relationships (2 Kings 14:1-29) Being in Control

(2 Kings 14:1-29)   In the second year of Joash son of Joahaz king of Israel, Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah became king. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem. 3 He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, yet not like his father David; he acted in accordance with everything that his father Joash had done. 4 Only the high places were not eliminated; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. 5 Now it came about, as soon as the kingdom was firmly in his hand, that he killed his servants who had killed the king, his father. 6 But he did not put the sons of the murderers to death, in obedience to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, as the Lord commanded, saying, “The fathers shall not be put to death for the sons, nor the sons be put to death for the fathers; but each shall be put to death for his own sin.”

7 He killed ten thousand of the Edomites in the Valley of Salt, and took Sela by war, and named it Joktheel, as it is to this day.

8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let’s face each other in combat.” 9 But Jehoash king of Israel sent messengers to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, “The thorn bush that was in Lebanon sent word to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ But a wild animal that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thorn bush. 10 You have indeed defeated Edom, and your heart is elated. Enjoy the glory and stay home; for why should you get involved in trouble so that you would fall, you and Judah with you?”

11 But Amaziah would not listen. So Jehoash king of Israel went up; and they faced each other, he and Amaziah king of Judah, at Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah. 12 And Judah was defeated by Israel, and they fled, every man to his tent. 13 Then Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and came to Jerusalem and tore down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, four hundred cubits. 14 And he took all the gold and silver and all the utensils which were found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasuries of the king’s house, the hostages as well, and returned to Samaria.

15 Now as for the rest of the acts of Jehoash that he did, and his might and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 16 So Jehoash lay down with his fathers and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel; and his son Jeroboam became king in his place.

17 Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. 18 Now as for the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 19 They formed a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish; but they sent men to Lachish after him and they killed him there. 20 Then they carried him on horses, and he was buried in Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David. 21 And all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. 22 He built Elath and restored it to Judah after the king lay down with his fathers.

23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel became king in Samaria, and reigned for forty-one years. 24 He did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not abandon all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, into which he misled Israel. 25 He restored the border of Israel from the entrance of Hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, in accordance with the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, which He spoke through His servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-hepher. 26 For the Lord saw the misery of Israel, which was very bitter; for there was neither bond nor free spared, nor was there any helper for Israel. 27 Yet the Lord did not say that He would wipe out the name of Israel from under heaven, but He saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.

28 Now as for the rest of the acts of Jeroboam and all that he did and his might, how he fought and how he recovered for Israel Damascus and Hamath, which had belonged to Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 29 And Jeroboam lay down with his fathers, with the kings of Israel, and his son Zechariah became king in his place.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

After doing a lot of good, it looks like king Amaziah very badly wanted to impress the people and/or impress God;  but his over-zealousness led him to make a huge mistake in challenging king Jehoash of Israel.  Sincere, but sincerely wrong.  

Whether in a leadership role or not, and especially if we have had some "successes" in the past, it is so easy to get ahead of ourselves, come up with an idea, and then think this is right.  Even if we have spent some time praying about it, or have sought out some advice, or found some Bible verses to back us up... there are still other things to consider.  It is possible that we can make a situation worse, or if there weren't any issues before, we can create some.  Sincere, but sincerely wrong.

When there are big issues, especially if it impacts others, before taking matters into our own hands, if we have found Bible verses, we need to read them in context, and consider other Bible verses.  If we have sought advice with a few people, without gossiping, we need to seek out more advice from other wise, steadfast believers.  If we FEEL that we are right, we need to see that as a red flag, and wait until we KNOW.  If we have prayed, we need to pray more.  And THEN - we need to WAIT on the LORD!!!  

Hindsight is a beautiful thing.  As I look back over certain events, I can see that these things would have worked out eventually without my interference.  We need to stop trying to take control of situations.  We should take control of our own actions and reactions.  And submit to God's control.  God is faithful and will work things out.  As we focus on enjoying the blessings God has given us in the moment, and strive to live obediently in His will, we can WAIT on the LORD with confidence, peace and contentment!!!

relationships (2 Kings 13:1-25) Seeking Approval

(2 Kings 13:1-25)  In the twenty-third year of Joash the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu became king over Israel at Samaria, and he reigned for seventeen years. 2 He did evil in the sight of the Lord, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, into which he misled Israel; he did not turn from them. 3 So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and He continually handed them over to Hazael king of Aram, and to Ben-hadad, the son of Hazael. 4 Then Jehoahaz appeased the Lord, and the Lord listened to him; for He saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Aram oppressed them. 5 And the Lord gave Israel a savior, so that they escaped from under the hand of the Arameans; and the sons of Israel lived in their tents as previously. 6 Nevertheless they did not abandon the sins of the house of Jeroboam, into which he misled Israel; rather, they walked in them; and the Asherah also remained standing in Samaria. 7 For he left to Jehoahaz no more of the army than fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand infantry, because the king of Aram had eliminated them and made them like the dust at threshing. 8 Now as for the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 9 And Jehoahaz lay down with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria; and his son Joash became king in his place.

10 In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz became king over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned for sixteen years. 11 He did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not turn away from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, into which he misled Israel; rather, he walked in them. 12 Now as for the rest of the acts of Joash and all that he did, and his might with which he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 13 So Joash lay down with his fathers, and Jeroboam sat on his throne; and Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

14 When Elisha became sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over him and said, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” 15 And Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows.” So he took a bow and arrows. 16 Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Lay your hand on the bow.” And he laid his hand on it, then Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. 17 And he said, “Open the window toward the east,” and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot!” So he shot. And he said, “The Lord’s arrow of victory, and the arrow of victory over Aram; for you will defeat the Arameans at Aphek until you have put an end to them.” 18 Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground,” and he struck it three times and stopped. 19 Then the man of God became angry at him and said, “You should have struck five or six times, then you would have struck Aram until you put an end to it. But now you shall strike Aram only three times.”

20 And Elisha died, and they buried him. Now the marauding bands of the Moabites would invade the land in the spring of the year. 21 And as they were burying a man, behold, they saw a marauding band; and they threw the man into the grave of Elisha. And when the man touched the bones of Elisha he revived and stood up on his feet.

22 Now Hazael king of Aram had oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. 23 But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion on them and turned to them because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and He was unwilling to eliminate them or cast them away from His presence until now.

24 When Hazael king of Aram died, his son Ben-hadad became king in his place. 25 Then Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz again took from the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael the cities which he had taken in war from the hand of his father Jehoahaz. Three times Joash defeated him and recovered the cities of Israel.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

When we sin and experience the consequences, and then we appeal to God, and we experience the amazing changes and inner peace as a result, this should make us realize a few things.  God is so amazing and loving and can do the impossible.  Sin is oppressing, deceptive and destructive.  God loves people, but hates sin.  We should love God and people, while realizing the gravity of sin and hate it as well.

In relation to others, to truly love them, we have to separate these two things.  Unconditional love is NOT unconditional approval.  These two actions are not compatible in this imperfect world, where everyone is born with a sin nature.  So it is an awesome message of hope for unbelievers (although they typically do not understand, and therefore take it personally).  As well, this idea of loving people - no matter what - can be a challenge to believers!

Loving our neighbors as we love ourselves - implies that we love ourselves to some extent (appropriately nurturing and caring about our physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing).  In this, we will not or should not approve of any sinful behavior in our own lives.  This is not to hate ourselves, but rather, it is with love that we look to the Lord for healing and reconciliation.

If Joash would have loved God more and hated sin a little more, he would have kept striking the ground.  I know there have been a few bad habits of mine that I didn't think were so bad, and even thought I enjoyed them, but by ignoring them, and/or just continuing on in them (even "just a little bit"), these do grow to have a stronger and stronger and unhealthy foothold.  

Seeking approval from others, should not be our focus.  This can be very misleading and destructive.  And seeking approval from God isn't about convincing ourselves that what we are doing is okay.  It is to realize sin, humbly confess sin, and continue to consistently grow closer to the Lord by asking Him to work in and through us, all to His glory!  This is the only way to find God's approval, true spiritual health and inner peace, 

relationships (2 Kings 12:1-21) Having Accountability

(2 Kings 12:1-21)  In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoash became king, and he reigned for forty years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba. 2 Jehoash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all his days that Jehoiada the priest instructed him. 3 Only the high places did not end; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.

4 Then Jehoash said to the priests, “All the money of the sacred offerings which is brought into the house of the Lord, in current money, both the money of each man’s assessment and all the money which anyone’s heart prompts him to bring into the house of the Lord, 5 The priests are to take it for themselves, each from his acquaintance; and they shall repair damage to the house wherever any damage is found.”

6 But it came about that in the twenty-third year of King Jehoash, the priests had not repaired any damage to the house. 7 So King Jehoash summoned Jehoiada the priest, and the other priests, and said to them, “Why do you not repair damage to the house? Now then, you are not to take any more money from your acquaintances, but give it up for the damage to the house.” 8 The priests then agreed that they would not take any more money from the people, nor would they repair damage to the house.

9 Instead, Jehoiada the priest took a chest and drilled a hole in its lid and put it beside the altar, on the right side as one comes into the house of the Lord; and the priests who guarded the threshold put in it all the money that was brought into the house of the Lord. 10 When they saw that there was a great amount of money in the chest, the king’s scribe and the high priest went up and tied it up in bags, and counted the money that was found in the house of the Lord. 11 And they handed the money which was assessed over to those who did the work, who had the oversight of the house of the Lord; and they paid it out to the carpenters and the builders who worked on the house of the Lord; 12 and to the masons and the stonecutters, and for buying timber and cut stone to repair the damage to the house of the Lord, and for everything that was laid out for the house to repair it. 13 However there were not made for the house of the Lord silver cups, shears, bowls, trumpets, any receptacles of gold, or receptacles of silver from the money which was brought into the house of the Lord; 14 for they gave that to those who did the work, and with it they repaired the house of the Lord. 15 Moreover, they did not require an accounting from the men into whose hands they gave the money to pay to those who did the work, because they acted faithfully. 16 The money from the guilt offerings and the money from the sin offerings was not brought into the house of the Lord; it belonged to the priests.

17 Then Hazael the king of Aram went up and fought against Gath and captured it, and Hazael was intent on going up against Jerusalem. 18 So Jehoash king of Judah took all the sacred offerings that Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had consecrated, and his own sacred offerings, and all the gold that was found among the treasuries of the house of the Lord and of the king’s house, and sent them to Hazael king of Aram. Then he withdrew from Jerusalem.

19 Now as for the rest of the acts of Joash and everything that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 20 And his servants rose up and formed a conspiracy; and they struck and killed Joash at the house of Millo as he was going down to Silla. 21 For Jozacar the son of Shimeath and Jehozabad the son of Shomer, his servants, struck him and he died; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and his son Amaziah became king in his place.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

As believers, it goes without saying that our relationship with the Lord comes first, and we should desire to please the Lord, not ourselves or others.  But as we try to get along in life, and get along with others, there will be temptations to compromise our walk with God, thinking that this will be the only way to keep the peace, or this will be the only way to be happy.  Compromising or allowing things to slide might "work" (difunctionally) for a short time, but it will backfire.  

Even though we have eternal security, it is because God loves us and wants the best for us that He will discipline us and allow consequences into our lives.  Also, because we live in a fallen, broken world, we will sometimes suffer consequences of other people's choices.  In order to navigate through all of this, it is beneficial that we set up measures of accountability.  When we don't have these in place, corruption can be just around the corner.  Even in churches, pastors, elders, treasurers, etc. become more vulnerable to stumbling.

As long as we don't become legalistic (because our spiritual walk with Jesus isn't about do's and don'ts, it is a personal relationship with our Lord and Savior), having reasonable and wise measures put in place not only protect us from ourselves but  also protect us from others.  Not that we are to focus on sin, living in fear or worry, because God doesn't want that for us, either.  We are to focus on the Lord and His will, while staying alert, consistently searching our hearts and lives so that we continue to grow and mature in God's righteousness and love.  Always, no matter what we are dealing with, the Lord is right here with us to give us strength, wisdom and peace.

relationships (2 Kings 11:1-21) Having Peace

(2 Kings 11:1-21)  When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and eliminated all the royal children. 2 But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah and abducted him from among the king’s sons who were being put to death, and put him and his nurse in the bedroom. So they hid him from Athaliah, and he was not put to death. 3 So he was kept hidden with her in the house of the Lord for six years, while Athaliah was reigning over the land.

4 Now in the seventh year Jehoiada sent orders and brought the captains of hundreds of the Carites and of the guards, and brought them to himself at the house of the Lord. Then he made a covenant with them and put them under oath at the house of the Lord, and showed them the king’s son. 5 And he commanded them, saying, “This is the thing that you shall do: a third of you, who come in on the Sabbath and keep watch over the king’s house 6 (a third also shall be at the gate Sur, and a third at the gate behind the guards), shall keep watch over the house for defense. 7 And two parts of you, all who go out on the Sabbath, shall also keep watch over the house of the Lord for the king. 8 Then you shall surround the king, each with his weapons in his hand; and whoever comes within the ranks shall be put to death. And you are to be with the king when he goes out and when he comes in.”

9 So the captains of hundreds acted in accordance with everything that Jehoiada the priest commanded. And each one of them took his men who were to come in on the Sabbath, along with those who were to go out on the Sabbath, and they came to Jehoiada the priest. 10 Then the priest gave the captains of hundreds the spears and shields that had been King David’s, which were in the house of the Lord. 11 The guards stood, each with his weapons in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, by the altar and by the house, around the king. 12 Then he brought the king’s son out, and put the crown on him and gave him the testimony; and they made him king and anointed him, and they clapped their hands and said, “Long live the king!”

13 When Athaliah heard the noise of the guards and of the people, she came to the people at the house of the Lord. 14 And she looked, and behold, the king was standing by the pillar according to the custom, with the captains and the trumpeters beside the king; and all the people of the land were joyful and were blowing trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and cried out, “Conspiracy! Conspiracy!” 15 And Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of hundreds who were appointed over the army and said to them, “Bring her out between the ranks, and whoever follows her, put to death with the sword!” For the priest said, “She is not to be put to death at the house of the Lord.” 16 So they seized her, and when they brought her to the horses’ entrance of the king’s house, she was put to death there.

17 Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord, the king, and the people, that they would be the Lord’s people, and between the king and the people. 18 And all the people of the land came to the house of Baal and tore it down; they thoroughly smashed his altars and his images in pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. Then the priest appointed sentries over the house of the Lord. 19 And he took the captains of hundreds and the Carites, and the guards and all the people of the land; and they brought the king down from the house of the Lord, and came by way of the gate of the guards to the king’s house. And he sat on the throne of the kings. 20 So all the people of the land rejoiced and the city was peaceful. For they had put Athaliah to death with the sword at the king’s house.

21 Jehoash was seven years old when he became king.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Purifying "the land" and dedicating it to the Lord is exactly what we need to do in our personal lives.  I know full well, there can be very toxic relationships!  If one is able to peacefully separate oneself from those types of people, all the better.  And if and when it is "extra", it is very necessary to do!  But there are times and situations when this is impossible to do... physically.  

As believers, we need to make sure that we have the proper King on the throne.  Even though, as believers, Jesus is always there in our hearts, it's possible for us to quench the Spirit (pushing Him off our throne).  When we allow someone or something else to sit there and reign, or when we think we can do a better job at running things, there will not be peace until we make sure that Jesus is in that place - being first in our lives and allowing Him to lead and guide us.

Even though there is grace and we cannot lose our salvation, it is wise to set up (safe) guards and remain vigilant.  As soon as we realize sin and evil are creeping in, we should be asking Jesus to help us get rid of that, allowing the Lord to fight all battles for us.  As soon as we notice enemies approaching, we should be asking Jesus for protection, strength and wisdom to know how to maintain peace.

There will always be tests, trials, and temptations in our lives, but if we are not experiencing inner peace (even as we are going through various challenges), it is time to purify and make sure Jesus is on our throne.

relationships (2 Kings 10:1-36) Just Be Willing

(2 Kings 10:1-36)  Now Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the officials of Jezreel, the elders, and to the guardians of the children of Ahab, saying, 2 “And now, when this letter comes to you, since your master’s sons are with you, as well as the chariots and horses, and a fortified city and the weapons, 3 select the best and most capable of your master’s sons and seat him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.” 4 But they feared greatly and said, “Behold, the two kings did not stand firm before him; how then can we stand?” 5 And the one who was in charge of the household, and the one who was in charge of the city, and the elders, and the guardians of the children, sent word to Jehu, saying, “We are your servants, and everything that you tell us we will do. We will not appoint any man king; do what is good in your sight.” 6 Then he wrote them a letter a second time, saying, “If you are on my side, and will listen to my voice, take the heads of the men, your master’s sons, and come to me at Jezreel about this time tomorrow.” Now the king’s sons, seventy men, were with the great people of the city, who were raising them. 7 When the letter came to them, they took the king’s sons and slaughtered them, seventy men, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them to him at Jezreel. 8 When the messenger came and informed him, saying, “They have brought the heads of the king’s sons,” he said, “Put them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until morning.” 9 Now in the morning he went out and stood and said to all the people, “You are innocent; behold, I conspired against my master and killed him, but who killed all these? 10 Know then that nothing of the word of the Lord, which the Lord spoke concerning the house of Ahab, shall fall to the earth, for the Lord has done what He spoke through His servant Elijah.” 11 So Jehu killed all who remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, his acquaintances, and his priests, until he left him without a survivor.

12 Then he set out and went to Samaria. On the way while he was at Beth-eked of the shepherds, 13 Jehu encountered the relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah, and he said, “Who are you?” And they answered, “We are the relatives of Ahaziah; and we have come down to greet the sons of the king and the sons of the queen mother.” 14 Then he said, “Take them alive.” So they took them alive, and slaughtered them at the pit of Beth-eked, forty-two men; and he left none of them.

15 Now when he had gone from there, he encountered Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him; and he greeted him and said to him, “Is your heart right, just as my heart is with your heart?” And Jehonadab answered, “It is.” Jehu said, “If it is, give me your hand.” And he gave him his hand, and he pulled him up to him into the chariot. 16 Then he said, “Come with me and see my zeal for the Lord.” So he had him ride in his chariot. 17 When he came to Samaria, he killed all who remained to Ahab in Samaria, until he had eliminated them, in accordance with the word of the Lord which He spoke to Elijah.

18 Then Jehu gathered all the people and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much. 19 Now, summon to me all the prophets of Baal, all his worshipers and all his priests; let no one go missing, because I have a great sacrifice for Baal; whoever is missing shall not live.” But Jehu did it in deception, in order to eliminate the worshipers of Baal. 20 And Jehu said, “Proclaim a holy assembly for Baal.” And they proclaimed it. 21 Then Jehu sent word throughout Israel, and all the worshipers of Baal came, so that there was not a person left who did not come. And when they entered the house of Baal, the house of Baal was filled from one end to the other. 22 And he said to the one who was in charge of the wardrobe, “Bring out garments for all the worshipers of Baal.” So he brought out the garments for them. 23 Then Jehu entered the house of Baal with Jehonadab the son of Rechab; and he said to the worshipers of Baal, “Search carefully and see to it that there is here with you none of the servants of the Lord, but only the worshipers of Baal.” 24 Then they entered to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings.

Now Jehu had stationed for himself eighty men outside, and he had said, “The one who allows any of the men whom I bring into your hands to escape shall give up his life in exchange.”

25 Then it came about, as soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the guard and to the royal officers, “Go in, kill them; let none come out.” So they killed them with the edge of the sword; and the guard and the royal officers threw them out, and went to the sanctuary of the house of Baal. 26 They brought out the memorial stones of the house of Baal and burned them. 27 They also tore down the memorial stone of Baal and tore down the house of Baal, and made it a latrine as it is to this day.

28 So Jehu eradicated Baal from Israel. 29 However, as for the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, into which he misled Israel, from these Jehu did not desist, including the golden calves that were at Bethel and at Dan. 30 Yet the Lord said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in performing what is right in My eyes, and have done to the house of Ahab in accordance with everything that was in My heart, your sons to the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.” 31 But Jehu was not careful to walk in the Law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart; he did not desist from the sins of Jeroboam, into which he misled Israel.

32 In those days the Lord began to cut off pieces from Israel; and Hazael defeated them throughout the territory of Israel: 33 from the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, the Reubenites, and the Manassites; from Aroer, which is by the Valley of the Arnon, that is, Gilead and Bashan.

34 Now as for the rest of the acts of Jehu and everything that he did and all his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 35 And Jehu lay down with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. And his son Jehoahaz became king in his place. 36 So the time which Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

The temptation to just give up, or the temptation to try things our way or someone else's way can be there in the midst of a challenge or a struggle.  But when times get very difficult, this is generally when people turn to God, because they have already run out of options.  So, it can be easier to return to the Lord, and/or remain steadfast when we are in the midst of challenges or struggles - if and when - we are focused on asking the Lord for help and guidance.

The temptation of pride and thinking that we have the better ideas, or the temptation to just coast along in life can be there in the midst of comfort and success.  But when times are going smoothly, it is easier to remain steadfastness when we are in the midst of a mission!  

Keeping our hands and minds busy with purpose and serving God and others will help to "keep us out of trouble", because as soon as we think we need a 'break" and we let our guard down, that's when it becomes easy to forget or become distracted.  Or when we think "we've got this", we have to know that "pride goes before the fall."  

Interestingly, the answer never changes.  We should always be seeking after the Lord in a close relationship with Him, asking for His help and guidance.  While God wants our whole heart, all of the time, He is knows that we will make mistakes and mess up.  This is why He gives us grace and seals us with His Holy Spirit, so we can never lose our salvation.  He is faithful.  

God wants us to be obedient to His word in everything, because He loves us and wants the best for us.  God wants us to apply His truths to every aspect of our lives, not because we have to but because we want to.  All that is required is that we are willing!  And because we WANT to, we will allow God to work in and through us!