 14:7-16)

2/19/2011 8:29:05 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  The revealing message

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  1Kings 14:7-16

 

            Message of the verses:  “7 ¶  "Go, say to Jeroboam, ’Thus says the LORD God of Israel, "Because I exalted you from among the people and made you leader over My people Israel, 8  and tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you-yet you have not been like My servant David, who kept My commandments and who followed Me with all his heart, to do only that which was right in My sight; 9  you also have done more evil than all who were before you, and have gone and made for yourself other gods and molten images to provoke Me to anger, and have cast Me behind your back- 10  therefore behold, I am bringing calamity on the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam every male person, both bond and free in Israel, and I will make a clean sweep of the house of Jeroboam, as one sweeps away dung until it is all gone. 11  "Anyone belonging to Jeroboam who dies in the city the dogs will eat. And he who dies in the field the birds of the heavens will eat; for the LORD has spoken it."’ 12  "Now you, arise, go to your house. When your feet enter the city the child will die. 13  "All Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he alone of Jeroboam’s family will come to the grave, because in him something good was found toward the LORD God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam. 14  "Moreover, the LORD will raise up for Himself a king over Israel who will cut off the house of Jeroboam this day and from now on. 15  "For the LORD will strike Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water; and He will uproot Israel from this good land which He gave to their fathers, and will scatter them beyond the Euphrates River, because they have made their Asherim, provoking the LORD to anger. 16  "He will give up Israel on account of the sins of Jeroboam, which he committed and with which he made Israel to sin."

 

            The wife of Jeroboam did not hear what she was hoping to hear when she came to see this prophet, but what she did hear I am sure frightened her, but there is no evidence of repentance that came from her family.  The Lord took their son who was to rule over Israel because there was some good in him and therefore he was buried, which was very important to the children of Israel.  The Lord then told Jeroboam that because of his sin of idolatry that he began in Israel that none of his male members of his family would be buried and so Jeroboam’s family would be blotted out from the face of the earth.  This prophecy goes on to talk about when the Lord would send the Assyrians to conquer Israel and take them out of the Land which the Lord gave them.

 

Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I am thankful that the Lord has given me salvation, something that I did not have anything to do with, and I am thankful that the Lord has given me great promises that are for His children.  I don’t want to be in any way like Jeroboam and cause the Lord to be angry with me, but follow the Lord’s commandments, and be thankful that I am His child.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1.      Give myself to the Lord for worship and service.

2.      Continue to learn contentment.

3.      Remember the spiritual battle that I am in and put on the spiritual armor.

 

2/19/2011 9:25:05 AM 

The Discerning Prophet (1 Kings 14:4-6)

2/18/2011 5:35:31 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                                          Focus:  The discerning prophet

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                            Reference:  1Kings 14:4-6

 

            Message of the verses:  “4  Jeroboam’s wife did so, and arose and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahijah. Now Ahijah could not see, for his eyes were dim because of his age. 5  Now the LORD had said to Ahijah, "Behold, the wife of Jeroboam is coming to inquire of you concerning her son, for he is sick. You shall say thus and thus to her, for it will be when she arrives that she will pretend to be another woman." 6  When Ahijah heard the sound of her feet coming in the doorway, he said, "Come in, wife of Jeroboam, why do you pretend to be another woman? For I am sent to you with a harsh message.”

 

            “The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.” (Psalm 25:14 NIV)

            “Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.”  (Amos 3:7 (NKJV)

            Jeroboam sends his wife to see the prophet who told him that he would be king, and this must have been a long time ago, for now the prophet is very old and cannot see.  However there is nothing wrong with his spiritual ears, for the Lord spoke to him telling him that she was coming and why she was coming and also that He was the one who sent her to see Ahijah.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  There are times when I do something that I am not sure why I am doing it and it turns out fine and then I realize that the Lord has been the One guiding me.  However the Proverbs tells me that I am to do the following:  “5  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.  (Proverbs 3:5-6) 

            Perhaps if Jeroboam would have prayed about what he was to do the Lord would have told him and he would not have had to send his wife to hear the bad news from Ahijah.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1.      I want to trust the Lord to guide my path this day.

2.      I have a desire to continue to learn contentment.

3.      I give myself to the Lord for worship and service this day.

4.      I must remember that I am in a battle and in need of the spiritual armor.

 

2/18/2011 5:53:23 AM

The Pretending Wife (1 Kings 14:1-3)

2/17/2011 5:28:26 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  The pretending wife

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                             Reference:  1kings 14:1-3

 

            Message of the verses:  “1 ¶  At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam became sick. 2  Jeroboam said to his wife, "Arise now, and disguise yourself so that they will not know that you are the wife of Jeroboam, and go to Shiloh; behold, Ahijah the prophet is there, who spoke concerning me that I would be king over this people. 3  "Take ten loaves with you, some cakes and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what will happen to the boy.’”

            The king asked for healing whenever the use of his arm was taken from him, and now when his son is sick he sends his wife in a disguise to the prophet who told him that he would be king in order to heal his son from his sickness.  Verse thirteen tells that this young man was godly and would be the only one of Jeroboam’s family who would be buried in a proper fashion, something that was important to the people of Israel. Dr. Wiersbe quotes a verse from the prophet Isaiah that pertains to this situation:  “The righteous man perishes, and no man takes it to heart; And devout men are taken away, while no one understands. For the righteous man is taken away from evil.”  (Isaiah 57:1)

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I do not want to be like Jeroboam and only talk to my Lord when trouble comes, although I may pray more when trouble comes, I still want to have communion with my Lord each day of my life. “One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD And to meditate in His temple.”  Psalm 27:4

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1.      Give myself to the Lord for worship and service.

2.      Trust that the Lord will direct my path this day.

3.      Remember that I am in a spiritual battle and in need of the spiritual armor.

 

2/17/2011 5:50:00 AM