June 25th readings

~ Click on this link for today's readings ~
2 Kings 8:1-9:13 ~ Acts 16:16-40
Psalm 143:1-12 ~ Proverbs 17:26

Old Testament - 2 Kings 8 begins with a wonderful example of God's "perfect timing."  It was no coincidence that the king was talking with Gehazi about the time Elisha brought a boy back to life when the woman from Shunem walked in with her son!  Have you ever had the experience of God's "perfect timing" in your life?  My hunch is that you have - even if you haven't realized it.  I have had some experiences where I have consciously realized that God's perfect timing was at work - and sometimes I've quickly said the prayer under my breath of "thank you God!"  But, I also now can look back on my life and now see so many instances of God's perfect timing.  Hindsight is 20/20.  When is the last time you experienced God's perfect timing?  Think it could have been today - even if you don't realize it right now?

Elisha's interaction with Hazael demonstrates Elisha was certainly a prophet of God's!  Verses 11 & 12 are powerful - "Elisha stared at Hazael with a fixed gaze until Hazael became uneasy. Then the man of God started weeping. "What's the matter, my lord?" Hazael asked him. Elisha replied, "I know the terrible things you will do to the people of Israel. You will burn their fortified cities, kill their young men, dash their children to the ground, and rip open their pregnant women!"

I love Elisha's final instructions to the young prophet concerning his anointing of Jehu as King of Israel in 2 Kings 9 verse 3 - "Then open the door and run for your life!""  Not your typical instructions from a prophet, you wouldn't think - but if a prophet gives you instructions like these, you best follow them!  :)

Bible.org's commentary on today's Second Kings readings titled "Looking Out for a Lovely Lady" is at this link, "What it Takes to Make a Prophet Weep" is at this link, and "Three Birds With One Stone" is at this link.

New Testament - Today in Acts 16 we will read about the earthquake that comes while Paul and Silas are imprisoned. As a trembling jailer comes to Paul and Silas we will read this in verses 30 through 34 – “"Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household." Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family.” This is a wonderful look at how many of us become and grow as Christians! We first hear the Good News of how Jesus came to this earth fully human and fully God – how he lived a sinless life and died on the cross for our sins – and how he rose from the dead and will come again. Then, through grace, we believe! We simply believe. From there we learn more about God from others and through studying his Word, the Bible – we could call this discipleship. Then comes a decision to be baptized – to publicly profess our faith in Jesus as our Savior. Then comes living a joyful life of community with others. Now – yes – this is a very abbreviated example of how one becomes and grows as a Christian. :) And our various denominations will probably put the order of how all this happens in various ways. But, can you see similarities in your own faith journey with the jailer’s conversion, baptism, and growth as a Christian? Do you remember first hearing the Good News of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection? Do you remember the day you first Believed? Do you remember learning more about the Word, the Bible? (hopefully you’ll remember this year’s One Year Bible journey! :) Do you remember being baptized (or maybe you’ll have photos or stories from your very young years)? Do you now joyfully live life in community with other Christians through your local church? If you haven’t yet experienced all of these things, will you pray to God asking him for the experiences He has planned for you? And, when others in your life come to you like the jailer, asking “What must I do to be saved?” are you prepared to give them the joyful answer?

Bible.org's commentary on today's Acts readings titled "Paul in Philippi: From the Purveyor of Purple to the Purveyor of Pain" is at this link.

Psalms - Psalm 143 verse 8 stood out to me today - "Let me hear of your unfailing love to me in the morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I have come to you in prayer."  I read somewhere before - I think it was Bruce Wilkinson's book "Secrets of the Vine" - that many great men and women of our Christian faith connect with God in the morning through prayer, reading the Bible, and other quiet time activities.  Bruce even suggested that this is the preferential way to go - to start your day by spending time with God in the morning, rather than at night.  Because he said this would then transform the rest of your day - in terms of being more conscientious of our relationship with God.  This does make sense to me - though, I have never really been a morning person.  Even with this One Year Bible readings & blog - I do it all at night.  But - I like what this Psalmist says - "Let me hear of your unfailing love to me in the morning."  And it makes me want to connect with God in some way in the morning - through prayer as the Psalmist goes on to say makes sense.  Actually - one thing I do in the morning is read a page or two from Oswald Chambers "My Utmost For His Highest."  And I am thankful that I do this in the morning.  How about you?  Do you have some way that you connect with God in the morning?  Are you able in some way to hear of God's unfailing love for you in the morning?

What verses or insights jumped out for you in today's readings?  Please post up in the Comments section below!

Grace,
Mike

Comments

[Michael]

I do all my bible reading, meditation, prayer journaling, etc. in the mornings. Have done so for a couple of years now.

[Ramona]

Mike I sandwich my day with Bible Study and mediation. I read another One Year Bible program, read a chapter of Proverbs based using the date as my chapter reference, then I read your comments and go to the One-year-bible. On the way home from work I go back to the One-year-bible. I will specifically focus on the things that spoke to me in the morning; however, I read the entire passage. In the evening it helps that my subway commute is longer than an hour and it is a surefire way to de-stress.

II Kings 8-9:13

Perfect Timing love the shop’s name. I have both delivered a word, unknowingly and unscripted to folks around me and I’ve received a message that was not only right on time, but also took my breath away.

I once became very belligerent, I think, to a very attractive woman I had met for the very first time. She showed up with a group of friends who had made a date to visit a museum on Saturday. I was supposed to go; however, something came up and I couldn’t meet them. We were waiting to go into church the following Sunday They were waiting to go to the 11am service and I was hanging out with them but I had plans to attend the service at 1pm.

While they waited to be let it, I focused on this woman whom I had never seen before telling her how it wasn’t God’s desire or plan to for His children to be abused: physically, sexually, mentally, etc. I couldn’t get off of the subject! I saw everyone’s eyes grow large as saucers as I hammered my point across but internally I kept telling myself, “Ramona you need to stop! Are you crazy?” However, I was compelled to continue. I still can’t explain my drive to badger her I only know that I had to do it. They finally went into the 11am service while I continued to hangout and wait until 1pm. While I waited I became alarmed at what I had done and vowed to call the people in the group and apologize and ask them to convey my contrition to this beautiful young lady.

After I got home from the service, I called my friend and began offering my apologies and before I could finish my sentence, the voice on the other end began telling me there was no need to apologize. The group had never made it inside the museum because this beautiful young woman had stopped them across the street from the museum and asked them why they were so happy. After they told them why and where they were from, she began to tell them how miserable she was. She wasn’t an unbeliever, although in a way she was. She was married to an assistant pastor who had physically abused her and she was in despair. Across the street from the museum is a big park with a lot of trails, a zoo and brambles. She was planning to go into the park, find a deserted place and blow her brains out! I was dumbfounded. My friend told me that everyone’s eyes were wide opened because they knew that I didn’t know this young lady’s story, but I did know her story I just didn’t know I was speaking to her as we waited outside the church. I was there early because I had an appointment to keep.

Acts 16:16-40

Ain’t this something demons possessed folks calling out and identifying Gods’ preachers, teachers and evangelists making a past of themselves. I wonder if I was walking along the street and heard this young woman shouting and following known godly men, would I think she were on the up and up or would I recognize that she was demon possessed? I think when someone is heralding a man or woman of God is such a way that is distracting, disturbing and preventing the audience from hearing the gospel and/or interfering with the delivery of the message that person cannot be of God. God does everything decently and in order, He won’t compete with Himself.

Psalm 143:1-12

6 I reach out for you.
I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain.

Have I feel the desire and need to hunger and thirst after God? Do I lap up His teachings, His Words, His Presence as a severely thirsty woman of God? If not I will not find what I am looking for according to the Words of Jesus,

Matthew 5:6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Proverbs 17:26
26 It is wrong to fine the godly for being good or to punish nobles for being honest!

The only way this can happen in a society or group, is when loyalty to people, places and things are more important than loyalty to the Truth. Paul rebuked the church in Galatia for turning away from the Truth and at one point said,

Have I then become your enemy by telling the truth to you and dealing sincerely with you? (Galatians 4:16 AMP)

Grace and peace,
Ramona

[Douglas Wayne Burrows Jr.]

I was born June 25th 1986. That's why Biblical references like this are so important to me.

-Douglas