August 20 - Habakkuk

What a fantastic lesson I learned from Habakkuk. This overview video is well worth a watch. See what God is teaching us through this Old Testament book.

Habakkuk 3:17-19 Though the fig tree should not blossom

And there be no fruit on the vines,

Though the yield of the olive should fail

And the fields produce no food,

Though the flock should be cut off from the fold

And there be no cattle in the stalls,

18 Yet I will exult in the Lord,

I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.

19 The Lord God is my strength,

And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet,

And makes me walk on my high places.

 

August 6 - Zephaniah

 

August 4, 2021 - Nahum

 

July 14, 2021 - Micah

 

Isaiah 1-4, July 9

 

2 Chronicles 13-16, 1 Kings 15 – June 25, 2021

We get such a powerful message in these passages, that can be summarized in two verses:

2 Chronicles 15:2 … the Lord is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him …

and

2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.”

 

Abijah was ambushed and surrounded – Asa was outnumbered by the Ethiopians, but when God is trusted and honored, God delivers.

That is still a great lesson for us today. It still holds just as true as it always has.

 

Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

 

Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

1 Kings 12-14 – June 23, 2021

1 Kings 14:24b They did according to all the abominations of the nations which the Lord dispossessed before the sons of Israel.

They eventually became just like the people who defied God. This is why God warned them to be careful about associating with them.

1 Kings 11:2  “You shall not associate with them, nor shall they associate with you, for they will surely turn your heart away after their gods.”

 Paul makes a very similar warning.

Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

 We, as Christians, must remain vigilant in our efforts to follow God. What the world deems allowable or moral, may not be.

 We must be certain that what we believe comes from God and not from man – even a religious man - as we see tragically ended the life of the “old prophet from Bethel”.

June 22 – Proverbs 30-31

Proverbs 30:7-8a: “Two things I asked of You, Do not refuse me before I die: Keep deception and lies far from me,”

 

Me: Oh, this is a prayer I should probably learn to pray every day.

 

Proverbs 30:8b “Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion,”

 

Me: Waaaiiiitt 

Proverbs 25-26 – June 17, 2021

26:4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Or you will also be like him.

 Modern day translation should probably read this way: 

Do not type a response to a foolish post on Facebook, it only makes you foolish.

1 Kings 9, 2 Chronicles 8 – June 16, Wed.

As we have been reading about Solomon building and dedicating the temple, I have found myself making comparisons to Gods modern day temple, me and you.

 

“1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”

 

That causes me to get excited about a verse like 1 Kings 9:3, “The Lord said to him, “I have heard your prayer and your supplication, which you have made before Me; I have consecrated this house which you have built by putting My name there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.”

 

Wow, we must be a pretty big deal!

Psalm 134, 146-150 – June 15, 2021

Where is your value? Is it in your strength at a certain talent? Or your success in a certain business? Your likeability because of a certain characteristic? How you are perceived by others?

 

None of those things are necessarily bad; however, “(God) does not delight in the strength of the horse; He does not take pleasure in the legs of a man. The Lord favors those who fear Him, Those who wait for His lovingkindness,” Psalm 147:10-11.

Sometimes, I need to remind myself where my true value really comes from.

 

1 John 3:1 See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are.

 

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

June 11, 2021 – 1 Kings 5-6

I am highlighting what the Lord says to Solomon in 6:11-13, “11 Now the word of the Lord came to Solomon saying, 12 “Concerning this house which you are building, if you will walk in My statutes and execute My ordinances and keep all My commandments by walking in them, then I will carry out My word with you which I spoke to David your father. 13 I will dwell among the sons of Israel, and will not forsake My people Israel.”

 

It seems that on occasion, Christians tend to forget the covenantal aspect of our relationship with God. “If you keep your part of the covenant, I’ll keep my part.”

 

Salvation, thankfully is very free, but Christianity may cost us. Jesus is very clear about this and does not portray Christianity as a “seeker friendly” religion – loving, yes, but accountable.

 

Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.

 

Luke 9:62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Proverbs 1-3 – June 3

Here is another great video explaining the book of Proverbs. Notice the point that Proverbs does not equate to promises but more like possibilities. Also, our relationship with God is not a formula – it cannot be summed up with simple “do’s” and “don’ts”. It is a gaining of knowledge from a lifetime of commitment, experience, obedience, and relationship.

Overview: Proverbs - YouTube

  

1 Kings 3-4 – May 31, 2021

I am amazed to see the humility of the beginnings of such a great man and example in the Bible.

3:7 Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.

 

Solomon’s humility gained him even more blessings than he asked for.

It will be interesting also, to see how fame and fortune encouraged self-reliance, which is the opposite of humility.  When we can trust in our own abilities to provide, we may lose the need to trust in God for provisions.

 

Matthew 18:4 Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

 

Matthew 23:12 Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.

Psalm 139 – Wednesday, May 26

Just this last Sunday, one of my biggest desires was to convince someone that their prayers were taken very personal. It is often too easy to view God as a distant Diety rather than an intimate Father. This causes our prayers to be more like a task rather than relational. There is value in the confidence of God’s desire for personal relationship.

 

That is why I love passages like Psalm 139. Apply these phrases to yourself and your Father God.

“O Lord, You have searched me and known me - You understand my thought from afar - And are intimately acquainted with all my ways - If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me”

 

Bonus result:

When I am convinced of God’s proximity, I then expect Him to take advantage of momentary encounters with those around me.