Daily Devotions

The book of Ezra provides a much-needed link in the historical record of the Israelite people. When their king was dethroned and captured and the people exiled to Babylon, Judah as an independent nation ceased to exist. The book of Ezra provides an account of the Jews’ regathering, of their struggle to survive and to rebuild what had been destroyed. Through his narrative, Ezra declared that they were still God’s people and that God had not forgotten them.

Through the narrative of Ezra we witness the rebuilding of the new temple, the unification of the returning tribes as they shared common struggles and were challenged to work together. Later, after the original remnant had stopped work on the city walls and spiritual apathy ruled, Ezra arrived with another two thousand people and sparked a spiritual revival. By the end of the book, Israel had renewed its covenant with God and had begun acting in obedience to Him. 

Ezra was a great man—one of the all-time heroes of the faith. He had the will to lead; he had a heart for holiness; he had a mind for biblical truth. The hand of God was on him, and at the same time he had to be faithful to his calling. The measure of the man can be seen in Ezra 7:10 “Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.” This verse is one of the Bible’s best summaries of what it means to be a faithful servant of God’s Word.

Dr. Howard Hendricks tells of when he was a student that there was a professor who made an impact on his life. Howard often saw the professor pouring over his books. One day, the student asked him, “Professor, I’d like to know, what is it that keeps you studying? You never cease to learn.” The professor answered: “Son, I would rather have my students drink from a running stream than from a stagnant pool.” That should be the desire of each disciple: to keep those things that God  brings across our path drinking from a running stream of Living water.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the exemplary life of Ezra and the way that he set his heart to know, study, and teach Your Word. Develop in me an increasing desire to study, practice, and share the truth of the glorious gospel of Christ from this day forward, and I pray that I may be used by You to turn the hearts of some who have strayed from the way of salvation, back to Yourself. This I ask in Jesus' name, AMEN.

 

Daily Devotion

Three verse that characterise 2 Chronicles message of honouring the King of Kings are found in 2 Chronicles 7:14-16 where God appears to Solomon and says,  “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

In the original Jewish order of the Bible, the Book of Chronicles (including 1 and 2 Chronicles) is placed as the last book of the Old Testament because it summarises the entire story of God’s work through humanity up until that point in history: The first word of 1 Chronicles is ‘Adam’ and the last chapter of 2 Chronicles leads us to the return from exile (36:22-23).

2 Chronicles covers the time period from Solomon’s rise to the throne and completion of the temple, to the proclamation of Cyrus to rebuild the temple 400 years later. The book virtually ignores the northern kingdom of Israel because of its false worship and refusal to acknowledge the temple in Jerusalem.

In our chosen verses for today, God’s promise of healing and restoration reminds us of His endless love and mercy towards us. It serves as a reminder that no matter how far we may have strayed, there is always an opportunity to turn back to Him and experience His grace. We open the door for God to work in our lives and bring about transformation and renewal by humbling ourselves, praying fervently, seeking God diligently, and repenting from our sins.

Thomas A’ Kempis (1379 - 1471) wrote  “Jesus hath now many lovers of His kingdom, but few bearers of His cross. He hath many desirous of consolation, but few of tribulation. He finds many companions of His table, but few of His abstinence. All desire to rejoice with Him; few are willing to endure anything for Him or with Him. Many follow Jesus unto the breaking of bread, but few to the drinking of the cup of His passion.”

In the light of our text perhaps we should pray:-

Lord, in many ways, we have turned away from You. We dabble in evil and go to church on Sunday and expect You to bless our land and our families. Forgive us, Lord, for falling into deception and being halfhearted and lukewarm in our commitment to You. We repent of that, Lord, and ask You to give us the strength to stay on the path of righteousness. We seek Your face and Your ways, Lord, and we ask You to heal our land. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Daily Devotions

1 Chronicles retells the story of David, (already familiar from 2 Samuel), for a post exile audience, emphasising David’s preparations for the building of the temple and the establishment of temple worship.

Whilst 1 Chronicles looks like a history of Judah, the southern kingdom, the information presented, seems to be at odds with the earlier presentation of 2 Samuel. In light of this 1 Chronicles should be read as a theological, rather than a historical, rewriting of the earlier history, designed to demonstrate the continuity of David and Solomon’s united monarchy with the struggling post exile community to which the book was addressed.

Although it was the great king Solomon whom God appointed to build the Holy Temple of the Lord, it was David who had the vision to assemble a House for God. David gave generously toward this project, and the hearts of the people were moved to give freely of their goods for this great undertaking. In the midst of much rejoicing and great joy, David made all the necessary preparations for the building of the House of the Lord.

And so it was that together with the children of Israel, David dedicated the silver and gold in preparation for this great undertaking. He collected together all the fine materials that the people had been gathering freely and had donated happily, for the construction of the Temple of God.

When all the preparations had been made, the king blessed the Lord and led the congregation of Israel in a wonderful prayer of blessing, thanksgiving, and jubilant praise, which began, "Blessed are You, O Lord God of Israel our Father, forever and ever." For the first time in Scripture, we see the Lord being referred to as 'Father' by the people of God.

David's prayerful song of thanksgiving and praise to the Lord continued in joyous enthusiasm, as he proclaimed with great jubilation, "Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendour, for everything in heaven and earth is Yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom. You are exalted as Head over all." 1 Chronicles 29:11

In a world of turmoil and conflict may we too voice such a prayer that in spite of all the chaos, the Lord alone is worthy of our devotion.

Heavenly Father, we worship and praise You, for the greatness, power, splendour, glory, and majesty are Yours alone. May You be greatly honoured, for You are Head over all things and Judge of all humankind. Thank You for all You have done to redeem our lives, and for bringing us into Your everlasting kingdom. May we never become too familiar with Who it was that gave his all on the cross for love of us. In Jesus’ name I pray, AMEN.

Daily Devotions

2 Kings uses the history of the kings of Judah and Israel to explain the destruction of Jerusalem and points to their exile in Babylon in the hope that they might gain a new self-understanding. It is a story of the monarchy’s failure and deserved judgment. But, it is also a story of God’s unrelenting commitment to his people through divine words of hope, judgment, summons, and warning, as God seeks to maintain God’s covenantal relationship with the people. 

Amidst all this struggle, falling away and exile, there is one verse that stands out, 20:5 “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord.” 

Hezekiah was one of the few kings of Judah who was constantly aware of God’s acts in the past and His involvement in the events of every day. The Bible describes Hezekiah as a king who had a close relationship with God, one who did “what was good and right and faithful before the LORD his God” 

 

We also need to hear that a patient and merciful God awaits our response and listens to our prayers. So we need to learn the lesson from Hezekiah. Our wealth and prosperity can tempt us to forget the Lord who gave it all to us. Our ability to do well can tempt us to forget how many times God has answered our prayers. How many times has God turned our darkness to light? How many times has God carried us through the dark valleys of life? We are not to take these answered prayers and blessings of God and forget him, become proud and thinking that we are excelling in life because of ourselves. 

How do we respond to God’s kindness? 

Dear Lord,
Thank You for your goodness. Thank You for the promise that I can be happy as I trust You. Open my eyes Lord as I read Your Word and think about Your goodness in my circumstances. Help me to taste Your truth and see how You are working in my life. May my life and the joy you fill me with, encourage those around me to taste and see that You are good.
In Your Name, Jesus, I pray,  Amen

Daily Devotions

1 Kings continues the story where 2 Samuel left off. Chapters 1-2 complete the presentation of the reign of David and the succession of Solomon. Chapters 3-11 depict Solomon’s glorious reign, highlighted by the construction of the Temple, but including his ultimate apostasy. Chapters 12-14 relate Jeroboam’s rebellion, his censure by the prophets, and the resulting division of the nation into the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah in 722 BCE. 

The rest of 1 Kings details the reigns of the divided monarchy, alternating between the North and the South, but with the bulk of the material considering the period of Israelite supremacy, especially under Omri and Ahab. This period also includes the abrupt appearance and compelling ministry of the prophet Elijah.

However, today, I want to home into David's charge to his son Solomon. 1 Kings 2 1-4 When David’s time to die approached, he charged his son Solomon, saying, “I’m about to go the way of all the earth, but you—be strong; show what you’re made of! Do what God tells you. Walk in the paths he shows you: Follow the life-map absolutely, keep an eye out for the signposts, his course for life set out in the revelation to Moses; then you’ll get on well in whatever you do and wherever you go. Then God will confirm what he promised me when he said, ‘If your sons watch their step, staying true to me heart and soul, you’ll always have a successor on Israel’s throne.’

Here is some good advice that we can translate into our lives as 21st century disciples. Three principles that resonate through the whole of Scripture. In our walk with God we are to  Be Strong, Be Courageous, Be Faithful.

In his book, 'Faith That Endures', Ronald Boyd-MacMillan tells the story of a number of conversations he has had with Wang Mingdao, one of China's most famous church pastors of the last century. The first time he met this famous—and persecuted—Chinese pastor, they had the following interchange:

"Young man, how do you walk with God?” I listed off a set of disciplines such as Bible study and prayer, to which he mischievously retorted, “Wrong answer. To walk with God, you must go at walking pace."

The pastor went on to say, “One of the keys to the faith of the suffering church: God does things slowly. He works with the heart. We are too quick. We have so much to do—so much in fact we never really commune with God as he intended when he created Eden, the perfect fellowship garden. For Wang Mingdao, persecution, or the cell in which he found himself, was the place where he returned to "walking pace," slowing down, stilling himself enough to commune properly with God.

God, you have called me to walk in faith,1 to walk with integrity and in truth,2 to walk in love and in a manner worthy of your name. 3 Heeding your call, I commit myself afresh to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. God my creator, my companion and my Lord, today I chose to walk with you. Amen.

Daily Devotions

Today, we follow with the sequel of 2 Samuel featuring the Call of David—God's anointed one. 

2 Samuel can be divided into two sections—David’s triumphs (chapters 1-10) and David’s troubles (chapters 11-20). The last part of the book (chapters 21-24) is a non-chronological appendix which contains further details of David’s reign.

David moves the country’s capital from Hebron to Jerusalem and later moves the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. Yet David’s plan to build a temple in Jerusalem is vetoed by God, but God promises David the following things: 1) David would have a son to rule after him; 2) David’s son would build the temple; 3) the throne occupied by David’s lineage would be established forever; and 4) God would never take His mercy from David’s house.

David leads Israel to victory over many of the enemy nations which surrounded them. He also shows kindness to the family of Jonathan by taking in Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s crippled son (chapters 8-10).

Then David falls. He lusts for a beautiful woman named Bathsheba, commits adultery with her, and then has her husband murdered (chapter 11). When Nathan the prophet confronts David with his sin, David confesses, and God graciously forgives. However, the Lord tells David that trouble would arise from within his own household.

Trouble come when David’s firstborn son, Amnon,  rapes his half-sister, Tamar. In retaliation, Tamar’s brother Absalom kills Amnon. Absalom then flees Jerusalem rather than face his father’s anger. Later, Absalom leads a revolt against David, and some of David’s former associates join the rebellion (chapters 15-16). David is forced out of Jerusalem, and Absalom sets himself up as king for a short time. The usurper is overthrown, however, and—against David’s wishes—is killed. David mourns his fallen son.

A general feeling of unrest plagues the remainder of David’s reign. The men of Israel threaten to split from Judah, and David must suppress another uprising (chapter 20).

The book’s appendix includes information concerning a three-year famine in the land (chapter 21), a song of David (chapter 22), a record of the exploits of David’s bravest warriors (chapter 23), and David’s sinful census and the ensuing plague (chapter 24).

Yet David is still able to say, “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my saviour—from violent men you save me. I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies” (2 Samuel 22:2-4).

Thank You, Father, for Your undivided attention, Your undiminished love, Your undiluted grace, and Your everlasting salvation. Thank You for Jesus, my Saviour, my high tower, my refuge, my all in all. In Jesus' name, Amen

Daily Devotions

We move forward into the book of 1 Samuel that chronicles the beginning of Israel’s monarchy; following the lives of the prophet Samuel, the ill-fated King Saul, and God’s ultimate choice of David as king. Several themes feature prominently; Providence, Kingship: Reversal of human fortune. 

First, the book recounts stories of Samuel, Saul, and David as they struggle with themselves, among each other, and with Go. It is a time when Israel is transformed from a loose confederation of tribes led by the judges such as Gideon and Deborah to a nation ruled by a king.

Perhaps there are 2 Key Verses in this book. The first is 1 Samuel 2:2 “There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.” The second from chapter 16:7 where we read, “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

In this election year with so many countries voting for who will lead their nations; it is a sobering thought that in the Old Testament that there is no division between religion and state that is so apparent within today's societies.

Whilst it is unlikely that the majority of people will neither want to or be in a place being of elected to lead a nation, in our assessment of another’s worth, we would do well to adopt God’s characteristic of looking at another’s heart.

In 1884 a young man died, and after the funeral his grieving parents decided to establish a memorial to him. With that in mind they met with Charles Eliot, president of Harvard University. Eliot received the unpretentious couple into his office and asked what he could do.  After they expressed their desire to fund a memorial, Eliot impatiently said, “Perhaps you have in mind a scholarship.” 

“We were thinking of something more substantial than that... perhaps a building,” the woman replied. 

In a patronising tone, Eliot brushed aside the idea as being too expensive and the couple departed. 

The next year, Eliot learned that this plain pair had gone elsewhere and established a $26 million memorial named Leland Stanford Junior University, better known today as Stanford! 

In Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical, Phantom Of the Opera we find the song called “Look with your heart”; words by Glenn Evan Slater

“Look with your heart and not with your eyes. The heart understands. The heart never lies. Believe what it feels, and trust what it shows. Look with your heart; the heart always knows. Love is not always beautiful, not at the start. But open your arms, and close your eyes tight. Look with your heart and when it finds love, your heart will be right.”

Loving Father, may I heed this warning not to rely on outward appearances, knowing that the heart of man can be so deceitful. Thank You that You look through my outward appearance and see me as I truly am. You even know my motives for my words and deeds. Thank You that nothing is hidden from You. Help me to keep my mind fixed on Jesus in all I say and do, that it may be the life of the Lord Jesus that flows out from me, making me pleasing in Your sight. In Jesus' name I pray, AMEN.